Chronic alcoholism - signs and stages, clinical picture, treatment and consequences. Alcoholism in the chronic stage

Many people indulge in a little drink on holidays or weekends to relax. If this does not become a habit, then there is no reason to worry. But if a person drinks alcohol several times a week, or even more often, and does so in unlimited quantities, then this is chronic alcoholism. As a rule, the person himself does not see the problem, so family and friends should pay attention to the alarming symptoms. There is treatment, but it will require a lot of effort.

What is this?

Chronic alcoholism is a condition of a person characterized by frequent consumption of alcohol in uncontrolled quantities. This is equivalent to an illness, and a serious and dangerous one at that. If chronic alcoholism is not treated at this stage, it will develop into severe physical and mental dependence.

This disease mainly occurs in men, although it is not uncommon in women. As soon as the first signs are noticed, measures must be taken immediately. It’s good if the person himself is committed to recovery. But it may also happen that he begins to deny the presence of the disease. Then his loved ones will need to do everything to ensure that he sees a doctor. Otherwise, the consequences will be terrible, and even possible.

Alcohol addiction is one of the most powerful. And it can appear even in a person who grew up in a non-drinking family and, in principle, has never been inclined to drink alcohol before. The disease occurs mainly during difficult life period. For example, it can be triggered by divorce, death of a loved one, job loss and other negative events. Wanting to experience relief, a person begins to drink, and each time the amount of alcohol becomes greater.

It is especially difficult for people who are easily persuaded and those who do not know how to confront life’s problems to stop.

If a person has a weak psyche and changeable mood, then there is a higher probability that he will be overcome by chronic alcoholism. This can be prevented if you take care of your head in a timely manner. But sometimes it is too late, and serious treatment is required.

If intoxicating drinks are consumed regularly, the body is poisoned and drug intoxication occurs. This causes a violation structural elements brain tissues, and they are responsible for the formation of sensations and affects. Alcohol addiction then develops, and cells begin to react differently to alcohol.

How is it developing?

We can say for sure that chronic alcoholism does not appear instantly. A person who drinks once will not immediately become an alcoholic. Moreover, even if he drinks a couple of times a week for several months, this also does not mean that he is addicted. However, such behavior is a cause for concern. After all, it is important to stop in time, and not everyone succeeds. Sometimes people don’t even notice when they step over the line between the desire to drink for a holiday and addiction to alcohol.

It is believed that chronic alcoholism develops in men over a period of 6-15 years. For women, the period is shorter - 4-5 years. During this time, addiction is formed. And the further it goes, the stronger it becomes. Note that genetic predisposition shortens the period by up to a year, so children of drinking parents are at risk, and they need to be especially careful with this bad habit.

Before considering the signs of the disease, you need to understand the degrees:

• At the first stage, the patient has only an uncontrollable craving for alcohol. He feels the need to use.
• At the second stage, a hangover syndrome is noted. He says that the disease has fully formed, and a pathology of functioning has occurred internal organs.
• At the third stage, resistance to alcohol decreases. The person loses balance and is in a drunken state. If you don’t let him near the bottle, then depression, panic, and hysteria begin. The person can no longer resist and does not stop drinking. It doesn’t even matter to him whether the drink is of high quality or the cheapest.

Naturally, you need to start fighting by noticing the signs of chronic alcoholism in the first stage. The sooner measures are taken, the higher the chance of a favorable outcome.

Main symptoms

It is not always easy to distinguish temporary cravings for alcohol from addiction. Sometimes it may seem that a person just drinks occasionally, when in fact he is already in the first stage of the disease. Relatives and people around you should be especially careful.

After all, the alcohol addict himself, as a rule, does not see the problem until it is too late.

But the disease is serious and leads to irrevocable consequences.

Chronic alcoholism symptoms:

• The person is regularly intoxicated. He goes on a drinking binge for several weeks or months. He takes strong drinks almost every day and cannot refuse them. Constantly looking for reasons to drink, but may no longer need them.
• Job nervous system broken. An alcoholic loses his sense of reality. He feels like he's in a dream. Unreasonable aggression and anger are possible, they are directed at oneself and at others. In some cases, hallucinations are observed: visual and auditory. There is tremors in the limbs, sleep is disturbed, and nightmares are tormented.
• Problems with the gastrointestinal tract appear or worsen. Gastritis, ulcers, cancer, cirrhosis may form. Possible involuntary urination.

Chronic alcoholism, the signs of which are listed, is not yet a death sentence. Therefore, if you notice the above symptoms, you should not give up. There is still a chance to return to normal life if you start treatment in a timely manner.

How to fight?

Treatment of chronic alcoholism will be possible only if loved ones and the person himself really want it.

Without enough desire to achieve desired result It won’t work, since the fight against craving for alcohol is really difficult and lengthy. The methods that will be used depend on the stage of the disease. Now let’s figure out what to do and how you can help an alcoholic.

If the addiction is in the first degree, then in this case the person needs to be taken out of the binge. It is imperative to cleanse the body with the help of medications or folk remedies. Next, you will need to make an appointment with a psychotherapist who deals with this issue. An experienced specialist will be able to find the reason why the bad habit arose, and then help eliminate it.

Of course, not everything is so simple, and you will need to adhere to certain measures. Moreover, they are applied regardless of the stage. The only question is how quickly you can achieve results. But we can say for sure that if an alcoholic is sufficiently motivated and ready to fight, then everything will work out for him.

What measures are being taken:

• Drug treatment. They prescribe IVs, injections and special tablets that will help cleanse the body and restore the functioning of internal organs. Antidepressants may also be prescribed if there are problems with the nervous system.
• Visiting a psychotherapist. It is imperative that a person realizes that there is a problem, then understands the cause and accepts it. This is an important step towards recovery. And it’s very difficult to understand yourself on your own, so you need the help of a specialist.
• Food diet. Considering the state of the body and the organs themselves gastrointestinal tract, you need to start eating right. You will have to exclude fatty, fried and spicy foods from your daily diet. It is allowed to eat vegetables, fish and meat, but everything must be steamed or baked without oil. You should add more fresh fruits and vitamins.

It is advisable that a doctor monitor changes in the patient's condition. And close people should make sure that the alcoholic does not break down and return to bad habit. Unfortunately, you can get used to alcoholic drinks very quickly, but giving them up can be extremely difficult. But those who want to return to normal life and restore their health should start fighting addiction and not give up. After all, treatment for chronic alcoholism is indeed possible, the main thing is to truly want to get better.

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Alcoholism is a dangerous disease that develops as a result of alcohol abuse and is progressive in nature. People who suffer from it change a lot. Due to drunkenness, they begin to lead an antisocial lifestyle, lose their jobs, often quarrel with relatives and have many health problems. It is noteworthy that alcoholism is one of the most common causes of death. WHO staff have found that more often than from alcohol abuse, people die only from diseases of cardio-vascular system and cancer.

Why is alcoholism dangerous?

Let's start with the fact that the inability to control the craving for alcohol often becomes the cause of severe intoxication. The body is subjected to severe intoxication, which can lead to death.

Alcohol significantly worsens heart function, for example, leading to the development atrial fibrillation. As a result, alcoholics often die from heart attacks.

You should also be aware that people who abuse alcohol are more likely to various types injuries. This is dangerous not only for them, but also for those around them. For example, a drunk driver may get into an accident in which not only he, but also other road users will suffer.

Addiction to alcohol changes people's thinking and their attitude towards life. Many drunkards commit suicide while intoxicated. In addition, aggression increases as a result of drinking alcohol. This is dangerous, because any verbal altercation between alcoholics can end in a bloody fight or even murder.

We should not forget that alcoholism literally undermines overall health. People addicted to alcohol suffer from peptic ulcers, heart and vascular diseases, polyneuritis, and cirrhosis of the liver. Any of these ailments can lead to death. According to statistics, 60-70% of men with chronic alcoholism do not live to see 50 years of age.

Causes of alcohol addiction

People start drinking alcohol various reasons. Some people drink to lift their spirits, others consider alcohol to be an excellent way to relieve accumulated stress, while others like alcohol for its sedative (calming) effect. Conventionally, all alcoholics can be divided into several categories. The first of them includes people with a pathological character, the second - neurotics, the third - people experiencing problems with social adaptation, the last - men and women subject to increased emotional and physical stress.

The rate of development of alcoholism directly depends on the following factors:

• Social environment;
• Relationships with friends and relatives;
• Heredity;
• Education;
• Level of stress resistance.

The risk group includes persons with genetic predisposition to alcoholism. In most cases, it is heredity that becomes the main cause of the development of the described disease.

Degrees of alcohol intoxication

There are 3 degrees of intoxication: mild, moderate, severe. What it will be like directly depends on the volume of drink, the body’s sensitivity to ethyl alcohol and the health status of the alcoholic.

WITH mild degree Anyone who has drunk alcohol at least once is familiar with intoxication. Having drunk just a little, a person becomes more cheerful, sociable and self-confident. He easily makes new acquaintances and has an incredible desire to talk. A mild degree of intoxication is accompanied by muscle relaxation, so a slightly tipsy person physically feels great, but despite this, it is more difficult for him to move and control his facial expressions.

The transition to a moderate degree of intoxication is difficult to miss. If earlier the alcoholic was cheerful and good-natured, now he is angry and irritable, easily offended and can behave aggressively. He takes any criticism with hostility. The gait becomes uneven, movements become unclear, speech becomes barely intelligible. A person experiencing a moderate degree of intoxication is prone to committing impulsive acts. This is not surprising, because his sensitivity to pain decreases. As for sobering up, it is accompanied by general weakness, severe migraine, thirst, and moral discomfort expressed in the form of apathy. Memory problems are rare. As a rule, a person experiencing a hangover clearly remembers how he behaved yesterday.

Severe intoxication is the most dangerous. It can lead to a change in consciousness, to whom, epileptic seizure. People who have obviously had too much alcohol behave inappropriately, for example, defecate on themselves. However, the next morning they don’t remember anything.

To everything written above, you should add information about the existence atypical forms intoxication. For example, people with hypersensitivity to alcohol, being at a mild stage, behave as if they were experiencing a medium one: they become embittered, easily irritated, and prone to aggression. In some cases, drinking alcohol can lead to increased motor activity and goofy behavior. As a rule, this happens to psychopaths, mental retardation, and people who have previously received a TBI.

The simplest way to determine the stage of alcohol intoxication is diagnostics. During this procedure, clinical data is studied, and urine and blood samples are taken. Narcologists take into account the general condition of a drunk person: his behavior, speech, and bad breath. Blood and urine tests can determine the level of alcohol in the body. In addition, express methods for determining the degree of intoxication are known. One of them requires the use of a Mokhov-Shinkarenko indicator tube. With its help, alcohol vapors can be detected in the air exhaled by a person undergoing the test.

Treatment of degrees of intoxication

The most common method of treating moderate intoxication is gastric lavage. The patient must drink 1.5-2 liters of potassium permanganate solution, which will subsequently provoke an attack of vomiting.

You should not drink a solution of potassium permanganate while experiencing severe intoxication. This is dangerous, because vomit can enter the respiratory tract and lungs. It is better to contact a drug treatment center for qualified medical help.

What is pathological intoxication and how to treat it?

Pathological intoxication is an acute mental disorder caused by excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. It develops in people with diseases of the central nervous system, for example, epileptics and psychopaths. In addition, people who previously tolerated alcohol normally are sometimes exposed to the described form of intoxication. This happens for a number of reasons, among which it is necessary to highlight insomnia, accumulated stress, and poor nutrition.

To cause pathological intoxication, you do not need to drink a lot. 100 grams of vodka will be enough for serious changes to occur in consciousness. A man who finds himself in similar situation, as if transported to another reality and begins to rave. He may be subject to sudden attacks of fear or rage. Being excited, the alcoholic will try to do everything possible to protect himself from a non-existent threat. For example, he may start a fight, try to run away, or commit suicide.

The duration of pathological intoxication varies. Sometimes it is only a couple of minutes, and sometimes it lasts for several hours. When this time ends, the person experiences physical weakness and is prone to drowsiness. After sleep, memories of everything that happened are erased.

Pathological intoxication is a form of psychosis. If, being exposed to it, a citizen commits an offense, then a forensic psychiatric examination is mandatory. Based on its results, the perpetrator may be declared insane.

How does chronic alcoholism develop?

Regular consumption of alcoholic beverages contributes to the development of alcoholism. This disease characterized by both mental and somatic manifestations.

A person who is in the first stage of developing alcoholism experiences an uncontrollable craving for alcohol. When he starts drinking, he loses his sense of proportion. At the same time, many processes occur in the drunkard’s body, some of which make him more tolerant to ethyl alcohol. As a result, in order to get drunk, an alcoholic has to drink more and more often. Simply put, drunkenness becomes systematic. This negatively affects the memory of an alcoholic, who is often unable to remember where, when and with whom he drank.

The main distinguishing feature of the second stage of alcoholism is that the body reaches its maximum tolerance to alcohol, which can be equal to 2 liters of vodka daily. By this point, the drunkard is already getting used to living with constant withdrawal symptoms. To relieve a hangover, he touches the bottle again and again, hoping that he will drink a little and feel better. If an absolutely healthy person drank a liter of vodka, then the next day he would suffer from severe intoxication and would feel a slight feeling of nausea at the mere thought of alcohol.

In people experiencing a hangover, facial hyperemia occurs and changes heartbeat, rises arterial pressure, pain appears in the heart, limbs tremble, sweating becomes more severe. In addition, withdrawal syndrome is accompanied by abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, and diarrhea.

Some alcoholics, due to circumstances, put off their hangover until later. They believe that it is better to drink in the afternoon or evening, rather than in the morning. The waiting time is painful for them, because all their thoughts revolve exclusively around alcohol. This leads to the development of mental manifestations of a hangover. People suffering from it are in bad mood, feel anxious and are subject to internal fears. Some realize their own worthlessness, consider themselves weak and weak-willed. It would seem that sleep would help improve the condition, but this is not so. You won't be able to sleep properly, because nightmares will cause frequent awakenings.

If mental manifestations hangovers are more pronounced in comparison with somatic ones, this indicates that the alcoholic is predisposed to the development of psychosis. Some conclusions on this matter can be drawn only on the third day of quitting drinking alcohol. If the patient is at the second stage of the development of alcoholism, then achieving the goal is very difficult, because such drunkards drink bottles every day. They are ready to do anything to drink. Abstinence from alcohol in such cases is forced, for example, a person may not have money for booze.

The transition to the third stage of alcoholism is accompanied by a decrease in the body's tolerance to alcohol. Nowadays, you don't have to drink that much to get drunk. Drunkards know this, so in order to save money they switch from vodka to cheap wines. The quality of alcohol ceases to play an important role for them. At the same time, alcoholics lose situational control. They are ready to do whatever it takes to get booze; generally accepted norms of behavior in society no longer concern them.

Among the symptoms of the third stage of alcoholism, it is necessary to highlight systematic binge drinking. As a rule, during the first two days a person drinks himself into unconsciousness. Later due to violation metabolic processes in the body he begins to drink less, but this is enough to become intoxicated. Not a single binge is complete without a deterioration in the physical and mental condition of the alcoholic. The drunkard loses weight, loses appetite, suffers from shortness of breath, experiences frequent convulsions and cannot even speak normally. Sometimes the reason for the end of a binge is the inability to continue it due to poor health. Alcoholics with serious health problems drink for 2-3 days, and then abstain from drinking alcohol for some time.

Chronic alcoholism causes personality changes. Its signs can be noticed already at the second stage of the development of the disease. The main one is the acquisition of alcoholic character. The person becomes more emotional. He easily expresses his joy, admires certain things, and empathizes with other people. The only problem is that such behavior is a consequence increased excitability. As soon as the patient drinks even a little, he immediately becomes weak-hearted and sentimental. As you can see, the emotional background of a drunkard is unstable.

Alcoholism entails the development of selfishness and indifference to others. A person becomes irresponsible and does not value what was previously dear to him. The meaning of his life is alcohol, so every drunkard thinks only about how to get it. The patient closes his eyes to the problems he has. He does not consider alcoholism a disease. For him, drinking is a way to feel better. When an alcoholic is asked a question about him bad habit, he just shrugs it off and says that all people drink.

At first, a person who cannot control his craving for alcohol behaves more or less delicately with loved ones. He tries to justify his own behavior. Over time, the problem with alcohol becomes obvious. For example, a drunkard stops paying attention to his appearance and may go out with friends in home clothes. At the same time, financial difficulties begin. Lack of money to buy alcohol causes theft and begging. If there is not enough money to purchase wine or vodka, then the drunkard will be happy with any alcohol-containing liquid: cologne, denatured alcohol, medicinal tincture. An alcoholic becomes unpleasant in communication. He jokes primitively, can behave aggressively, and is prone to cynicism. Personality degradation leads to frequent family scandals and fights. People over the age of 40 who have been drinking for at least 20 years are susceptible to similar personality changes.

Most often, the described disease develops in adolescent children raised in families with weakened parental control and families of alcoholics. Teenagers need finances to buy alcohol, so those who consistently receive pocket money or earn extra money are at risk. The age of young alcoholics is 13-15 years.

Teenagers prefer to drink alcohol in the company of peers, for example, school friends. They rarely drink with adults. Teenagers, even knowing about the dangers of alcohol, still try to drink as much as possible. They don't control themselves. This is dangerous because... entails the rapid development of the body's tolerance to ethyl alcohol.

A hangover in teenagers can be so severe that it can cause mental problems. As a rule, young alcoholics become either easily excitable and overly aggressive, or emotionally inhibited and apathetic.

Teenage alcoholism is more dangerous than it seems. Children lack life experience, they are interested in everything, so they easily go into desperate experiments. Teenagers often mix alcoholic drinks with various medications. In addition, drinking alcohol can lead to drug use.

Female alcoholism

Women suffer from alcoholism less often (compared to men). Representatives of the fair half of humanity, who have an uncontrollable craving for alcohol, try to hide this problem to the last. They drink alone or with close friends.

The age of most alcoholics is 35-50 years. Ladies prefer to drink alcohol either occasionally, depending on the circumstances, or cyclically, i.e. considering vodka, wine or cognac as a means that can solve a certain problem: lift your spirits, calm you down, reduce internal anxiety, relieve insomnia. Over time, alcohol becomes an integral part of a woman’s life, and its use becomes systematic. Some representatives of the weaker half of humanity fall into multi-day binges. They lose control over themselves and their actions. Often alcoholics go to work while drunk, and those who are unemployed do not hesitate to beg under shops.

Chronic alcoholism leads to complete personality degradation. A female creature who drinks constantly is sometimes difficult to even call a woman. This is a morally degraded person who has a genuine interest exclusively in alcohol. There can be no talk of any love for children, a strong family and marital fidelity in this case. In addition, we should not forget that the habit of drinking significantly worsens health. Many alcoholics suffer from gastrointestinal diseases: pancreatitis, gastritis, cholecystitis, etc.

General information about alcoholism treatment

The disease described can be cured, but this is only possible when the patient himself wants it. Since the overwhelming majority of drunkards are convinced that they do not have problems with alcohol, before going to a drug treatment center it is impossible to do without an explanatory conversation. If one of your loved ones drinks, have a heart-to-heart talk with him and convince him of the need to undergo treatment. If your attempts are unsuccessful, then go to a psychotherapist together with the alcoholic.

Alcohol addiction treatment is carried out in inpatient and outpatient settings. Its course is determined by the doctor, who primarily takes into account the general health of the patient. If the patient experiences a severe hangover or has pronounced mental and somatic disorders, then he is prescribed treatment in a hospital setting.

All about methods of treating chronic alcoholism

The first stage of treatment includes detoxification therapy. Within its framework, the patient gets rid of withdrawal symptoms or is urgently removed from binge drinking. A hangover is relieved by intravenous or intramuscular injection vitamin complexes and medicines: unithiol, piracetam, magnesium sulfate, nootropil, pyroxan. If an alcoholic is susceptible to mental disorders, he is prescribed tranquilizers, for example, phenazepam or seduxen. Taking radedorm helps normalize sleep, and using barbiturates, for example, luminal, barbamyl, can help overcome insomnia and internal fears.

The patient should drink more water and juices to improve kidney function. If somatic disorders are severe, then you cannot do without additional treatment prescribed by the therapist. The patient’s diet also plays an important role, which should be high in calories and rich in vitamins. If an alcoholic has no appetite, insulin injections can be given to increase it.

When the patient's general condition improves, he will undergo anti-alcohol treatment. When choosing a course, the doctor suggests various techniques. As a rule, treatment of alcohol addiction is rarely possible without psychotherapy. Her sessions help convince the patient of the need to undergo a course of treatment and radically change their lifestyle. Important role At the same time, the relationship between the doctor and the patient plays a role, because the effectiveness of treatment depends on them.

A well-known method of combating alcoholism is conditioned reflex therapy. Its essence is that a former alcoholic, smelling alcohol, begins to experience a sharp attack of nausea. To achieve a similar effect, you need to undergo a course of treatment consisting of 20-25 sessions and take emetics in combination with a small amount of alcohol. The presented procedure allows you to overcome the first stage of the disease, as well as female alcoholism. The best results are achieved by those patients who do not tolerate vomiting well.

You can get rid of alcohol addiction by undergoing sensitization therapy. This method The treatment is based on the fact that the patient is transferred to conditions that kill the craving for alcohol. As a rule, the patient is within the walls of a medical institution and takes medications. Narcologists often prescribe Antabuse. This drug by itself cannot cause harm to health, but if you mix it with alcohol, your health will deteriorate sharply. Also, as part of sensitizing therapy, subcutaneous or intramuscular implantation of Esperal can be performed. The latter is a bottle of tablets that begin to act only if the patient drinks alcohol. If the patient breaks down and goes on a drinking binge, he risks dying. It is for this reason that before implantation of Esperal, the patient signs documents justifying the actions of the doctors.

All types of alcoholism treatment include psychotherapy sessions. By visiting them, the alcoholic begins to realize that he is really sick and needs help. medical care. In addition, psychotherapy is the key to understanding that maintaining a sober lifestyle is the only way feel like a normal person again.

Explanatory psychotherapy has shown high efficiency in the treatment of alcohol addiction, but despite this, narcologists also resort to other methods. One of them is hypnotherapy. Its essence is that the patient is immersed in hypnosis and convinced of the need to stop drinking.

One of the most known methods Coding is considered the fight against alcoholism. This word refers to many techniques. Some of them are copyrighted and therefore used only by their creators.

Among the ways to get rid of alcohol addiction, group rational psychotherapy should be highlighted. This treatment method has its own specifics. In particular, groups of patients are formed that include alcoholics who have the same psychological and social problems. By becoming one team, they feel a commonality of interests, and therefore support each other. This leads to the fact that during the treatment process, patients adequately assess their situation and acquire psychological attitudes that in the future will help them return to a sober lifestyle.

What do you need to know about periods of remission and relapse?

When the course of treatment in a hospital comes to an end, the former alcoholic will be discharged and subsequently adapted to society. A person must get used to the fact that there is no longer a place for alcohol in his life. Relationships with relatives and friends play an important role. It is highly advisable to avoid meeting with former drinking buddies, and also to receive moral support from relatives. If family members convince a person who has undergone treatment for alcohol addiction that he is doing everything right, this will guarantee him a long-term and high-quality remission.

Overcoming the craving for alcoholic beverages is not easy. It persists for a long time. Conscious abstinence from drinking alcohol causes signs of a hangover to appear. A person experiencing pseudo-withdrawal syndrome becomes very nervous and can easily “break down” and start a scandal. The main thing in such a situation is to find the strength not to drink. You can contact a narcologist to prescribe a preventive course of treatment. In addition, there are other ways to solve the problem. Firstly, eating helps overcome pseudo-withdrawal syndrome. It is desirable that the food be tasty and satisfying. Secondly, you can take 1-2 tablets of sonapax, seduxen, phenazepam or another sedative. Just remember that all these medications are psychotropic. They must be prescribed by a doctor.

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There is probably no need to say that alcohol in large doses is a deadly poison. This poison extends its tentacles even to unborn generations, and is the cause of many troubles on a national scale.

It is known that daily consumption of a glass of good dry wine can prevent coronary heart disease and sudden coronary death. It's right. But there are other facts:

• more than 70% of murders, robbery, robberies and rapes are committed while drunk, and more than 50% of thefts.

It is not difficult to see that people intoxicated with alcohol are more attracted to violence - after all, theft must be considered in cold blood.

• According to 2016 data, in our country the annual consumption of ethanol was 18 liters per capita, including the elderly and infants.

Naturally, there are regions in Russia in which there is almost no alcohol consumption, for example, in Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia. And, conversely, in Chukotka, Kamchatka, Far East Chronic alcoholism has long assumed the character of a national disaster.

This is a colossal figure: two boxes of vodka per year for each person. As a result, a third of the Russian population (more precisely, 30%) are habitual drunkards, and every 10th resident suffers from chronic alcoholism. And two boxes last him not a year, but a month. What kind of disease is this? And is alcoholism just promiscuity?

Chronic alcoholism - what is it?

With its characteristic pedantry, the WHO (World Health Organization) defines chronic alcoholism as a complex disorder characterized by the following main features:

• Forced consumption of alcoholic beverages;
• Mental and physical dependence on ethanol;
• Increased tolerance to alcohol and its disposal;
• The onset of discomfort and physical disorders with a sudden interruption in the supply of ethanol (hangover).

Let's try to understand these provisions: after all, the mysteries begin from the very beginning: everyone knows that no one forces an alcoholic to drink. He does not experience terrible pain, which can only be relieved by alcohol. Therefore, coercion is internal character? What contributes to the development of chronic alcoholism and strengthens the “friendship” with the bottle?

Factors contributing to the development of chronic alcoholism

It is known that practically no drinking people much less than those who allow themselves to drink on holidays. But not everyone becomes an alcoholic. Those who “fall” into this hole may have the following prerequisites:

• physiological

For example, in people who drink, ethanol utilization improves depending on the length of consumption. And those people whose bodies comfortably eliminate alcohol can allow themselves to “relax” longer and more often, and without any special consequences;

• heredity

Everyone knows that “children of drunkards” are at risk, but even in this case, the chance that a child of chronic alcoholics will follow in “their footsteps” is 25%. This is a lot, but you don’t need to blame everything on it;

• psychological reasons

Recent studies have confirmed that 35% of alcoholics have various disorders personality, character, accentuation, and even are mentally ill. However, there are no symptoms that would indicate the existence of a special, “alcoholic type” of personality. This can happen to anyone.

What stages does a person go through on the way to becoming acquainted with ethanol? How is addiction formed, and is it possible to somehow distinguish between certain stages? Yes, you can.

Signs and stages of chronic alcoholism

Almost all psychiatrists and narcologists distinguish three stages of chronic alcoholism according to characteristic features. At first, a person must simply get used to alcohol, then he falls into alcohol slavery, and then the disintegration of personality begins.

Let us briefly consider the periods of this “glorious path”.

Habituation and change in reactivity

Sheer joy and relief from fleeting encounters with alcohol. He becomes universal remedy, which solves problems, the dose gradually increases. Alcohol tolerance improves, the liver “deploys reserves.” At this stage, occasional use becomes regular.

For now, you can simply convince a person not to drink, for example, by isolating him from “friends” and provoking drinking. There are practically no health problems yet. But a person is already starting to think about alcohol, which becomes both a “reward” and “relaxation.”

On holidays he drinks to excess, sometimes getting drunk to the point of unconsciousness. Vigilant wives keep an eye on such husbands at parties and holidays, so main goal and the point is to find a reason to “get away for 5 minutes.” The ultimate dream is to drink 0.5 vodka somewhere in the toilet during these 5 minutes, thinking gratefully about the friend who called his wife and “excused” him from the company.

• Since the tolerance for alcohol is 4-5 times higher than the norm, he returns to the table more or less normal, quietly getting drunk by the end of the party, carefully taking a heavy bite.

At this stage, a feeling of guilt still persists and the person tries in every possible way to hide his condition and avoid any talk about the problem. But already at this stage at home you cannot store cognacs and good alcohol, since it will be drunk in a few days.

The sober state becomes a source of dissatisfaction, you want to “emerge” from it, there are too many problems in it. There is an increase in mood when there is a close occasion to drink.

There is no physical dependence yet. Disappears vomiting reflex, a mild hangover syndrome can be tolerated without a hangover, with signs of asthenovegetative symptoms.

Formed dependence

At this stage, the person can also stop and reverse their behavior completely. He has not yet lost his family or his job. But his behavior is typical:

• The ability to tolerate more alcohol than others;
• Begins to get hungover in the morning;
• Memory fails, minor gaps appear;
• A person begins to drink secretly, hide alcohol at work and at home;
• Gradually loses the concept that he drinks and believes that he is “like everyone else”;
• They are diligently looking for a reason to “roll up”. In the first stage, the reason is welcomed, but not invented;
• Short (2-3 days) binges appear, which often end with a hangover at work on Monday morning; for this, a small flask of cognac is usually bought.

In parallel with this, family and financial problems arise, anxiety and insomnia increase. A person feels comfortable only with drinking friends, who are always “very sincere” and can give you a hangover in the morning. There is also a reverent attitude towards friends who “feel poorly” in the morning. Their hangover causes almost physical pleasure within oneself, and then joining.

Vodka and cognac must be drunk to the bottom. Stopping drinking with friends and going home without finishing the vodka seems stupid. When drinking alone, it’s exactly the same - it’s impossible to go to bed while there’s vodka left. It’s better to pour it out, obeying a moment of enlightenment, so as not to tempt yourself.

Progression leads to the fact that a person is “groomed.” He becomes unnecessary, unpunctual, sloppy. Drunken brawls at work, absenteeism and job loss occur. A person’s psyche changes: a flat, “alcoholic” humor appears. Contemplation brings unbearable torment drinking company when you can't join. All interest is concentrated around alcohol. Hobbies are forgotten, only those that can be combined with drinking remain (sports matches).

At this stage, drunkenness causes injuries, or crimes. Relationships in the family completely deteriorate, money disappears. After the first sip of vodka, a person loses control.

An open, conflicting justification is sought for drunkenness: the wife is a fool, the co-workers are idiots. There is an overestimation of one's role, alcoholic pomposity and arrogance appear. At this phase, random drinking buddies appear, drinking in the yard on a bench, falling asleep at transport stops. The entire entrance knows that on Monday morning a “local hero” will walk through the floors to borrow money.

• This stage of daily drinking can last 15-20 years. If previously alcohol caused a sedative, and often a calming effect, now it only activates and provokes aggression.

Outwardly, an alcoholic may do everything correctly, but after sobering up, he completely forgets the end of the binge, memory lapses turn into complete amnesia. If you abruptly interrupt a binge, withdrawal symptoms occur, which will be discussed below.

On the part of the individual, there is a loss of creative potential, psychopathization occurs, and intelligence is weakened. Elements of delusion appear, for example, jealousy. At first, delirium occurs in a state of intoxication, but then it can become permanent, which is extremely dangerous not only for the alcoholic’s loved ones, but also for himself.

Decreased Tolerance Stage

After many years (or even dozens) that occur as described above, the drunkard “produces” all the reserve capacity of ADH, or alcohol dehydrogenase. As a result, the nature of intoxication and dose changes.

• “Inserts” from small doses, and sometimes from “beer”. At first, a person is surprised and happy, because before “you needed a bubble before coming,” but now everything is much cheaper;
• Signs of chronic alcoholic hepatitis, progressive cirrhosis and chronic liver failure appear;
• Against this background, personality degradation occurs, and the desire for alcohol forces one to take any measures (drinking things on drink, stealing from neighbors);
• Social adaptation is disrupted. A person is kicked out after a week or two of unskilled work, since everything happens “before the first advance payment”;
• Alcoholic psychosis occurs, delirium appears, delirium tremens“squirrel”, which will be discussed in a separate article.

The person has already completely degraded both externally and internally. A passion appears to drink any liquids: polish, cologne, technical alcohol.

Criticism is reduced or absent. Constant stories begin about their importance, with special emphasis on the countless number of women conquered in a short time.

Binges that last for many days end in complete exhaustion, while small but regular doses that are taken for many days with almost mathematically precise regularity lead to a deep degree of intoxication. At the same time, alcohol can no longer activate the drunkard; he falls asleep after a glass.

During the continuation of the binge in the third degree of alcoholism, the drunkard’s place of life becomes a dirty bed, into which he lies down after “popping” vodka.

It is the decrease in tolerance, lack of control and uncontrollable craving for any alcohol-containing liquids that leads to a fatal overdose of alcohol, even if it is not a surrogate that is drunk, but a high-quality product (which is excluded at this stage, since all the booze is bought by knocking on “Baba Masha’s” window at night).

The human psyche, emotions and communication are burnt out, flat, empty. Primitive reactions, devoid of intellectual coloring, predominate: anger, hatred, fear. Sometimes they are replaced by tearful complacency. Alcoholic dementia progresses. At this stage of alcoholism, drunkards become patients of psychiatrists: delusions, hallucinations, paraphrenia.

• The third stage of chronic alcoholism, on average, lasts 5-10 years. Some people think that delirium tremens is the maximum and the end.

In fact, there are more severe complications - for example, Wernicke's alcoholic encephalopathy, in which the medulla oblongata, which contains the vital centers of blood circulation and respiration, simply dies. The mortality rate for this complication, despite all resuscitation measures, is very high and amounts to 25% even in our time.

In principle, the signs and symptoms of chronic alcoholism are inseparable from the formation of addiction; we described the psychological state and what is associated with it above. First, a pathological craving for alcohol arises, control decreases, tolerance increases, then it decreases and the body “collapses.”

As for the physical condition, certain regular symptoms of chronic alcoholism can be noticed starting from the second and third stages (at the first there may be vegetative unstable crises).

Heavy alcoholics often experience:

• ataxia, gait disturbance (when sober);
• nystagmus;
• constant hand tremors;
• in the arms and legs (burning pain, decreased sensitivity);
• toxic myocardial dystrophy;
• chronic alcoholic hepatitis, jaundice;
• signs of cirrhosis and chronic liver failure.

The most pronounced symptoms of chronic alcoholism are manifested in withdrawal syndrome, which is indisputable evidence of the presence of physical dependence.

Withdrawal syndrome clinic

Withdrawal syndrome is the consequences of an abrupt end to binge drinking. As a result, there is a pronounced activation of the sympathetic part autonomic system. Appears:

• mydriasis (dilated pupils);
• sweating, with large drops of sweat;
• tremors throughout the body, including the tongue and eyelids;
• dry mouth;
• redness of the upper body, face;
• diarrhea, nausea and vomiting;
• puffiness of the face and sclera;
• tachycardia;
• lability of blood pressure;
• possible urinary retention;
• anxiety, headaches, cardialgia appear;
• muscle tone decreases.

Withdrawal syndrome in chronic alcoholism it can cause acute alcoholic psychosis. Many people think that delirium tremens occurs when someone is drunk. No, it occurs 2-3 days after sobering up, when the person no longer smells.

The duration of withdrawal syndrome does not exceed a day. At the second stage, patients can “suffer” because of work, and get drunk at lunchtime or in the evening. At the third stage, they become hungover in the morning, and nothing can prevent this. Things are sold, grandmothers' pensions are stolen, murders are committed.

At the third stage, unlike the previous ones, abstinence occurs not only with physical, but also mental disorders. Anxious or delusional paranoid develops, and the syndrome can last for 3-4 days. It is at this time that the patient is dangerous to himself and others.

A little about binge drinking

It is binge drinking that is the personification and apotheosis of drunkenness. Binge drinking is the desire to constantly drink alcohol. The purpose of binge drinking is a new intoxication when the body utilizes the previous dose. It is extremely important that the purpose of a binge is radically different from a hangover.

If you get hungover so that you don’t feel bad, then you need to go on a binge so that you feel good. It is binge drinking that is characteristic of most alcoholics at stage 2 of chronic alcoholism.

The main goal of a binge drinker is to prevent withdrawal symptoms from developing; brief bouts of sobriety are possible, and then only to find alcohol. Initially, binges last 2-3 days, and are confined to weekends.

Then each alcohol use turns into a binge, and the binges increase, up to 1-3 weeks. “One-day” drunkenness practically stops.When binge drinking, they switch to vodka, drink at night, and drink up to 2-3 liters of vodka per day. At the end of the binge, insomnia and a severe hangover may occur, and when overcoming it, delirium may develop.

Female chronic alcoholism, features

Chronic alcoholism in women is a special condition that is more dangerous than men’s—women become drunk five times faster than men. The average, gray man becomes a drunk in 5-10 years, and a woman will reach the same “standard”, if not worse, by the 3rd year. The strength of the alcohol does not play a role in female alcoholism.

• A feature of female alcoholism is also the frequent consumption of alcohol alone: ​​a woman less often needs company than a man.

Alcoholics are much more likely to be patients in psychoneurological departments and psychiatric hospitals; they experience personality disintegration more quickly. Treating female alcoholism is a more complex and more delicate task, and female doctors are better able to handle it.

In somatic terms, cirrhosis, alcoholic polyneuritis, and heart damage develop faster in women and are more severe than in men.

The sources of women's alcoholism are more psychological. Standard situation: both are over forty. The marital ardor has cooled, the husband finds a young mistress, the children grow up and the woman is left alone, no one needs. Melancholy pushes you to the first glass, often alone. This causes a sharp rise in mood, even stronger than in a man. After this, I want to repeat the experience.

This is how the wives of very rich husbands who are constantly busy with business become drunkards. At the beginning, elite cognacs are often used, or even drugs are used. But that is another story. Sometimes exes become drunkards successful business– ladies who cannot recover from collapse and loss of business.

It seems completely unnecessary to say that chronic alcoholism and pregnancy are incompatible things. There is a lot to be said about fetal alcohol syndrome, congenital mental retardation and other problems.

• Stop drinking alcohol completely no later than 2 months before conception;
• If you want to return to its use, this can be done no earlier than after completely stopping breastfeeding.

Treatment of chronic alcoholism in men and women

Modern treatment of alcoholism can satisfy the most demanding tastes. There are all the techniques here, from stopping binge drinking at home to joining the AA organization, or “ Alcoholics Anonymous” and inpatient addiction treatment. We will not dwell on each of the methods: this should be discussed with a psychiatrist or narcologist. Let's just list these methods.

• Coding with all its varieties. This is simply an external suggestion, which is confirmed in a number of cases by the manifestation of a vegetative reaction. The patient is given a “program” that his life will end if he drinks alcohol.
• Drugs for the treatment of chronic alcoholism: “Torpedo”, “Esperal”. They are restrictive in nature: you want to, but you can’t. In addition, the risk of death is high, and when drinking alcohol there is no intoxication, but there is a very unpleasant symptoms. The policy of "burnt bridges".
• Hypnosis and conditioned reflexes.
• Group therapy and psychotherapy.

Regardless of the method chosen by the doctor and the patient, treatment of chronic alcoholism should be continuous and long-term, focused only on complete abstinence from alcohol. However, “saving drowning people is the work of the drowning people themselves,” and if a person lacks motivation for treatment and changing his life, then no one and nothing can help him.

However, it is quite possible to stop drinking on your own, without external help, and even at the second stage of alcoholism, close to the third. Only in cases where there is reduced or no criticism of one’s condition should treatment be forced.

Consequences of chronic alcoholism

In conclusion, you need to talk about what scares you at the very beginning. We have already talked enough about the unenviable fate of an alcoholic. It must be remembered that for a drunkard, the source of calories and energy is not whole food, but alcohol, especially during periods of heavy drinking, when there is no appetite and the alcoholic is starving.

Alcohol is rich in energy, but it is “empty” and does not serve the needs of the body. He is left without food and vitamins. Fasting causes diseases of the stomach and intestines, and the constant presence of alcohol in it leads to peptic ulcers and atrophic gastritis. Dystrophy phenomena occur in the liver, fat accumulates (), necrosis of hepatocytes occurs, and cirrhosis develops.

Signs of polyneuropathy appear, coordination of movements and gait are impaired, and tremor appears. Mental abnormalities and hallucinations appear.

Talk about harmful harm drunkenness can be long and reasoned. If every successful person who raised a glass of champagne could see themselves in their “inner vision” twenty years from now - perhaps teary and toothless, sitting listlessly in their pajamas on a bed in a ward for the feeble-minded, then perhaps the number of drinkers in our country would decrease .

In the International Classification of Diseases, chronic alcoholism occupies the same position as drug addiction. The disease is extremely serious and difficult to treat.

Chronic alcoholism

The term "chronic alcoholism" means a disease. But this disease is not caused by some inexplicable third-party factors, but rather by internal reasons located in the sick person himself. The main thing that distinguishes this disease from a banal bad habit is the non-stop drinking of alcohol, an uncontrollable craving for drinking, obvious negative changes in the psycho-emotional sphere and defects of internal organs.

The disease becomes chronic several years after continuous drinking. Long-term dependence on alcohol leads the patient to persistent mental disorders, somatic diseases, early development of dementia and complete decline in social terms.

In fact, not every moderate drinker is capable of becoming an alcoholic. Why is one person able to drink on holidays with family and friends all his adult life and not reach the state of a weak-minded person stupefied by alcohol, while another becomes an alcoholic in the shortest possible time?

Domestic narcologists distinguish 8 risk factors for the progression of chronic alcoholism:

1. Severe abuse. People who drink moderately and not too often usually do not suffer from alcoholism at all. Narcologists recommend drinking no more than one glass of light alcohol per day for women and no more than two for men. In terms of stronger drinks, it is permissible for men to drink about 75 ml of vodka, for women - no more than 50 ml.
2. Ethanol tolerance. Many people boast about their ability to drink and not get drunk, but this is a warning sign: to get euphoria, the body requires a much larger dose than it can eliminate without consequences for itself. Accordingly, more alcohol enters the body, and intoxication becomes stronger. Each time the dose becomes even higher, thus alcoholism develops.
3. Early start. Those who started drinking early risk ending their mediocre life just as early and ingloriously. Young people consider drinking to be a sign of maturity and coolness; they drink beer and cocktails without thinking about the fact that they have every chance of becoming chronic alcoholics within 5 years.
4. Prolonged emotional experiences. The onset and long-term course of disorders such as depression, asthenic syndrome, hypochondria, bulimia, anorexia increase the patient’s risk of developing alcoholism. In parallel with the rapid development of chronic alcoholism, the disease itself progresses.
   Severe heredity, aggravated by the presence of alcoholics in the family.
5. Circle of friends. Constant drinking among people who drink with or without reason greatly increases a person’s chances of becoming an alcoholic. In the case when the majority of people surrounding an individual regularly drink alcohol, it is almost impossible for him to resist such a powerful influence. Removing such a risk factor is quite simple - change your social circle to non-drinkers.
6. Chronic diseases. The rapid development of alcoholism is often facilitated by diseases associated with metabolic disorders or disorders of excretion of waste products.
7. Living in a state of chronic stress. The inability to fully rest and relax causes neuropsychiatric disorders, on the basis of which various addictions begin to bloom in full bloom - from caffeine and nicotine to alcohol and drugs. Together with other risk factors, stress is quite capable of provoking everyday drunkenness and its rapid transition to the stage of chronic alcoholism.

Why is alcoholism considered a disease?

Stages of disease development

The term "chronic" refers to the progression of any disease over a long period of time. Alcohol disease has only 3 stages - initial, moderate and severe. Each degree has its own characteristics of the course and occurrence of complications.

We should not forget about the so-called preliminary stage - prodromal, when there is no alcoholism as such yet, but all the prerequisites for it already exist. This is the stage of light home drinking - the period when a person drinks infrequently, situationally. There are no consequences in the form of loss of memory or consciousness, but the person’s personality slowly but surely changes, alcohol values ​​are formed, and a new social circle appears.

Waiting for a drink brings a feeling of joy, mild euphoria. There is no strong craving for alcohol in the prodromal phase; the patient can stop drinking on his own, without the help of a narcologist. With periodic abuse and the presence of the circumstances mentioned above, the prodromal stage after a couple of years entails the development of alcoholic illness.

Initial or neurasthenic

This stage can last from three to ten years. This period is characterized by an increase in craving for alcohol, and this manifests itself already during drinking. The patient is not able to track the amount of alcohol consumed; tolerance to alcohol is increased, but control over his behavior is still maintained.

The anticipation of drinking puts the patient into a kind of euphoria and, conversely, a delay in drinking alcohol causes a feeling of annoyance, nervousness and a hysterical state. Social behavior and performance are still intact.

The characteristic symptoms of the first stage are:

• absence of vomiting when drinking too much;
• short-term memory loss after taking a large dose of alcohol;
• increased resistance to ethanol;
• long periods of time associated with drunkenness;
• mental dependence on alcohol increases, expressed in pleasure at memories of being drunk, justifying one’s behavior by being drunk, aggression towards those who judge, anger and nervousness when being sober.

The hangover syndrome at this stage is not clearly expressed, and novice alcoholics can easily cope with it without resorting to alcohol.

Average

Average or 2nd degree - drug addiction, can last from five to fifteen years. This phase is characterized by the development and deepening of the manifestations of the neurasthenic stage, and new symptoms also appear.

Tolerance to ethanol progresses; the patient can drink up to one and a half liters of vodka at a time. Pathologies continue to develop mental states- nervousness, aggression, inability to concentrate and perform mental work. The consequence is a strong, irresistible craving for drinking alcohol. The second stage is characterized by outbreaks alcoholic psychoses, delirium tremens, especially when in a state of withdrawal. All this requires serious treatment, both medicinal and psychological.

Distinctive signs of the second phase in both men and women:

• The appearance of withdrawal symptoms due to prolonged poisoning of the body with ethanol breakdown products.
• signs such as hand tremors, severe thirst, tachycardia, lack of appetite, and headache are present. Patients often experience psychosis and hallucinations.
• The patient spends all his free time on alcohol, buying it, drinking it and sleeping drunk.
  the formation of binges.

Severe or encephalopathic

For this stage 3, the following signs are typical:

• Reduced tolerance to alcohol. An alcoholic gets drunk even from one glass of vodka.
• Binges predominate - situations of non-stop, incessant drunkenness. Being constantly drunk, the patient still continues to feel the need to drink alcohol. The binge is interrupted due to complete intolerance to alcohol. When you stop drinking, the symptoms of withdrawal are very strong. After a few days or weeks of forced sobriety, the alcoholic again feels attracted to alcohol and begins to drink.
• Complete rebirth of personality. In chronic patients, the range of interests sharply narrows, there is no desire to communicate with people, such qualities as deceitfulness, boastfulness, tactlessness appear, there are serious disorders thinking.
• Dangerous diseases of internal organs, namely: encephalopathy, serious, early dementia.

On final stage The disease's life expectancy is no more than five years. Death comes from irreversible changes in the body of a chronic alcoholic (psychosis, Wernicke encephalopathy), and from concomitant diseases (liver cirrhosis, stroke, myocardial infarction, etc.), as well as from an antisocial lifestyle.

Treatment

Unfortunately, the diagnosis of chronic alcoholism is a serious and often incurable disease. It is a rare alcoholic in the second or third stage who manages to quit drinking on time and on his own. Most doctors rightly believe that it is impossible to completely overcome alcohol disease; there are only long periods remission. Sometimes these periods last for many years, the patient does not break down, but the craving for the green serpent still sits deep in his subconscious.

A patient diagnosed with alcoholism should understand that further healthy and sober life depends only on himself, and drug support is only a small cog in the recovery mechanism.

The process of achieving remission consists of several stages.

Withdrawal from binge drinking

Withdrawal from binge drinking and relief of withdrawal symptoms is a stage that is best completed in a hospital, where there is everything necessary for resuscitation measures, favorable conditions have been created for the patient and medical personnel. The patient is prescribed psychostimulants, sorbents, analeptics and vitamins to improve physical condition. The dosage is determined individually and depends on the severity of the patient's condition.

Restoration of the body

Elimination of the results of a drinking period - at this stage of treatment, doctors try to partially restore the mental and mental health lost as a result of alcoholic libations.

The following drugs are used in treatment:

• Nootropics for improving blood supply and nutrition to the brain, improving memory and activating thinking - Nootropil, Biotretdin.
• Antidepressants - drugs that relieve anxiety, irritability, chronic fatigue, promote gentle relaxation and remove the patient from depressive states associated with alcohol withdrawal - Desipramine, Sinequan, Paroxetine.
• Anticonvulsants, such as Finlepsin, help control seizures during withdrawal.
• Hepatoprotectors for restoring liver functions.
• Neuroleptics - drugs in this group help normalize the condition.
• Vitamin and mineral complexes to restore mineral balance in the body.

At this stage, it is important not to self-medicate; you need to listen to your doctor and follow his recommendations exactly. Uncontrolled use of strong tranquilizers or antidepressants can lead to the development of other, more severe addictions.

Treatment of psychological dependence

Such treatment can be carried out both in a hospital and at home. At this stage, psychological support from close relatives and friends is very important for the patient and the help of a psychotherapist is required.

To maintain a sober state for a long time Narcologists offer various sensitizing techniques aimed at inducing physical aversion to alcohol. This includes the administration of drugs based on disulfiram (Esperal,) and sodium urea cyanide (Temposil), and the use of drugs that reduce cravings for alcohol (Colme), and the administration of opioid receptor antagonist drugs (,). All these methods are good if the patient has a strong desire to stop drinking alcohol. If there is no such desire, then coding alone will not be enough to cure and achieve long-term remission.

Rehabilitation

To maintain a sober lifestyle, a former alcoholic simply needs to build a new position in life, find interesting activities that are not related to drinking alcohol, and find the meaning of life. At the rehabilitation stage, the patient can be helped by a new interesting hobby to which he needs to devote a lot of time - fishing, hunting, sports. An important role is played by social adaptation in society, interesting work and family relationships.

An alcoholic who has stopped drinking should remember one simple thing - he will never again become a person who drinks moderately on holidays, but will forever remain a person chronically ill with alcoholism. Just one drink can derail you long years treatment and remission. Is it worth ruining your life for a sip of alcohol?

For successful treatment of such a serious disease as chronic alcohol dependence, it is important to determine the root cause of the disease.

The therapy is comprehensive in nature to get rid of psychological and physical symptoms, as well as to restore the functioning of internal organs.

Most of the effects of alcoholism are irreversible, so compliance is essential to avoid relapse.

• All information on the site is for informational purposes only and is NOT a guide to action!
• Can give you an ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS only DOCTOR!
• We kindly ask you NOT to self-medicate, but make an appointment with a specialist!
• Health to you and your loved ones!

Causes

Chronic alcoholism is a long-term disease that begins with alcohol abuse and develops over time into severe mental and physical dependence. During the course of illness, a person loses control over his actions and gets used to large doses alcohol, which leads to memory loss, neurological, somatic and psychological disorders.

Against the background of a long alcohol intoxication The body's internal organs are affected. This causes additional health problems. The chronic form of the disease is the most difficult to treat and most often leads to death.

Among the main reasons for uncontrolled alcohol consumption are:

• genetic factor (heredity and predisposition of a person to a given disease);
• tendency to ;
• closed character;
• unstable psyche;
• breakdown.

Statistics have confirmed that most often close and relatives of a drinker become ill with alcoholism. It's connected with psychological factor and a model of people’s behavior (for example, children copy the behavior of adults and see them as role models).

Nowadays, increasingly, problematic situations and stress at work or in the family lead a person to drink alcohol.

These people justify their choice with the opportunity to forget themselves and isolate themselves from external problems, in which alcohol actively helps them. However, this method is far from a way out of the situation, but only worsens one’s position in society and one’s own health.

Stages

Chronic alcoholism is caused by the development (or otherwise, withdrawal syndrome), in which the patient has an uncontrollable desire to get drunk. At this time, a person experiences fear, depressed mood and sleep disturbances. In this case, there are frequent cases of auditory or visual hallucinations, increased sweating, physical weakness and.

Gradual development Chronic alcoholism is divided into 3 stages:

Symptoms of chronic alcoholism

Alcohol dependence develops only as a result of prolonged abuse of alcoholic beverages. It arises against the background of everyday drunkenness, which has reached critical proportions. The desire to escape reality and the surrounding problems of the real world leads to serious problems psychological and physical kind.

According to statistics, in developed countries the level of alcoholism is much lower than in poorer countries. There are only 11 to 45 sick people per thousand citizens.

However, we should not forget that many do not seek help, ashamed of their illness or even believing that they have the situation under control (they do not have health problems). Therefore, official figures for alcohol dependence should be much higher.

Despite the fact that the male population accounts for 80–85% of alcoholism patients, among women the disease develops much faster and leads to more pronounced symptoms. It is also worth noting that the disease begins to “get younger”, manifesting itself in the younger generation.

The symptoms of chronic alcoholism can be divided into three types - general, physical and psychological. The main (general) symptoms, more relevant for the second and imply:

• prolonged binges;
• constant feeling of fear, fear, panic;
• deterioration of logical thinking;
• psychomotor retardation;
• gradual loss of moral and personal qualities, the appearance of aggression;
• decreased tolerance to alcohol;
• use of any alcoholic drinks, even low quality.

By the third stage of the disease, the patient’s life turns into an ongoing binge, because during the period of temporary abstinence from drinking, which lasts from a couple of hours to several days, the body does not have time to cleanse itself of alcohol.

Treatment

When treating chronic alcoholism, it is necessary to prepare for the fact that complex therapy will be long lasting.

For full recovery and giving up alcohol requires the desire of the patient himself. However, even in this case there are no absolute guarantees, since the first breakdown will result in a long and severe binge, after which treatment will have to start all over again.

Diagnosis of the disease occurs in a drug treatment clinic using special tests for various purposes. The list of therapeutic measures prescribed to the patient includes:

• detoxification (removal of toxins from the body);
• symptomatic therapy;
• vitamin therapy;
• social rehabilitation;
• medicines;
• psychotherapeutic influence.

Alcoholism causes serious metabolic changes in the patient’s body, so it is important to carry out treatment exclusively in a hospital setting under the supervision of specialists.

Separately, it is worth highlighting drug detoxification and psychotherapy. Ridding the body of alcohol metabolites and poisons must be done first.

The patient is administered intravenously with a dropper a medicinal product containing:

• sedatives;
• saline;
• stimulants to restore cerebral circulation;
• glucose;
• means for protecting the nervous system and liver;
• diuretics.

Detoxification may take several days; in extreme cases, hardware blood purification is prescribed. Only after the removal of toxins does drug treatment continue, including prohibitive (aversive) therapy aimed at developing a negative conditioned reflex reaction.

Among these anti-alcohol drugs disulfiram is isolated. It turns ethanol into a toxin, which causes a sharp deterioration in the patient’s well-being. Also, to reduce cravings for drinking, the drug Naltrexone is used, which in addition helps to avoid relapses.

When a patient undergoes complex treatment, special preference is given to psychotherapy, which helps in the following aspects:

• choose a life without alcohol;
• find life guidelines and goals;
• to avoid nervous breakdowns and relapses;
• develop an aversion to alcohol.

One of therapeutic methods The use of stress psychotherapy according to Dovzhenko is considered, the effectiveness of which has also been noted among those patients who are not prone to suggestion through hypnosis.

Social rehabilitation is also necessary to return recovered people to a normal, fulfilling life. For these purposes, group or individual sessions are held.

It is worth noting that treating chronic alcoholism at home is possible, but only after consulting a doctor and receiving recommendations from him. Proven means can be used to help the patient traditional medicine, such as:

• barberry juice;
• swallow root;
• pumpkin seeds;
• and other fees.

Consultation with a doctor is necessary due to possible allergic reactions to some medicinal plants or the presence of individual intolerance. It is also worth remembering that experts do not recommend using only traditional methods therapy, but are advised to first seek help from a clinic.

Prevention

A healthy lifestyle is the key to maintaining wellness person. People who have recovered from chronic alcoholism must take preventive measures, such as:

• seeking psychological counseling;
• visiting Alcoholics Anonymous;
• avoiding drinking company;
• playing sports;
• walks in the open air;
• maintaining a proper diet rich in vitamins;
• finding an interesting hobby;
• etc.

During the treatment process, the patient is explained the danger of the disease and possible irreversible consequences, and is also helped to develop an aversion to alcohol.

It should be noted that some people require compliance with preventive measures throughout their lives, even taking into account the absence of a similar disease in the past. These include people at risk, such as:

• with a certain mental make-up of the personality (suggestible, poorly organized, having difficulties with social adaptation, prone to depressive states and poorly tolerated stressful situations);
• having poor heredity (the chances of developing alcoholism in direct and immediate relatives of an alcoholic increase up to 10 times);
• living in an unfavorable social environment;
• having an insufficient amount of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which promotes the oxidation of alcohols.

Dependence on drinking develops at a slow pace, so when the first symptoms of alcoholism appear, the patient needs qualified help and psychological support from loved ones.

Currently Russian government actively fights for the health of its citizens by banning advertising of alcohol and its sale in the evening, releasing social videos and special programs to help you quit drinking.

Consequences

With this serious illness in most cases, damage to tissues and internal organs is irreversible. First of all, long-term alcoholism suffers from:

• nervous system;
• heart and blood vessels;
• liver.

Against the background of physical disorders appear psychological problems(for example, neuroses). The patient's risk increases fatal outcome because of:

• lung cancer;
• tuberculosis;
• bronchitis;
• heart attack.

Many people do not think about the consequences that drinking alcohol can lead to. Some diseases cannot be cured after the patient has decided to stop drinking, because with a long course of the disease they become irreversible.

The results of alcoholism can be:

• impotence;
• infertility;
• miscarriage;
• the birth of children with birth defects.

The chronic form is dangerous social nature, since the patient becomes a threat to his loved ones, family, friends, and work colleagues. In a state of severe intoxication, a person is capable of causing pain to himself or other people.

Among the social consequences of the disease are an increase in disability, mortality and crime. More than 72% of cases of crimes committed in Russia occurred in a state of severe alcohol intoxication. Alcoholic drinks cause the death of more than 500 thousand people a year in the country.

Chronic alcoholism at any stage of development requires long-term complex treatment. The disease has pronounced symptoms and occurs gradually over a long period of time. regular use alcohol.