According to statistics, men are twice as likely to experience alcohol addiction. Our society considers it absolutely normal to consume alcoholic beverages regularly, despite the fact that the consequences of alcoholism in men are very deplorable for both him and his family.
This view is, of course, disastrous and should be reconsidered. Alcoholism is a serious disease that destroys a person's psyche and overall health. It requires a comprehensive medical approach. As practice shows, beer also leads to stable alcoholism. It is with him that this disease begins, and later 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 number 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, work colleagues;
- lethargy and fatigue;
- speech disorders;
- disorders of the musculoskeletal system;
- familiarity with 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. It is easy to lose them at this stage, as is often the case. The woman simply does not pay attention to them. She thinks that a man relieves stress after work, tries to escape from problems 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 that of men. The male sex adapts less well to changing external conditions and uses alcohol as a means of distracting himself from the problems and worries that fall upon him. In addition, men often resist the persuasion to undergo rehabilitation, they believe they can do it on their own.
But this is not the case: in addition to physical addiction, alcoholism brings profound personality changes from the first months of abuse. The external environment often over time consists of the alcoholics themselves, which also prevents healing.
One in two families in our country will have to face the problem of alcoholism in the future, or have already faced it. This affects all family members without exception, especially children. In general, the reasons for the appearance of this addiction can be divided into three types:
- social;
- psychological;
- physiological.
They can appear singly or in combination. The social reasons include the presence of friends who drink 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;
- low 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. Here are just the most common ones.
There is another group of factors causing constant intoxication - factors of a physiological nature. These are metabolic disorders that lead to the rapid development of addiction and hereditary factors. If there have been cases of alcoholism in previous generations, they are likely to be relevant to later descendants. A person thinks that he will not become addicted and 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 gaze. Ethanol has a negative effect on the eyes, they become "glassy" and tired. Over time, bags under the eyes and swelling appear. Such a person looks tired. This indirectly indicates the presence of diseases of the internal organs.
From a person who drinks constantly, the smell of alcoholic "smoke" often comes, which is difficult to confuse with any other. People who are stuck in alcoholism usually do not take care of their hygiene, their appearance and do not hesitate to wear wrinkled and dirty clothes.
Stages of alcoholism and their signs
There are several stages of alcoholism in men. There are only three of them, which follow one after the other. The later treatment is initiated, the more difficult it is to achieve success: psychological dependence and an asocial lifestyle negate 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 number of reasons for this, such a person begins to look for any reason to drink. At the same time, each time, getting drunk more and more often. Relatives may hear excuses for this behavior:
- I want to relax.
- Others drank more than me.
- Yes, I drink a lot, but I'm not an alcoholic.
- I'm just tired at work and want to rest.
If these phrases are accompanied by aggression, this is a clear sign of addiction development. In addition, this stage is characterized by other signs associated with physiology:
- no gag reflex;
- more and more is needed to achieve the same degree of intoxication;
- there are blackouts.
All these manifestations cause a deterioration in general health, the concentration of attention worsens and efficiency decreases. They appear more often when moving to the next stage.
At this stage, it is already necessary to begin the treatment of alcoholism in a man: the earlier the stage, the greater the likelihood of a positive outcome. At the first stage, drunkenness is completely cured, and the body, after recovery, is returned to its original state, since the organs did not have time to suffer much and their functions are not very impaired.
A person cannot imagine his life without alcohol. This is how he spends all his free time. Because of this, problems may appear at work, as 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 most pronounced here. It consists of nausea, headache. There may be blackouts. Sleep and digestion are often disturbed. The craving for alcohol is already irresistible. The alcoholic in the second stage is no longer able to give up drinking. She is the main priority around which all life revolves.
Also, this stage 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 unwarranted short temper.
Signs of the third stage
This is the last stage of alcoholism. At this stage, it is necessary to hospitalize the patient urgently to save his life. The complete degradation of the personality is established and moral values become indifferent. An alcoholic's main goal is to get a new serving of alcohol and for the fun of it he can do anything, including breaking the law. It also takes place:
- intoxication comes from small doses;
- hangover is very difficult;
- sleep depends on the amount drunk, as well as food intake.
According to medical statistics, the average life span of an alcoholic at this stage does not exceed five years. Due to the constant poisoning of the body, the following symptoms may appear:
- intellectual degradation;
- loss of speech or severe disturbances in it;
- high risk of stroke, heart attack, 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 addiction of the patient himself. The situation is complicated by the fact that alcoholics are often drunk and unable to make informed decisions. This greatly complicates the dialogue with such a person.
Alcoholism from beer should be noted separately. Now this problem is gaining more and more weight in society. As a rule, many are convinced that beer cannot cause alcoholism. Narcologists have a different opinion on this topic: frequent consumption of beer can cause persistent alcoholism. It manifests itself in the need to drink this drink constantly and in large quantities. Gradually, the drunken amount increases. In this case, it is also worth raising 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 stopped.
- Problems of the digestive system. It can be gastritis, intestinal ulcers, stomach diseases.
- Pressure problems. Alcohol destroys the vascular system.
- Pathology of the liver. Frequent alcohol consumption leads to cirrhosis and liver cancer.
- Poor immunity. The body loses its protective properties, frequent infectious diseases occur.
- Heart problems. The likelihood of heart attacks in alcoholics is many times higher than that of non-drinkers.
Alcoholism also affects the human psyche. These violations can manifest themselves in strange behaviors:
- Feeling of persecution. It seems to a person that he is being watched.
- The appearance of hallucinations. Under the influence of alcohol, the brain can create visual and auditory illusions.
- Encephalopathy. It 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 time.
Steps for recovery
- Step 1. Contact a specialist clinic
- Step 2. Convince the addict to seek treatment
- Step 3. Detoxification (cleansing the body of toxins)
- Phase 4. Complete rehabilitation in an inpatient center
Only in a rehabilitation center, a man will be helped not only to relieve physiological addiction, but will also be brought to a complete cure with the help of inpatient treatment and accompany the first steps in life after rehabilitation.
Of course, the earlier the qualified assistance of narcologists is provided, the faster and easier the process of eliminating this disease will proceed. Therefore, if you have the slightest suspicion, immediately contact a specialist.