Signs of alcohol dependence

The signs of alcohol addiction are well-studied and not a secret.

We tried to briefly describe all the signs of alcohol dependence and answer basic questions.

How can you tell if a person just likes to drink or has signs of alcohol addiction?Is there a line between "recreational" drinking and alcohol addiction?

What are the signs of alcohol addiction?

1. Craving for alcohol.This can be manifested by the appearance of reasons for drinking that were not previously observed.While waiting for a drink, the mood improves, the person is excited and full of enthusiasm.Stocks of beer, wine, and vodka may appear at home.
2. Everything related to the drinking of alcoholic beverages is jealously guarded and protected.Alcoholic friends gain authority and respect.A list of excuses for your own drunkenness appears.Life values change, moral principles are restructured.Criticism of one's own behavior disappears.
3. Loss of control over the dose of alcohol.An alcoholic cannot limit his alcohol intake;it cannot stop at small doses.Once he starts drinking, he drinks to the last drop (or until he passes out).
4. There is no vomiting when consuming large amounts of alcohol.The gag reflex is the body's defense against alcohol poisoning.In drunkards, this reflex disappears.
5. Changes in tolerance (sensitivity) to alcohol.In the first stages of alcoholism, it increases (the person drinks a lot and does not get drunk), after time it decreases and the alcoholic gets drunk from smaller doses of strong drinks.
6. Regular drinking.It is believed that if a person rarely drinks, then he is not an alcoholic.Meanwhile, regular drinking of beer, wine, cognac or vodka, even once a week, is already a cause for concern.If this happens more often, we can talk about alcoholism.

How to recognize the signs of alcohol addiction in yourself?

• Try to answer a few questions honestly.
• Have you started drinking more often?Drinking alone?Do you drink in secret from everyone?
• Are you excited about the upcoming holidays or weekends when you can drink alcohol?
• Does your personality change when you are sober and when you are drunk (you can ask your relatives and friends)?
• Are there cases of disorientation in time and space when drinking alcohol?Do you experience memory lapses the morning after a feast?
• Have you ever had withdrawal symptoms?
• Does the thought of giving up alcohol make you angry?
• Can you reduce the amount you drink?
• Have you ever been drinking?
• Have you ever had problems at home or at work because of drinking?
• Has your appearance changed recently?Do you take care of your clothes, hair, appearance?
• Are you worried about your heart, liver, stomach?

Positive answers to the above questions are a signal that you should seriously think about solving the problem of alcoholism.

Reasons for drinking alcohol

You have probably heard the expression more than once: "let's drink and keep warm".In everyday life, it is believed that alcohol is a good means of warming up the body.It is not for nothing that alcohol is often called "strong drinks".Doctors, on the contrary, believe that a patient with an ulcer should definitely not drink alcohol.Where is the truth?After all, small doses of alcohol do stimulate the appetite.Or another popular belief among people: alcohol excites, invigorates, improves mood, well-being, makes the conversation more lively and interesting, which is important for a group of young people.It is not for nothing that alcohol is drunk "against fatigue", when feeling unwell and at almost all celebrations.One of the doctors' congresses passed a resolution on the dangers of alcohol: "... there is not a single organ in the human body that is not subject to the destructive action of alcohol; alcohol has no such effect that cannot be achieved by another drug that acts more usefully, safer and more reliably; there is no such painful condition in which it is necessary to prescribe alcohol for a long time. So to talk about the benefits of alcohol is quite a common mistakeperception. Take for example the obvious fact - the stimulation of the appetite after a glass of vodka. But this is only for a short time, while alcohol causes "inflammatory juice".In the future, drinking alcohol, including beer, only harms digestion.

Alcohol

Alcohol paralyzes the action of such important organs as the liver and pancreas.The need for alcohol is not one of man's natural vital needs, like the need for oxygen or food, and therefore alcohol in itself has no motivating power for man.This need, like some other human "needs" (for example, smoking), arises because society, firstly, produces this product and, secondly, "reproduces" the customs, forms, habits and prejudices associated with its consumption.Of course, these habits are not inherent in everyone to the same extent.

The effect of alcohol on the human body

Alcohol from the stomach enters the blood two minutes after consumption.The blood carries it to all the cells of the body.The cells of the cerebral hemispheres are mainly affected.A person's conditioned reflex activity deteriorates, the formation of complex movements slows down, the ratio of excitation and inhibition processes in the central nervous system changes.Under the influence of alcohol, voluntary movements are impaired and a person loses the ability to control himself.

The effect of alcohol on the nervous system

Signs of alcohol dependence begin to form due to the peculiarities of its effect on the nervous system.The penetration of alcohol into the cells of the frontal lobe of the cortex releases a person's emotions, unwarranted joy, silly laughter and ease of judgment appear.After an increase in excitation in the cerebral cortex, there is a sharp weakening of inhibition processes.The cortex ceases to control the work of the lower parts of the brain.A person loses restraint, modesty, says and does things that he would never say or do if he were sober.Each new portion of alcohol increasingly paralyzes the higher nerve centers, as if connecting them and not allowing them to interfere with the activity of the lower parts of the brain: the coordination of movements is disturbed, for example, the movement of the eyes (objects begin to double) and an awkward, staggering gait appears.Violation of the nervous system and internal organs is observed with any use of alcohol: one-time, episodic and systematic.

Where does drunkenness begin?

The need for alcohol is not one of man's natural vital needs, like the need for water or food, and therefore alcohol in itself has no motivating power for man.So what is the reason for drinking alcohol?

Before the age of 11, the first acquaintance with alcohol is either accidental, or it is given "for appetite", "medicated" with wine, or the child himself tries alcohol out of curiosity (a motive characteristic mainly of boys).At an older age, traditional reasons become motives for the first drink of alcohol: "holiday", "family celebration", "guests", etc.

From the age of 14-15, reasons such as "it was embarrassing to lag behind the boys", "friends convinced me", "for company", "for courage", etc.Boys are characterized by all these groups of motives for their first introduction to alcohol.Girls are mostly characterized by the second, "traditional" group of motives.Usually this happens, so to speak, an "innocent" drink in honor of a birthday or other holiday.And although this happens with the consent of parents, in the family circle, it is still dangerous to introduce children to wine.After all, after touching alcohol, the psychological barrier is removed and the teenager believes that he has the right to drink with friends or even alone, if such an opportunity arises.No wonder people say: "rivers begin with a flow, and drunkenness begins with a cup."

Alcohol is a common topic for people who are not familiar with it.A company has gathered, everyone is somewhat cramped.They drank - you see, they are already laughing, dancing, getting to know each other, having fun.Gradually, alcohol becomes an indispensable attribute of communication.Alcohol quickly and easily creates the illusion of psychological security and a problem-free existence.A person gets used to this illusory way of solving problems and increasingly moves from real action to withdrawing into an alcoholic haze.

Where is the border?

An alcoholic is a person who suffers from alcoholism.Before the disease develops, there is usually a more or less prolonged period of episodic alcohol use.This period in medicine is called the alcoholization period.The onset of the disease is considered a transition to systematic, daily alcohol consumption.The answers to the questions below will help you determine the degree of predisposition to alcoholism.Try to answer them honestly.

1. Have I already tried several times to limit my alcohol consumption?
2. Do I feel remorse for drinking?
3. Should I drink alcohol in the morning to relieve a hangover?
4. Do I have a hard time taking criticism from my colleagues and loved ones about my drinking?

If you answered yes to at least two questions, you are at risk and should take appropriate action as soon as possible.

Signs of alcohol addiction is a disease

There is a reasonable question that is easy to ask when looking at an alcoholic from the outside: "If you have signs of alcohol dependence and a problem with alcohol, then why don't you just stop drinking? Stop - that's it."The first obvious answer: "No willpower" is incorrect.Not only weak-willed, weak-willed people suffer from alcoholism and cannot stop, but also those who achieve success know how to deal with problems and know how to win.The point is not that the will is weak, but that the enemy is strong.Alcoholism is a serious chronic disease, in most cases difficult to treat.It develops on the basis of regular and long-term use of alcohol and is characterized by a special pathological state of the body: an uncontrollable desire for alcohol, a change in the degree of its tolerance and degradation of the personality.Alcoholism develops according to the following pattern:

Initial phase: intoxication with memory loss, "blackout".A person constantly thinks about alcohol, it seems to him that he has not drunk enough, he drinks for future use and develops a greed for alcohol.However, he remains aware of his guilt and avoids talking about his addiction to alcohol.

Critical phase: loss of self-control after the first sip of alcohol.The desire to find an excuse for his drinking, resistance to all attempts to prevent his desire to drink.A person develops arrogance and aggressiveness.He blames others for his problems.He starts drinking and random drinking buddies become his friends.He is forced to quit his steady job and loses interest in anything that has nothing to do with alcohol.

Chronic phase: daily hangovers, personality breakdown, memory loss, confusion of thoughts.A person drinks alcohol substitutes, technical liquids and cologne.Develops groundless fears, delirium tremens and other alcoholic psychoses.One of the characteristic complications during binge drinking is delirium tremens.Delirium tremens is the most common alcoholic psychosis.It usually occurs in a state of hangover, when the drunk develops inexplicable fear, insomnia, trembling of the hands, nightmares (persecutions, attacks, etc.), auditory and visual deceptions in the form of noises, rings and movement of shadows.The symptoms of delirium tremens are especially pronounced at night.The patient begins to experience vivid experiences of a frightening nature.For the Drunkard, for example, there seems to be a conspiracy against him.Seeing no way out of this situation, he may commit suicide.

Alcohol and people

The signs of alcohol dependence and the effects of alcohol on a person are immediately noticeable.And if you ask people who drink how often they drink, most will say it's not regularly.However, even after drinking alcohol once, people have a restless night and wake up in the morning groggy, with a swollen face and a headache.The working day, as a rule, turns out to be ruined, and if a person's work is connected with machines, for example, with a machine or a car, consider that on this day he has a sharply increased risk of an accident or even a crash.In mental workers, after drinking alcohol, their thought processes are significantly impaired, the speed and accuracy of calculations decrease, and, as they say, their work falls out of their hands.So, even after irregular, occasional consumption of alcohol, serious problems arise in the body, which indicates severe poisoning.If the use of alcohol becomes systematic, a person drinks on any occasion, looking for any reason to get drunk, then this is already called domestic drunkenness.To a drunkard, the meaning of the festive event does not matter;he doesn't care if others approve of his behavior.At this stage of familiarization with alcohol, the attitude of the drinker to others, to generally accepted and acceptable norms of behavior changes significantly.Signs of alcohol dependence are actively forming.For a drunkard, his closest people are his drinking buddies, even if it's the first time they find themselves at the same table.The time, place and environment in which people drink becomes less important.Thus, the difference between casual drinking and drunkenness lies not only in the amount drunk at one time, but also in the psychological attitude of the drinker.In the first case, a person celebrates some solemn or significant event, and in the second, he drinks just to get drunk.If you stop a person from drinking in time, it prevents him from falling out and developing alcoholism.

What does it mean to have a chronic illness?

This means that the signs of alcohol dependence and the changes in metabolism that systemic alcohol consumption brings to the body are difficult to reverse.These.until the end of your life, the body remains "ready" to resume the whole picture at the first intake of alcohol into the body.Signs of alcohol dependence quickly return, even if this happens many years and even decades after stopping the use of alcohol.

Can alcoholism be cured?

Yes and no.No - in the aspect that it will never be possible to resume "cultural drinking".The brain's metabolic processes are disrupted and the normal response to alcohol will never be restored.Any consumption of alcohol will inevitably lead to a crash, either immediately or after some time.If metabolic disturbances occur, consider your keg or tank drunk.Even many years of abstinence do not allow you to count on the fact that "the body is purified" and you will be able to drink culturally.

Yes - in the sense that even with severe alcoholism, complete and indefinite abstinence from alcohol is possible.A person is not just a physical body.And his psyche does not consist only of what the disease has brought, but contains unused resources.Man is characterized by high moral feelings - love, striving for beauty and harmony.After a long and difficult work on oneself (with help, of course), developing psychologically and spiritually, a person is able to change his attitude to alcohol and give it up forever.But, of course, we can only talk about absolute sobriety.To drink or not to drink - alcoholism leaves no third option.With their own unwavering determination with medical help, even very seriously ill patients can achieve incredible results.

What should we do if the patient does not agree to be treated?

If there are signs of alcohol dependence, it is imperative to make constant attempts to convince the patient of the need for therapy.It requires the combined efforts of all interested and significant people for the patient (relatives, friends, spouses, employees, teachers, etc.).There is a specially designed method of encouraging an alcoholic to seek help, which is called "intervention".Each of the participants in the intervention (parents, spouse, child, boss) tries to help the patient to realize the existence of a problem by reporting the changes in him and the changes in their life caused by the consumption of alcohol.When the desired result is achieved, they offer a solution - treatment in a specific medical facility, a rehabilitation program.This method often requires the involvement of a psychotherapist to coordinate and dose the efforts of the actors.

Is it possible to treat a patient without his consent?

In our country, help for patients with alcoholism is regulated by the Law of our country "On the psychiatric help of the population and the rights of citizens in its provision".According to the law, the treatment of a patient with drug addiction, drug addiction or alcoholism is carried out on the basis of his voluntary consent.Treatment without the patient's consent is carried out only by court order, when the citizen is brought to criminal liability.

As mentioned earlier, alcoholism is a disease and, like any disease, requires thorough and long-term treatment.Appeals to dubious "specialists" who treat alcoholism "by photo", "without the knowledge of the patient", firstly, is a waste of time, and secondly, instills in the patient a belief in the incurability of this disease.

What is involved in helping the patient overcome?

Such assistance consists of several stages.First, the patient needs help during the "abstinence" period.This problem is usually handled by doctors, preferably in a drug addiction treatment facility or psychiatric hospital.After 5-10 days, the so-called post-quarantine period begins, which lasts up to 1.5 months.There are two approaches to managing patients at this stage.

The first involves continuing the patient's medical treatment with the goal of stabilizing his mental and physical condition: improving mood, restoring sleep, relieving the burden of alcohol cravings (so-called hunger), and correcting behavioral disorders.It is recommended that during this period the patient be isolated from his usual environment and be in a hospital setting.

Another approach to the management of patients in the post-abstinence period is psychotherapeutically oriented and involves the immediate inclusion of the patient in one or another rehabilitation program with psychotherapeutic management, also in a hospital setting or a rehabilitation center.

The third stage is rehabilitation.It is usually performed on an outpatient basis.Patients continue to work on the selected program by attending psychotherapeutic or self-help groups.The goal of rehabilitation is to teach an alcoholic patient to live without alcohol.

Is it possible to stop drinking at home?

It is preferable for the patient to be treated at the alcohol withdrawal stage in a hospital under round-the-clock medical supervision.Home care only worsens the course of the disease.The disease not only worsens, but severe comorbidities also develop.In addition, it becomes much more difficult to convince the patient to undergo full therapy.

How can you "code"?

As already noted, the power of alcohol dependence is very great.The attraction to its use often exceeds even the fear of mortal danger.Coding doesn't help everyone stay for a while.It cannot be considered an independent method of treatment for patients with alcoholism.Rather, it gives some patients a gain in time when they can start working on themselves, develop psychologically and spiritually, and get involved in one or another rehabilitation program.The method has one very important negative side - it is the replacement of one's own will and responsibility for abstinence from alcohol and behavior in general with an artificially imposed attitude.

What are the results of treatment for patients with alcoholism?

Everywhere in the world, the effectiveness of help for alcoholics is the same.Help limited to only the first stage ("binge withdrawal" or "encoding") produces a very low score.But completing a rehabilitation program for patients increases the effectiveness of care almost 10 times.

After how long can we talk about the reliability of the achieved result?

Experts dealing with the problem of alcoholism agree that the process of psychological and social recovery lasts about 5 years.It is very important that in the future the healer does not stop in his psychological and spiritual growth.

Chemical protection methods

"Torpedo".One of the most famous and widespread radical methods for the treatment of alcoholism.A group of drugs is administered intravenously and deposited in the patient's tissues.The method does not have a negative effect on the body, it only reduces the desire for alcohol, but when interacting with alcohol, it forms a strong toxin (poison) that can cause serious health problems, even death.

"Neurophysical blockade" is a treatment method that uses weak impulse currents to certain parts of the brain.In this way, the effect of normalizing the state of the central nervous system and its regulatory effect on other body systems is achieved.As a result of the treatment, the thirst for alcohol is suppressed, irritability, anger and aggression are reduced.

"Acupuncture" One of the most ancient, proven methods for the treatment of alcohol, drug and nicotine addiction.Selection of points, method of impact on them (needles, electromagnetic waves, laser).

"Biological Coding".The most reliable method of radical treatment of alcohol dependence.After intravenous administration of the drug, to check its effectiveness, it is recommended to take a small amount of alcohol, i.e.the incompatibility of alcohol and the administered drug is demonstrated.This method allows you to dispel doubts and instill confidence in the patient in the high effectiveness and reliability of the drug against alcoholism.Coding is done only in an intensive care or intensive care unit;3 hours before the procedure, it is forbidden to take food and liquids.

Intramuscular administration of a long-acting anti-alcohol drug that suppresses the desire for alcohol.In addition, the drug is also a highly effective therapeutic agent (increases human immunity, improves liver and brain function).Within 3 days, the drug adapts to people.The drug is then "released" into the blood at a frequency, depending on the patient's biorhythm, for a period determined by the patient himself.

Implantation of the drug is a reliable and decades-tested method of treating alcoholism.In 1996, France restarted the production of a drug that reacts more strongly and longer to alcohol, using a new advanced technology.The operation is performed in hospital conditions with asepsis and antiseptics.After anesthesia with novocaine, the drug is inserted through the skin incision and the incision is sutured.