Three Stages Alcoholism
These three stages of alcoholism are excerpts from Under the Influence a book by Dr. James R. Milam and Katherine Ketcham. Untreated alcoholics can expect to pass through the following three stages of alcoholism: The early, adaptive stage, is characterized by Adaptation, Tolerance, and Improved Performance. The middle, dependent stage, is characterized by Physical Dependence, Craving, and Loss of Control. The late, deteriorative stage, is characterized by Malnutrition, Secondary Disease, and Death. In the Early Stage the alcoholics body begins to adapt to alcohol at the cellular level to alcohol. Our cells change and learn how to function normally with alcohol present. We are able to drink more and still control ourselves because our bodies have changed. This is known as increasing tolerance. It corresponds with improved performance. The budding alcoholic performs better when drinking and that performance falls off when he stops. The non-alcoholic will perform worse when drinking but, will improve when he stops drinking. This is one of the only differences you can tell between alcoholics and non-alcoholics at this point in the disease. In the Middle Stage, the drunk has stopped drinking for the high and is drinking to avoid the pain caused by previous drinking. The cells that had adapted to accomodate increasing alcohol consumption are now damaged. They need alcohol to function normally. The alcoholic will experience cravings and will have difficulties overcoming them. Drinking will become the most important thing in the alcoholics life. In the Late Stage, the drunk spends most of his time drinking just to avoid the pain. They are mentally unstable, have a much lower resistance to disease, and have lost physical strength. They are malnourished. They are in bad shape. Without proper nourishment, the already badly damaged cells cannot repair themselves. The damage goes unchecked and gets progressively worse. There are many secondary diseases that go along with the destruction to the body and mind of alcoholism. We get to them in a seperate section. Three Stages Alcoholism to Progression of Alcoholism
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