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- End Stages -

Overview

As the disease of chemical dependency progresses, the amount and frequency of using alcohol or drugs continues to accelerate as a person builds up tolerance. An alcoholic may switch brands or types of alcohol in an attempt to get the same level of "high" that has been lost due to tolerance. Efforts to stop or control use fail repeatedly.

Consequences of Chemical Addiction

As heavy drug and alcohol use increasingly disable addicted individuals, conflicts with family and friends become more serious, sometimes ending in divorce, separation, or strained relationships. Their ability to function deteriorates, and they have trouble going to work or being productive at work. Many times they have legal problems. Eventually, they have health problems.

Addicted individuals often lose interest in family responsibilities and social functions. They may isolate themselves from others or socialize mostly with people who drink or use as much as they do. They may even move away to escape from their problems, only to find themselves in recurring situations.

Physical withdrawal symptoms may be present along with impaired thinking. Eventually, they have obvious signs of physical deterioration and serious health problems. Even if chemically dependent individuals can admit that they have a serious alcohol and/or drug problem, they may not have the ability to recover without professional treatment.

High Bottoms and Low Bottoms

An important fact to note is that individuals in a late stage of dependency may have only a few of the characteristic problems and may still be coming to a crisis due to their addiction. We say that individuals have a "high bottom" when a crisis occurs that stops excessive use even though they have only a few major problems. We say that individuals have a "low bottom" when use continues until they many severe problems. Some individuals keep drinking or using until they have lost everything that matters to them. In extreme cases they may go to prison or die. Not everyone recovers from this disease.

A very few people who have not experienced adaptive chemical changes find that they can cut back and drink in a controlled manner. Most of those individuals never become heavily addicted, so controlled drinking is possible for them. For individuals who realize that addiction is a part of their life, this is simply not possible. Individuals who doubt this and feel that they can drink socially might try controlled drinking until they are fully convinced that it is not possible for them.

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