Stages of Addiction

Stages of Addiction – How Does Addiction Develop?

Alcohol and drug addiction is a chronic disease that, like many other illnesses, does not appear suddenly at its most serious stage. As it develops, it increasingly impacts mental and physical well-being along with every other aspect of a person’s life. While there is no blueprint that accurately describes each and every person’s addiction experience, most people struggling with addiction follow a similar pattern of symptoms and behavior. Further, understanding the stages of addiction is helpful in seeking treatment early for oneself or someone they know.

Psychiatrists and social scientists have come up with many different models to describe this progression. They group symptoms into stages or cycles that most dealing with addiction experience at some point. Of course these are not perfect systems, but understanding them can help in identifying the signs of abuse and addiction and taking steps toward recovery.

Stages Of Addictive Behavior

Most models divide the progress of addiction symptoms into 4-5 stages. These begin with Experimentation or Voluntary Use and move into Regular Use, Problem Use, Dependence, and Addiction. Some describe what chronic substance abuse does to the brain, while others (such as these stages) are more focused on the outward behaviors it can cause.