Alcoholic Symptoms And The Signs Of Alcoholism - The Different Stages Of Alcoholism

There are three general stages of alcoholism, each with its own alcoholic symptoms and signs of alcoholism. Each alcoholism stage develops over years, growing more serious over time. An alcoholic can be in either the early stages, middle stages or the late stage alcoholism.

Early Stage Alcoholism

One of the alcoholic symptoms is when a person begins to depend on alcohol to affect their mood. The person drinks to gain relief from problems or stress. They slowly but steadily begin to think more and more about drinking and alcohol, which is one of the early concealed signs of alcoholism.

The next series of alcoholic symptoms includes a gradual increase in the drinker's alcoholic tolerance as their body adapts to the rising amounts of alcohol. They need to drink more amounts to achieve the same 'relaxed' or buzzed feeling. One of the signs of alcoholism at this stage is that the person can drink quantities of alcohol and seem unimpaired.

Unexpectedly, the person's ability to function can improve as they drink more, making it harder to detect if someone needs alcoholic intervention. Their blood alcohol levels rise and they can easily think, talk and walk normally, obscuring obvious alcoholic symptoms and signs of alcoholism.

As the alcoholic keeps drinking, their body then loses its ability to cope with the high alcohol levels. When the alcoholic stops drinking, their blood alcohol level goes down and their ability to think, talk or walk declines. They are moving into the next stage of alcoholism.

Middle Stage Alcoholism

Progressing signs of alcoholism to look for here is when the person consumes greater amounts, more frequently and starts their alcoholic abuse earlier in the day. Their need and desire for alcohol progressively intensifies and alcohol's importance in their life grows.

Alcoholic symptoms here include the alcoholic losing control over their drinking. They get drunk more easily as their body loses its ability to process alcohol and their tolerance deteriorates. If alcohol consumption decreases, withdrawal symptoms become more severe.

Secretly, the alcoholic may realize now that they have an alcohol problem, that perhaps they are displaying some signs of alcoholism. Others may suspect this too. The person enters into alcoholism denial and rejects that alcohol is a problem so they don't have to deal with their personal causes of alcoholism.

Physical alcoholic symptoms now include frequent hangovers, blackouts and stomach problems.

Late Stage Alcoholism

The alcoholic's obsession with alcohol has taken over their life and others can see the more obvious signs of alcoholism. The alcoholic's health, both mental and physical, is deteriorating. Large quantities of alcohol impede the digestive process, reducing nutrients absorption and the alcoholic suffers from malnutrition. Other physical alcoholic symptoms include memory loss, emotional instability, confusion, loss of appetite and mental alertness.

More signs of alcoholism can be growing financial and legal problems as the alcoholic's obsession with alcohol takes over their life. Relationships at home, work or socially may also be falling apart.

If you know someone who is showing some of these alcoholic symptoms and signs of alcoholism, there is alcoholic help and alcohol abuse information available to help you understand how to deal with an alcoholic.