Regular consumption of any alcoholic beverage cannot last long without consequences. So-called beer alcoholism develops much more slowly than strong alcohol dependence and this is its special danger.
What is the danger of beer
The type of alcohol does not matter for the development of alcoholism. The disease is formed by drinking wine, vodka, moon, alcoholic cocktails and beer. The only thing that is affected by low-alcohol beverages is the rate of addiction formation. In this regard, beer is considered one of the most dangerous drinks. And that's why.
- The alcohol in it contains from 4 to 14%, which does not cause concern for the majority. In fact, in such harmless drinks as yeast or kefir there is alcohol.
- The beer is delicious. Unlike vodka or the moon, which must be "pushed" inside, the intoxicating liquid can be drunk as much as you want and often want to repeat the pleasure.
- Beer is the most popular in almost all segments of the population: men, women and teenagers drink it. In intrusive advertising it is presented as an ordinary soft drink.
- In addition to alcohol, most varieties contain a number of substances that adversely affect the endocrine and cardiovascular systems.
If we look at the above facts in more detail, it becomes clear that there is nothing safe in this drink. Frequent drinking of beer is not condemned by society. On the contrary, there are arguments in favor of this. It is recommended to compensate for vitamin deficiencies or to improve digestion. For this reason, many do not have a psychological signal to stop, which is, for example, at the beginning of the abuse of strong alcohol. Drinking vodka is considered shameful and unhealthy, and drinking beer every day is just a form of relaxation. Some do not consider it dangerous to give even to children "to promote health. "
Signs and characteristics of beer addiction
The usual arithmetic calculation allows you to determine what threatens drinking beer with regular infusions. In 1 liter of weak beer, 40 ml of pure ethanol, in strong varieties - 120-140 ml. In the latter case, the permissible daily dose of alcohol for men is doubled. And if you take into account that 1 liter is drunk only "for overclocking", and then the amount does not count, it becomes clear that the consequences of drinking beer can not be avoided.
From a simple hobby, addiction gradually turns into psychological dependence, while the abuser is quite confident in his own well-being and is not placed on the same level as alcoholics, but continues to drink beer every day. You can tell that the disease develops when the following situations occur:
- the upcoming beer gatherings cause impatience and joyful anticipation, because of them you can postpone less important things;
- drunkenness appears quickly and lasts a long time;
- drink at least 1. 5 liters per day, the maximum is not exactly known;
- days when regular beer is impossible for some reason are experienced with irritation, the mood worsens, only a few new cans or bottles can bring it back;
- weak beer looks like water, you want to take the strongest;
- others and the mirror begin to notice changes in appearance: puffiness of the face, swollen body, bags under the eyes, pale skin;
- more often than usual there is shortness of breath, chest pain, heart rate increases;
- the next morning after the beer I have a headache, I want to drink some more to "get well".
The appearance of even one of the signs against the background of a daily "hobby" indicates an addiction to beer, the symptoms of which will be felt more strongly in the future.
Narcologists do not recognize any specifics of alcoholism depending on the type of drink they prefer, but agree that beer addiction is very insidious. It is very difficult to identify in the first stage, as there are no significant changes in lifestyle and human health. For example, a woman in a situation where her husband drinks beer every day may not notice any signs of dependence on the outside.
Beer alcoholism in men is often disguised as somatic disorders. Heart problems, headaches and irritability are often confused with fatigue.
Health effects of beer abuse
The consequences of beer alcoholism affect intellectual, moral and personal aspects to a lesser extent. People who are addicted to the drink are less likely to lose their professional skills, maintain the adequacy of behavior and judgment, unlike those who drink strong alcohol every day. This is a feature of low-alcohol beverages: personality degradation develops, but very slowly.
Another danger that awaits beer lovers is the destruction of physical health. As a result of daily heavy drinking, severe chronic diseases develop:
- myocardial dystrophy;
- angina;
- coronary artery disease;
- gastritis;
- jade;
- fatty hepatosis;
- cirrhosis of the liver;
- neurological disorders.
A frothy drink burdens the kidneys, binds and removes minerals and vitamins necessary for the body: potassium, calcium, ascorbic acid, riboflavin. As a result, the work of all internal organs is disrupted. The constant presence of acetaldehyde in the blood causes swelling, combined with dehydration, and poisons the liver and brain.
It is important that beer contains a lot of so-called phytoestrogens. Taken uncontrollably, these substances contribute to hormonal imbalances in both men and women, leading to malfunctioning of the reproductive system, increased risk of blood clots and elevated cholesterol levels.
But the main danger of beer alcoholism is uncontrolled intoxication. The pleasure of the taste of the drink overshadows the effect of ethanol, the emerging feeling of euphoria deinhibits, retouches the problems, making you take a few more mugs or bottles. When he drinks beer, it rarely occurs to him that he has passed. In addition, addicts often switch from low-alcohol to vodka or other "fuel".
Fighting beer alcoholism
How to deal with beer alcoholism depends on the extent of the disease and the situation as a whole. Given that such violence is not always accompanied by loss of willpower and mental disorders, it makes sense for the addict to do all the work himself. Coding of beer alcoholism as a separate specific pathology does not exist. Suturing drug torpedoes under the skin or hypnosis may not work.
As with other types of addiction, the patient must recognize the existing situation and the need to change it. Some can do it themselves, others will need a sign from the outside. If there is no physical dependence on ethanol - the lack of beer does not lead to deterioration of well-being, heart attacks - you can do without the help of a narcologist.
Approximate action program.
- Medicine does not recognize methods for treating alcoholism with "small doses". It is pointless to recommend that people who are painfully addicted to beer drink 1 bottle a day. This is self-deception, after a while the problem will return. Only complete denial can help. You have to act on the principle "last time was yesterday". This is the most difficult step, but it is necessary.
- After the rejection, you need to analyze what irritates you the most. Boredom, a lot of free time, uninteresting TV, stress at work, quarreling with a friend. Usually, the problems that have been alleviated by drinking beer immediately go up. They need to be identified and immediately start contacting them: instead of watching TV, fix something, go for a walk, start communicating with a forgotten friend, spend more time at work, children, help in the house.
- Boredom and irritability can be alleviated by finding something you love that you can do with pleasure. Hobbies, new pet, sports, music, learning a foreign language, mastering a new profession. Anything that arouses genuine interest requires effort, but leaves no sense of inner compulsion, will work. This is the most powerful way to deal with psychological dependence.
- With an irresistible desire to drink beer, you can give the body a substitute: make juice, green tea, lemonade. Initially, a non-alcoholic version of beer is appropriate. At the same time, after drinking 2-3 glasses of the drink, you need to urgently switch your attention to some urgent issue. The brain will receive the necessary discharge, the psychological stress will disappear. If we are not talking about alcoholism, but only a bad habit, you can drastically reduce the amount of beer - drink no more than 0, 5 liters 1-2 times a week, ideally even less.
Lack of good mood and interest in life and the presence of frequent dizziness, weakness in self-treatment of beer alcoholism is a reason to visit a neurologist or endocrinologist, as there is a possibility of developing metabolic disorders or damage to the central nervous system. In this case, the doctor may prescribe a laboratory blood test, Doppler, MRI of the brain. If signs of disease are found, it will be necessary to undergo a course of therapy with hormonal or nootropic drugs.
Preventing beer alcoholism is to exclude replacing entertainment with a drink, fighting boredom, relaxing and solving problems. Like other alcoholic beverages, beer is acceptable at the holiday table, but you can not make it a constant companion in life or quench your thirst with it.