2nd Phase - Middle Phase

THE PHASES OF ADDICTION - 2

Middle Phase

a. Loss of control

Initially, there is loss of control over the amount of alcohol/drug consumed.  He is unable to reduce the quantity of intake even when he wants to.  Later on, he loses control over the time, place and occasion of drinking/drug abuse. Loss of control is a clear sign of addiction.

2. Justifying

He feels guilty and justifies his drinking/drug taking by giving excuses like unhappy marital life tension at office or pressure from friends.

c. Grandiose behavior

He talks ‘big’ about himself, makes huge future plans and spends much more than what he can afford.

d. Abstaining for a temporary period

At this stage he would have developed number of health problems, problems at home and at the office.  In order to convince himself and others that he can give up drugs only if he decides to, he abstains for some time – at times even for a month or more but after the specific period of time he gets back to excessive use all over again.

e. Changing pattern

After trying to abstain he changes the pattern of drinking/drug use.  For instance, he changes drinks/drugs – from arrack to brandy, from whisky to beer, from brown sugar to Buprenorphine and so on.  He shifts the place and time of drug use.  But whatever changes he makes, he faces the same problems which haunted him before.