| Alcoholism is a chronic disease that has the | | | | resistance wholly gives way. |
| power to break the career, family and | | | | |
| physical health of the addict over a course | | | | As the alcohol intake increases, so the |
| of time. Thankfully though the start of full | | | | patient's physical ability to process that |
| blown alcoholism is not difficult to spot and | | | | alchol is concurrently reduced. Consequently |
| can be treated. | | | | the middle-stage alcoholic can get drunk |
| | | | without much effort, even on small amounts of |
| The advancement of the disease can often be | | | | alcohol. By this stage it should be apparent |
| tracked over three stages - an early, middle | | | | to one and all, and even to the alcoholic |
| and later stage - and the sooner the addicted | | | | himself, that he has a problem, though he |
| person or his or her family can spot the | | | | might feel at this stage that he has already |
| symptoms, the easier it should be to stop the | | | | lost the conflict. |
| development of the disease. | | | | |
| | | | The final stage of alcoholism is marked by |
| In the early stage of alcohol dependency the | | | | obsessive drinking and a desperate avoidance |
| individual drinks purely to relax or to deal | | | | of having to face the problem. Everyone |
| with a fleeting problem that is responsible | | | | around the alcoholic now identifies the |
| for anxiety. When he drinks it lessens the | | | | problem. When they confront the drinker, he |
| pain and he feels wonderful, and so drinking | | | | will no longer be unconcerned, but may become |
| becomes the standard mechanism through which | | | | aggressively defensive or even violent. |
| he deals with his issues. | | | | |
| | | | Physical health systematically degenerates |
| Gradually this becomes into a steady habit, | | | | during this final stage, eventually ending in |
| but even close family members can easily | | | | death if the disease is not treated. The |
| overlook this development. The drinker, for | | | | alcoholic's immunity levels decrease along |
| the majority of the time, comes across as | | | | with his desire for food, and so he becomes |
| normal during this stage, and indeed may come | | | | increasingly vulnerable to a variety of |
| across as more confident and stable. | | | | regular diseases. Moreover, specific |
| | | | conditions caused directly by the alcohol |
| If challenged about his level of alcohol | | | | consumption continue to to develop - liver |
| consumption, the early-stage addict tends to | | | | disease, cancers, brain damage, etc. |
| rationalise his drinking in a way that can be | | | | |
| totally convincing to those nearest to him, | | | | The one consoling factor for the friends and |
| at least for the short term. Over time | | | | family of someone in the final stage of |
| though, the loss of control of the tongue and | | | | alcohol dependency is the traditional |
| posture indicate unambiguously that he has a | | | | understanding is that healing only comes |
| drinking problem, and indeed that he is | | | | after the alcoholic has hit 'rock bottom', |
| entering middle stage alcohol dependency. | | | | and so the further the alcoholic degenerates, |
| | | | the closer (we hope) he is getting to rock |
| The middle stage of alcoholism is where the | | | | bottom. Having said that, according to the |
| patient develops a full blown physical | | | | same wisdom, only the alcoholic himself can |
| dependency on the drug. The longing to put | | | | clarify where that 'rock bottom' point is |
| away alcohol with time increases, and if the | | | | set, and some people just never seem to reach |
| individual had endevoured to contain his | | | | it. |
| drinking in the early stage, now that | | | | |