The Stages of Addiction

The Stages of Addiction:

• Initial Use or Infatuation
• Abuse or Honeymoon
• Tolerance or Betrayal
• Dependence or On the Rocks
• Addiction or Trapped
• Relapse or Recovery

The American Psychiatric Association defines substance dependence as a complex condition, a chronic brain disease that is manifested by compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences. The desire/need for the next high becomes more important than family, jobs, and hobbies. Like any chronic disease, the stages of addiction progress over time. The stages vary for each individual, some people progress rapidly, and some people take years to proceed to the addiction stage.

The Stages of Addiction: A More In-Depth Look

Initial Use or Infatuation Stage

There are several reasons why a person’s journey leads them to their first time using it. It could start with something as simple as a prescription for pain or a mental health condition, a drink at a party, or peer pressure to try a drug. But whatever the reason for that initial use, it starts to rewire your brain. You start to become “starry-eyed” and in love with the feeling. As humans, our brain tells us, “if it feels good, do it.” And as that feel-good feeling increases, the brain and body begin to crave what creates that feeling.

Whether or not that initial use and infatuation will cause a person to progress through the stages of addiction depends on many factors. A few of the risk factors that can lead to dependence are but not limited to:

• A Family History of Addiction- Like many chronic diseases, substance use disorder can be passed down through genes. And as difficult as it is to talk about drug and alcohol use in the family, it is important for people to know if they have a propensity toward dependence and can make a choice to stay away and not tempt fate.
• Physical, Mental or Sexual Abuse- People who have been a victim of abuse or trauma of any kind are more likely to turn to substance abuse to escape the emotional and physical pain. That is why it is so important to have true, deep conversations with the ones you love, if they feel heard and seek the right kind of help, it can lessen the chances of a life of substance dependence.
• Peer Pressure- The company we keep is indeed the person we become. That is especially true for the person looking for acceptance that they never got at home. Drugs and alcohol do not turn anyone away. And when your high, you feel loved and accepted.

Abuse or Honeymoon Stage in Addiction

The next stage of addiction is abuse or the honeymoon stage. In this stage, people start moving on from trying to mask the hurt and pain they feel to using for the euphoric response. Once you begin to enter the abuse stage of addiction, you quit noticing the negative feelings that would alert you to issues that you need to focus on. You know that you should pay attention to these feelings, but it’s difficult to ignore the desire to get “high”. You believe the illusion the substance creates in your brain. You feel more attractive, more powerful, more outgoing, and you feel like you can do anything but substance use is actually causing more problems in your life.

Substance Tolerance or Betrayal Stage

Continued substance abuse builds up a tolerance which leads to a decrease in the “euphoria” and physical effects you are used to experiencing. When your body starts to build up a tolerance, it is an indication that your brain has changed. Your brain rewires the way it behaves with and without the drug. The individual’s biggest fear is feeling inadequate. In the beginning, the drug makes you feel on top of the world. But that feeling is an illusion that leads down the road of betrayal. You feel betrayed because the substance that made you feel all-powerful and made all your emotional problems disappear is no longer doing the trick. So you try to find that initial feeling and high you once found, which leads you to take more or to try other substances.

Moreover, the cycle just continues on a downward spiral. The person will find him/herself lying, stealing, and even missing work in order to find and score their next high. Family members may start to question your behaviors, but because of excessive substance use, you can no longer see the negative consequences of your dependence. Once your brain is rewired, you have begun your journey onto the next stage of addiction.

Substance Dependence or On the Rocks

There are different types of dependencies when it comes to pharmaceuticals. A person with Asthma is dependant on medication in order for their lungs to function properly. This type of dependency does not lead to addiction as long as the medicine is continued to be used as prescribed and monitored by your doctor. But a person with a chronic illness that starts to use their medicine for reasons other than prescribed is a type of dependency that leads to addiction. Individuals who are in this stage find themselves “chasing” the initial high despite the obvious negative consequences their substance use has caused. There are three main factors that continue the person’s journey:

• The Fear of Withdrawal – Depending on what you are dependent on, the withdrawal symptoms will vary. Fever, sweating, chills, pain, nausea, headaches, insomnia, changes in breathing, and changes in heart rate are just a few of the symptoms you may experience.
• The Rewired Brain – Continued use of drugs and/or alcohol lessen the brain’s neurotransmitters, which makes it harder to feel happy. So deep depression kicks in, and the addict searches for the honeymoon phase again.
• People, Places, and Things – Your surroundings can trigger your brain to “crave” the substance you are dependent on. Seeing a family member or friend that mentally or physically abused, you can trigger a “craving.”