What are the three stages of alcoholism? How can alcohol lead to psychological dependence?

Alcoholism, also known as alcohol use disorder (AUD), develops over time and typically follows three stages: early stage, middle stage, and late stage. \n\n1. Early Stage: It is characterized by increasing tolerance to alcohol, consuming alcohol to deal with stress, and occasional memory loss. There are no obvious life implosions, and the person might not seem noticeably different.\n\n2. Middle Stage: There is increasing dependency on alcohol to feel normal. A personmight go through withdrawal symptoms less than 24 hours after the last drink, could drink large amounts of alcohol with seemingly little effect, andmight blackout (totally forget events that happen while they are drinking).\n\n3. Late Stage: It is characterized by physical and mental health difficulties due to alcohol, drinking despite adverse consequences, and trouble functioning without alcohol.

Psychological dependence on alcohol occurs when drinking becomes an essential coping mechanism for a person. They may rely on alcohol to deal with stress, feel 'normal', or avoid negative emotions. This dependence isn't about needing alcohol to prevent withdrawal symptoms (that's physical dependence); it's more about the mental and emotional reliance on the drug.\n- Initially, alcohol may be used as a coping mechanism to deal with stress, anxiety, or other negative emotions.\n- Over time, the individual begins to associate relief from these negative feelings with alcohol consumption.\n- Eventually, they may feel unable to cope without alcohol, creating a cycle of consumption to avoid negative feelings, which is psychological dependence.