Alcoholism is a disease characterized by compulsive and uncontrolled drinking despite consequences to an individual's health, obligations and relationships. During early stages, an individual may only lose control occasionally; however, advanced stages are marked by more frequent and prolonged episodes of helpless intoxication. An advanced stage (chronic) alcoholic has no choice but to drink constantly in order to maintain any function at all. The complete picture is seen by examining the progressive loss of control in different areas of an alcoholic's life.
Psychological Manifestations
Psychological manifestations of the advanced stages of alcoholism reflect the extreme isolation and emotional pain caused by long standing alcoholism. Unreasonable resentments, indefinable fears, and reactive hostility toward others create a vicious cycle. Accumulated external problems and persistent remorse generate feelings of impending doom and cause moral deterioration. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, these factors fuel the obsession to drink in order to escape the constant psychological pain. On rare occasions, a chronic alcoholic may realize that alcohol is causing the problem, but he has lost the ability to stop on his own.
Physical Symptoms
In moderate to large quantities, alcohol is toxic to almost every system in the human body. Chronic alcoholics show widespread physical deterioration in the advanced stages of alcoholism. Symptoms include: stomach ulcers, malnutrition, tremors, seizures, auditory and visual hallucinations, mental fogginess and decreased tolerance for alcohol. A 2010 article in the journal "Addiction Biology" notes that these symptoms keep the vicious cycle moving because a chronic alcoholic needs to continue drinking to suppress the worst of the symptoms and blot-out the reality of his situation. At this stage, attempting to stop would result in delirium tremens, which is a dangerous and sometimes fatal withdrawal symptom of chronic alcohol abuse. Medical attention is needed if the individual wants to stop drinking.
Social Problems
As noted in a 2001 by the World Health Organization, social consequences are sadly predictable and accompany the advanced stages of alcoholism. Unreasonable fears and resentment cause devaluation of personal relationships, which further isolates the person suffering at this stage. Due to the almost constant drinking at this stage, full-time employment is not possible. Loss of income may create financial problems or exacerbate existing problems. Often by this stage, the alcoholic has created legal problems as well, which are only compounded by an inability to function normally. Social consequences, as opposed to the psychological or physical consequences, are usually the reason for a chronic alcoholic seeking help.
References
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Alcohol Dependence, Withdrawal and Relapse; Becker, HC.
- "Addition Biology"; Acute withdrawal, protracted abstinence and negative affect in alcoholism; Heilig M, Egli M, Crabbe JC, Becker HC; April 2010
- World Health Organization: Alcohol and its Social Consequences -- the Forgotten Dimension; Klingemann H; 2001
