When a person has reached the point where their physical and mental health are negatively effected by the amount of alcohol they drink, they have reached a commonly defined point of alcoholism. The disease isolates and adversely impacts the person's personal, professional, and social life.While some think of all alcoholics as being "the same", often they are not as they are in different stages of the disease of alcoholism. One often used measure tells usthat there are three phases of alcoholism. The first stage is early stage, the second is middle stage, and the last one is late stage alcoholism. However, it can take years for a person to progress through the different stages.

There is no simple test for alcoholism, and a healthy individual who has a drink or two per day is not likely an alcoholic.. Too often, though, people progress from a moderate amount periodically to greater frequency and amount of alcoholic intake.

The First Adaptive Stage of Alcoholism

During the early stage of alcoholism, a person sometimes finds themselves using alcohol to change their mood or to attempt to find "relief" from their problems. Often the drinker along with their loved ones are not cognizant of the fact that they are entering alcoholism's first stage. The person's thirst for alcohol goes up, and in turn they drink more to get the intended effects. In the early stage of alcoholism the body begins to adapt to an increased amount of alcohol. During this stage, the alcoholic's mechanical body functions are not effected, allowing them to do things like walk in a straight line even when intoxicated.

Middle Stage Alcoholism

In stage two alcoholism the person consumes more alcohol and drinks more often as their body becomes tolerant to its effects. In this stage the alcoholic becomes unable to put boundaries on their drinking with regard to time, place, or amount. The person finds themselves turning to alcohol over every stressor or problem, and often finds themselves fixating mentally on drinking. As the disease progresses, the alcoholic finds their body control slipping noticeably which can result in them falling down stairs or while walking, bumping into tings, and other accidents. During this stage it is very common for the person to realize that they have a drinking problem but to still deny it to eveyone around them.

Late Stage Alcoholism

This late stage of alcoholism is absolutely terrifying and confusing for everyone in the alcoholic's life. It is also known as the deteriorative stage of alcoholism. It is in this stage that the over consumption of alcohol most damages the body. By this stage the alcoholic will likely be drinking constantly, and their family and friends will be aware of this. The person starts becoming ill very often, seems mentally fogged or dazed, and suffers a lot of other mental and physiological issues. This occurs because of the damage heavy amounts of alcohol haved inflicted on the vital organs. The result of this toll is quite often a few or many severe medical conditions. Cirrhosis of the liver, heart failure, hepatitis, and many other illnesses are possible health problems associated with this damage. Such physical and psychological changes are almost unavoidable for the late stage alcoholic. Evn at this point many alcoholics will still exhibit denial that they have a drinking problem. This vicious circle makes it much more difficult for the alcoholic to cope with even basic common situations, and almost impossible for them to even think about seeking help for their addiction.