The decisive point in an alcohol life is the moment when he/she loses the control over the amount of alcohol consumed.

An alcoholic loses the control over the alcohol only after he/she has been drinking for a while. At the begining of the disease evolution, the alcoholic still can decide whether or not he/she will drink when the next opportunity occurs.

The loss of control over the alcohol is influenced by a number of factors, such as:

According to the Hoff's theory, some of the cause of lossing control over the alcohol are the psychical and metabolical changes that occur during the first two phases of alcohol addiction evolution (the pre-alcoholic phase and debut phase). There are two situations (two doses of alcohol) important.

suffer modifications. While the first dose (releasing dose) increases, the alcohol tolerance decreases. The alcoholic becomes, what is called, intolerant. Each time the alcoholic needs to increase the alcohol amount of the first dose in order to get the wanted effect, while the second dose (when the alcoholic becomes drunk) decreases. At a certain point, these two doses are the same, and the alcoholic cannot feel anymore the euforia (caused in the past by the first dose) because he/she is already drunk. From this moment, the alcoholic is unable to just relax after the first drink because he/she gets intoxicated (drunk).

Unfortunately, an alcoholic never sees another solution besides drinking to solve his/hers conflicts, so he/she will continue drinking. In time, this habit becomes a conditional reflex.

When the alcohol consumption reflax forms, there are three dimensions involved in the initial phase: bad mood - alcohol - relaxation. If the alcoholic keeps drinking, these three dimensions undergo a significant change: bad mood - alcohol - drunkness. A conditional reflex establishes a tight connection between several elements initially not related. Unfortunately, when the alcohol consumption reflex is formed, even a small amount of alcohol triggers the reflex process and causes the alcoholic to get drunk. From this moment, the alcoholic is not capable anymore to control the alcohol consumption through his/her will or personal strength.

This process can vary from person to person. There are cases when the alcohol consumption can still be kept under control, but not forever because the body's tolerance to alcohol decreases inevitably. These is one of the resons why the alcohol addiction is a disease. The alcohol consumption reflex once developed cannot be controlled. Even a small amount of alcohol can trigger this reflex.

Unfortunately, not many people know that once an alcoholic loses control over the alcohol, this is for the rest of his/her life. A non-treated alcoholic is not aware of this fact, and even if he/she finds out, he/she is not able to admite it. The alcoholic cannot bare to lose his/hers self-esteem or the others respect admiting that he/she cannot control the alcohol. Unfortunately, the alcoholic's entourage doesn't know much about the disease mechanisms, situation that leads to difunctional behaviors and attitudes. They start blaming the alcoholic for not having high moral values. They keep wondering why after each bad experience related to the alcohol consumption, the alcholic still returns to alcohol. Unfortunately, at this point the alcoholic does not have other solution to solve his/hers problems besides the alcohol. The alcoholic, him/herself, thinks that he/she lost his/her will, focusing all his/hers resources available to regain the lost will. He/she does not realise that he/she has lost the ability to control the alcohol, and all his/hers attempts go nowhere.