Stages of Addiction

Stages of addiction is best represented by the Jellinek chart. Researcher E. Morton Jellinek developed this chart. The chart is a useful tool to help recognized the stages of addiction.

Jellinik Curve

Progressional Stage of Addiction

  • Occasional relief from drinking or drugging
  • Constant relief from drinking or drugging
  • Increase intolerance
  • Memory blackouts
  • Increased dependence
  • Surreptitious drinking or using
  • Feelings of guilt
  • Unable to discuss the problem
  • Memory blackouts increase

Crucial Stage of Addiction

  • A decrease of ability to stop when others do
  • Drinking/Using bolstered with excuses
  • Grandiose or aggressive behavior
  • Persistent remorse
  • Efforts to control fail repeatedly
  • Promises and resolutions are broken
  • Tries geographical escape
  • Loss of other interests
  • Family and friends avoided
  • Work and money troubles
  • Unreasonable resentments
  • Neglect of food or personal hygiene
  • Failure of ordinary willpower
  • Tremors/withdrawals or early morning using/drinking

Chronic Stage of Addiction

  • The onset of lengthy intoxications
  • Moral deterioration
  • Impaired thinking
  • Drinking/drugging with inferiors
  • Indefinable fears
  • Unable to initiate action
  • Obsession with drinking
  • Vague spiritual desires
  • All alibis exhausted

Complete Defeat Admitted

You may see many symptoms that match the lifestyle of someone you love. If so, it’s time to make a decision. This could be the toughest decision of your life. The bottom of the chart represents complete defeat. This is a difficult time for everyone connected to the addicted one. They show minor signs of growth as if everything is ok. But things fall back and everyone has again lost hope. Loved ones live with desperate emotions and hope they will quit. It doesn’t happen. People quit but the power of addiction can’t let them stay stopped. Society has a way of intervening in jail, overdose or death. Something has to wake them enough to have a moment of clarity. The chart shows failure upon failure weighing on the addicted person. The drugs and alcohol dictate their lives and they fail at everything. It’s a snowball effect that gets worst faster and faster. If you see someone you love on this chart, call for a free consultation at 1-800-817-0951.