What Are the 4 Stages of Alcoholism?

With regard to alcoholism, BAC is useful to judge alcohol tolerance, which in turn is a sign of alcoholism. Electrolyte and acid-base abnormalities including hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, hyponatremia, hyperuricemia, metabolic acidosis, and respiratory alkalosis are common in people with alcohol use disorders. A BAC of 0.09% to 0.25% causes lethargy, sedation, balance problems and blurred vision. A BAC of 0.18% to 0.30% causes profound confusion, impaired speech (e.g. slurred speech), staggering, dizziness and vomiting. A BAC from 0.25% to 0.40% causes stupor, unconsciousness, anterograde amnesia, vomiting and respiratory depression (potentially life-threatening). A BAC from 0.35% to 0.80% causes a coma , life-threatening respiratory depression and possibly fatal alcohol poisoning.

High-functioning alcoholics have an addiction as real as those of the people who get in car accidents, show up to work drunk or lose their family and friends. But for chronic heavy drinkers, the effects of alcohol on the body and mind can be severe, potentially leading to worse overall health, lower quality of life, and shorter life expectancy. End-stage alcoholism, or late-stage alcoholism, is the final stage of an alcohol use disorder, resulting in serious physical and mental conditions as well as other life consequences from years of alcohol misuse.

Mental Effects and Deterioration in End-Stage Alcoholism

It is finding new outlets to cope with trauma, grief, or stress and avoiding the situations that drove them to drink in the first place. Addiction treatment and counseling help people learn the skills to better manage triggers and process feelings healthily. It begins to affect one’s life, leading to the next stage of alcoholism. CDC works with other federal agencies to prevent excessive alcohol use.

She has extensive experience in working with patients at all levels of care and has additional training in family dynamics, codependency, relapse prevention, and stress management. Lisa brings her understanding and compassion to our team and believes that with the right help, individuals and their loved ones can heal and grow in recovery and develop the necessary tools to thrive in life. Even though there are many health consequences an individual can face during the last stages of alcoholism, quitting drinking can alleviate many of the symptoms.

Potential Predictors of Alcohol Use Disorders

However, fewer people stop to think about the real cost of long-term alcohol abuse including the worrisome relationship between drinking and life expectancy. Alcohol addiction is commonly referred to as “alcoholism,” and people who struggle with it are usually called “alcoholics”. Those who suffer from alcohol abuse disorder do not just drink too much or drink routinely; they have a compulsion to drink alcohol, they have to drink all the time, and they cannot control how much they drink.

Problem drinking has multiple causes, with genetic, physiological, psychological,and social factors all playing a role. For some alcohol abusers, psychological traits such as impulsiveness, low self-esteem and a need for approval prompt inappropriate drinking. Some individuals drink to cope with or “medicate” emotional problems. how long do alcoholics live Social and environmental factors such as peer pressure and the easy availability of alcohol can play key roles. Poverty and physical or sexual abuse also increase the odds of developing alcohol dependence. The idea of hitting rock bottom refers to an experience of stress that can be attributed to alcohol misuse.

Alcohol use disorder: incidence and associated mortality

A few of the most common alcohol withdrawal symptoms are shaking hands, sweating profusely, anxiety, nausea, insomnia, seizures, and hallucinations. At this point in an individual’s addiction, they will present a severe case of physical addiction and dependence on alcohol. Binge-drinking is characterized by having multiple drinks at a time within a small window.

• As of 2015 in the United States, about 17 million (7%) of adults and 0.7 million (2.8%) of those age 12 to 17 years of age are affected.
• Chronic, long-term drinking can contribute to malnutrition by replacing foods needed for essential nutrients and by interfering with absorption, storage, or metabolism of the essential nutrients.
• The transition from the vicious cycle of addiction to a life in recovery is difficult but necessary.
• Verywell Mind’s content is for informational and educational purposes only.
• Too much alcohol overloads the liver with toxins that injure the tissues.

Alcohol consumption per capita was determined from aggregate data and not from alcohol exposure for individuals. We encourage you to learn more about The Recovery Village’s approach tohealth and wellness during alcohol treatmentand to seek help, especially if your or a loved one’s alcoholism has reached the end-stage. As the stage progresses, the disease takes hold and develops into middle-stage alcoholism. Alcoholism is a chronic disease that progresses through early, middle and late stages. In 2019, it affected14.5 millionAmericans aged 12 and older, or5.3%of the population. Esther has been with Hemet Valley Recovery Center since 2008, having over 16 years of experience in the field of Chemical Dependency.