Stages Of Alcoholism

Few people take their first dose of a drug-- illegal or legal-- with the hope of getting addicted.
For 2009, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports that
23.5 million people sought some form of treatment for drug and alcohol problems. Of course,
individual physiology and psychological makeup have much to do with how quickly addiction
can take hold and with the amount ingested prior to passing the unseen threshold from The
Course to Addiction: Phases of Alcoholism to slavery.
While every individual instance may differ in time frame and intensity of dependency, a few
patterns are standard among the complete pool of substance abusers. From the accounts of
addicts and those who care for them, researchers are able to uncover benchmarks for the
stages of drug addiction.
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Experimenting With Drugs
Addiction does not have to start in youth. Even the elderly may use alcohol or drugs to take
the edge off isolation. With no honest self evaluation-- a candid assessment of the indications
of drug addiction-- a person may pass unwittingly into the more acute stages of drug
addiction.
Regular Use
Taking a drug or other substance regularly may not always lead an individual into addiction.
Some people are able to consume a drug continuously for a time span and afterwards
terminate its use with negligible discomfort. The likelihood of dependence is based upon the
duration of the use period and the strength of the dosages. Should the time-span extend
indefinitely and the strength of dosage also increase, proper usage might become drug
addiction. Another cautionary sign is particular changes in conduct. If speech and conduct
change substantially, especially an increased propensity toward aggression and high-risk
tendencies, it is necessary to cease using the substance.
Unsafe Usage
As the stages of drug addiction are passed through, the individual's personal choices and
behavior get progressively more dangerous, both to herself or himself and other people. The
National Survey on Drug Use and Health declared that 28.4 percent of young adults between
the ages of 21 and 25 drove under the influence of illicit substances in 2009.
Operating a vehicle while under the influence of a depressant
Spending money irresponsibly to acquire the substance
Defensiveness in verbal exchanges
Hiding things

 Changes in appearance.
Adjustments in appetite, memory failure and worsening fine motor skills are also signs of
substance abuse. The line of demarcation seperating hazardous consumption and
dependence is difficult and thin to identify. Securing help for oneself or another person you
care about ought not be postponed at this stage.
Dependency
Of all the stages of drug addiction, use and dependence are the toughest to differentiate. The
devastating consequences of drug abuse are clearly apparent in dependence.
Through it all, though, the dependent stands apart from the addict by meeting sufficient
responsibilities to maintain the essential framework of his or her life. Although the trajectory
of drug abuse stages is still headed downward, the appearance of normalcy remains.
Addiction
If changes are not initiated-- and help is not sought-- the stages of drug addiction lead to the
most severe phase: addiction itself. Now the person is mentally and physically bound to
continual use of the substance or alcohol. The stage of brain disorder is arrived at and the
victim is prone to many disastrous consequences of prolonged drug abuse.
Since the addiction is of both body and mind, withdrawal syndromes are best supervised and
addressed by qualified physicians. Once the addicting drug has exited the body, the drug
abuser can work with psychotherapists to isolate the causes and nature of the addiction.
sons of liberty
Without a sober self-assessment-- an sincere assessment of the signs of drug addiction-- an
individual could pass unknowingly into the more acute stages of drug addiction.
Using a drug or other chemical substance on a regular basis does not always entrap a
person into addiction. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health declared that 28.4
percent of young adults in between the ages of 21 and 25 drove a vehicle under the influence
of illicit drugs in 2009. Of all the stages of drug use, dependence and addiction are the most
challenging to demarcate. If adjustments are not initiated-- and assistance is not looked for-the stages of drug addiction lead to the most severe stage: Thoughts On Alcohol Drinking In
Our Daily Lives .
Structure and Statistics from:
http://www.projectknow.com/research/stages-of-drug-addiction/
http://www.samhsa.gov/