home Drugs Concept, causes and symptoms of chronic alcoholism. Alcoholism in the chronic stage

Concept, causes and symptoms of chronic alcoholism. Alcoholism in the chronic stage

A feast on the occasion of a joyful or sorrowful event, stress relief, stimulation of appetite - these are just some of the reasons to “skip a drink.” Many of us are sure: if you don’t get drunk every time until you pass out, then alcohol is harmless. And even useful. Gradually, a bottle of beer, a glass of wine or a shot of vodka every night becomes a ritual. Few people think that behind this lies real chronic alcoholism. How does this disease develop? Is it possible and how difficult is it to cure alcoholism?
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Chronic alcoholism: what kind of disease is it?

Oddly enough, there is no single, universally approved definition of the disease. WHO characterizes alcoholism approximately as constant drinking of alcohol in excess of the amount drunk that is safe for health. “People” call chronic alcoholics ordinary drunkards, those who are regularly and almost continuously engaged in intoxicating libations. Official medicine speaks simply about alcoholism as a disease. This disease is caused by constant consumption of alcohol and is characterized by a whole list of symptoms, that is, characteristic signs of the disease.
, but the initial stage of chronic alcoholism does not resemble a disease at all. On the contrary, everything looks very good. Most people don't even believe they are on straight path to alcohol addiction. This situation arises due to the ability human body adapt to various situations, including unfavorable ones. How does this manifest itself:

Decreases toxic effect alcohol. A person drinks and does not get drunk. However, an overdose can still lead to vomiting.
After heavy libations, there are no headaches, no loss of appetite, no feeling of exhaustion.
Vital tone, genital area They don’t cause the slightest concern, everything is just fine.
If previously a person had thoughts that he could only drink in the evenings, now they disappear. Another thought comes: if there is a reason, why not “kiss” in the middle of the day?
Attacks of irritability and increased conflict may appear, which are often attributed to life’s difficulties.

In this entire list, only a doctor will see alarming signs. An addiction specialist will probably attribute such symptoms to the so-called prodromal period of alcoholism. This means that the disease itself has not yet occurred, but all the prerequisites for its formation already exist. Everyone else won't notice anything suspicious. If the frequency of drinking alcohol and its quantity do not change or increase, then alcoholism will begin to develop. This happens in three stages.

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First stage

It lasts from one to five years. The main difference from the prodromal period: an overdose of alcohol no longer leads to vomiting. A person is able to drink a lot every day. Signs of mental dependence appear. This means that in a state of sobriety a person can be gloomy, always dissatisfied with something. However, the mood instantly lifts, as soon as you hint at the possibility of a drink. True, for now, attraction can still be controlled, and the disease cannot be allowed to develop further. The problem is that a drinker can rarely adequately assess his condition. The craving for alcohol can be explained by any reasons other than increasing dependence.

Second stage

The next period lasts 5 – 15 years. At this time, drinking alcohol becomes regular. Doctors call this pseudo-binge drinking. Only strong external circumstances can force a person to give up alcohol: lack of Money, any activity that, in principle, does not allow the consumption of alcohol. However, in a sober state it becomes difficult to communicate with a potential alcoholic. He gets irritated at everything, has difficulty concentrating, and displays depression and a bad mood.
Mental dependence is growing. Moral and spiritual values are lost. Mental dependence is accompanied by physical dependence. It is now that when you give up alcohol, the first signs of withdrawal may appear. Her symptoms in the second stage of alcoholism:

redness of the face, neck;
hot, coarse sweat;
trembling of fingers, whole hand, eyelids;
"twisted" tongue";
nausea, vomiting;
relaxation of the intestinal muscles (the consequences are clear);
dizziness;
pain in the heart, liver, headaches.

Third stage

Lasts 5 – 10 years. Main sign- intoxication from small doses of alcohol. So-called true drinking bouts appear. A person can drink for many days until complete psychophysical exhaustion. Then comes voluntary abstinence. But daily drinking of alcohol without any breaks can also persist.

At the physical level, the third stage of chronic alcoholism is manifested by various pathologies of all internal organs and systems. The human psyche is deeply affected. He suffers from hallucinations, delusions, and most of his emotions are lost. Withdrawal syndrome is very difficult.

What does a chronic alcoholic look like? Ten years older than his age. Dull hair is almost always in disarray. The face is usually pronounced red, spider veins are often visible near the nose, on the cheeks, and also on the neck. The corners of the lips droop. The skin sags, the muscles weaken. The gaze is meaningless and often does not focus. Behavior is often antisocial. Add to this carelessness in clothing and uncleanliness.

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The consequences are the most terrible. As scary as it is to admit, miscarriages and premature birth in this case, the lesser evil. Mental retardation is often observed in newborn children

Chronic alcoholism, the symptoms of which have just been described, develops over years. However, the individual characteristics of the body and heredity can always shorten the path to chronic alcoholism so that it will be measured in only a few months.

Why does alcohol addiction occur?

Tradition is considered to be one of the main reasons for alcohol abuse. For example, feasts for literally any occasion. In such cases, narcologists talk about everyday and/or ritual drunkenness. However, all this is a continuation of the problem. The beginning lies mostly in families. And we’re not just talking about sociopathic phenomena like alcoholic parents. Excessive addiction to alcohol often begins in relatively or even completely prosperous families. It is not known exactly from what ancient times the custom of “pouring” for children and teenagers originated. Arguments from parents who are generous with alcohol are usually the following:

let him drink at home rather than somewhere with friends in the entrance or basement;
a small amount of wine, beer or champagne “will do nothing”;
the child is offered only natural homemade wine, not some colored alcohol from the store, so this is even useful;
will calm down, fall asleep more soundly, and will not become capricious.

There are other reasons why anyone may one day become an alcoholic. One of them is hereditary predisposition. A child has a 50% chance of becoming an alcoholic if one of his parents was one. This probability increases to 75% if both the mother and father suffered from alcoholism.

The next reason can be called low level life, education, social adaptation. If at least one of these factors can be applied to a specific person, then he is a potential alcoholic. Why is this happening? The thing is that such a person often does not know how to behave in society, how to organize his leisure time, how to improve his life situation and not fall into depression, he is completely and hopelessly alone. And then best friend becomes a bottle of alcohol.

Another reason is a real life paradox. On the one hand, in many countries governments are very concerned about the widespread alcoholism of their citizens. On the other hand, “alcohol” income nevertheless constitutes a significant part of the state budget. Bottom line: each of the above reasons individually or their combination gives rise to a lot of people with an irresistible addiction to strong drinks.

What is chronic alcoholism - a sign of lack of will, promiscuity, illness or something else? From the point of view of the WHO and the community of narcologists, this is a real disease. It is difficult to establish with complete accuracy exactly how many people are susceptible to this disease. World statistics on different countries shows that from eleven to forty-five for every thousand people. And these are only those whose diagnosis has been established by specialists.

Treatment

Treatment of chronic alcoholism is a complex task. Help for an addicted person should be provided on a physical and mental level. In the first case, we are talking about preventing or relieving withdrawal symptoms with the subsequent removal of alcohol toxins from the body. Next, anti-alcohol drugs are prescribed or coding is applied. Various medical specialists then examine the patient, identify diseases and prescribe treatment.

At the same time, the person needs special psychological support. First, a psychotherapist identifies the reasons why a person became an alcoholic. After this, the doctor helps change the person’s attitude towards himself, life and unfavorable circumstances. If the alcohol-dependent patient himself realized the need for treatment, then such A complex approach provides excellent results. However, a complete recovery from chronic alcoholism and its consequences may take more than one month.

Chronic alcoholism is a huge problem of our time. It is almost impossible to resolve it completely. However, any of us can, if we wish, stop being part of such a problem.

Attention!

The information in the article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute instructions for use. Consult your healthcare provider.

Content

This is what an experienced narcologist, candidate, answered medical sciences to a letter from Anna Petrovna Volobueva, Voronezh.
"Hello. Three years ago, grief entered our family - my husband began to drink heavily. Nothing helps - neither persuasion, nor tears, nor threats. I tried to treat him. . . "
READ ANSWER..."

Alcoholism is a fairly common disease in which a person periodically goes on binges. But the most terrible and practically incurable thing is chronic alcoholism. The chronic form of this disease is the final third stage of alcoholism, in which a person cannot and does not want to give up alcohol.

The most terrible alcohol addiction is a beer hall. Those who drink beer often not only become drunk faster, but also die faster. Beer destroys the liver faster than vodka or other alcoholic drinks.

Where does chronic alcoholism begin and its stages?

Chronic alcoholism begins with ordinary everyday drunkenness, when there is a desire to escape from reality or from problems. It all starts, as a rule, among friends, and ends with constant drunkenness at home.

The initial stage is characterized by the fact that a person drinks regularly, sometimes goes on binges, but at the same time can live for some time without drinking alcohol.

The second phase, also known as drug addiction, is characterized by a large volume of alcohol consumed, but it is quite dangerous in that the patient can easily get by long time no strong drinks. The “rest” period can last up to a month.

The drug-addicted stage smoothly, but, unfortunately, surely, passes into the chronic stage of alcoholism or the initial stage.

Symptoms of alcoholism depending on stage

Alcoholism is not only physical degradation of a person, but primarily psychological.

The initial stage of alcoholism is very difficult to diagnose, since a person during this period normal life, in which there are no special personality changes. He may not drink alcohol for a long time.

During the drug addiction stage, obvious signs of alcoholism already appear. A person can also stay without alcohol for a long time, but external factors they say there is a problem. The drinker has a constant puffy face, and it is quite difficult for him to focus his gaze.

With a small load, severe fatigue and perspiration appear. It is quite difficult for the patient to concentrate on something, he has a haunted look, he begins to think for a long time and does not understand what is being said.

In the second phase, a person develops fears or paranoid phenomena with hallucinations. There is a strong feeling that just one sip of a strong drink will help improve your life. Signs of delirium tremens appear. The body is clearly suffering from intoxication; these signs cannot be ignored; it is imperative to undergo a course of treatment.

Symptoms of the third initial stage manifest themselves not only in the deterioration of a person’s psychological state, but in the fact that many organs are affected. In the initial stage, frequent seizures are observed, delirium tremens with hallucinations. A person cannot stop and stop drinking. If an alcoholic is not given alcohol, he begins to alcohol withdrawal, while there is a tremor of the hands, the gaze is cloudy and unconscious, no one can understand what he is saying.

The third stage is chronic alcoholism, in which all the symptoms of the initial and narcotic stages are clearly expressed.

Here are some more signs of chronic alcoholism:

Hundreds of articles have been written about the treatment of Alcoholism, and a lot of advice has been given. My personal experience about getting rid of addiction MARIA K. shared with us her personal experience of treating her husband for alcoholism.

A person’s behavior, views and moral principles change radically;
Long drinking bouts;
Psychomotor retardation;
Weakened logical thinking, it is quite difficult for the patient to carry out even the simplest calculations in his mind;
Tolerance to alcohol changes (a person gets drunk from a small dose of alcohol);
Panic, fear, frequent nervous breakdowns even at home;
The craving to drink something alcoholic dulls the mind to such an extent that the alcoholic is ready to drink even a surrogate of alcohol.

During this period, a person’s kidneys may fail or cirrhosis of the liver may develop; depending on the symptoms, the heart and many areas of the brain often suffer. A person who has a chronic dependence on alcohol can no longer imagine life without it. His binges can last not only days, weeks, but also months. He completely loses his moral character, even at home.

Alcoholism is officially recognized as a disease

In the presence of alcoholism, it is quite difficult to identify the same symptoms that are characteristic at any age. Alcoholism manifests itself in different characteristics for each person and depends on the conditions. For example, at the initial stage, it becomes easy for a person to communicate with people and he develops a false perception of the world: if you drink, everything is fine, if you don’t drink, nothing good. At the same time, some people try to restrain themselves and not increase their alcohol intake, but others, on the contrary, try to drink more every time.
Aggressive behavior in some people manifests itself in the presence of the first phase of the disease, while in others aggression manifests itself only in the chronic phase. Not only alcoholics, but also those around them suffer from unmotivated behavior, because during periods of uncontrolled aggression, he can injure not only himself, but also his loved ones.

Unfortunately, there are many cases where an alcoholic killed an entire family while intoxicated, or took his own life while being in the comfort of his home.

Alcoholism is a disease and must be treated. In the first two stages, the patient’s consent to treatment is required, but with chronic alcoholism, the patient’s consent is no longer required; he is simply taken to a psychoneurological clinic, where a complete complex therapy, while removing signs of withdrawal (hangover) and intoxication.

State of mind in chronic alcoholism

In a small percentage of binge drinkers chronic alcoholics Long-term psychoses are observed:

delirium tremens (delirium tremens);
epileptic seizures;
hallucinations;
paranoia;
state of delirium.

All this happens because alcohol kills not only some brain cells, but even entire sections of it. Unfortunately, this process is irreversible and even if a person remains sober for a long time, the processes cannot be stopped. Detrimental effects on the brain leads to speech becoming slurred, dementia developing, and sometimes short-term amnesia occurs when a person wakes up in normal home conditions and cannot remember where he is.

A chronic alcoholic experiences panic, unaccountable fear, and anxiety. As it turns out, bad thoughts come into their heads. In order to neutralize them you have to drink alcohol.

No activity in a chronic alcoholic can begin without a small dose of strong drink.

In people who are normally calm, under the influence of alcohol there is increased timidity, infantilism, and a feeling of self-doubt, and he is more relaxed with strangers, but at home it is difficult for him. Those who have an explosive temperament begin to joke around, often inventing things that do not exist and never happened.

Due to the fact that chronic alcoholics without constant drinking experience sleep disturbances, they sleep very little, have disturbing dreams, and persistent exhaustion is observed nervous system. Therefore, treatment for chronic alcoholism is necessary, since a person can go crazy. Carry out treatment at home using sleeping pills not recommended, as due to an uncontrolled situation, an alcoholic may take more pills than necessary. This may lead to an overdose.

Physical condition of chronic alcoholics

With the onset of the chronic phase of alcoholism, a person experiences multiple organ pathologies. It is characteristic that in a sober state all affected organs cause pain, but when alcohol is poured out, everything goes away. Sometimes this fact is a motivation for drinking.

The body under the influence of alcohol begins to work in extreme mode.

The most common pathologies in chronic alcoholics:

Since chronic alcoholics have no tolerance to alcoholic beverages, intoxication occurs in a matter of minutes. Withdrawal syndrome is difficult, the patient experiences depression and suicidal tendencies.

During this short period of relative sobriety, it is necessary to persuade the person to go to a hospital and undergo a long course of treatment, since it is no longer possible to treat chronic addiction at home. There must be constant monitoring by the attending physician.

What factors influence the development of chronic addiction?

To reassure many people, it is worth noting that only one out of three people who drink alcohol becomes a chronic alcoholic.

There are some factors that can influence a person to become a binge drinker:

hereditary factor (children of alcoholics have a 10 times greater chance of repeating the fate of their parents than ordinary people);
social environment of upbringing (difficult childhood, violence at home);
psychological personality type (people who depend on public opinion, lack self-confidence);
with insufficient quantities of certain enzymes (alcohol dehydrogenase).

Treatment of alcoholism

Treatment in this case serious illness it is necessary to start from the first stage. In this case, it is best for a person dependent on alcoholic beverages to be admitted to a hospital, where he will immediately be prescribed detoxification therapy. If the patient suffers only from alcohol intoxication, he is given intramuscular or intravenous nootropics, utinol and sodium sulfate. For quick recovery B vitamins must be administered. If alcohol intoxication involves the nervous system, lungs are prescribed sedatives or tranquilizers.

An alcoholic during the period of treatment should be under constant medical supervision. All measures and methods of treatment should be prescribed only by the attending physician. Therapy will take a lot of time. To help the patient and doctors cope with this illness, it is necessary to buy the patient as many vitamin juices and fruit drinks as possible. Nutrition should not only contain calories, but also vitamins.

During treatment, the patient will feel better, and he will convince doctors and relatives about an early discharge, and may even refer to the fact that at home the treatment will pass faster. Do not give in to your relative’s persuasion; only a doctor can prescribe it and only after completing the full course of treatment. Interrupted treatment means a 100% return to alcoholism, albeit not immediately.

How can chronic alcoholism be cured?

At the initial stage of the disease, conditioned reflex therapy is used, in which a person induces a gag reflex after drinking alcohol. This result is achieved using apomorphine injections. A decoction of thyme or lamb is often used. This type of treatment is quite effective in treating alcoholism in women, as vomiting is quite difficult for them to tolerate. Even at the first stage of alcoholism, psychotherapy is used, when constant conversations are held with the patient not only about the dangers of strong drinks, but about how they affect a person’s mental state.

In the second and third phases of alcoholism, sensitizing therapy is used. The treatment method involves forcing a person to quit drinking alcohol using various implants that are implanted under the skin.

The implant contains Esperal tablets, which are coated with a special coating and begin to act only after alcohol enters the body, even if the dose is insignificant. During the period of filing, a person should not drink, since when combined with Esperal, alcohol can be fatal.

Harmless, conditionally harmful and absolutely harmful consumption of alcoholic beverages

When filing, the patient signs a receipt stating that he was warned about possible consequences drinking alcohol while having an implant.

An interesting and most practiced method of treating chronic alcoholism is hypnotherapy. During hypnotic sleep, a person is persistently told that he should not drink. In this case, the encoding method is used. Unfortunately, this method of treatment requires an attentive and friendly attitude towards the patient from his loved ones. Because the desire to drink does not disappear for a long time, so it is worth behaving in such a way that the patient does not have a reason to drink.

You must continue to take medications prescribed by your doctor and remain under the supervision of a qualified specialist for a long time, because treating chronic alcoholism requires a lot of time and attention.

Alcohol is a problem that is difficult to deal with. Therefore, it is better not to start drinking alcohol.

And a little about the author’s secrets

Do your family or friends experience these symptoms? And you understand firsthand what it is:

The attraction to alcohol becomes a priority desire, and it is almost impossible to fight it.
A severe, pronounced hangover syndrome occurs.
Determined maximum dose alcohol that a patient can drink: contrary to data on doses of alcohol that are lethal for the human body (a little more than a liter), an experienced alcoholic can drink up to one and a half liters of vodka and still survive.
Personality deformation progresses, the patient suffers from a whole range of various disorders, including:

increased irritability to the point of aggressiveness;
imbalance, rapid mood swings; general weakness, which occurs even under light loads;
deformation of strong-willed character traits;
decreased ability of the patient to concentrate during periods of sobriety;
a significant change in priorities in life: monotonous desires are formed, associated exclusively with drinking alcohol.

The memory and mental abilities of a drinking person deteriorate significantly.
The patient begins to suffer from severe episodic mental disorders, such as:

delirium tremens;
hallucinations;
alcoholic
epilepsy;
paranoia.

Now answer the question: would you like to save your neighbor? Can such pain be tolerated? How much money have you already wasted on ineffective treatment? That's right - it's time to end this! Do you agree? That is why we decided to publish an exclusive interview with Yuri Nikolaev, in which he revealed the secrets of getting rid of alcohol addiction.

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Is treatment for chronic alcoholism possible? Chronic alcoholism is not bad habit, as many believe, but a severe addiction. Even from herself bad habit You can get rid of it with willpower. Coping with alcohol addiction is a hundred times harder. The poisoned body is not able to independently resist the harmful attraction.

Alcohol changes a person’s mental state, destroys his brain, and destroys his soul. A person suffering from this illness has only one desire, one desire: to drink more and more. To satisfy this intolerable desire, the alcoholic does not take anything into account. He is not worried about the experiences of his loved ones, nor is he usually worried about the difficult financial situation of his family or his own deteriorating health. All energy is aimed exclusively at searching for and taking the next dose that will relieve, at least a little color the painfully gray world with relatively bright colors. A person whose health is undermined by alcohol and whose psyche is deteriorating is not able to resist this attraction. Reasonable arguments in favor of a sober life are powerless.

First steps to chronic alcoholism

Every tenth person who drinks regularly becomes a chronic alcoholic. It all starts with the fact that after taking a certain amount of alcohol, a person experiences euphoria. He becomes more relaxed, communicates more freely with others, feels smarter and more beautiful than in a sober state. Only withdrawal symptoms can ruin your mood, but since it usually happens in the morning, no one thinks about it in the evening. Moreover, everyone knows that you can relieve a hangover with 1-2 shots of vodka or a glass of beer, taken in the morning. The headache and sweating immediately disappear, the hands stop shaking and the nausea subsides - all these inseparable companions of withdrawal syndrome.

Know: if a person starts to have a hangover in the morning, it means that he has already taken a step towards the abyss called “chronic alcoholism.” Initially, the body gets rid of excess alcohol by vomiting. But soon it disappears, like other protective mechanisms inherent in humans from birth. Intoxication becomes the only comfortable state. The alcoholic drinks more and more, he develops greed, pushing him to get drunk “for future use.” Chronic alcoholism sets in.

First of three stages: nothing is lost yet

Initial stage. The “hangover” is becoming a regular occurrence. People get so drunk that they lose long periods of time from memory (which is why this phase is called “eclipse”). The mood under the influence of alcohol is still good, but all thoughts about alcohol quickly crowd out everything else from the mind.

Having gotten “fun” during the day and suffering from withdrawal symptoms in the morning, he feels guilty, so he avoids talking about his behavior. Guilt is one of the few character traits that have not yet completely disappeared under the influence of alcohol. However drinking man categorically does not consider himself. At this stage, alcoholism is treated successfully, but only if the patient is able to make his own decision. Against my will modern treatment doomed to fail. The main thing at this stage is an absolute refusal of all types of alcohol-containing drinks. Not everyone has the will to completely abolish alcohol; not everyone can give up cheerful feasts, festive banquets, or friendly gatherings over a glass of tea. If others do not convince the patient to begin treatment, alcoholism quickly moves into the second stage.

Second stage: degradation begins

Critical stage. The amount of alcohol decreases, intoxication occurs after the first glass. Hostility and arrogance are growing. A drunk man tries to prove his point with his fists. An alcoholic-delusional state develops. Usually the patient is no longer able to adequately assess his condition. He sees conspiracies in everything, he is sure that the world is against him. Binges become regular, and abstinence becomes continuous. Dizziness and nausea in the morning, increased sweating, tremors are the main signs of withdrawal. The condition is only getting worse with growing problems. The patient is confident that only by taking the next dose will he be able to overcome all obstacles and troubles. Often real friends are replaced by random drinking buddies, and all offers of treatment for alcoholism cause an aggressive reaction. Chronic, multi-day drinking bouts begin. However, even at this stage, the drunkard can decide for himself to be cured. But he will need comprehensive help from narcologists, psychologists, other specialists, and of course, the support of relatives. However, cure in the second stage is possible.

Chronic stage: the end of everything

Last stage – complete collapse personality. Binges become a “normal” state, they are almost continuous. There is no more sweating (or it happens extremely rarely), control over physiological processes. The patient “walks around”, often without noticing it. Memory is impaired, thinking becomes unclear. A drunkard is haunted by groundless fears. Begins chronic insomnia. Nightmares develop into delirium tremens. This psychosis is always accompanied by visions that are perceived as reality. Auditory, visual, tactile hallucinations literally drive you crazy. It seems to a person that insects are crawling on him, he experiences fear and pain from the bites. He sees shadows or monsters chasing him, hears the sounds of blows, non-existent creaking, knocking. The liver is destroyed, the kidneys suffer. Treatment at this stage actually does not represent complete relief from chronic alcoholism, but is an attempt to get rid of alcohol-related diseases. Even if the patient stops drinking at this stage, his health will never be fully restored.

Why is it so difficult to treat chronic alcoholism?

Alkoholismus chronicus is a form of substance abuse in which patients use substances containing ethyl alcohol. Even industrially purified from harmful impurities, this alcohol:

retains some of the fusel oils and other harmful impurities. Thus, sulfur dioxide, which is used to rectify raw alcohol, destroys all B vitamins in the body;
its strength negatively affects the functioning of the body as a whole.

Even vodka contains toxic substances. What can we say about liquids that contain not ethyl alcohol, but methyl alcohol? But it is precisely this substance that is included in surrogates, antifreeze and other liquids that alcoholics prefer (due to their cheapness) to use at later stages. Even a few grams of methyl alcohol or ethylene glycol can cause complete blindness or death.

When alcohol enters the body every day, it destroys all organs and metabolism. Intoxication “permeates” all systems of the body so much that it is not always possible to completely cleanse it. The changes become irreversible.

First stage of treatment: emergency care

To treat any disease, you need to know its pathogenesis (origin and development) and etiology (causes and conditions of occurrence). While the cause of alcoholism is well known, the mechanism of its development has not been fully explored. That is why the search for new techniques is constantly ongoing, medicinal drugs to get rid of chronic intoxication caused by drunkenness.

The modern generally accepted treatment regimen consists of four stages.

Relief of disorders caused by intoxication. These include:

medicinal;
elimination of the consequences of poisoning with ethyl, methyl alcohols or their substitutes;
suppression of psychological disorders caused by alcohol.

What can a doctor do?

At the first stage of treatment, specialists can stop binge drinking. A therapist can relieve a person from the consequences of binge drinking and hangover at this stage, ambulance: regular or specialized. However, such treatment is considered emergency because it only relieves symptoms.

Complete treatment should be carried out only by specialists, focusing on the indications laboratory tests and signs of illness. It is important to know: diagnostics does not replace diagnosis, but details it. If the patient’s tests show the presence of alcoholism, but there are no external signs of the disease, the diagnosis is not established and, therefore, treatment is not prescribed.

There is an opinion that the first stage can be done without medical assistance. It is important to know: the use of folk remedies may not interrupt, but aggravate binge drinking.

The actual treatment of cravings for alcohol

At this stage:

produce a reflex by combining small doses alcohol with inhalation of alcohol vapor and taking drugs that cause vomiting;
increase sensitivity to alcohol, develop a kind of allergy to alcohol. The goal of this stage of treatment is to eliminate cravings for alcohol and prevent relapses of binge drinking;
strengthen the immune system and provide calming treatment. It is known that giving up alcohol is difficult. Medicines are used to relieve anxiety, remove fears, and normalize sleep. At the same time, they strengthen the immune system so that the body becomes healthier. Here they use tranquilizers, antipsychotics, mood regulators, antidepressants, anticonvulsant pills or droppers;
conduct psychotherapeutic treatment. It largely depends on the personality of the alcoholic, his “experience”. Psychotherapists often use individual, family, stress, hypnotic, and other techniques.

It is important that during the treatment process the patient is supported by relatives and friends, and they do it competently. That is why, in the second stage of treatment, some specialists conduct classes with families of alcoholics.

Rehabilitation as the final chord

Typically, maintenance treatment is carried out after a year and a half and lasts a very long time. It includes drug treatment and physiotherapy, return to work, acupuncture and psychotherapy, etc. The choice of techniques depends on the characteristics of the patient and the skill of the doctor.

Unfortunately, the saying that there are no former alcoholics is true. Metabolism disturbed by binge drinking can play a cruel joke even after decades. Sometimes a glass of wine is enough to start the binge again. Therefore, it is important to remember: if, after many years of abstinence after drinking alcohol, you begin to sweat, your hands tremble, and you want to drink more, you need to urgently contact a narcologist.

During the rehabilitation period, everyone around the alcoholic must completely exclude alcohol from consumption. At this time, it is good to play sports, especially team sports, and take long walks. At the same time, you need to restore your own health, undermined by alcohol.

Relief of acute intoxication

People call this a hangover. After taking large doses of alcohol or prolonged binges, the patient may not only suffer from sweating, chills, tremors and headaches. A person who gets drunk on vodka can lose his memory and fall into a coma. Today, several methods have been developed that stop chronic drunkenness.

Accelerated hangover relief. It is used mainly by specialized care teams (“hangover cures”). The patient is given a mixture of phenamine, corazol, and nicotinic acid powders. Their number is calculated individually. After 15 minutes, the vitamin is injected intramuscularly. If slight hangover, after 30 minutes the patient is asleep, and after 1.5 hours he feels better.
“Usual” help for a hangover or binge drinking. The patient is given first Activated carbon, then Phenamine. After 15-20 minutes, the stomach is washed.
Help with stupor (profound depression of consciousness). The patient is administered a mixture of Cordiamin, Bemegrin, Corazol, glucose and a large amount of sodium chloride.
Help with coma. Caffeine, Dipiroxime, Etimizole are added to the above mixture. Using a probe, the stomach is washed out.

Systemic treatment of alcoholism

The formation of an aversion to alcohol can be started with 0.5% Apomorphine. It is usually administered shortly after a meal. Ipecac root or emetine are used. The drugs cause sweating, nausea, and hot flashes. The patient's pulse first accelerates sharply, and the pressure drops. In this state, they give you a few grams of alcohol to drink. Painful vomiting begins, during which the pulse slows down. Traditional medicine recommends decoctions of thyme or lamb. They also cause increased sweating, vomiting, nausea, and uneven heartbeat.

Medication, hypnosis, or a combination of both can be used for sensitization. In the medicinal formation of disgust, Teturam is used, which delays the breakdown of alcohol, accompanying this with a number of uncomfortable conditions. Sterile Teturam in our country is known as the Esperal implant (or “Spiral” among the people). Analogs of the drug Esperal are also known in Russia - Abrifid and Radoter.

In the East, hypnosis is used more often. Japanese doctors are confident that they are the best able to comprehend the essence of the disease and choose the right hypnotic technique. Hypnosis is often accompanied by reflexology. Some Russian clinics also use these methods.

Use of psychotropic medications

Neuroleptics, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants are necessary to correct mood and behavior. They're filming painful sensations, sweating due to alcoholism, desire to drink alcohol again.

The wrong dosage can turn alcoholism into drug addiction, or, more simply, into drug addiction.

In Russia, the following are used more often than others:

Benzodiazepine derivatives. Tranquilizers such as Sibazon, Alprazolam, Chlozepid, etc., reduce anxiety, muscle spasms, reduce the amount panic attacks and nightmares. Some help normalize sleep. They relieve irritability, ease withdrawal symptoms, and regulate the functioning of the vegetative-vascular system. However, they can cause weakness, dizziness, and a paradoxical reaction.
Phenothiazines and butyrophenones. These antipsychotics help quickly stop the development of psychosis. The newest Tiapridol quickly relieves psychotic disorders, while simultaneously normalizing sleep and mood. Finlepsin is especially good for getting rid of cramps that occur during abstinence from chronic alcoholism.
Apomorphine, Pyrroxan, Clonidine belong to different groups, but they are all used to relieve withdrawal symptoms.

"Pros and cons"

Not all specialists adhere to the same course of treatment for alcoholism. For example, some claim that Esperal and other implants have not so much a therapeutic effect as a psychological one. For the same reason, they are considered obsolete.

Some narcologists have successfully used nicotinic acid and Furazolidone for sensitization. Their opponents are confident that Trichopolum or Flagid give more stable results.

The list of disagreements can be continued for a long time. It is important to remember one thing: even withdrawal symptoms that appear for the first time are a sign of a serious illness, which can only be cured by specialists. It is they who, based on analyzes and in-depth research, will be able to select the correct course of medications and determine the exact dosages. Self-medication in this case can be fatal. Alcoholism, the treatment of which should occur under the supervision of specialists, will not recede immediately. But healing is possible.

Thank you for your feedback

Comments

Megan92 () 2 weeks ago

Has anyone succeeded in ridding their husband of alcoholism? My drink never stops, I don’t know what to do anymore ((I was thinking about getting a divorce, but I don’t want to leave the child without a father, and I feel sorry for my husband, he’s a great person when he doesn’t drink

Daria () 2 weeks ago

I have already tried so many things, and only after reading this article, I was able to wean my husband off alcohol; now he doesn’t drink at all, even on holidays.

Megan92 () 13 days ago

Daria () 12 days ago

Megan92, that’s what I wrote in my first comment) I’ll duplicate it just in case - link to article.

Sonya 10 days ago

Isn't this a scam? Why do they sell on the Internet?

Yulek26 (Tver) 10 days ago

Sonya, what country do you live in? They sell it on the Internet because stores and pharmacies charge outrageous markups. In addition, payment is only after receipt, that is, they first looked, checked and only then paid. And now they sell everything on the Internet - from clothes to TVs and furniture.

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 onset of dementia and complete collapse socially.

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:

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 lung stage home drunkenness is a 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 of mental states continue to develop - nervousness, aggression, inability to concentrate and perform mental work. As a consequence - strong irresistible craving to drinking alcohol. The second stage is characterized by outbreaks of alcoholic psychosis and 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 occurs 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 alcoholism; there are only long periods of 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, created favorable conditions for patients 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 are drugs that relieve anxiety, irritability, and chronic fatigue, contribute to gentle relaxation and removal of the patient from depressive states associated with alcohol withdrawal - Desipramine, Sinequan, Paroxetine.
Anticonvulsants, such as Finlepsin, help cope with 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. Social adaptation in society plays an important role, interesting job and family relationships.

A retiring alcoholic should remember one thing: 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 years of treatment and remission. Is it worth ruining your life for a sip of alcohol?

Collapse

Chronic alcoholism is a complex of pathological disorders in the body that occurs as a result of constant alcohol intoxication. That is, this is a condition when a person abuses alcohol for a long time, and as a result he develops a persistent psychological dependence.

The concept of chronic alcoholism

What is chronic alcoholism? This pathology begins to develop from simple everyday drinking, which gradually becomes a pathological addiction. Moreover, a person consumes each new dose of alcohol before the body eliminates the previous one. The result is persistent and regular intoxication.

The main factor in the development of this disease is toxic damage to the central nervous system. In this case, there is a negative impact on the brain structures that are responsible for emotional condition a person, a manifestation of his sense of satisfaction. If there are disturbances in the functioning of these centers, a person develops an irresistible craving for alcohol, and the reaction to alcohol also completely changes.

With the development of chronic alcoholism pathological changes undergo all systems and organs at the cellular level. All because of acetaldehyde, which is oxidized in the liver and stomach. It is this substance that poisons the body and, in case of chronic intoxication, significantly suppresses the immune system, the process of hematopoiesis and provokes a deficiency of vitamins and minerals.

Classification

The main classification of chronic alcoholism is divided into stages:

At the first stage, a person is resistant to alcohol, therefore, the amount of alcohol consumed and the craving for it rapidly increase. Increasingly, a person loses control over the situation and memory lapses appear. The psycho-emotional state suffers - frequent changes mood, irritability, manifestations of aggression.
The second stage is characterized by prolonged drinking bouts, a decrease in a person’s performance and intellectual capabilities.
The most difficult period of chronic alcoholism is the third stage. In this case, there will be serious intoxication in the body, which has already provoked various diseases. At this stage, the patient exhibits deep amnesia and mental disorders. And also this advanced form often causes epilepsy.

Chronic alcoholism is a very common disease today. At regular use quality alcohol for men this pathology develops over 8-10 years. For women, this period is shorter, since their body is more sensitive to alcoholic beverages. It is 3-4 years.

Causes

The main reason for the disease to become chronic is regular abuse of alcoholic beverages and a constant increase in dose. The development of this pathology may occur due to immunity to ethyl alcohol. Such people can drink a lot and not get drunk. A large amount of drinking provokes severe intoxication in the body.

Additional factors that lead to chronic alcoholism are:

Drinking alcohol from an early age. Children and adolescents are not yet formed physiologically and socially, so addiction to alcohol develops much faster.
Chronic stress and depression. In this case, a person begins to drink in order to forget about problems and gradually gets involved.

Symptoms and signs

Bright severe symptoms manifests itself during withdrawal syndrome, that is, the period of hangover that occurs after binge drinking. This condition involves somatic, psychological, neurological disorders. Signs of chronic alcoholism occur if a person does not drink the next dose of alcohol.

Physiological signs include:

headache and dizziness;
general weakness;
strong thirst;
increased body temperature;
tachycardia and sometimes pain in the heart area;
high blood pressure;
diarrhea.

Other signs of withdrawal syndrome in chronic alcoholism are irritability, aggression, dysphonia, lack of coordination, and depression. Also, a person has a persistent desire to hangover.

For last stage Chronic alcoholism is characterized by the fact that a person begins to get drunk from small doses of alcohol. And the desire to drink turns into an obsession. At this moment, life principles do not exist for the patient, and it is difficult to argue with him. Because characteristic features Such alcoholism is a complete lack of criticism, the person is prone to hysterical attacks, selfishness, inconstancy, etc. That is, he is degrading as a person.

Attention! Doctors note that the hallmarks of chronic alcoholics are fear and panic, which arise for no reason when sober. As well as the inability of an alcoholic to work mentally or physically without drinking alcohol.

Additionally, as a result of prolonged alcohol abuse, the patient will have signs of disease complications. Such pathological conditions include:

Diseases gastrointestinal tract– gastritis, pancreatitis, fatty hepatosis, cirrhosis, peptic ulcer.
Allergic reaction.
Diseases of the cardiovascular system – ischemic disease heart, arrhythmia, hypertension.
Kidney damage in the form of nephropathy.
Polyneuropathy is a disorder of the functioning of the nerves, which causes sensory disturbances and mild paralysis.

Alcohol psychosis is a common occurrence. According to statistics, this condition is registered in 15% of patients. Signs of psychosis include hallucinations, delusional and paranoid states, delirium or delirium tremens, and epileptic seizures.

Treatment

Alcoholism must be treated comprehensively. But the main condition for therapy is the patient’s awareness of his disease. Only after this will the treatment of chronic alcoholism be successful. A person must have the desire to be treated and change his life completely. Read also the article “Treatment of Alcoholism.”

Treatment regimen:

Detoxification therapy is a drug cleansing of the body from breakdown products of ethyl alcohol.
Psychotherapy. At the same time, narcologists and psychologists must work with the person to suppress psychological dependence.
Symptomatic treatment. This is necessary to relieve the main signs of pathology and treatment is also prescribed concomitant diseases. For this purpose, additional instrumental diagnostics are carried out.
All alcohol addicts need social rehabilitation to restore their social status.
Vitamin therapy.

To carry out complete detoxification, solutions are administered by infusion, which may contain sedatives, diuretics, glucose, hepatoprotectors or stimulants of cerebral circulation. It all depends on the individual situation. Detoxification can last from 3 to 10 days. And also read “Forced treatment for alcoholism.”

Psychotherapy is carried out according to different methods. The right one is chosen depending on the specific situation. Sometimes hypnosuggestive treatment based on suggestion, or stress therapy according to Dovzhenko, is used.

Attention! A very important step for chronic alcoholics is rehabilitation. After basic treatment, a person needs further help, which he can receive in Alcoholics Anonymous groups.

It is impossible to cure chronic alcoholism on your own at home, as it is a complex lesion. But you can take additional herbal infusions and other means traditional medicine. As a complementary treatment it is very effective. You just need to discuss everything with your doctor to avoid allergic reactions. Read further “Folk remedies for alcoholism without the knowledge of the patient.”

Consequences and complications

Complications of chronic alcoholism are very severe pathological conditions which are often irreversible. The central nervous system suffers most from this pathology. the cardiovascular system and liver. Therefore, alcohol abuse leads to fatal outcome from stroke, heart attack, liver cirrhosis, lung cancer and tuberculosis, etc.

Also, the consequences of alcoholism are impotence and infertility in men, decreased libido, and in women miscarriages or the presence of congenital pathologies in the child.

Besides, dangerous consequences Chronic alcoholism can cause various mental disorders. Often this develops schizophrenia, neuroses, etc. In this case, the person is dangerous not only to himself, but also to those around him. Epilepsy is another complication of alcoholism that can lead to death or disability.

The prognosis for chronic alcoholism is not favorable. If a person has been regularly drinking alcohol in large quantities for many years, it will be very difficult for him to give up this bad habit, even after treatment. A few people can really cope with this, but the majority have breakdowns.

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