Addiction Alcohol Use Hitting Bottom for an Alcoholics By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial process Buddy T Updated on November 02, 2020 Print Dirk Lampersbach / EyeEm / Getty Images For people with alcohol use disorder, it may seem like things need to get worse before they can get better. Unfortunately, sometimes things get a lot worse. This point is often referred to as "hitting bottom." The bottom is the place that some people with severe alcohol use disorder must reach before they are finally ready to admit that they have a problem and reach out for help. People who have alcohol use disorder often feel that they do not have a problem. In their minds, they are just having a good time and are still in control of their alcohol consumption. Because alcohol use disorder is a progressive disease, there comes a point at which even people with severe AUD decide that there just might be a problem. Alcohol use disorder does not stay in one place. The disorder doesn't hit a certain stage and then level off. It keeps deepening, affecting the person physically, mentally, morally, and spiritually. No matter where a person is in the progression of the disorder, things continue to decline until the person reaches a point where something must change. So where is the bottom? This can vary depending upon the individual and their situation. Why You Should Think of Alcoholism as a Disease Where Is the Bottom Point? For some, getting that first DUI might be where the turning point comes. Getting locked up, even for a few hours, and facing the public humiliation of a court date is for some the only signal they need they have a problem. For others, however, not even numerous DUI arrests have an effect. Driving without a license and frequent visits to the local jail don't phase them at all. People with alcohol use disorder have lost driver's licenses, jobs, careers, girlfriends, wives, family, and children and have continued to deny they have a drinking problem. 4 Online Tests to Identify a Drinking Problem For many people, there is always a way to excuse or blame their behavior. It was always somebody else's fault. This might involve blaming other people or the situation. Or pinning the behavior on things like stress or people who just don't understand. Some people with severe alcohol use disorder go on for many years denying their downward spiral into social, economic, and moral decline. Does the Bottom Look Familiar to You? If this sounds familiar, there are a few questions that you might want to ask yourself about your own use of alcohol. How Does Your Drinking Compare to Others? It doesn't have to get any worse before you can find help putting your life back on track. Once you take that step, things will begin to look up. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Speak to a Therapist for Addiction Advertiser Disclosure × The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Verywell Mind receives compensation.