| Almost everyone knows about the twelve steps to | | | | life. The body has absorbed so much alcohol over |
| recovery from alcoholism. But what are the stages | | | | such a long period of time that the person has a very |
| someone goes through on the way to alcoholism? | | | | high tolerance for alcohol. A woman in Washington |
| Alcohol addiction stages are generally defined as early, | | | | State was arrested for DUI in April of 2007 with a |
| middle, and late. These three stages, however, are | | | | stunning blood-alcohol level of .47. Almost half her |
| very broadly defined and are going to look a little | | | | blood was alcohol! |
| different in each alcoholic. One person may never | | | | This level of alcohol actually indicates alcohol poisoning, |
| move past the early stages, while another may zoom | | | | and many other people would have been dead long |
| through the early and middle stages like a rocket and | | | | before they reached .47. This woman's tolerance was |
| land squarely in the late stage. | | | | so high that not only was she still breathing, she |
| In the early stage of alcoholism, the drinker may not | | | | thought she could drive a car. The police officer |
| consciously admit he or she has a problem, but | | | | disagreed with her. |
| realizes there's some sort of social opposition to the | | | | Someone in late stage alcoholism will almost certainly |
| alcohol consumption. At this stage the alcoholic begins | | | | have blackout periods and/or memory loss. The |
| to drink alone, sneak drinks, feel guilty about drinking, | | | | alcohol has permeated the brain and is changing it. |
| and avoid or refuse to talk about drinking. | | | | Liver diseases like fatty liver or cirrhosis are probably |
| Beyond that, the second or middle stage of alcoholism | | | | present and the person's health has definitely declined |
| includes such symptoms as trying and failing to reduce | | | | by this point. It is absolutely critical at this point that the |
| drinking or quit altogether. At this point the drinking has | | | | alcoholic either seek help on his or her own, or have an |
| gotten to the point where there is almost always an | | | | intervention. |
| impact on the family. The alcoholic may fight with | | | | One other interesting fact that has recently come to |
| spouse, parents, or children. There may be issues at | | | | light: women, almost without exception, pass through |
| work like increased use of sick leave, tardiness, or | | | | these stages faster than their male counterparts. |
| absenteeism. Legal troubles may surface here. A DUI | | | | Women's bodies generally have less water than a |
| arrest is not uncommon for someone in the second | | | | similar-sized male's. Alcohol in the bloodstream mixes |
| stage of alcoholism. | | | | with water, but since there is less water in a women's |
| Especially for the binge alcoholic, who can go a long | | | | body, that makes the alcohol more potent. |
| time between drinking periods, there is remorse after a | | | | Anyone, male or female, who has entered any stage |
| binge. The middle stage of alcoholism is usually where | | | | of alcohol dependency should seek help immediately. |
| blackouts and memory loss first occur. The alcoholic | | | | Alcoholism affects not only the drinker, but his or her |
| also becomes much better at rationalizing the drinking | | | | family, friends, co-workers, and anyone who may |
| activity. | | | | encounter the impaired driver out on the road. Perhaps |
| If the alcoholic reaches the third, final or "late" stage, | | | | the fourth stage of alcoholism should be recovery. |
| the alcoholism is having a severe impact on his or her | | | | |