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At this point, you must check yourself into an alcohol detox center, followed by an effective alcohol addiction treatment program. Your entire life probably revolves around getting drunk, and you may feel hopeless and depressed if you can’t drink. Additionally, drinking has become a compulsive habit that you cannot control.
Jellinek viewed alcoholism as a chronic relapsing condition that needed to be treated by health professionals and developed a theory on the progression of alcoholism through various stages. Someone who is at the point of end-stage alcoholism needs treatment as soon as https://www.excel-medical.com/5-tips-to-consider-when-choosing-a-sober-living-house/ possible. If they choose not to address their drinking problem, they’re likely to drink themselves into an alcohol-induced illness, such as cirrhosis or cancer. Signs such as drinking at work, while looking after children or when driving are indicators of this stage.
Stage 3: Late-Stage or End-Stage Alcoholism
While people primarily think about the liver in regard to alcohol consumption, it can also affect your digestive system, pancreas, blood, bones, and even your brain. If a person experiences two of the symptoms, they qualify as having a mild disorder. Experiencing six or more criteria is considered severe, otherwise recognized as an alcohol use disorder. If someone has an issue with alcohol, the sooner they seek help, the better. Addiction cannot be cured, but it can be managed like other chronic health conditions, including asthma and diabetes. The second stage on the curve is marked by symptoms such as blackouts.
Here in Indiana, 48% of Hoosiers 12 and older have reported alcohol use within the past year, and while this doesn’t mean they’re “alcoholics” it’s important to know where the line is. By Buddy T
Buddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Because he is a member of a support group that stresses the importance of anonymity at the public level, he does not use his photograph or his real name on this website.
Signs and Symptoms of End-Stage Alcoholism
Once liver scarring develops, management procedures with medications, nutritional therapies, and blood-work monitoring are the general protocol. The first time someone uses alcohol could be when they are still a child—or over the legal age of 21. In addition, medications may be able to help ease or stop drinking and guard against relapses. The DSM is the latest attempt by doctors to understand and diagnose this disorder. The severity of the AUD depends on how many of the symptoms they have.
If you’re wanting to approach a loved one regarding their drinking because you’re concerned, the most important piece of advice we can give is to go into it judgment-free. If you approach them with hostility and closed-mindedness, you’re far less likely to reach them. Be supportive, remind them you love them, and try to understand them and their experiences.
