Signs and symptoms of alcoholism increase in severity as the disease progresses as time goes by and it becomes more apparent that there is indeed a problem. The symptoms of alcoholism eventually impact the physical and mental capacities of the individual and have an impact on family relationships, job performance and relationship issues.

There are three stages of alcoholism, early, middle and end. The early stage is when individuals first begin to rely on alcohol to change mood, or to escape everyday problems. Their life begins to revolve around alcohol and they look forward to that next drink. The tolerance level will begin to increase as they increase the amount of alcohol they need to consume in order to reach that desired level of "high", or "feeling good" or "normal". In this early stage of alcoholism, the individual is not usually viewed as being "impaired" and is able to function at work, school and at home in pretty much a normal pattern. Alcoholism is usually not detected in this early stage.

When an individual is in the middle stage of alcoholism they have an increased need for and strong desire or craving for alcohol. They require increasingly larger and larger quantities of alcohol to maintain that "high" feeling and tend to consume alcohol early in the day, in the middle of the day and at night. They often drink alone or in hiding. The body is no longer capable of processing the amount of alcohol consumed and intoxication becomes more obvious to those around the individual. The individual usually outwardly denies that there is a problem but may secretly think a lot about alcohol and how to manage getting drinks of alcohol when needed and may form a pattern or routine to drinking.

The end stage of alcoholism is when there is clearly a craving for alcohol, and the individual experiences an obvious withdrawal when alcohol is unavailable for consumption. Hangovers, blackouts, and health problems that are alcohol-related are becoming more prevalent and frequent or at least regular occurrences. The organs of the body slowly deteriorate from the alcohol as the abuse of alcohol interferes with the digestive process and also inhibits nutrients from getting into the bloodstream. Liver damage is typical and can lead to the inability of nutrients from being converted into usable forms that the body is suppose to absorb and utilize for energy and growth. This leads to more health problems as body tissues and organs are not able to get oxygen and food sources that it needs to survive. If treatment is not started, it is this end-stage of alcoholism in which the disease can turn fatal. Suicides and alcohol-related accidents are also common due to the described state of affairs.

When individuals, family and friends can know and recognize the signs of alcoholism and insist on getting help through intervention, treatment is then possible and the only hope for recovery from alcoholism. Early and consistent therapy and other treatment options are important if the stages of alcoholism are to be stopped.

There is no cure for alcoholism but treatment can delay or stop the progression of the stages of alcoholism and save lives.

Most of the questions concerning alcoholism and alcohol abuse center around understanding what the definition is for both and the consequences of abusing alcohol or becoming dependent on alcohol are to the individual and to those who are close to them. Doctors and other professional healthcare providers can give other valuable information regarding any specific questions you have about alcohol abuse or the disease, alcoholism.

What is alcoholism?

The disease alcoholism is also sometimes referred to as "alcohol dependence". Alcoholism is a chronic disease that has no cure but that can be managed. The disease involves a strong craving for alcohol, withdrawal symptoms when alcohol is not available and an increasing level of tolerance for alcohol and an inability for the individual to stop drinking or to limit the amount of alcohol consumed at will without help and support from professionals who understand the disease and how to manage it. The person suffering from alcoholism needs to learn how to control the craving for alcohol, and what impaired control means as well as physical dependence and tolerance and how managing these symptoms can lead to the ability to manage the disease, alcoholism.

Is alcoholism really a disease?

Alcoholism is a disease, which is chronic and progressive. It is a serious health risk to suffer from alcoholism as well as an economic hardship as many individuals suffering from alcoholism lose jobs and relationships leading to financial ruin. There are symptoms to the disease alcoholism that involves cravings for alcohol, an intolerance level that continues to increase over time, and an inability to control how much alcohol is consumed or the ability to stop drinking alcohol without support from professionals.

There are genetic and environmental risk factors that put some individuals at a higher likelihood of getting the disease alcoholism.

What is alcohol abuse?

Alcohol abuse is different from suffering from the disease, alcoholism. Alcohol abuse is when an individual fails to perform the responsibilities of home, work or school as a direct result of drinking alcohol, gets into trouble with the law while drinking, operates dangerous machinery while drinking alcohol, or continues to drink alcohol despite the direct evidence that doing so is causing problems in a relationship or has caused harm to others. These patterns are caused directly by the drinking and occur within a 12-month period of time.

Individuals who are abusing alcohol do not suffer the same cravings or withdrawal symptoms that those with alcoholism suffer from.

The symptoms of alcoholism, a chronic and progressive disease include a person who is frequently discovered drinking alone or in secret, a person unable to limit the amount of alcohol that they consume or to stop drinking at will, the person may have periods where the "blackout" and are unable to remember what they did during these times including conversations, or commitments they made to others. Someone suffering from alcoholism often has ritualistic times that they drink such as always drinking before dinner and will become agitated if the routine is disrupted, the person may become uninterested in activities or hobbies that once held their interest in favor of drinking time. Alcohol can be found in unlikely places such as stashed in the car, bathroom or storage shed in an attempt to hide the fact that they drink as often as they do. These individuals are often in trouble with the law over alcohol-related incidents, alcohol-related relationship problems or financial problems exacerbated by alcohol usage. They build up a tolerance for alcohol that increases and they experience withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, shakes, and sweating that disappear when they consume alcohol.

Try not to confuse the symptoms of alcohol abuse from the symptoms of alcoholism for they are not the same. Symptoms of alcohol abuse include drinking in excess amounts of alcohol but not to the point of being compelled to do so or having cravings for alcohol that they cannot resist. They do not experience any physical symptoms of withdrawal when they are not drinking and they have no dependence on alcohol they can quit anytime they want to. They are able to control the alcohol habit if they so desire to.

The individual suffering from the symptoms of alcoholism usually feel a deep need to drink, feel guilty about drinking, especially drinking in private or while in hiding, feel that they need to cut back on the amount of alcohol that they are consuming but are unable to do so, and become annoyed easily if they are criticized by others about their drinking habits.

It is not necessary for a person to have all of the above symptoms in order to be suffering from alcoholism.

There are many causes for the disease, alcoholism. The physical dependence upon alcohol is a gradual thing and over time the alcohol alters the balance of chemicals in the brain of the alcoholic inhibiting impulsiveness, and exciting the nervous system. Alcoholism is a physical disease that changes levels of chemicals in the brain that are associated with the pleasurable aspects of what happens when a person with alcoholism drinks alcohol. When the person drinks alcohol over a long period of time the body starts to have an increase or decrease in certain chemical levels within the brain that triggers the cravings for alcohol. Alcoholism is thus an addiction to the drug, alcohol.

The factors that lead to alcoholism are both environmental and genetic. Emotions such as a high level of stress, being overly anxious, or experiencing high levels of emotional pain can all lead individuals to turn to alcohol to block out the emotional turmoil that they have difficulty coping with. It is also possible for certain stress hormones to be associated with the disease, alcoholism.

There are also psychological factors such as when a person has low self-esteem, or when they suffer from depression they may be more prone to suffer from alcoholism. If they have peers, or family members who drink alcohol on a regular basis this strong association with the availability of alcohol can promote an acceptance of excessive drinking that can lead to alcoholism.

Other social or cultural factors such as advertising and media portrayal of alcohol in a favorable light may send the message that drinking is "the thing to do" in order to be popular, pretty, successful etc.

In the United States the minimum legal drinking age is 21, in Japan and Iceland it is 20, in South Korea it is 29. Several countries have no minimum legal drinking age including Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Fiji, Nigeria, Poland, Portugal, Soviet Georgia, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The minimum legal age to drink in Antigua, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey and Switzerland is 16 with the rest of the countries chiming in at age 18.

There are other dangers for teen drinkers besides the higher risk for developing alcoholism. The other dangers include the perils of drinking and driving and being involved in a fatal crash. Teens that drink are very likely to make the decision to drink and drive in part because of the fear of being caught if they call home for a ride, and partly because poor judgment is a symptoms of alcohol abuse. Teens who are intoxicated typically engage in many dangerous behaviors including behaving in a way that they might not otherwise behave such as having decreased inhibitions to act in a sexual manner that they would otherwise not participate in which carries the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

Alcohol is a drug and as a drug it is addictive. Alcohol usage often leads to the use of other drugs that carry many other dangers for teens.

Teens who drink are also in danger of performing poorly in school, which can impact future possibilities for career and higher educational choices resulting from the drop in grades that typically follow alcohol dependency.

Teen alcohol usage can also damage relationships between the teen and his/her family creating rifts that can last a long time. Teens that drink often exhibits behavioral problems, which can further complicate family relations.

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to numerous health risks later in life including the increased risk for liver issues, heart problems, stomach ulcers, and malnutrition at a time when physical growth is still occurring.

The obvious danger is that underage drinking is illegal, and those who engage in illegal activities as youth may continue to break the law as adults, which can lead to dangerous situations. They may also engage in other illegal activities as teens, which carry other dangers.

It is interesting to note however, that the workplace is one area in which the person can encounter an effective prevention program or where many alcohol related problems are identified or interventions initiated that are responsible for helping many individuals take action towards diagnosis and treatment for alcoholism.

One way that workplaces are impacting employees with alcohol-related problems is by implementing comprehensive drug-free programs. These programs are very beneficial to the individuals with the problem and help to provide a safer environment for all employees. These programs typically include:

A clear policy that outlines why the drug free program is being implemented

Explain what behaviors are not tolerated in the workplace

An explanation of what will happen if policy is violated

Supervisors are trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of alcoholism and the abuse of alcohol (which is different from alcoholism) and to keep track of performance of each employee. Supervisors are not to diagnosis or counsel employees

Education programs to inform employees of the symptoms of alcoholism and how it impacts the workplace and also how to obtain help if it is suspected that alcoholism exists within the workplace

Create a support system for employees who have alcohol-related issues

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) have been instrumental in helping the employees and their families to deal with alcohol and the workplace and to be able to get the help they need such as counseling and other services, which sure beats firing the employee.

An alcohol-free workplace is the responsibility of the owners, supervisors, and employees. In order to have a drug-free workplace there needs to be a way of confronting without overwhelming,

When a drug free workplace program is designed it should be a collaboration effort of both employees and employer and should protect the right to privacy for all individuals in the workplace, be compliant with all local, state and federal laws and meet the needs of all parties with mutual respect for all rights to freedom and safety especially.

Workplace drug and alcohol screening tests can be performed and may include urine tests, saliva tests, hair follicle tests, breathalyzer and blood tests. The testing should be a part of the written policy for a drug free workplace. The policy should specify testing of new hires, random tests of all employees and staff and testing of any employee involved in workplace accidents or when employees are under "reasonable suspicion" of drug and alcohol workplace violations.

Denial of a problem with alcohol is a very common characteristic of the disease, alcoholism, so it is not all that uncommon to encounter a problem with getting the individual to see the importance of seeking professional help when it comes to drinking. It typically takes concerned family members, friend’s even co-workers to persuade the individual to go for a medical diagnosis and to accept treatment for alcoholism.

Individuals, who drink in excess, often feel guilty about the drinking but are unable to control the habit and usually will try to disguise the drinking or at least the extent of drinking that they do. If those who are concerned speak with a professional they can often be given guidelines as to how to approach the individual and offer options for being able to obtain help.

If you or someone you know feels that they are becoming dependent upon alcohol, that they crave alcohol and are unable to limit how much they drink or to stop drinking when they should and if they experience withdrawal symptoms when alcohol is unavailable such as sweating, being nauseous or noticing that they shake when alcohol is not available they may have a problem with alcohol and should seek help. Alcoholism is a disease that can have some serious health issues associated with it.

Alcoholism also can wreck havoc on relationships, finances and the ability to be successful in a job or career. When drinking has a negative impact on your life it is time to see a professional for help being diagnosed and treated for alcoholism.

There are certain criteria that must be met when a diagnosis of alcoholism is suspected. The diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as published by the American Psychiatric Association outlines these criteria. There must be a pattern of alcohol abuse that leads to a significant impairment as indicated by at least three or more of the following indicators of the disease:

There is a clear tolerance that is indicated by increasing amounts of alcohol that is needed in order to feel the same level of intoxication. As damage is done to the liver or central nervous system this amount may actually decrease but only after the disease has taken a toll on the body.

The person experiences withdrawal symptoms when they try to limit the number of drinks or when they try to stop drinking. These symptoms may include insomnia, nausea, anxiety, tremors and sweating.

The individual may drink more alcohol or drink over a longer period of time than they originally intended.

Making unsuccessful attempt to cut down or stop drinking.

Spends a lot of time in the effort to obtain alcohol, using alcohol or recovering from the use of alcohol.

A person continues to drink alcohol even when the physical symptoms of alcohol use or negative consequences of alcohol use are obvious such as getting in trouble with the law or not being able to afford to drink and pay bills, or when relationships suffer because of the drinking.

The doctor may use a short questionnaire and discuss symptoms with the patient when making the diagnosis. There are usually no tests that are reliable in determining if a person is suffering from alcoholism. The diagnosis is usually made on medical history, symptom history and physical examination. Denial by the patient is a typical scenario unfortunately and usually delays the help and treatment.

The health affects of alcoholism are physical, mental and emotional. The treatment plan for someone suffering from alcoholism must address all three-health areas in order to be truly effective in treating the disease.

The excessive drinking that occurs when a person suffers from alcoholism can lead to many physical health issues including those that affect major organs of the body like the liver and brain. The liver can be affected by alcohol and cirrhosis of the liver can occur. The person can also develop hepatitis as a result of excessive alcohol consumption. Research studies have also been conducted on the matter of excessive alcohol consumption being connected to liver cancer. Doctors using imaging technology have been able to detect alcohol related damage to both the brain and the liver.

The brain can be damaged by alcohol in many ways including something called, "alcohol dementia. Alcohol dementia can affect memory, reasoning ability, ability to learn and other brain functions.

Those suffering from alcoholism often participate in binge drinking which has been shown to alter mood, and negatively affect cognitive performance.

The health-related symptoms of alcoholism include dizziness, blurred vision, unconsciousness and even coma and death. Long-term alcohol use can also have serious impact upon just about every organ in the person’s body.

Statistics show that there are more than 100,000 deaths each year that can be directed tied to alcoholism or excessive alcohol consumption that include both direct and indirect causes of death such as death caused by drunk driving, alcohol-related falls, liver cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, complications of diabetes that are related to alcohol consumption, and also stroke.

It appears that females have a faster progression of the symptoms of alcoholism then men which makes it critical that anyone, especially women who have a suspicion that they may be suffering from alcoholism be evaluated by a medical professional.

The illness spreads through family units as children of parents who suffer from alcoholism have a significantly higher risk for starting to drink during the teen years and then to develop alcohol related disorder because of the early drinking.

Alcoholism will follow a very predictable path that will become progressively worse over time. The disease makes the individual feel as if they can’t possibly function normally unless they consume greater and greater amounts of alcohol, leading to more severe symptoms of health related problems. The disease can progress to the point of being fatal.

The younger the individual starts the drinking habit the difficult the disease is to treat. Those that have a good deal of difficulty dealing with stressful situations or those who have mental issues tend to be at a higher risk for developing alcoholism.

Alcohol does not just affect the person’s health it can have devastating affects upon the person’s financial affairs due to the cognitive affects alcohol has on the ability to reason, remember or on cognitive abilities. Individuals who suffer from alcoholism often forget to record financial transactions resulting in overdrawn accounts, spend money without remembering they have done so, or use money needed for other budgeted items on alcohol instead that may deprive the family of food, clothing or shelter. Alcoholism can also have a negative impact on the individual’s ability to perform well at work or even to show up at work on a consistent basis which may lead to getting fired and the loss of income can be devastating to the individual and any other family members. Alcoholism can also put a huge strain on relationships as family members, especially spouses and children try to understand the symptoms of alcoholism and why the individual behaves the way they do while drinking or why they have such strong cravings or withdrawal symptoms as a result of the disease.

The intervention is a confrontation between those who are concerned about the individual and feel the need for medical diagnosis and treatment of the symptoms of alcoholism and the person with the alcohol problem. The goal of intervention is that the confrontation and evidence of symptoms of alcoholism along with the consequences of drinking is to convince the individual that help is needed in order to prevent further damage to his/her health, relieve the symptoms of alcoholism and to prevent further damage to finances, relationships or work-related issues, and possibly to stop further alcohol related violence or brushes with the law.

There are steps that can be taken that will facilitate a successful alcohol intervention that are outlined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism they include the following:

Those who care about the person with alcoholism need to stop making excuses for the individual (shielding him or her from the consequences of their alcohol-related actions) so that the individual can experience the full impact of the alcohol-related behavior.

Interventions to be successful need to be timed correctly usually immediately after a alcohol-related problem such as a traffic accident, major run-in with the law, or an incidence of domestic or other violence that is alcohol-related. The timing is important because the individual needs to feel the full impact of the consequences of his/her drinking and be able to relate the consequences with the drinking in an undisputable manner.

The individual should be sober when the intervention takes place. It is imperative that all persons remain as calm as possible during the intervention and that the intervention be done in private with those involved in the intervention meeting before the intervention to discuss the need for the intervention and to come with a plan for how to proceed with the intervention and who will be involved in the intervention.

There should be very specific examples of the alcohol-related incidents that caused problems with others, or with the law, finances, relationships etc., and facts should be discussed not opinions.

It should be made clear the steps that will be taken to protect all those who are involved if the person should decide not to seek professional help for the alcoholism.

It should also be made clear that the intervention and the necessary medical treatment are not punishment for having alcoholism but that the treatment is necessary to help the individual recover from the disease of alcoholism.

Those participating in the intervention should arrive at the intervention with information about available treatment programs in the area, preferably with an appointment already made at the treatment facility should the individual agree to get help for the alcoholism.

Those who care about the individual should offer to accompany the individual to the treatment program for the initial appointment.

It is important not to give up if the first attempt at an alcohol intervention is met with resistance or is unsuccessful.

Interventions are usually successful if they are conducted in a compassionate and nonjudgmental manner with clear, concise evidence of how the alcohol related behavior is harming the individual and/or others.

It is also imperative that interventions be planned and that they have the guidance of a professional who is experienced in substance abuse.

There are many support groups available for the individual and family members to utilize including Al-Anon, and Alateen.

The two alcohol-related health conditions alcohol abuse and alcoholism are described below:

Alcohol abuse is a diagnosis given to an individual when the drinker refuses to stop drinking alcohol even when the consequences to self, friends, co-workers and family are obviously negative including that the drinker is unable to honor commitments made to these entities. If not treated properly and in a timely manner, alcohol abuse can and often does lead to alcoholism.

Symptoms a person suffering from alcohol abuse may exhibit:

Health wise they may have started to see physical symptoms that drinking is having an impact on their health such as increased waistline, weight gain, increased blood pressure readings and other health related issues.

They may be receiving collection calls from creditors that are complaining about late payments due to money being spent on alcohol instead of being used to pay bills.

They may have been cited for one or more driving while under the influence (DUI) violation.

The drinker’s behavior is seen as risky behavior as it starts to put the drinker and others in danger especially if drinking and driving is the case.

The drinker may miss days of school or work because of hangovers or in order to drink, putting education or a job at risk.

The drinker will become annoyed easily when family members, friends or co-workers criticize their drinking habits. They feel guilty or remorse after drinking.

They start to have a social life that is centered on drinking alcohol foregoing past favorite pastimes or friends in order to be with drinking buddies or just to drink alone. They may even be drinking in secret.

Alcoholism or alcohol dependence is a chronic and progressive disease that has no cure and can be fatal if left untreated. A person suffering from alcoholism can exhibit dangerous behaviors including risky sexual behaviors that can have serious medical, psychological or social consequences. The drinker who is alcohol dependent (alcoholism) has an insatiable craving for alcohol, a progressively increasing tolerance for alcohol and an inability to control his/her drinking regarding the amount of alcohol consumption and if the person wants to quit they are unable to do so without support and professional help.

Symptoms a person may be suffering from alcoholism are:

They have very strong and overwhelming cravings for alcohol that they cannot ignore. They have drinking rituals or times that they must drink and if those rituals or times are disturbed they become very annoyed and irritable.

They can go into withdrawal if alcohol is not available at the times they usually drink.

They usually drink more alcohol than they initially intended to drink and are unable to limit consumption or stop drinking.

Alcohol is beginning to have an effect on memory and motivation to do things they should by experiencing "blackouts" or periods of time when they can’t remember what they were doing, what commitments they made or what they said during these "blackouts". They lose interest in past favorite activities or hobbies.

There are many health and behavior effects caused by alcoholism including liver and kidney disease, complications for those with diabetes, certain cancers and an inability for the body to take in nutrition and to absorb it through the bloodstream depriving the body of necessary nutrients it needs to survive.

Alcoholism leads to suicide, vehicular homicide and death by alcohol poisoning.

All of the above listed possible complications of the disease, alcoholism are possible because alcohol is a drug that depresses the central nervous system. Initially alcohol stimulates the individual who first begins the habit of drinking alcohol. As the individual continues the habit the drug, alcohol starts to sedate instead of stimulate and begins to lower your inhibitions and to affect your emotions, judgments and your ability to think. Alcohol can also impair your speech and your ability to coordinate your muscles. If you consume alcohol to an excessive amount over to short of a time period you can poison your system and severely depress your vital centers of the brain that control breathing and heartbeat which are vital to your survival putting the individual into a coma and possibly cause death.

Long-term alcohol use can cause physical fatigue and short-term memory loss. An individual who drinks alcohol to excess over a long period of time may also experience weakness or paralysis of the eye muscles.

As mentioned earlier there are other complications to your health if alcohol is consumed over a long period of time including:

Leading to alcoholic hepatitis, which involves inflammation of the liver. The symptoms for alcoholic hepatitis include loss of appetite, abdominal pain and tenderness, fever, nausea, vomiting, jaundice, and confusion can also occur.

Alcoholic hepatitis can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and an irreversible, progressive damage and scarring of liver tissue.

Those who suffer from alcoholism often have gastritis, which is an inflammation of the lining of the stomach.

Those who drink heavily can also damage the pancreas.

Drinking heavily can lead to high blood pressure, which in turn can damage the heart muscle, which can lead to heart failure, heart attack, or a stroke.

Alcohol over time will prevent the release of glucose from the liver, which will increase the risk of having low blood sugar known as hypoglycemia. If you happen to be a diabetic this can be a dangerous situation for you.

Those who suffer from alcoholism also report erectile dysfunction and interruption in menstruation, birth defects if drinking while pregnant, fetal alcohol syndrome for those unfortunate fetuses born to women who drink while pregnant, bone loss which can lead to an increased risk for fractures, nervous system disorders including dementia and an increased risk for breast cancer, mouth cancer, throat cancer, liver and colon cancer, and also rectum cancer.