According to statistics, men are twice as likely to suffer from alcohol dependence. Our society considers the habitual consumption of alcoholic beverages absolutely normal, despite the fact that the consequences of alcoholism in men are very deplorable both for him and for his family.
This opinion is, of course, disastrous and should be reconsidered. Alcoholism is a serious disease that destroys a person's psyche and general health. It requires a comprehensive medical approach. As practice shows, even beer leads to stable alcoholism. It is with him that this disease begins, and then a person switches to strong alcohol.
External signs of alcoholism
Addiction forms and develops gradually, step by step. It is possible to recognize the presence of alcoholism and its development by a series of characteristic signs of alcoholism in men. Psychologists and narcologists have developed the main symptoms by which incipient alcoholism can be recognized:
- an irresistible craving for alcohol, a person looks for the strangest reasons to justify his desire to drink;
- aggression towards family, friends, co-workers;
- lethargy and fatigue;
- speech disorders;
- musculoskeletal system disorders;
- familiarity when dealing with strangers;
- apathy, mood swings;
- deterioration of general health.
These are the first signs of incipient alcoholism, which can last up to 10 years. They are easy to miss at this stage, as is often the case. The woman just doesn't pay attention to them. She thinks that a man relieves stress after work, tries to escape from trouble with a can of beer or a glass of brandy. Meanwhile, the disease does not stop and continues to progress.
Causes of male alcoholism
The problem of male alcoholism is dictated by the difference between the psychology of women and men. The male sex adapts less to changing external conditions and turns to alcohol as a way to distract himself from the problems and worries that fall upon him. Also, men often resist persuasion to undergo rehab, believing that they can fend for themselves.
But this is not the case: in addition to physical dependence, alcoholism brings profound personality changes from the first months of abuse. The external environment is often over time made up of the alcoholics themselves, which also prevents healing.
One out of every two families in our country will face the problem of alcoholism in the future, or has already faced it. This affects all members of the family without exception, especially children. In general, the reasons for the appearance of this dependence can be divided into three types:
- Social;
- psychological;
- physiological.
They can appear individually or in combination. Social reasons include the presence of drinking friends in the environment. Social status plays a special role, as people with good jobs and higher education are less likely to face the problem of addiction. It is especially necessary to highlight the presence of stress at work, the level of well-being.
The psychological factors are:
- imbalance of the psyche;
- insufficient level of self-control;
- poor motivation for professional and mental development;
- the presence of complexes;
- low self-esteem.
There are a number of other factors that can lead to alcoholism in a man. These are just the most common.
There is another group of factors that cause constant drunkenness - factors of a physiological nature. These are metabolic disorders that lead to the rapid development of addictions and hereditary factors. If there were cases of alcoholism in earlier generations, they are likely relevant to later descendants. A person thinks that he will not become addicted and that he can easily give up alcohol at any time. A similar phenomenon is characteristic of alcoholics in all stages of alcoholism.
You can recognize an alcoholic by his eyes and his look. Ethanol has a negative effect on the eyes, they become "glassy" and tired. Over time, bags under the eyes and puffiness appear. Such a person seems tired. This indirectly indicates the presence of diseases of the internal organs.
From a person who constantly drinks, the smell of alcohol "smoke" often comes to him, which is difficult to confuse with any other. People who are trapped in alcoholism often do not take good care of their hygiene, appearance, and do not hesitate to wear wrinkled and dirty clothes.
Stages of alcoholism and its signs.
There are several stages of alcoholism in men. There are only three of them, which follow one after another. The later treatment is started, the more difficult it is to achieve success: psychological dependence and an asocial lifestyle deny the progress of treatment.
Signs of the first stage
At the initial stage of the development of alcoholism, a gradual increase in the amount of alcohol drunk is characteristic. There are a variety of reasons for this, such a person starts looking for any reason to drink. At the same time, each time, getting drunk more and more often. Family members may hear excuses for this behavior:
- I want to relax.
- Others drank more than I did.
- Yes, I drink a lot, but I am not an alcoholic.
- I'm just tired at work and I want to rest.
If these phrases are accompanied by aggression, it is a clear sign that an addiction is developing. Also, this stage is characterized by other signs associated with physiology:
- no gag reflex;
- more and more is required to achieve the same degree of intoxication;
- there are blackouts.
All these manifestations cause a deterioration of general health, worsens the concentration of attention and decreases the efficiency. They appear more frequently during the transition to the next stage.
At this stage, it is already necessary to start the treatment of alcoholism in a man; the earlier the stage, the greater the probability of a successful outcome. In the first stage, drunkenness is completely cured, and the body, after recovery, returns to its original state, since the organs did not have time to suffer much and their functions do not deteriorate much.
A person cannot imagine his life without alcohol. This is how he spends all his free time. Due to this, problems can appear at work, since the employee who often comes with a hangover works worse. As a result, conflicts with colleagues and management begin. There are also many problems in family life.
Signs of the second stage.
In the second stage of alcoholism in men, other characteristic signs appear. Withdrawal or hangover symptoms are more pronounced here. It consists of nausea, headaches. There may be blackouts. Sleep and digestion are often disturbed. The craving for alcohol is already irresistible. The alcoholic in the second stage can no longer stop drinking. She is the top priority around which all life revolves.
Also, this phase of the disease is characterized by mental disorders - alcoholic psychoses. This is expressed in an unstable emotional state, frequent manifestations of aggression, inappropriate behavior and unjustified irascibility.
Signs of the third stage.
This is the last stage of alcoholism. At this stage, it is necessary to urgently hospitalize the patient to save his life. Complete degradation of personality is installed and moral values become indifferent. The main goal of an alcoholic is to get a new serving of alcohol and therefore he can do anything, even break the law. It also takes place:
- poisoning comes from small doses;
- hangover is very difficult;
- sleep depends on how much you drink, as does food intake.
According to medical statistics, the average life expectancy of an alcoholic at this stage does not exceed five years. Due to constant intoxication of the body, the following symptoms may appear:
- intellectual degradation;
- loss of speech or severe speech disturbances;
- high risk of strokes, heart attacks, paralysis, severe liver and kidney dysfunction.
If these symptoms start to appear, you need to understand that the addiction is only growing. The basis for effective and successful treatment is the desire to get rid of the patient's own addiction. The situation is complicated by the fact that alcoholics are often drunk and cannot make informed decisions. This greatly complicates the dialogue with that person.
Beer alcoholism should be noted separately. Now this problem is gaining more and more weight in society. As a general rule, many are convinced that beer cannot cause alcoholism. Narcologists have a different opinion on this matter: frequent beer consumption can cause persistent alcoholism. It manifests itself in the need to constantly drink this drink and in large quantities. Little by little, the amount that is drunk increases. In this case, it is also worth sounding the alarm and starting the rehabilitation process to get rid of this addiction.
The consequences of alcoholism in men.
No matter how strong the body is, the consequences of alcoholism in a man will not be long in coming. They can be conditionally divided into two types: psychological and physiological. The latter can manifest itself in disorders of the functioning of various body systems:
- Male impotence. Under the influence of alcohol, the hormonal background changes, the production of testosterone is disrupted.
- Digestive system problemsIt can be gastritis, intestinal ulcers, stomach diseases.
- Pressure problems. Alcohol destroys the vascular system.
- Hepatic pathology. Frequent alcohol consumption causes cirrhosis and liver cancer.
- Poor immunity. The body loses its protective properties, frequent infectious diseases occur.
- Heart problems. The probability of heart attacks in alcoholics is several times higher than in non-drinkers.
Alcoholism also affects the human psyche. These violations can manifest themselves in strange behavior:
- Feeling of persecution. It seems to a person that they are being watched.
- The appearance of hallucinations. Under the influence of alcohol, the brain can create visual and auditory illusions.
- Encephalopathy is associated with poor circulation and poor nutrition of brain cells.
If such phenomena appear, you should immediately contact a competent psychologist who works with alcoholics. It is important to know that you can start treating alcoholism in a man at any stage.
Steps to recovery
- Step 1. Contact a specialized clinic
- Step 2. Persuade the addict to receive treatment
- Step 3. Detoxification (cleansing the body of toxins)
- Step 4. Comprehensive rehabilitation in an inpatient center
Only in a rehabilitation center, a man will receive help not only to relieve physiological dependence, but also to be completely cured with the help of hospital treatment and accompany the first steps in life after rehabilitation.
Of course, the sooner the qualified assistance of narcologists is provided, the faster and easier the process of getting rid of this disease will proceed. Therefore, if you have the slightest suspicion, immediately contact a specialist.