Signs of alcohol addiction

The signs of alcohol addiction are well-studied and no secret.

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

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

What are the signs of alcohol addiction?

1. Desire for alcohol.This can be manifested by the appearance of reasons for drinking that were not noticed before.While waiting for a drink, the mood improves, the person is excited and full of enthusiasm.Beer, wine and vodka stocks can be displayed in house.
2. Everything related to the drinking of alcoholic beverages is guarded and jealously guarded.Alcoholic friends gain authority and respect.A list of excuses for your drunkenness appears.Life values are changing, moral principles are being restructured.Criticism of one's behavior disappears.
3. Loss of control over the dose of alcohol.An alcoholic cannot limit his alcohol intake;he is unable to stop in small doses.Once he starts drinking, he drinks every last drop (or until he passes out).
4. There is no vomiting when drinking 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), over time it decreases and the alcoholic gets drunk from smaller doses of hard liquor.
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 concern.If this happens more often, we can talk about alcoholism.

How to identify signs of alcohol addiction in yourself?

• Try to answer some questions honestly.
• Have you started drinking more often?Drinking alone?Do you secretly drink from everyone?
• Are you excited for 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)?
• Do cases of disorientation in time and space occur while drinking alcohol?Do you have memory problems the morning after a party?
• Have you ever had withdrawal symptoms?
• Does the thought of giving up alcohol make you angry?
• Are you able to reduce the amount you drink?
• Have you ever had one too many drinks?
• Have you ever had problems at home or at work because of drinking?
• Has your appearance changed recently?Do you care about clothes, hairstyles, 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 to drink alcohol

You have probably heard the expression more than once: "let's have a drink and warm up".In everyday life it is believed that alcohol is a good way to warm the body.It is not for nothing that alcohol is often called "hard drinks".Doctors, on the contrary, believe that a patient with an ulcer should absolutely not drink alcohol.Where is the truth?After all, small doses of alcohol really stimulate the appetite.Or another popular belief among people: alcohol excites, strengthens, 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 taken "against fatigue", when you feel bad and at almost all celebrations.One of the doctors' congresses 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 does not have any such effect that cannot be achieved by another medicinal agent that acts in a more useful, safer and more reliable way; there is no such painful condition in which it is necessary to prescribe alcohol for a long time".So talking about the benefits of alcohol is a fairly common misconception.Take, for example, the obvious fact - the stimulation of appetite after a glass of vodka or wine.But this is only for a short time, while alcohol causes "flaming fluid".In the future, drinking alcohol, including beer, only harms digestion.

alcohol

Alcohol paralyzes the action of important organs such as the liver and pancreas.The need for alcohol is not one of the natural vital needs of a person, such as 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 habits, forms, habits and prejudices associated with its consumption.Of course, these habits are not natural to everyone to the same extent.

The effect of alcohol on the human body

Alcohol from the stomach enters the blood two minutes after consumption.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, and 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 addiction 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, silly laughter and ease of judgment appear.After the increased excitation in the cerebral cortex, a sharp weakening of the inhibition processes occurs.The cortex ceases to control the work of the lower parts of the brain.A person loses self-control, modesty, says and does things that he would never say or do if he were sober.Each new portion of alcohol paralyzes the higher nerve centers more and more, as if it binds them and does not allow them to interfere with the activity of the lower parts of the brain: the coordination of movements is disrupted, for example, the movement of the eyes (objects begin to double) and a difficult, staggering gait appears.Disorder of the nervous system and internal organs is observed with any consumption of alcohol: one time, episodic and systematic.

Where does drunkenness begin?

The need for alcohol is not one of the natural vital needs of a person, such as 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 acquaintance with alcohol happens either by chance, or it is given "for appetite", "treated" with wine, or the child himself tries alcohol out of curiosity (motivation mainly characteristic of boys).At an older age, the motives for drinking alcohol for the first time become the traditional reasons: "party", "family party", "guests", etc.

From the age of 14-15, reasons such as "it was inappropriate to stay behind the boys", "friends convinced me", "for company", "for courage" etc. appear.Boys are characterized by all these sets of motives for their first acquaintance with alcohol.For girls, the second, "traditional" group of motives is mostly typical.Usually this happens, so to speak, an "innocent" drink in honor of a birthday or other celebration.And although this happens with the consent of parents, in the family circle, it is still dangerous to introduce children to wine.After all, as soon as you touch alcohol, the psychological barrier is removed and the teenager considers himself entitled to drink with friends or even alone, if such an opportunity arises.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 drink - 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 more and more goes from real actions to withdrawing into an alcoholic haze.

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

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

If you answered yes to at least two questions, you are at risk and should take appropriate measures 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 alcoholic from the outside: "If you have signs of alcohol addiction and a problem with alcohol, then why don't you stop drinking? Stop - that's all."The first obvious answer: "There is no will" is incorrect.Not only weak-willed, weak-willed people suffer from alcoholism and cannot stop, but also those who achieve success, know how to cope 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 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 this model:

Initial stage: intoxication with memory loss, "eclipse".A person constantly thinks about alcohol, feels that he has not drunk enough, drinks for future use and develops a craving for alcohol.However, he remains aware of his guilt and avoids talking about his desire for alcohol.

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

Chronic phase: daily hangover, disintegration of personality, memory loss, confusion of thought.A person drinks alcohol substitutes, technical liquids and cologne.He develops unfounded fears, delirium tremens and other alcoholic psychoses.One of the characteristic complications during excessive drinking is delirium tremens.Delirium tremens is the most common alcoholic psychosis.It usually occurs in a hangover state, when the drunkard develops irresponsible fears, insomnia, hand tremors, nightmares (chasing, attacks, etc.), auditory and visual illusions in the form of noises, bells and moving shadows.The symptoms of delirium tremens are especially pronounced at night.The patient begins to experience vivid experiences of a frightening nature.Regarding Pijanec, for example, there seems to be a conspiracy against him.Not seeing a way out of this situation, he may commit suicide.

Alcohol and people

The signs of alcohol addiction and the effects of alcohol on a person are immediately visible.And if you ask people who drink how often they drink, most will say it's not regular.However, even after one drink of alcohol, people have a restless night and wake up in the morning broken, with a swollen face and a sore head.The working day, as a rule, turns out to be broken, and if a person's work is connected with machinery, for example with a machine tool or a car, consider that on this day he has a significantly increased risk of an accident or even a disaster.For mental workers, after drinking alcohol, their thinking processes are significantly impaired, the speed and accuracy of calculations decreases and, as they say, their work falls out of their hands.So, even after irregular, accidental consumption of alcohol, serious problems appear in the body, indicating severe poisoning.If the use of alcohol becomes systematic, a person drinks at every opportunity, looking for any reason to get drunk, then this is already called domestic drunkenness.To a drunk, the meaning of the festive event does not matter;he does not care if others approve of his behavior.At this stage of the initiation of alcohol, the drinker's attitude towards others, towards generally accepted and acceptable norms of behavior changes significantly.Signs of alcohol addiction are actively forming.For a drunkard, his closest people are his drinking buddies, even if this is the first time they find themselves at the same table.The time, place and environment in which people drink become less important.Thus, the difference between occasional drinking and intoxication lies not only in the amount drunk at a time, but also in the psychological attitude of the drinker.In the first case, a person celebrates a solemn or significant event, and in the second, he drinks only to get drunk.If you keep a person from drinking in time, it prevents him from falling and developing alcoholism.

What does it mean to have a chronic disease?

This means that the signs of alcohol dependence and the changes in metabolism that systematic alcohol consumption brings to the body are difficult to reverse.Those.for the rest of life, the body remains "ready" to restart the whole picture at the first ingestion of alcohol into the body.Signs of alcohol dependence return quickly, even if this happens many years and even decades after stopping drinking.

Can alcoholism be cured?

yes and no.No - in 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 breakdown, immediately or some time later.If metabolic disturbances occur, consider your barrel or tank drunk.Even long-term abstinence does not allow you to count on the fact that "the body is cleansed" and you will be able to drink culturally.

Yes - in the sense that even with severe alcoholism, complete and infinitely long abstinence from alcohol is possible.A person is not just a physical body.And his psyche does not consist only of what the disease brought, but contains untapped resources.Man is characterized by higher moral feelings - love, desire for beauty and harmony.Having done long and hard work for himself (with help, of course), developing psychologically and spiritually, a person is able to change his attitude towards alcohol and give it up forever.But, of course, we can only talk about absolute discretion.To drink or not to drink - alcoholism leaves no third choice.With their unwavering determination with medical help, even the most seriously ill patients can achieve amazing results.

What should you do if the patient refuses to be treated?

If there are signs of alcohol dependence, it is necessary to make constant efforts to convince the patient of the need for therapy.It requires the combined efforts of all persons interested and significant for the patient (relatives, friends, spouses, employees, teachers, etc.).There is a specially developed method to encourage an alcoholic to seek help, which is called "intervention".Each of the participants in the intervention (parents, spouse, children, boss) tries to help the patient understand the presence of a problem by reporting the changes in him and the changes in their life caused by alcohol consumption.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, help for patients with alcoholism is regulated by the law of our country "On psychiatric care for 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 carried out only by court decision when the citizen is held criminally liable.

As mentioned earlier, alcoholism is a disease and like any disease requires thorough and long-term treatment.Calling dubious "specialists" who treat alcoholism "with pictures", "without the patient's knowledge", firstly, is a waste of time and secondly, it instills in the patient the belief that this disease is incurable.

What is involved in helping a patient overcome?

Such assistance consists of several stages.First, the patient needs help during the "withdrawal" period.This problem is usually solved by doctors, preferably in a drug treatment or psychiatric 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 the continuation of the patient's drug treatment to stabilize his mental and physical condition: improving mood, restoring sleep, alleviating the severity of the desire for alcohol (so-called cravings) and correcting behavioral disorders.It is recommended that during this period the patient is isolated from his usual environment and in a hospital environment.

Another approach to the management of patients in the post-abstinence period has a psychotherapeutic focus 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 usually takes place on an outpatient basis.Patients continue to work 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 that the patient is treated in the alcohol withdrawal phase in a medical hospital under medical supervision at all times.Home care only worsens the course of the disease.The disease not only gets stronger, but serious co-morbidities also develop.Moreover, it becomes much more difficult to convince the patient to undergo full therapy.

How can you "code"?

As already mentioned, the power of alcohol addiction is very great.The attraction to its use often outweighs the fear of mortal danger.Coding does not help everyone stay for a while.It cannot be considered an independent method of treatment of patients with alcoholism.On the contrary, it gives some patients a gain in time when they can start working on their own, develop psychologically and spiritually, and join one or another rehabilitation program.The method has a very important negative side - it is replacing one's will and responsibility to abstain from alcohol and behavior in general with an artificially imposed attitude.

What are the results of the treatment of patients with alcoholism?

All over the world, the effectiveness of helping people with alcoholism is the same.Help limited only to the first stage ("withdrawal from excessive drinking" or "coding") gives a very low result.But completing a rehabilitation program for patients increases the effectiveness of care by 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 takes about 5 years.It is very important that in the future the recovered person does not stop in his psychological and spiritual growth.

Chemical protection methods

"Torpedo".One of the most famous and widespread radical methods of 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, but only reduces the desire for alcohol, but when it interacts 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 pulsating 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 the treatment, the desire for alcohol is suppressed, irritability, anger and aggression are reduced.

"Acupuncture" One of the oldest, proven methods for the treatment of addiction to alcohol, drugs and nicotine.The selection of points, the way 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 suggested to take a small amount of alcohol, i.e.the incompatibility of alcohol with 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 performed only in an intensive care unit or intensive care unit;taking food and liquids is forbidden 3 hours before the procedure.

Intramuscular administration of a long-acting anti-alcohol 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 people.Then, the drug is "released" into the blood with a frequency, depending on the patient's biorhythm, for a period determined by the patient himself.

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