Signs of alcohol dependence

The signs of alcohol dependence are well studied and are not a secret.

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

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

What are the signs of alcohol dependence?

1. Craving alcohol.This can manifest itself in the emergence of reasons for drinking that were not previously observed.In anticipation of 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.Life values change, moral principles are restructured.Criticism of behavior disappears.
3. Loss of control over alcohol dose.An alcoholic cannot limit his alcohol consumption;he is unable to stop at small doses.Once he starts drinking, he drinks until the last drop (or until he passes out).
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 (sensitivity) 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 gets drunk with small doses of strong drinks.
6. Drink regularly.It is believed that if a person rarely drinks, he is not an alcoholic.However, regularly drinking beer, wine, cognac or vodka, even once a week, is already worrying.If this happens more often, we can talk about alcoholism.

How to identify the signs of alcohol addiction at home?

• Try to answer a few questions honestly.
• Have you started drinking more often?Drink alone?Do you secretly drink from everyone?
• Are you excited about the next vacation or weekend 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 loss in the morning after a feast?
• Have you ever had withdrawal symptoms?
• Does the idea of having to stop drinking alcohol make you angry?
• Are you able to reduce the amount you drink?
• Have you ever had a drinking binge?
• Have you ever had problems at home or at work because of alcohol?
• Has your appearance changed recently?Do you take care of your clothes, your hairstyle, your appearance?
• Are you worried about your heart, your liver, your stomach?

Positive answers to the questions above indicate that you need to think seriously 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.”It is believed in everyday life 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 a patient with ulcermust absolutely not drink alcohol.Where is the truth?After all, small doses of alcohol actually stimulate the appetite.Or another popular belief among people: alcohol excites, invigorates, improves mood, well-being, makes the conversation more lively and interesting, which is important for a youth group.It is not for nothing that we take alcohol “against fatigue”, in case of discomfort and during 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 does not have an effect that could not be achieved by another medicine that acts more useful, safer and more reliable; there is no such painful condition in which it is necessary to prescribe alcohol for a long time."Talking about the benefits of alcohol is therefore a fairly common misconception.Let's take, for example, the obvious: the stimulation of the appetite after a glass of vodka or wine.But this is only for a short time, while the alcohol causes the “flaming 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 part of a person's natural needs, 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, on the one hand, produces this product and, on the other hand, "reproduces" the customs, forms, habits and prejudices associated with its consumption.Of course, these habits are not inherent in 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 every cell in the body.The cells of the cerebral hemispheres are mainly 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 frees a person's emotions, unjustified joy, stupid laughter and ease of judgment appear.As a result of increasing 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, he says and does things that he would never say or do if he was sober.Each new portion of alcohol more and more 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 is disrupted, for example, eye movements (objects begin to double), and an awkward, staggering gait appears.Disruption 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 part of a person's natural needs, 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 to drink alcohol?

Before the age of 11, the first acquaintance with alcohol occurs either by chance, or it is given "for appetite", "treated" with wine, or the child himself tastes alcohol out of curiosity (a motive mainly characteristic of boys).At a later age, traditional reasons become the motives for drinking alcohol for the first time: "vacation", "family celebration", "guests", etc.

From the age of 14-15, reasons such as “it was embarrassing to lag behind the guys”, “friends persuaded me”, “for company”, “for courage”, etc. were given.Boys are characterized by all of these groups of motivations when they first encounter alcohol.For girls, the second group of motivations, "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 is done with the parents' agreement, within the family circle, it remains dangerous to introduce children to wine.After all, as soon as alcohol is touched, the psychological barrier is removed and the teenager considers that he has the right to drink with friends or even alone, if the opportunity arises.It is not for nothing that they say: “rivers begin with a stream, and intoxication begins with a drink”.

Alcohol is a common topic for people who are unfamiliar with it.A company has gathered, everyone is a little constrained.They have been drinking, you see, they are already laughing, dancing, getting to know each other, having fun.Little by little, 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 increasingly spends real actions 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 alcohol period.The onset of the disease is considered the transition to systematic, daily alcohol consumption.The answers to the questions below will help you determine the degree of predisposition to alcoholism.Try to answer it honestly.

1. Have I tried repeatedly to limit my alcohol consumption?
2. Do I feel remorse because I drink?
3. Should I drink alcohol in the morning to relieve a hangover?
4. Do I have difficulty tolerating criticism from work colleagues and loved ones regarding my alcohol consumption?

If you answered yes to two or more questions, you are at risk and should take appropriate action as soon as possible.

Signs of alcohol dependence are a disease

There is a reasonable and easy question to ask when looking from the outside at someone addicted to alcohol: “If you have signs of alcohol dependence and a drinking problem, then why don't you stop drinking?Just stop, that's all. » The first obvious answer: “There is no will” is incorrect.Not only weak and strong-willed people suffer from alcoholism and cannot stop, but also those who are successful, know how to deal with problems and know how to win.The problem is not that the will is weak, but that the enemy is strong.Alcoholism is a serious chronic illness, in most cases difficult to cure.It develops on the basis of regular and prolonged consumption of alcohol and is characterized by a special pathological state of the body: an uncontrollable craving for alcohol, a change in its degree of tolerance and a deterioration of the personality.Alcoholism develops according to this pattern:

Initial phase: drunkenness with loss of memory, “eclipse”.A person constantly thinks about alcohol, it seems to him that he has not drunk enough, drinks for future consumption and develops a thirst for alcohol.However, he remains aware of his guilt and avoids talking about his desire for alcohol.

Critical phase: loss of self-control after the first sip of alcohol.The desire to find an excuse for one's drinking, resistance to all attempts to prevent one's desire to drink.A person develops arrogance and aggression.He blames others for his troubles.He starts drinking and random drinking buddies become his friends.He is forced to quit his permanent job and loses interest in anything that has nothing to do with alcohol.

Chronic phase: daily hangover, personality disintegration, 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 of excessive alcohol consumption is delirium tremens.Delirium tremens is the most common alcoholic psychosis.This usually happens in a hungover state, when the drunkard develops inexplicable fear, insomnia, trembling hands, nightmares (chases, attacks, etc.), auditory and visual deception in the form of noises, bells and movements of shadows.The symptoms of delirium tremens are particularly pronounced at night.The patient begins to experience vivid and frightening experiences.Concerning the Drunkard, for example, it seems that there is a plot against him.Seeing no way out of this situation, he could 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 drink, most will say it's not regular.However, even after drinking alcohol once, people have a restless night, and in the morning they get up broken, with a swollen face and aching head.The working day, as a rule, turns out to be wasted, and if a person's work is associated with machines, for example, a machine tool or a car, consider that on this day he is at a sharply 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 slips away.So, even after irregular and accidental consumption of alcohol, serious problems arise in the body, indicating serious intoxication.If alcohol consumption becomes systematic, a person drinks at any opportunity, looking for any reason to get drunk, we are already talking about domestic drunkenness.For a drunkard, the meaning of the festive event does not matter;he doesn't care whether others approve of his behavior.At this stage of alcohol initiation, 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 loved ones 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 becomes less important.Thus, the difference between occasional drinking and drunkenness lies not only in the quantity drunk at one time, but also in the psychological attitude of the drinker.In the first case, a person celebrates a solemn or important event, and in the second, he drinks only to get drunk.If you prevent a person from drinking in time, it 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 your life, the body remains “ready” to take over the whole picture from the first intake of alcohol into the body.Signs of alcohol dependence reappear quickly, even if this happens several years or even decades after stopping alcohol consumption.

Can alcoholism be cured?

Yes and no.No, to the extent that it will never be possible to resume “cultural consumption”.The brain's metabolic processes are disrupted and the normal reaction to alcohol will never be restored.Any alcohol consumption inevitably leads to a breakdown, immediately or some time later.If metabolic disorders occur, consider that your barrel or vat is drunk.Even many years of abstinence do not allow you to count on the fact that “the body has been purified” 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 what the illness 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 speak of absolute sobriety.To drink or not to drink: alcoholism leaves no third option.With their own 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 constantly try to convince the patient of the need for treatment.It requires the combined efforts of all people interested and significant to the patient (parents, friends, spouses, employees, teachers, etc.).There is a specially developed method of encouraging an alcoholic to seek help, called “intervention”.Each of the participants in the intervention (parents, spouse, child, boss) tries to help the patient become aware of the presence of a problem by pointing out the changes in him and the changes in his 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 their consent?

In our country, assistance to alcoholic patients 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, drug addiction or alcoholism is carried out on the basis of his voluntary consent.Treatment without the patient's consent is only carried out by court decision when the citizen's criminal liability is engaged.

As mentioned earlier, alcoholism is a disease and, like any disease, it requires extensive and long-term treatment.Calling dubious "specialists" who treat alcoholism "by photography", "without the patient's knowledge", on the one hand, is a waste of time, and on the other hand, it instills in the patient the belief in the incurability of this disease.

What does it mean to help a patient overcome?

Such assistance includes several stages.First, the patient needs help during the “abstinence” period.This problem is usually solved by doctors, preferably in a drug treatment center 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 consists of continuing the patient's drug treatment in order to stabilize their mental and physical state: improve their mood, restore sleep, reduce the intensity of the desire for alcohol (called cravings) and correct behavioral problems.It is recommended that during this period the patient be isolated from their usual environment and be in a hospital environment.

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

The third stage is rehabilitation.It generally takes place on an outpatient basis.Patients continue to work on the chosen program, participating in psychotherapeutic groups or self-help groups.The goal of rehabilitation is to teach an alcoholic patient to live without alcohol.

Is it possible to stop drinking at home?

It is better to treat the patient at the stage of alcohol withdrawal in a medical hospital under round-the-clock medical supervision. Home care only aggravates the course of the disease.Not only does the disease worsen, serious concomitant diseases also develop.In addition, it becomes much more difficult to convince the patient to undergo full-fledged therapy.

How to “encode”?

As we have already noted, the power of alcohol addiction is very great.The attraction for its use often even exceeds the fear of mortal danger.Coding doesn't help everyone stick around for a while.It cannot be considered as an independent method of treating alcoholic patients.On the contrary, it gives some patients a saving 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 significant negative side - it is the replacement of one's own will and responsibility to abstain from alcohol and one's behavior in general with an artificially imposed attitude.

What are the results of treatment for alcoholic patients?

All over the world, the effectiveness of helping people with alcoholics is the same.Help limited to only the first step (“withdrawal from excessive alcohol consumption” or “coding”) gives a very weak result.But carrying out a rehabilitation program for patients increases the effectiveness of care by almost 10 times.

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

Experts dealing with the problem of alcoholism agree that the psychological and social recovery process lasts approximately 5 years.It is very important that in the future the recovering person does not stop in their 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 into the patient's tissues.The method does not have a negative effect on the body, but only reduces the need for alcohol, but when interacting with alcohol, it forms a powerful toxin (poison) that can cause serious health problems and even death.

“Neurophysical blockade” is a treatment method that uses weak pulsed currents to certain parts of the brain.This allows you to achieve 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 removed, irritability, anger and aggression are reduced.

"Acupuncture" One of the oldest and 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 dependence.After intravenous administration of the drug, to check its effectiveness, it is suggested to take 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 give the patient confidence in the high effectiveness and reliability of the anti-alcohol medication.Coding is performed only in an intensive care or intensive care unit;the consumption of food and liquids is prohibited 3 hours before the procedure.

Intramuscular administration of a long-acting anti-alcohol medication that suppresses alcohol cravings.In addition, the drug is also a very effective therapeutic agent (increases human immunity, improves liver and brain function).In 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 duration determined by the patient himself.

Drug implantation is a reliable and decades-proven method of treating alcoholism.In 1996, production of a drug that reacted stronger and longer to alcohol was resumed in France thanks to advanced new technology.The operation is carried out in a hospital environment according to asepsis and antisepsis.After novocaine anesthesia, the drug is inserted through the skin incision and the incision is sutured.