Author: Gary Jackson
End-Stage Alcoholism: Signs, symptoms, health, and treatment
Even brain damage and hepatitis can occur in end-stage alcoholics. Typically, an individual reaches end-stage alcoholism after years of alcohol abuse. At this point, people who have spent years drinking may have developed numerous health and mental conditions in addition to their alcohol abuse. The individual may have isolated themselves, lost their job, or damaged major organs in the body. Another consequence is the risk to their overall health as the organs shut down.
Unhealthy alcohol use includes any alcohol use that puts your health or safety at risk or causes other alcohol-related problems. It also includes binge drinking — a pattern of drinking where a male has five or more drinks within two hours or a female has at least four drinks within two hours. Alcohol use disorder is a pattern of alcohol use that involves problems controlling your drinking, being preoccupied with alcohol or continuing to use alcohol even when it causes problems.
Treatment for End-Stage Alcoholism
This can also lead to anemia, when your red blood cell (RBC) count is lower than normal or there’s a problem with the hemoglobin protein inside those cells. The person’s experience is positive, and they don’t perceive their use to be harmful. According to the CDC, more than one million people die yearly of cirrhosis, including over 40,000 people in the United States.
This can make it more difficult to show the effects of intoxication. Eventually, their tissue cells may become dependent on alcohol to function normally. When a person with alcoholism reaches end stage alcoholism, they have reached a point that is dramatically different from the initial stages. During the early stages of the disease, the person may drink heavily and may experience hangovers in between drinking episodes. However, during the end stage, the addiction has taken over, and the person may no longer be able to control their drinking impulses.
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By the time a person is in end-stage alcoholism, there can be no denying that drinking has taken over their life and damaged their health. Recovery will not be easy at this point, but it will be worth the work. Now is the time to line up support from addiction specialists, mental health professionals, friends and family, and others living with an alcohol use disorder. By the time a person reaches end-stage alcoholism, drinking has taken over their lives and has likely had a negative impact on relationships, work or school, finances, and overall health. If a person tries to quit drinking on their own during end-stage alcoholism, they may experience severe symptoms of withdrawal, including tremors and hallucinations.
- Theories suggest that for certain people drinking has a different and stronger impact that can lead to alcohol use disorder.
- By Buddy T
Buddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism.
- Alcohol use disorder is a progressive disease that includes a beginning, middle, and end stage, which can result in life-threatening health conditions.
- If you’re concerned about someone who drinks too much, ask a professional experienced in alcohol treatment for advice on how to approach that person.
A review of the 11 factors set forth in the DSM-5 regarding severe alcohol use disorder (i.e., the presence of six or more factors) provides additional insight into this condition. Having six or more of the alcohol use disorder symptoms would indicate the need for a treatment intervention to address the addiction. At this point, the drinker depends on alcohol to feel “normal” and may experience negative symptoms or feelings when they are not drinking.