Statistics show that of all cases of alcoholism, approximately 75% are males. Representatives of the strong half of humanity are victims of this addiction, but it all starts harmlessly: at first a person drinks only on holidays, then on weekends, and after that every day. When a man begins to increase the dose of alcoholic beverages, he develops addiction. Every day it becomes more and more difficult to get rid of this addiction.
Alcoholic drinks in themselves provoke psychological dependence. But social pressure also plays an important role in the development of addiction among men. There is an opinion that people who do not drink are either unhe althy or take drugs that are incompatible with drinking. Alcohol becomes thus an integral part of many people. In this article, we are with you in more detailLet's get acquainted with what the consequences of alcoholism in men can be. You will learn what the symptoms of addiction are, as well as what this addiction is in general.
General description of male alcoholism
When a man drinks only on holidays, it cannot be said that he is an alcoholic. Even drinking alcohol once a week is not capable of provoking a problem, although he alth will not become stronger from this.
Male alcoholism is a systematic use of strong drinks for a very long time, entering into a drunken state, as well as the inability to recognize and accept the problem of addiction. Alcoholism develops in men imperceptibly. First, a person drinks one can of beer with friends for the company, then a bottle after a hard day's work. Gradually, this dose increases, and the male body begins to wear out. Alcoholism in men (the consequences are described in the article) develops in several stages. At the same time, it is necessary to be able to distinguish the symptoms of alcoholism, so that treatment can be started on time.
How is it different from women?
Many believe that beer is a light drink that has a tonic effect on the body. Nowadays, almost every male, when he returns home after a day's work, buys a few cans of this drink in the store to drink in front of the TV. At the same time, it begins to seem that there is no problem.
In medical practice there issuch a term as beer alcoholism. It was found that the addiction to this intoxicating drink is more pronounced among men. As for the girls, in most cases they prefer to drink wine.
In addition, recent studies have also shown that beer abuse is considered to be the reason for lowering the age threshold. An unhe althy addiction to this drink can often be found among teenagers of 14 years of age.
Causes of alcoholism among men
Destroyed families, broken he alth, lost money - all this can be expected from alcohol abuse. Why is a man unable to resist the desire to drink another glass? Experts have identified four types of causes that contribute to the spread of male alcoholism in our society. These should include:
- Socio-economic.
- Genetic.
- Physiological.
- Psychological.
Statistics also show that the tendency to addiction is manifested among the stronger sex, who have a metabolic disorder, liver disease, and instability of the nervous system. These are all physiological problems.
Excessive drinking provokes a mutation in the chromosomes. Those children who appear in the family of an alcoholic are more likely to succumb to the same habit. Genetics play an important role in this process. However, you should pay attention to the fact that bad heredity will not be considered a sentence. The real reason forwhich a man drinks alcohol lies in education. If a child is instilled with he althy lifestyle habits from an early age, then the likelihood of alcohol addiction will decrease to zero.
Socio-economic factors in the development of alcoholism are no less important than others. We grow up surrounded by other people, so sometimes we can adopt other people's habits. Rejection of traditional values, insufficient education can lead to the fact that a man spends his free time with another glass of some strong drink.
Psychological reasons
Psychological reasons deserve special attention. The fact is that the psyche of men changes almost immediately when they become addicted to alcoholic beverages. In this case, stress, depression, panic attacks, as well as anxiety are observed for no reason. The most common psychological causes of alcoholism are fears.
When a man is not confident in himself, he begins to look for ways through which he can become braver. Alcoholic drinks temporarily solve this problem. But upon the onset of sobering up, everything falls into place again, and also gets worse. Any attempt to suppress a psychological problem with alcohol should be regarded as a very red flag.
In all this lies alcoholic psychosomatics. A man simply does not want or cannot deal with life's difficulties that have arisen. The most common cause is death, the loss of a loved one.
Also, general misunderstanding can lead to alcohol addiction. It happens that there is no soul mate around, no one understands or hears a man. In such a society, it is very difficult for alcoholics to find the right words, to convey their thoughts. That is why a man begins to find an easy way to cope with this obstacle.
Stages of alcoholism
We continue to consider the stages and symptoms of alcoholism in men, the consequences of the disease. It should be noted that the dependence will appear gradually, not in one day. The disease progresses from one stage to the next. At the same time, at the initial stage of development, alcoholism is not so easy to notice. Many people confuse it with mood swings. Below we will look at the symptoms, stages, consequences of alcoholism in men.
First stage
The man justifies the desire to drink an alcoholic drink with an emotional state. He doesn't understand the problem. It begins to seem to the patient that his soul seems to be asking for a strong drink. At the same time, the rest of the needs fade into the background for the man, but the addiction has not yet taken the form of pathology.
The man begins to lose control over the amount of alcohol he drinks. All existing boundaries of moderation are erased. It is becoming increasingly difficult for a person to determine when to stop. However, with the next booze, portions of alcohol only increase.
This stage of alcoholism is also characterized by the absence of nausea and gag reflex. However, the drinker's receptors will eventually lose their own sensitivity. Sotime, small doses of alcoholic beverages do not cause any intoxication in a person. The body ceases to resist a large amount of drunk poison.
The intestines are getting worse, the first symptoms of vegetovascular dystonia appear, sleep is disturbed.
Then a new personality begins to form. If some event involves a buffet table, then a potentially independent man is more likely to go to it. Even if the other option is he althier and more interesting, the availability of alcoholic beverages is a priority.
At this stage, men can be from 1 to 10 years, it will depend on the intensity of drinking. Drinkers think they have everything under control and can stop at any moment.
Second stage
At this stage of addiction, a man manifests a psychological need for alcoholic beverages. In addition, a hangover is most severe at this stage of the development of addiction. Experts say that one liter of alcohol is the maximum dose for the human body, but an alcoholic can drink much more at the second stage of addiction development. Such an addiction can be identified by the following symptoms:
- Irritability and aggressiveness.
- Changeable mood. Lack of willpower.
- Exhaustion during exercise.
- Loss of ability to concentrate on the task at hand.
- All wishes boil down todrink.
Symptoms of alcoholism in men and its consequences is an important topic for those who have an alcoholic in the family. If you do not take any measures at the second stage of the development of addiction, then it can all end in delirium tremens. The attack may be accompanied by hallucinations, epileptic seizures and paranoia. That is why it is necessary to know in person the symptoms of alcoholism in men and its consequences.
Third stage
This stage is characterized by the appearance of a desire to get drunk after drinking. The hangover syndrome is so strong that only a new portion can alleviate the position of a man. Characteristic features of the 3rd stage of alcoholism are:
- Prolonged mental disorder.
- Decrease in tolerance to a large dose of an alcoholic beverage, the body begins to "give up" even after drinking a few glasses.
- Binges that occur one after another, the duration increases.
- The drinker's intellectual abilities are noticeably reduced, and memory is also deteriorating.
The patient can be taken out of this stage only by experienced specialists. The psyche of the addict is so disturbed that he simply cannot cope on his own with such an addiction. If this is not done, the consequences of alcoholism in men can be very deplorable, even fatal.
Symptoms and signs
And now it's worth taking a closer look at the symptoms by which you can identify addiction in men. If you don't recognizedependence at an early stage, the unpleasant consequences of alcoholism in men may occur. Dependence can manifest itself in completely different ways, it will depend on the stage of the disease. It is quite difficult to notice signs of dependence in the first stage of alcoholism in men. The consequences in this case can manifest themselves only if the dependence is not eliminated in time. To prevent the formation of this addiction, you should control the frequency of drinking alcohol. If the patient is looking for a reason to drink alcohol, then you should definitely contact a specialist. Otherwise, the consequences of beer alcoholism in men can be very deplorable.
First symptoms
Diagnosing an illness is easiest if you observe the attitude of a representative of the stronger sex to alcohol. If a man falls into an apathetic state when he drinks even one can of beer, then this indicates that he is in the first stage. If you do not know if male alcoholism is being treated, then the answer is yes, but it is very important to identify the symptoms in a timely manner. What are they? Experts identify several signs of this disease, thanks to which it will be possible to diagnose the problem in time:
- Increasing the amount of alcohol you drink.
- Uncontrollable craving for alcohol.
- Insomnia, depression, refusal to eat.
- Lack of interest in friends, other values.
- Lack of self-control, imbalance.
- Delayed response, increased fatigue.
In addition, it should be noted that the more distinct the first symptoms of alcoholism are, the stronger the dependence will be.
Launched cases
We continue to consider the signs and consequences of alcoholism in a man. As for advanced cases, here experts highlight the characteristic symptoms of addiction at the chronic stage of the disease.
First of all, a person has withdrawal symptoms. Psychosis begins to take on a severe form, often accompanied by an epileptic seizure. There are practically no breaks between drinks. In parallel with all this, memory lapses appear.
First of all, such consequences of alcoholism in men affect the psyche. In a neglected state, the alcoholic completely degrades. The man is constantly lethargic, tired, he is not interested in anything.
External signs
Above we figured out what the causes of male alcoholism may be. Now, in more detail, you should familiarize yourself with the external signs of this addiction. External symptoms of male alcoholism are as follows:
- Blueness on lips and nose.
- Face redness.
- Vascular network on the face.
- Tremor of limbs.
Another common symptom of the disease is swelling. An obvious symptom of alcoholism in men is bags under the eyes.
Treatment
And how to deal with male alcoholism? First of all, it should be noted that it will be easier to get rid of this addiction in thatif it is at the first or second stage of its development. Therefore, it is imperative to pay attention to the first signs of male alcoholism. This is very important, because the patient is still able to painlessly refuse alcohol. Thus, you can avoid the unpleasant consequences of male alcoholism.
When a man refuses alcohol, a specialist prescribes medication. For this, an individual course of therapy is compiled, which is able not only to restore the patient's body, but also to block the craving for alcohol. The last longest and most laborious stage is adaptation. A man must learn to live soberly, show interest in new things, put his nerves in order.
Possible complications and consequences of male alcoholism
There are many reasons for addiction. Alcoholism is a disease that destroys a person not only from the outside, but also from the inside. While the patient's body is still young, he is able to easily cope with large doses of alcoholic beverages, and the hangover syndrome does not practically bother a man. However, with age, the effects of alcoholism in men become more severe, and the addiction becomes stronger.
First of all, you need to pay attention to the fact that alcoholic beverages affect the brain. With a hangover, the brain experiences oxygen starvation, due to which a large number of cells in the brain begin to die. That is why the consequences of alcoholism in men are often recorded in the field of neurology.
Social difficulties
For a reasonmental disorders appear problems in the family and close environment. The patient begins to degrade, loses his job, which leads to the loss of all control over himself. An addicted man starts selling electronics and furniture in order to get money for another drink. Some may become addicted to gambling.
Danger for the man himself
Alcoholism can also be dangerous for the patient himself. Experts call this phenomenon manic-depressive psychosis. A person changes dramatically, deep apathy can be replaced by megalomania. A man has some kind of intellectual degradation. In parallel with all this, the work of vital systems in the body is disrupted. The greatest number of deaths due to alcoholism are associated with the heart: heart failure, arrhythmia, death of blood cells. Over time, the liver, lungs begin to break down, muscle and bone tissue is affected.
Physiological effects
No matter how strong the male body is, the consequences of alcoholism will affect the physiology of the patient. First of all, this should include:
- Impotence. The causes of this disease can be very diverse. However, the main one is to block the formation of the male hormone testosterone.
- Ulcer or gastritis of the stomach. The first symptom of these diseases is pain, which is localized in the abdomen.
- Hypertension. In parallel, the chance of developing a stroke increases in men who abusealcoholic beverages.
- Pathology of the liver. These include fibrosis, cirrhosis of the liver, as well as alcoholic hepatitis and hepatosis. The reasons are the increased load on the liver, which passes all the ethyl alcohol through itself.
- Impaired immune system. As a result of this pathology, the likelihood of exposure to infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis or emphysema, increases.
- Ischemia and heart failure. As you know, alcoholic beverages adversely affect the functioning of the heart. That is why the risk of a heart attack in men increases.
Conclusion
As you can see, the consequences of male alcoholism are very deplorable. There is nothing good in drinking alcohol, it is absolutely not justified. Alcohol is destructive to absolutely any gender. This is a proven fact. Therefore, it is necessary to gradually take action in order to remove the drinking of alcoholic beverages from the number of bad habits.
Some people think that alcoholism is a manifestation of masculinity, so men suffer from this addiction, but this is a delusion. Drinking is a sign of weakness.
If you notice the first symptoms of alcoholism in your loved one, you should not hesitate and seek help from a doctor. Only early diagnosis of addiction can eliminate addiction, as well as save a man from possible unpleasant consequences. Remember that there may even be consequences of beer alcoholism in men.
