Development of Alcoholism - Middle Stage
In addressing this Middle Stage of the disease of addiction here in San Diego County, you may be asking the question: Given the already negative effect of drinking alcohol, as outlined in the Early Stage, why do I keep on drinking?
The answer:
There is a growing illusion in this disease, that alcohol is continuing to have the same effects as it once had. We refer to this as Euphoric Recall.
People keep using alcohol for the effect they remember - the drug's action is pleasant or useful, including social or medical uses, and it allows people to temporarily feel more pleasure, less pain or discomfort or both. People recall how alcohol used to help them feel more at ease in social situations. Only now, in the Middle Stage of the addiction, the effects of the drugs have changed.
This Middle Stage is often called the Loss of Control Phase. During this phase drinking has different effects. Occasionally we can drink socially and do not crave the alcohol once we have been exposed to it. Other times we are confused as to why, drinking the same amount, it seemed to take us over. As rationalization begins to dominate the individual, i.e., we make up excuses to ourselves and others as to why we drank more, or ended up in an embarrassing situation. Rationalization are the lies we tell ourselves and how we learn to avoid others because we are thoroughly confused at our behavior. For many of us, we are able to control a lot of things in our life and think that if we just tried a bit harder, we could consistently control our alcohol use as well. So we firmly tell ourselves that we will not drink more than two drinks at the next party, or that we will not drink at all.
We this stage progresses without help, we are unable to keep our commitments to not drink, so we begin making excuses or lying about drinking. We may drink in bars or restaurants to hide the evidence of bottles if we drink at home. Many of us then decide that going out socially to drink alcohol becomes such a disaster that we would rather stay at home and drink.
Our anxiety is actually increasing as the alcohol does progressively more damage to the brain and body. Nutrition is negatively affected, and important vitamins and minerals are depleted. At the same time, we ironically keep remembering that alcohol once reduced fear, anxiety and even anger. It used to help us feel more confident, helped us sleep and reduced physical discomfort.
Instead, what alcohol actually does is cause drowsiness, disorientation and blackouts. Alcohol may impair our motor coordination and cause impaired judgment. Some people will receive a DUI, have an extra marital affair, or make poor financial decisions while under the influence. We may experience nausea or vomiting after drinking - a minor overdose. In this Middle Stage there are increased memory blackouts and the beginning of early morning tremors. Toward the end of this stage, many people begin to break their rules about not drinking before 5, or noon and start earlier and earlier in the day and eventually drink alcohol in the morning. The compulsion to drink overrides commitments we have make to ourselves, to our families, friends and employers.
We then avoid family and friends, and experience a loss of other interests. The efforts to control the drinking fail repeatedly. We are unable to discuss problems as the alcohol has taken over our days and nights. At the end of this stage, we find ourselves drinking alone. If this sounds like a portrait of your life right now, reach out and ask for help.
If we reach out for help now, we will avoid the Late Stage of alcoholism. Our Staff at Lasting Recovery can answer any questions for you or your family member about getting help with detoxification or intensive outpatient treatment. If we are unable to meet your needs for detoxification and outpatient care, we will refer you to a program that can. Give us a call at 858-453-4315.
Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAShttp://www.lastingrecovery.com/terms.html#alcoholismhttp://www.lastingrecovery.com/terms.html#alcoholism
posted by Lasting Recovery | 5:48 PM
The answer:
There is a growing illusion in this disease, that alcohol is continuing to have the same effects as it once had. We refer to this as Euphoric Recall.
People keep using alcohol for the effect they remember - the drug's action is pleasant or useful, including social or medical uses, and it allows people to temporarily feel more pleasure, less pain or discomfort or both. People recall how alcohol used to help them feel more at ease in social situations. Only now, in the Middle Stage of the addiction, the effects of the drugs have changed.
This Middle Stage is often called the Loss of Control Phase. During this phase drinking has different effects. Occasionally we can drink socially and do not crave the alcohol once we have been exposed to it. Other times we are confused as to why, drinking the same amount, it seemed to take us over. As rationalization begins to dominate the individual, i.e., we make up excuses to ourselves and others as to why we drank more, or ended up in an embarrassing situation. Rationalization are the lies we tell ourselves and how we learn to avoid others because we are thoroughly confused at our behavior. For many of us, we are able to control a lot of things in our life and think that if we just tried a bit harder, we could consistently control our alcohol use as well. So we firmly tell ourselves that we will not drink more than two drinks at the next party, or that we will not drink at all.
We this stage progresses without help, we are unable to keep our commitments to not drink, so we begin making excuses or lying about drinking. We may drink in bars or restaurants to hide the evidence of bottles if we drink at home. Many of us then decide that going out socially to drink alcohol becomes such a disaster that we would rather stay at home and drink.
Our anxiety is actually increasing as the alcohol does progressively more damage to the brain and body. Nutrition is negatively affected, and important vitamins and minerals are depleted. At the same time, we ironically keep remembering that alcohol once reduced fear, anxiety and even anger. It used to help us feel more confident, helped us sleep and reduced physical discomfort.
Instead, what alcohol actually does is cause drowsiness, disorientation and blackouts. Alcohol may impair our motor coordination and cause impaired judgment. Some people will receive a DUI, have an extra marital affair, or make poor financial decisions while under the influence. We may experience nausea or vomiting after drinking - a minor overdose. In this Middle Stage there are increased memory blackouts and the beginning of early morning tremors. Toward the end of this stage, many people begin to break their rules about not drinking before 5, or noon and start earlier and earlier in the day and eventually drink alcohol in the morning. The compulsion to drink overrides commitments we have make to ourselves, to our families, friends and employers.
We then avoid family and friends, and experience a loss of other interests. The efforts to control the drinking fail repeatedly. We are unable to discuss problems as the alcohol has taken over our days and nights. At the end of this stage, we find ourselves drinking alone. If this sounds like a portrait of your life right now, reach out and ask for help.
If we reach out for help now, we will avoid the Late Stage of alcoholism. Our Staff at Lasting Recovery can answer any questions for you or your family member about getting help with detoxification or intensive outpatient treatment. If we are unable to meet your needs for detoxification and outpatient care, we will refer you to a program that can. Give us a call at 858-453-4315.
Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAShttp://www.lastingrecovery.com/terms.html#alcoholismhttp://www.lastingrecovery.com/terms.html#alcoholism
Labels: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcohol-Abuse, Alcoholism, Recovery
3 Comments:
Thanks for the blog.
Euphoric Recall. I like the sound of that although it stands for a bad stage of alcoholism. It is so very true regarding what addicts feel and think. They don't feel things are truly getting worse, and they are always searching for that elusive high again.
Like and other Drug Addiction, Alcoholism is a disease that often kills its victims. The end result may be due to liver failure or to an alcohol induced car accident, either way Alcohol Addiction kills people every day. Alcohol addiction ruins the lives of alcoholics and of lives of their families. Because alcohol addiction is considered a disease, alcoholics cannot truly be held responsible for the wreckage they leave at their jobs, in their personal lives and in the lives of those around them. The only way an alcoholic will beat their alcohol addiction is if they understand what alcoholism is and if they learn to embrace Alcohol Treatment.
Drugs like alcohol, opiates cocaine and nicotine hijack the NMDA centers of the brain. This is the reward pathway that triggers a person to continually do things needed to survival like eat or have sex. There is only one treatment so far that I know of that has been showen sucessful at repairing the brain in these critical ways. Helping to end withdrawal and cravings for the drug and other habbits and that treatment is Ibogaine Assisted Alcohol Detox
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