subject: Alcoholism: The Phases Of Development [print this page] According to a lot of experts, alcoholism is a serious condition which should be addressed immediately to avoid| further health complications.
When people display behaviors and thoughts which are consistent with what alcoholics normally have, alcoholism can start before their first drink. But, some individuals can drink alcohol for some time before they get addicted to it. Alcohol dependency can be caused by a lot of factors, one of which is heredity. Alcoholism is developed through different phases.
In the first stage, a drinker may find a self-medication help from alcohol. The substance minimizes anxiety and looses inhibitions. At some point, alcoholics may only join occasions when there's alcohol to consume and will decline invitations which don't allow drinking.
The alcohol addiction of the person becomes apparent in the second stage. At this point, the individual is expected to drink a lot more frequently and may not be able to manage his drinking habit. The individual will ignore all effects of alcohol abuse and will need to seek the help of long term alcohol treatment centers. He is likely to experience stomach problems, blackouts and hangovers. Also, at this stage, the alcoholic will not admit that he is already addicted to the substance which eventually causes relationship breakups and job issues.
At the later stage of alcohol addiction, the life of the individual has already been taken over by alcohol in such a way that he will prioritize drinking above everything else even his work, family, friends and moral conduct. It is at this phase that he may have financial problems and a deteriorating health condition.
When the addiction to alcohol has reached a point of crisis, the effects of the habit will become obvious to everyone including the sufferer. He will suffer from the effects of alcohol abuse which can only be handled at long term rehab centers while he continues to drink even more. It's likely that this stage will end up in alcohol-related death if the individual won't choose to enter alcohol rehabilitation.
Breaking the addiction to alcohol can only be possible when the individual gets help from rehab facilities. Alcoholics or the concerned loved ones of these sufferers must not wait until the final stage of the addiction. Instead, from the time they learned about the alcoholism, they need to select the appropriate alcohol rehab immediately.
