Signs of alcohol addiction

The signs of alcohol dependence are well studied and no secret.

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

How do you know if a person just likes to drink or if they have signs of alcohol addiction?Is there a dividing line between “recreational” drinking and alcohol addiction?

What are the signs of alcohol addiction?

1. Desire for alcohol.This may be manifested by the emergence of previously unobserved motives for drinking.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 consumption of alcoholic beverages is jealously defended and defended.Alcoholic friends gain authority and respect.A list of excuses for your own drunkenness appears.The values of life are changing, moral principles are being restructured.Criticality about one's own behavior disappears.
3. Loss of control over the dose of alcohol.An alcoholic cannot limit his alcohol consumption;You can't stop at small doses.Once you start drinking, you drink every last drop (or until you pass out).
4. Do not vomit when drinking large amounts of alcohol.The gag reflex is the body's defense against alcohol poisoning.In drunks this reflex disappears.
5. Changes in tolerance (susceptibility) to alcohol.In the early stages of alcoholism, it increases (the person drinks a lot and does not get drunk), over time it decreases and the alcoholic becomes drunk on smaller doses of strong drinks.
6. Drink regularly.It is believed that if a person drinks rarely, then he is not an alcoholic.Meanwhile, drinking beer, wine, cognac or vodka regularly, even once a week, is already cause for concern.If this happens more frequently, we can talk about alcoholism.

How to identify the signs of alcohol addiction in yourself?

• Try to answer some questions honestly.
• Have you started drinking more frequently?Drink alone?Do you drink secretly from everyone?
• Are you excited about upcoming holidays or weekends where you can drink alcohol?
• Does your character change when you are sober and when you are drunk (can you ask your family and friends)?
• Do cases of disorientation in time and space occur when drinking alcohol?Do you experience memory lapses in the morning after a feast?
• Have you ever had withdrawal symptoms?
• Does the thought of having to give up alcohol make you angry?
• Can you reduce the amount you drink?
• Have you ever been drunk?
• 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, hairstyle, appearance?
• Are you worried about your heart, liver, stomach?

Positive answers to the above questions are a sign that it is necessary to seriously think about solving the problem of alcoholism.

Reasons to drink alcohol

You've probably heard the expression more than once: “let's go grab a drink and warm up.”In everyday life it is believed that alcohol is a good way to warm up the body.It is not in vain that alcohol is often called “strong drinks.”Doctors, on the contrary, believe that a patient with an ulcer should not drink alcohol at all.Where is the truth?After all, small doses of alcohol really stimulate appetite.Or another popular belief among the people: alcohol excites, tones, improves mood, well-being, makes conversation more lively and interesting, which is important for a group of young people.It is not in vain that alcohol is drunk “against fatigue”, when one feels bad and at almost all celebrations.One of the congresses of doctors adopted a resolution on the dangers of alcohol: "... there is not a single organ in the human body that is not subject to the destructive effects of alcohol; alcohol has no effect that cannot be achieved by another medicine 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."Therefore, talking about the benefits of alcohol is a fairly common mistake.Take, for example, an obvious fact: the stimulation of appetite after a glass of vodka or wine.But this is only for a short time, while alcohol causes “ignition juice.”In the future, drinking alcohol, including beer, will only harm digestion.

alcohol

Alcohol paralyzes the action of such important organs as the liver and pancreas.The need for alcohol is not one of the natural vital needs of a person, like the need for oxygen or food, and therefore alcohol itself does not have a motivating force for a person.This need, like some other human “needs” (for example, smoking) appears 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 to everyone to the same extent.

The effect of alcohol on the human body.

Alcohol from the stomach enters the bloodstream two minutes after consumption.The blood transports it to all the cells in the body.The cells of the cerebral hemispheres are mainly affected.A person's conditioned reflex activity worsens, the formation of complex movements slows down, and the ratio of excitation and inhibition processes in the central nervous system changes.Under the influence of alcohol, voluntary movements are impaired and the 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, unjustified joy, stupid laughter and ease of judgment appear.After increased excitation in the cerebral cortex, a strong weakening of the inhibition processes occurs.The cortex ceases to control the work of the lower parts of the brain.A person loses moderation, 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 nervous 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, for example, the movement of the eyes, is disturbed (objects begin to duplicate) and a clumsy, staggering gait appears.Alteration of the nervous system and internal organs is observed with any alcohol consumption: one-time, episodic and systematic.

Where does drunkenness begin?

The need for alcohol is not one of the natural vital needs of a person, like the need for water or food, and therefore alcohol itself does not have a motivating force for a person.So what is the reason for drinking alcohol?

Before the age of 11, the first contact with alcohol occurs by chance, or it is given "for appetite", "treated" with wine, or the child himself tries alcohol out of curiosity (a motive mainly characteristic of children).As we age, traditional reasons for drinking alcohol for the first time become traditional reasons: “vacation,” “family celebration,” “guests,” etc.

From the age of 14-15, reasons appear such as “it was inconvenient to stay behind the boys”, “friends persuaded me”, “for company”, “out of courage”, etc.Children are characterized by all these groups of motives in their first contact with alcohol.For girls, the second group of motives, "traditional", is mainly typical.Usually this happens, so to speak, with an "innocent" drink in honor of a birthday or other celebration.And although this happens with the consent of the parents, in the family circle it is still dangerous to introduce children to wine.After all, once alcohol is touched, the psychological barrier disappears and the teenager considers himself entitled to drink with friends or even alone, if the opportunity presents itself.No wonder people say: "rivers begin with a stream, and drunkenness begins with a glass."

Alcohol is a common topic for people who are not familiar with it.A company has gathered, everyone is somewhat limited.They drank, you see, they laugh, they dance, they get to know each other and they have fun.Little by little, alcohol becomes an indispensable attribute of communication.Alcohol quickly and easily creates the illusion of psychological security and problem-free existence.A person gets used to this illusory way of solving problems and increasingly turns from real actions to retreating into an alcoholic fog.

Where is the line?

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 consumption.This period in medicine is called the alcoholization period.The onset of the disease is considered to be the transition to daily and systematic consumption of alcohol.The answers to the following questions will help you determine the degree of your predisposition to alcoholism.Try to answer them honestly.

1. Have I already tried to limit my alcohol consumption several times?
2. Do I feel remorse because I drink?
3. Do I drink alcohol in the morning to relieve a hangover?
4. Do I find it difficult to tolerate criticism from my co-workers 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 are a disease.

There is a reasonable question that is easy to ask when looking at an alcohol-dependent person from the outside: "If you have signs of alcohol dependence and a problem with alcohol, why don't you stop drinking? You stop drinking, that's all."The first obvious answer: "There is no willpower" is incorrect.Not only weak-willed and 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 cure.It develops on the basis of regular and long-term consumption of alcohol and is characterized by a special pathological state of the body: an uncontrollable desire for alcohol, a change in the degree of tolerance and degradation of personality.Alcoholism develops according to this pattern:

Initial phase: intoxication with memory loss, “eclipse”.A person constantly thinks about alcohol, it seems to him that he has not drunk enough, he drinks in order to consume in the future and develops a greed for alcohol.However, he remains conscious of his guilt and avoids talking about his craving for alcohol.

Critical phase: loss of self-control after the first sip of alcohol.The desire to find an excuse to drink, the resistance to all attempts to prevent your desire to drink.A person develops arrogance and aggressiveness.Blame others for your problems.He starts drinking and some random drinking buddies become his friends.He is forced to leave his regular job and loses interest in everything that does not have to do with alcohol.

Chronic phase: daily hangover, personality disintegration, memory loss, confusion of thought.A person drinks alcohol substitutes, technical liquids and cologne.Develops unfounded fears, delirium tremens and other alcoholic psychoses.One of the characteristic complications of excessive alcohol consumption is delirium tremens.Delirium tremens is the most common alcoholic psychosis.It usually occurs in a state of hangover, when the drunk develops inexplicable fears, insomnia, trembling hands, nightmares (persecutions, attacks, etc.), auditory and visual deceptions in the form of noises, bells and shadow movements.The symptoms of delirium tremens are especially pronounced at night.The patient begins to experience vivid experiences of a frightening nature.Regarding the Drunkard, for example, it seems that there is a conspiracy against him.Seeing no way out of this situation, he may commit suicide.

alcohol and people

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 do it, most will answer that it is not regular.However, even after drinking alcohol once, people spend the night restless and in the morning wake up devastated, with a swollen face and a headache.The working day is often ruined, and if a person's work is related to machinery, for example with a machine tool or a car, keep in mind that on this day you have a much higher risk of suffering an accident or even a catastrophe.For mental workers, after drinking alcohol, their thinking processes are significantly impaired, the speed and accuracy of calculations decrease, and, as they say, work falls out of their hands.So, even after irregular and accidental consumption of alcohol, serious problems occur in the body that indicate serious intoxication.If alcohol consumption becomes systematic, a person drinks on any occasion, looking for some reason to get drunk, then this is already called domestic drunkenness.For a drunk, the meaning of the festive event does not matter;He doesn't care if others approve of his behavior.At this stage of initiation to alcohol, the drinker's attitude towards others, towards generally accepted and acceptable norms of behavior changes significantly.Signs of alcohol dependence are actively forming.For a drunk, his closest people are his drinking buddies, even if it's the first time they're at the same table.The time, place and environment in which people drink become less important.Therefore, the difference between occasional drinking and getting drunk 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 only to become intoxicated.If you prevent a person from drinking in time, this prevents him from falling 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 systematic alcohol consumption causes in the body are difficult to reverse.Those.For the rest of life, the body remains “ready” to resume the full picture with the first intake of alcohol into the body.Signs of alcohol dependence return quickly, even if this happens many years and even decades after stopping drinking alcohol.

Can alcoholism be cured?

Yes and no.No, in the sense that it will never be possible to resume “cultural drinking.”The metabolic processes of the brain are disturbed and the normal reaction to alcohol will never be restored.Any alcohol consumption will inevitably lead to a nervous breakdown, either immediately or some time later.If metabolic disturbances occur, consider that your barrel or tank is drunk.Even many years of abstinence do not allow you to count on the fact that “the body has been cleansed” and you will be able to drink culturally.

Yes, in the sense that even in severe alcoholism, complete and indefinite abstinence from alcohol is possible.A person is not just a physical body.And your psyche is not only made up of what brought you the illness, but also contains untapped resources.A person is characterized by higher moral feelings: love, the desire for beauty and harmony.Having done long and difficult work on oneself (with help, of course), developing psychologically and spiritually, a person can change his attitude towards alcohol and quit 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 amazing results.

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

If there are signs of alcohol dependence, it is imperative to constantly try to convince the patient of the need for therapy.It requires the joint effort of all interested and significant people for the patient (family, friends, spouses, employees, teachers, etc.).There is a specially developed 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 realize the presence of a problem by informing them of the changes in them and in their lives that alcohol consumption causes.When the desired result is achieved, they offer a solution: treatment in a specific medical institution, a rehabilitation program.This method often requires the participation 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, assistance to patients with alcoholism is regulated by the Law of our country "On psychiatric care to the population and the rights of citizens in its provision."According to the law, the treatment of a patient with drug addiction, substance abuse or alcoholism is carried out on the basis of his voluntary consent.Treatment without the patient's consent is only carried out by court order when the citizen incurs criminal liability.

As mentioned above, alcoholism is a disease and, like any disease, requires extensive and long-term treatment.Appealing to dubious "specialists" who treat alcoholism "by photography", "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 does it mean to help a patient improve?

This assistance consists of several stages.First, the patient needs help during the “withdrawal” period.This problem is usually solved by doctors, preferably in a psychiatric or drug treatment hospital.After 5-10 days, the so-called post-withdrawal 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 pharmacological treatment in order to stabilize his physical and mental condition: improving mood, restoring sleep, mitigating the severity of the desire to drink alcohol (so-called cravings) and correcting behavioral disorders.It is recommended that during this period the patient be isolated from their usual environment and in a hospital environment.

Another approach to managing patients in the post-abstinence period has a psychotherapeutic focus and immediately involves the inclusion of the patient in one or another rehabilitation program with psychotherapeutic management, also in the hospital setting or in a rehabilitation center.

The third stage is rehabilitation.It is usually done on an outpatient basis.Patients continue working in the chosen program, attending psychotherapeutic groups or self-help groups.The goal of rehabilitation is to teach a patient with alcoholism to live without alcohol.

Is it possible to stop drinking at home?

It is preferable to treat the patient in the stage of alcohol withdrawal in a medical hospital under 24-hour medical supervision.Home care only worsens the course of the disease.The disease not only worsens, but serious concomitant diseases also develop.Furthermore, it is much more difficult to convince the patient to undergo full therapy.

How can it be “encoded”?

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 treating patients with alcoholism.Rather, it gives some patients a gain of time when they can start working on themselves, develop psychologically and spiritually and join one or another rehabilitation program.The method has a very important negative side: it is the replacement of one's own will and responsibility to abstain from alcohol and behavior in general with an artificially imposed attitude.

What are the results of treating patients with alcoholism?

All over the world, the effectiveness of helping people with alcoholism is the same.Help limited only to the first stage (“abstinence from excessive alcohol consumption” or “coding”) gives a very low result.But completing a rehabilitation program for patients increases the effectiveness of care almost 10 times.

After what time can we talk about the reliability of the result obtained?

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

Chemical protection methods.

"Torpedo".One of the most famous and widespread radical methods for treating 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 to drink alcohol, but when interacting with alcohol, a strong toxin (poison) is formed that can cause serious health problems, even death.

“Neurophysical blockade” is a treatment method that uses weak pulsed currents in certain parts of the brain.This achieves the effect of normalizing the state of the central nervous system and its regulatory effect on other body systems.As a result of treatment, the desire to consume alcohol is suppressed, irritability, anger and aggression are reduced.

"Acupuncture" One of the oldest and most proven methods of treating alcohol, drug and nicotine addiction.Selection of points, method of influencing them (needles, electromagnetic waves, laser).

"Biological coding."The most reliable method of radical treatment of alcohol addiction.After intravenous administration of the drug, to check its effectiveness, it is recommended to drink a small amount of alcohol, that is, 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 anti-alcohol drug.Coding is carried out only in an intensive care room or resuscitation department;The intake of food and liquids is prohibited 3 hours before the procedure.

Intramuscular administration of a long-acting anti-alcoholic drug that suppresses alcohol cravings.In addition, the drug is also a very effective therapeutic agent (increases human immunity, improves liver and brain function).Within 3 days, the drug adapts to humans.Subsequently, the drug is “released” into the blood frequently, depending on the patient's biorhythm, for a period determined by the patient himself.

Implantation of the drug is a reliable and proven method for treating alcoholism for decades.In 1996, production of a drug that reacts stronger and longer to alcohol resumed in France using new advanced technology.The operation is performed in a hospital environment using asepsis and antisepsis.After novocaine anesthesia, the medication is inserted through the skin incision and the incision is sutured.