The 4 Stages of Addiction
Addiction is a complex disease that affects more than 40 million Americans. With such a large percentage of the country suffering from the effects of addiction, you’d think people would have a clear view of what it is and how it works. However, addiction continues to be stigmatized and misunderstood.
There is a lot of misunderstanding about what addiction is and how it develops. Let's learn about how addiction develops.
How Does Addiction Develop?
The development of substance use disorder (SUD) might be hard to spot. For some, it feels like they woke up one day and suddenly have high levels of cravings for a substance they know is harming them. However, there is a path people typically follow.
These stages are called the stages of addiction and it’s a model used to explain how addiction is developed.
Signs of Addiction
No matter what substance a person is addicted to, the signs of addiction are relatively similar. Their behavior might change suddenly, and they may act like they're hiding something. This person's sleep schedule may be wildly different that what it used to be. They may be easily agitated or have mood swings. Physically, they may have rapid weight gains or losses.
These signs rarely show overnight. Addiction and substance abuse usually happens in stages, causing these physical and behavior changes to occur over time. If you can notice certain small changes, you can help someone (or yourself) early on.
Read more about the signs of addiction.
What Are The 4 Stages of Addiction?
The stages of addiction give an outline of how addictions develop. This outline can be a helpful tool for catching drug abuse habits early.
Each of these stages might look different for everybody, and some people can skip one or more stages. The four addiction stages are:
- Experimentation
- Regular Use
- Dependence
- Addiction
Keep in mind that this model isn’t universal or hard-and-fast rules about what happens for every person. It’s simply an aid in understanding the addiction process.
Experimentation
The first stage is experimentation. This is when people are introduced to the substance. For most, this is either at a party or with a group of friends.
During this stage, using the substance is an irregular occurrence. Individuals are in control of their use of the substance and may experience little to no cravings. For some, this is where the process stops, but for others, the drug will become a source of relief from everyday stressors and they will continue down the path toward addiction.
Regular Use
Once the drug becomes a part of the person’s life, the likelihood of addiction rises quite a bit. At this point, the substance gets added to everyday use. A drink too many in the evening, a couple of pills after a long day. The substance becomes a solution to problems such as stress at work and feelings of depression.
The substance is no longer used in social settings and is instead an act of escapism. However, the use has not become an addiction. At this stage, using the drug is still a choice, but the growing frequency of use will begin the process of dependence.
Dependence
The transition from regular use to dependence is often unseen. During this stage, the brain begins to change due to frequent substance abuse. An effect that marks a change in brain function is the development of tolerance.
The effects of the substance will begin to lose its potency. The old feelings of euphoria will begin to dampen and the level of post-dysphoria, or depression, will become more intense. This effect can cause some to seek higher levels of dosage that become increasingly more dangerous to their health.
Some signs of dependence also include ignoring the negative consequences of use. Some may begin showing up to work high, driving while under the influence, and reckless spending.
Regular usage turns into chronic usage as cravings begin to intensify. Individuals may refuse to cut back and may even begin to feel symptoms of withdrawal. For most that reach this stage, they will develop a substance use disorder (SUD).
Addiction
After a dependence is developed, SUD is not far behind. At this final stage, cravings are compulsive and much more intense. Withdrawal symptoms are also more intense and are often painful.
For those who reach this stage of addiction, it’s important to seek help. Addiction is a defined brain disease that can be conquered. It may take time for your brain to be rewired, but with the right medical help, treatment program, and support, you can be freed.
Differing Models of The Stages of Addiction
There is some discussion surrounding the exact number of stages of drug addiction. Some say there are five stages, others 10.
These models aren’t wrong but are more granular in their approach. Some choose to separate characteristics such as dependence and tolerance. These more specific models might be helpful in some cases, but the same pattern is in all these models: Casual use turns to risky use, turns to a growing dependency and tolerance, turns to addiction.
Find Healing at Sequoia
Fighting addiction alone is tough. The effects of withdrawal can often be unbearable and in some cases fatal. Find help with Sequoia Behavioral Health, our trained staff will be there for you every step of the way.
We take a mental health approach to addiction. Meaning, we seek to treat the whole person. We understand that addiction can make mental health issues worse. Here, our empathetic staff treats co-occurring disorders.
Learn about the different types of addiction that we can treat and how we do it. We believe everyone deserves to live a fulfilling life, unburdened by addiction.
Start your journey toward recovery at Sequoia Behavioral Health, and contact us today for a free consultation.
