Addiction Recovery

Alcoholism is a disease that affects millions of people every day. Alcoholics can go through many stages before they are able to get treatment and stop drinking. This article will discuss the most common stages of alcoholism.

 Stage 1: Pre-Alcoholic Stage

“Alcoholism is a disease that develops over time. Unfortunately, the early stages of alcoholism often go unrecognized, as people may not yet feel the effects of alcohol.”

The first stage of alcoholism is known as the pre-alcoholic stage. This is when drinking begins, and there are no obvious signs that there’s a problem or that alcohol use has crossed the line into abuse.

It’s not unusual for those who are in the pre-alcoholic stage to deny that they have a problem. They may not yet think of themselves as alcoholics and often don’t realize, or won’t admit, how much their drinking is affecting their relationships with others and their lives.

Many won’t even consider themselves alcoholics if they only occasionally binge. And because most who are in this phase of alcoholism can go for long periods without drinking, their friends and family may not suspect that there’s a problem either.

Stage 2: The Early Stages of Alcoholism

“In the early stages of alcoholism, denial is common.”

The second stage of alcoholism is the early stage. In this stage, there are noticeable problems resulting from drinking – but they can still be minimized or rationalized away. For example, a person may start drinking earlier in the day and may have a drink to “take the edge off” or relax at the end of a workday. Alcohol may be blamed for problems in a person’s relationships and at work. People in this stage of alcoholism usually deny that their drinking is the cause of any difficulties they experience, or may minimize the problem by saying things like, “I can handle my liquor,” “I drink so little compared to others,” or “I only had one too many, and that was just an accident.”

But despite the fact that they can still manage to cope with life and work, those in this stage of alcoholism are moving toward a more advanced stage. So, it’s best to find treatment options at this stage, like a recovery house in Hollywood.

Stage 3: The Middle Stages of Alcoholism

“In the middle stages of alcoholism, personality changes may occur as alcohol dependence progresses.”

The third stage of alcoholism is the middle stage. At this point, a person’s drinking has progressed to such an extent that it makes normal life difficult. A spouse or significant other may begin to complain about how much alcohol the person is drinking and warn them about possible consequences if they continue. People in this stage might: Often drink alone; Leave the table or bar to go outside for a smoke (or drink) and stay out longer than they planned; Pass out after drinking; Need drinks in the morning “to steady their nerves”; Fail at work or lose their job because of an alcohol problem; Choose friends who are heavy drinkers.

However, the person may blame others for problems that arise and continue to deny they have a drinking problem.

Stage 4: The Later Stages of Alcoholism

“The later stages of alcoholism are often marked by health problems.”

The final stage of alcoholism is the later stage. At this point, the person has developed so many problems as a result of their drinking that it begins to take a serious toll. They may become withdrawn and isolate themselves from friends and family. The person in this stage of alcoholism might: Become argumentative, defensive, or irritable if their drinking is criticized; Get angry when they don’t have access to alcohol; Hide their drinking by lying about how much they’re drinking or where the alcohol is kept; Require more drinks to get “high”; Find themselves facing legal problems because of their drinkings, such as being arrested for driving under the influence or public drunkenness.

Other physical signs of this phase of alcoholism may include early morning tremors, loss of appetite, and heart problems.

Many people in this stage are often referred to Alcoholics Anonymous or other treatment centers because of alcohol-related health problems, such as cirrhosis of the liver.

However, by the time a person reaches this stage, they have usually developed a physical dependence upon alcohol and will experience withdrawal symptoms if they stop drinking abruptly. The person will, therefore, usually require professional help for recovery from alcoholism.

Conclusion

Alcoholism can be treated, but the first step is recognizing that there is a problem. Those in the earlier stages of alcoholism can often recover with varying degrees of professional help. However, people who are heavily dependent upon alcohol will need medical assistance during withdrawal and may even require some form of long-term residential treatment for alcoholism recovery in South Florida or counseling.

No matter what age group it is, drug or alcohol addiction is everywhere. The situations are different when you found an aged person addicted to alcohol. Now the question of how to help an alcohol grandparent crops up.

Signs of an alcoholic grandparent

Before taking any action, you need to verify whether your grandparent is an alcoholic or not. Here are the indications that will make your job easier:

1. If the grandparent is consuming alcohol every day.
2. If they are having a change in the actions when there is no alcohol in their body.
3. If they are consuming the drink on a specific time of the day.

What to do next once it is clear that the grandparent has turned alcoholic?

Globally, several life-changing programs are for providing therapies to the drug and alcohol addicts. Find out one of the alcohol addiction treatment programs for your grandparent.

One of the necessary treatment processes is the medically assisted detox. In this treatment, the toxic materials are removed from the system of the alcohol addict via detoxification. This type of treatment technique does not give the patient anything like withdrawal symptoms. These withdrawals are not likely to be harmful or chronic, but they can make the patient feel discomfort. Once the detox process is done, the grandparent is transferred to a rehab center for additional treatment.

In rehab, detox therapy is followed on various occasions. Rehab offers both group and one on one alcohol addiction treatment. The addict grandparent is asked to give a medical exam so that the rehab facility can check whether the addict is suffering from any health ailment or not. If the rehab founds any other medical illness in the grandparent, then they will look after it and provide a cure for that too.

Group therapies

The group therapies are given in the rehab facility to the alcoholic or addicted grandparents. These are used as a support system for the addict. In the group therapies, the grandparent is asked to share his/her experiences about alcohol addiction. Importance of the group sessions is that they make the addict feel satisfied, and it also assists in eliminating the feeling of loneliness. In these sessions, other addicts participate and share their experiences too.

Final Thoughts

Those were a few how to treat an alcoholic grandparent tips. Stumble on the nearest rehab center for your grandparent.

Having an alcoholic member in the family affects the family dynamic in the wrong way. It could result in physical abuse, psychological attacks, financial struggles just like any other addiction. The difference in alcohol addiction is its easy availability, lower cost, and addictive nature. Do family members usually ponder on how to deal with an alcoholic family member?Despite the frequent promises to quit, which are generally not kept. It is just as hard for the addict to stop because alcoholism is somewhat like a disease.

How to help an alcoholic family member?

The first step into overcoming the addiction is making the addict understand and admit that the person has a problem and requires de addiction treatment. Alcoholism is a chronic disease that requires professional medical help. It must be understood that an alcoholic has many stages of quitting alcohol. Firstly, any attempts to get them to stop will be met with immediate resistance. A phase of denial is initially seen in every alcoholic trying to recover. Their behavior must be the focus. It is only when they experience and realize the pain of the issue, they will develop a need to change. Approaching the alcoholic in a loving and caring approach could have better results. Helping the alcoholic set boundaries to their alcoholism is a great help for families of alcoholics. One of the keys on how to deal with an alcoholic family memberis to stay focused on the disease as it is today. Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a progressive disorder, which means with time, it only gets worse.

Seekinghelp for the family members of alcoholics is also essential because alcoholism affects the entire family dynamic. After all, attempts to get the alcoholic to drink fails; the partner of the alcoholic tends to feel lonelier and frustrated. Therapy and counselling can discern these behaviours, understand the alcoholic disorder better, and find out positive ways to solve issues than relying on alcohol.

Helping an alcoholic requires a mix of therapy, counselling, medical, and psychological treatment. Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) may differ between person to person, and therefore the diagnosis might vary. With the right treatment, recovery from AUD is possible.

Listening to Alcohol Recovery Podcastis a means to promote the sobriety process. They give an insight into alcohol recovery connecting like-minded individuals having the same problem. They serve the purpose that alcohol is not required to find happiness in life. Alcohol Recovery Podcasts aims at the acceptance of alcoholism and promotes conversation and a shared community between sufferers.

Alcoholism is a deadly disease with consequences personally, and to the people around you, if your family member suffers from the disorder, help the person ease away from it to a better lifestyle and hence a happier life.