Signs of alcohol addiction

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

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

How can you tell if a person simply likes to drink or if he or she has signs of alcohol addiction?Is there a line between drinking alcohol "for fun" and alcohol addiction?

What are the signs of alcohol addiction?

1. Craving for alcohol.This may manifest itself in the emergence 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 consumption of alcoholic beverages is jealously guarded and defended.Alcoholic friends gain authority and respect.A list of excuses for your drunkenness appears.Life values are changing, moral principles are being restructured.Criticality regarding one's behavior disappears.
3. Loss of control over alcohol intake.An alcoholic cannot limit alcohol consumption;is unable to stop at small doses.Once he starts drinking, he drinks every last drop (or until he loses consciousness).
4. No vomiting 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 grows (the person drinks a lot and does not get drunk), over time it decreases and the alcoholic gets drunk with smaller doses of strong drinks.
6. Drink regularly.It is believed that if a person rarely drinks, he is not an alcoholic.Meanwhile, drinking beer, wine, cognac or vodka regularly, even once a week, is already a cause for concern.If this happens more often, we can talk about alcoholism.

How to identify signs of alcohol addiction in yourself?

• Try answering some questions honestly.
• Have you started drinking more often?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 (you can ask your relatives and friends)?
• Do cases of disorientation in time and space occur when drinking alcohol?Do you have memory lapses the morning after a party?
• Have you ever had withdrawal symptoms?
• Does the thought of having to give up alcohol make you angry?
• Are you able to reduce the amount you drink?
• Have you ever had an alcohol binge?
• Have you ever had problems at home or at work due to drinking?
• Has your appearance changed recently?Do you take care of your clothes, your hairstyle, your appearance?
• Are you worried about your heart, liver, stomach?

Positive answers to the above questions are a sign that you need to seriously think about solving your alcoholism problem.

Reasons for drinking 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 “strong drinks”.Doctors, on the contrary, believe that an ulcer patient should not drink alcohol at all.Where is the truth?After all, small doses of alcohol really stimulate the appetite.Or another popular belief among people: alcohol excites, invigorates, improves mood, well-being, makes conversation more lively and interesting, which is important for a group of young people.It is not for nothing that alcohol is taken “against tiredness”, in case of malaise 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 could not 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."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 “juice juice”.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 needs of a person's life, like the need for oxygen or food, and therefore alcohol itself has no 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” customs, forms, habits and prejudices associated with its consumption.Of course these habits are not common 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 carries it to all the cells of the body.Mainly the cells of the cerebral hemispheres are affected.The conditioned reflex activity of a person 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 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, unjustified joy, stupid laughter and ease of judgment appear.After increased excitation in the cerebral cortex, a strong weakening of inhibition processes occurs.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: coordination of movements is disrupted, for example, eye movement (objects begin to double) and an awkward, staggering gait appears.With any alcohol consumption, a disruption of the nervous system and internal organs is observed: one-time, episodic and systematic.

Where does drunkenness begin?

The need for alcohol is not one of the natural needs of a person's life, 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 encounter with alcohol occurs by chance, or it is given to him "for appetite", "treated" with wine, or the child himself tries alcohol out of curiosity (a characteristic characteristic especially of boys).In old age, the traditional reasons for drinking alcohol for the first time become: "holidays", "family celebrations", "guests", etc.

From the age of 14-15, reasons such as "it was inconvenient to lag behind the boys", "friends convinced me", "for company", "for courage", etc. appear.All these groups of reasons characterize kids by their first acquaintance with alcohol.For girls, the second group of "traditional" motives is mainly typical.Usually this is, 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 alcohol is touched, the psychological barrier is removed and the teenager considers himself entitled to drink with friends or even alone, if such an occasion 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 a little constrained.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 problem-free existence.A person gets used to this illusory way of solving problems and increasingly goes from real actions to retreating into an alcoholic fog.

Where's 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 period of alcoholization.The onset of the disease is considered to be the transition to systematic and daily consumption of alcohol.The answers to the following questions will help you determine the degree of predisposition to alcoholism.Try to answer honestly.

1. Have I already tried several times to limit my alcohol consumption?
2. Do I feel remorse because I drink?
3. Do I drink alcohol in the morning to relieve a hangover?
4. Do I have difficulty tolerating 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 yourself when looking at an alcohol-dependent person from the outside: "If you have signs of alcohol dependence and a problem with alcohol, then why don't you stop drinking? Stop, that's all."The first obvious answer: “There is no willpower” is incorrect.Not only weak and strong-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 prolonged use of alcohol and is characterized by a special pathological state of the body: an uncontrollable craving for alcohol, a change in the degree of tolerance and degradation of the personality.Alcoholism develops according to this scheme:

Initial phase: inebriation with memory loss, “eclipse”.A person constantly thinks about alcohol, seems to him 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 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 his desire to drink.A person develops arrogance and aggression.Blames others for his problems.He starts drinking and random drinking buddies become his friends.He is forced to leave his permanent job and loses interest in everything that has nothing to do with alcohol.

Chronic phase: daily hangover, personality disintegration, memory loss, confusion of thinking.A person drinks alcohol substitutes, technical liquids and cologne.Develops unfounded fears, delirium tremens and other alcoholic psychoses.One of the characteristic complications during alcohol abuse is delirium tremens.Delirium tremens is the most common alcoholic psychosis.It usually occurs in a state of hangover, when the drunkard develops inexplicable fear, insomnia, trembling hands, nightmares (chases, attacks, etc.), auditory and visual deceptions in the form of noises, bells 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.Regarding the Drunkard, for example, there seems to be a plot against him.Seeing no 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 apparent.And if you ask people who drink how often they drink, most will say it's not regular.However, even after drinking alcohol once, people spend a restless night and wake up broken in the morning, with a swollen face and a sore head.The working day, as a rule, turns out to be spoiled, and if a person's work is associated with machinery, for example with a machine tool or a car, consider that on this day he has a greatly increased risk of an accident or even a catastrophe.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 and accidental consumption of alcohol, serious problems occur in the body, indicating serious poisoning.If the use of alcohol becomes systematic, a person drinks on every occasion, looking for any reason to get drunk, then this is already called domestic drunkenness.For 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 initiation into 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, the closest people are his drinking companions, even if this is the first time they are at the same table.The time, place and environment in which people drink becomes less important.Therefore, the difference between occasional drinking and drunkenness lies not only in the amount of drinking at one 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 stop 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 brings to the body are difficult to reverse.Those.for the rest of life, the body remains “ready” to take over the whole picture at the first intake of alcohol into the body.The signs of alcohol addiction return quickly, even if this happens many years or even decades after you stop drinking alcohol.

Can alcoholism be cured?

Yes and no.No, in the sense that it will never be possible to resume "cultural drinking" again.The metabolic processes of the brain are disrupted, 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 disorders 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 with severe alcoholism, complete and indefinitely long abstinence from alcohol is possible.A person is not just a physical body.And his psyche is not only made up of what the disease has brought, but contains untapped resources.Man is characterized by higher moral feelings: love, desire for beauty and harmony.Having done long and difficult work on oneself (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 sobriety.To drink or not to drink: alcoholism leaves no third option.With their unwavering determination and 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 make constant attempts to convince the patient of the need for therapy.It requires the joint effort of all people interested in and significant to the patient (relatives, friends, spouses, employees, teachers, etc.).There is a specially developed method for encouraging an alcoholic to seek help, 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 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 measure the efforts of the actors.

Is it possible to treat a patient without his consent?

In our country, care for patients suffering from alcoholism is regulated by the law of our country “On psychiatric care of the population and the rights of citizens in its provision”.According to the law, the treatment of a patient suffering from 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 order of the court when the citizen is subjected to criminal liability.

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

What does it mean to help a patient overcome the crisis?

This assistance consists of several phases.First, the patient needs help during the “withdrawal” period.This problem is usually solved by doctors, preferably in drug treatment or in a 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 pharmacological treatment in order to stabilize his mental and physical conditions: improve mood, restore sleep, reduce the severity of the desire for alcohol (the so-called craving) and correct behavioral disorders.It is recommended that during this period the patient is isolated from his usual environment and is 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, including in a hospital setting or in a rehabilitation center.

The third phase is rehabilitation.It usually takes place on an outpatient basis.Patients continue to work on the chosen program, attending psychotherapeutic groups or self-help groups.The goal of rehabilitation is to teach a patient suffering from alcoholism to live without alcohol.

Is it possible to stop drinking at home?

It is preferable to treat the patient in the phase of alcohol withdrawal in a medical hospital under round-the-clock medical supervision. Home care only worsens the course of the disease.The disease not only becomes stronger, but serious concomitant diseases also develop.In addition, it becomes much more difficult to convince the patient to undergo full-fledged therapy.

How can you "code"?

As already noted, the power of alcohol addiction is very great.The attraction to its use often surpasses even the fear of mortal danger.Scheduling doesn't help everyone stick around for a while.It cannot be considered an independent method of treating patients with alcoholism.Rather, it gives some patients a gain of time in which they can begin to work 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 will and responsibility to abstain from alcohol and behavior in general with an artificially imposed attitude.

What are the results of treating patients suffering from alcoholism?

All over the world, the effectiveness in helping people with alcoholism is the same.Help limited only to the first phase ("abstinence from binge eating" or "coding") gives a very low result.But completing a rehabilitation program for patients increases the effectiveness of treatment by almost 10 times.

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

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 convalescing 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 craving 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 pulsed currents to certain parts of the brain.This achieves the effect of normalizing the state of the central nervous system and its regulatory effect on other systems of the body.As a result of treatment, the craving for alcohol is suppressed, irritability, anger and aggression are reduced.

"Acupuncture" One of the oldest and proven methods for 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 take a small amount of alcohol, that is, 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;the intake of food and liquids is prohibited 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 highly 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 with 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 for treating alcoholism.In 1996, in France, using a new advanced technology, the production of a drug that reacts stronger and longer to alcohol was resumed.The operation is performed in a hospital setting using asepsis and antisepsis.After anesthesia with novocaine, the drug is inserted through the skin incision and the incision is sutured.