Warning: This article contains discussion of alcoholism which some readers may find distressing.
Alcoholism can be hard to recognise, but there are a number of stages that can help you to determine whether you or someone you know is clinically struggling.
According to Alcohol Charge, there are estimated 602,391 dependent drinkers in England, with only 18 percent of them receiving treatment.
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In 2020 there were 8,974 alcohol-specific deaths, which is an 18.6% increase from the year before.
It’s no secret that people in the UK love to booze it up, but how much is too much?
The Addiction Center has broken down the six stages of alcoholism, and what the serious and sometimes fatal end-stage looks like.
The first stage of alcoholism: Social drinking
The rehab centre detailed social drinking as a ‘comparatively non-threatening level of drinking’ that may not even lead to more serious drinking problems.
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If you find that you’re downing a few drinks every time you go out with friends, then you could be in the first stage of alcoholism.
The second stage of alcoholism: Binge drinking
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, binge drinking is a pattern of drinking that raises your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 percent.
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For men this could be five or more drinks within two hours and for women, ‘it means consuming four or more standard drinks over the same time frame’.
Addiction Center states: “Binge drinking can be episodic or occur often, sometimes signalling the threat of future heavy drinking or alcohol abuse.”
The third stage of alcoholism: Heavy drinking
As per the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, for men, this will look like over five drinks a day or more than fifteen a week.
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For women, it’s more than four a day or over eight a week.
Addiction Center adds: “A heavy drinker may drink more frequently or drink excessive amounts when drinking socially.”
The fourth stage of alcoholism: Alcohol dependency
When a person reaches the fourth stage of alcoholism, they might begin to depend ‘on alcohol to feel normal and may experience negative symptoms or feelings when they are not drinking’.
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They also might have ‘emotional and mental motivations’ for drinking.
The fifth stage of alcoholism: Addiction/alcoholism
This stage is when a person is fully in the midst of alcoholism.
Addiction Center explains: “When a person has developed an alcohol use disorder (AUD), they begin to exhibit a variety of behaviours that have a negative impact on their health and personal and professional lives. Despite this, many people continue to drink.”
The sixth stage of alcoholism: End-stage alcoholism
The final stage, which is the end-stage, leads to significant health and mental issues, and it could even end in death without intervention.
Addiction Center categorises this as the ‘most destructive stage of alcoholism’.
Its website states: “Typically, an individual reaches end-stage alcoholism after years of alcohol abuse. At this point, people who have spent years drinking may have developed numerous health and mental conditions in addition to their alcohol abuse.
“Major organ damage and failure often occur during this time, as well as interpersonal consequences like isolation and job loss.”
At this point, if you don't seek help, you could have serious complications from your symptoms and your body may shut down.
Please drink responsibly. If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence, contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110, 9am–8pm weekdays and 11am–4pm weekends for advice and support.
Topics: Alcohol, Health, Food and Drink
Britt Jones