The 4 Phases Of Alcoholism (and How They Affect The Person)
Alcohol is currently the most consumed drug globally. And yes, alcohol is a drug, although some people don’t want to admit it. It is the most dangerous drug in the world, if we take into account the large number of deaths it causes each year, both due to illnesses and accidents, violent acts and many other social problems. More than all other drugs combined.
Alcohol is very addictive. Some studies estimate that around 20% of people who consume alcohol develop some type of dependence throughout their lives. That’s one in five.
Another reason why alcohol is the most consumed drug is that it is very strongly integrated into the culture of many societies. Many risk behaviors or clear signs of alcoholism go unnoticed by most people, because they are so normalized that they do not attract attention in many contexts. In many environments, risky consumption is even promoted to feel socially accepted.
In this article I will briefly explain What alcoholism really consists of, and what are the main phases that a person goes through while developing alcohol addiction
Alcoholism or alcohol addiction is the psychological problem by which a person you lose control over your alcohol consumption That is, the person cannot really choose whether he wants to drink or not, or he suffers great difficulty resisting his urges to drink.
Many people with alcoholism I have worked with have told me how “When they start drinking, they don’t know how to stop” they lose control and end up doing things they regret the next day, as well as endangering their lives and those of other people.
Alcoholism is not just about getting very drunk every time you drink. The person who suffers from alcohol dependence feel like drinking very often it is common for them to find “excuses” to drink any day of the week or even at any time of the day.
What are the 4 phases of alcoholism?
These are the main stages, summarized.
1. Pre-alcoholic phase
The person uses alcohol to relieve unpleasant sensations and everyday stress. It is recreational, leisure consumption and it is usually very normalized at a social level, so the alarm signals are not usually seen from the outside.
The person gradually increases their consumption, both in quantity and frequency. Tolerance to alcohol develops, so the person needs to drink more and more to feel the same effects as at the beginning.
2. Prodromal phase
The person begins to practice more risky behaviors, looking for that feeling of intoxication arrive faster and stay longer. People tend to consume higher-proof drinks (higher percentage of alcohol), order rounds of shots, drink faster, etc.
It is in this phase that some people start drinking secretly, or lying about how much they drink. They are aware that they drink a lot and feel a certain shame and fear that other people will suggest that they drink less.
Alcohol consumption becomes more extreme and begins to directly affect various areas of the person’s life You suffer from loss of control, memory gaps, your drinking begins to affect your personal relationships, or even your work life. Alcohol consumption becomes the center of your life, all other activities revolve around alcohol consumption.
4. Chronic phase
In this phase, alcohol tolerance has gone so far that the person begins to experience symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, causing the person to drink almost continuously to try to avoid these symptoms.
The person’s life is constantly in danger due to the risk of overdose and feels unable to cope with many activities of daily living, in many cases requiring continuous supervision.
If you suspect you have a problem with alcohol, don’t wait until you reach the last stage (the chronic phase) to ask for help. This model is useful to help people detect their risk behaviors in the early stages, in order to prevent future more serious problems.
I have worked with hundreds of people who realized that sometimes they “drank too much,” and made the decision to give up alcohol and become teetotal, because they understood that alcohol did absolutely nothing for them, and that it also prevented them from enjoying themselves to the fullest. social encounters and relationships in general.
How to overcome alcoholism
Alcoholism is one of the most dangerous problems that exist, but can be overcome if you have help There are many communities and support groups, as well as centers and institutions to help a person achieve abstinence. The best method to overcome alcoholism is individual psychotherapy, because it allows the person to:
These are things that can only be worked on well in individual therapy, since the person has personalized attention. Support groups (such as Alcoholics Anonymous) are helpful for some people, but they are not for everyone.
Although all the people who come have good intentions, they are not addiction professionals, and What worked for one person may not work for another, because each case is a world. They are usually very useful for the person to feel social support and a space to vent their emotions, but they cannot replace personalized attention from a professional.
My name is Luis Miguel Real, and I am a psychologist specializing in addictions. If you are having trouble quitting alcohol and need help, contact me, and we will start working on your case as soon as possible.
