End-Stage Alcoholism: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

A person in the middle stage of alcoholism might isolate themselves from others who do not drink or criticize their drinking. During end-stage alcoholism, some people may develop involuntary rapid eye movement (nystagmus) or a thiamin (vitamin B1) deficiency that results in weakness or paralysis of the eye muscles. This can also play a role in the development of alcoholic dementia. However, it is still possible to recover from end-stage alcoholism. This will require professional treatment, rehabilitation, and aftercare.

• As a person with a high tolerance continues to drink heavily, their body adapts to the presence of alcohol.
• Initially, rehab might be your response to a medical emergency.
• In fact,recent researchby The Recovery Village has found heavy drinking can increase your risk of cancer by 48% by itself.
• At a golf outing, you may have had more drinks than you had planned.

What Are the Symptoms of End-Stage Alcoholism?

• It’s common at this point for alcoholics to have lost their jobs as well their friends and family.
• When alcohol addiction and a mental health condition are present at the same time, this is a co-occurring disorder.
• Support groups, such as 12-Step programs, aid in the recovery journey, especially in rebuilding relationships strained by prolonged alcohol abuse.

If there are any concerns about content we have published, please reach out to us at John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, life expectancy of an alcoholic CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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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. Major organ damage and failure often occur during this time, as well as interpersonal consequences like isolation and job loss. End-stage alcoholism is the result of many years of alcohol addiction.

You deserve high-quality treatment and a fulfilling life in recovery.

Because alcoholism is a chronic disease and alcohol relapse is common, persistence is a necessity — but success is achievable. Later, it can cause fatigue, bleeding and bruising, itchy skin, yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes and fluid accumulation in the abdomen known as ascites. Fluid buildup in end-stage liver disease is a particularly ominous sign. Fifty percent of patients with ascites typically die within two years if they don’t have a liver transplant. Even though alcohol has become a significant part of everyday life, early-stage alcoholics often deny that they have a problem and may be defensive about their drinking.

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The end-stage alcoholic suffers from a host of physical problems, including severe damage to vital organs such as the liver. Alcohol, in fact, is the cause of more than 50 percent of liver-disease related deaths in this country, and alcohol-related liver disease costs more than $3 billion annually. When a person has developed an alcohol use disorder (AUD), they begin to exhibit a variety of behaviors that have a negative impact on their health and personal and professional lives.

One of the most severe consequences of alcohol withdrawal is called delirium tremens (“the DTs”), which if left untreated, can be fatal. End-stage alcoholism is not technically a medical term, but it is used to describe an alcohol addiction that creates serious, likely terminal health effects. End-stage alcoholism is also called late-stage alcoholism and affects those who have been addicted to alcohol for some time.