One of the folk traditions is drinking alcohol. Under normal conditions, she is remembered only during the meeting of a holiday or when there is a significant reason.
If a person voluntarily begins to drink alcohol on weekdays, these are the first signs that the situation is getting out of control. Without outside intervention, he can quickly get used to alcohol, stepping over from the stage of an ordinary habit to the stage of pathological dependence. To help such people, the first test for alcoholism was developed in 1978. After passing it, a potential patient will be able to understand the essence of the problem in time and take all necessary measures to be cured.
How to tell a drunk person from an alcoholic
Despite the fact that many people like to drink alcohol, not all of them can be classified as alcoholics. Alcoholism is a dangerous disease whose existence is officially recognized in the list of the International Classification of Diseases. As a rule, alcoholics do not know how to control themselves and without controlclose associates will drink as much alcohol as they can find. Drunkenness - a person independently decides what he will drink today and in what quantities. That is, if today he got drunk well, then tomorrow he will be able to limit himself to a small dose of alcohol.
Often, under the influence of alcohol, men unwittingly risk their lives, finding themselves in dangerous situations. After all, even a small dose of alcohol affects the communicative functions, and then goes into the area of motor skills. As a result, the drunk man begins to speak unintelligibly and move strangely. He is drawn to strange acts, so he is more likely to be behind the wheel than a drunk woman. These cases have become so frequent that they are reflected in article 12.81 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, which clearly states the punishment of the perpetrator with the deprivation of a driver's license for a couple of years and a fine of at least 30,000 rubles.
Stages in turning a common habit into a serious illness
All people who have consumed alcohol in any quantity are at risk. Therefore, one must be especially careful with this disease.
Specialists have a clear answer to the question of how many stages of alcoholism there are - 5. They differ from each other in the strength of desire that arises in a sick person at the sight of his painful hobby. That is, the better he can cope with himself, the easier it will be to cure him. But it must be borne in mind that no alcoholic will deliberately instill in himself a dangerous addiction, when the absence of alcoholic beverages provokes physical torment and mental changes. Mainthe reasons for the spread of alcoholism are quite harmless. Any case begins with occasional drinking in a close environment on a significant occasion, then turns into solitary drinking, provoked by fleeting desires. The volume of alcoholic drinks consumed increases over and over again, the desire to drink becomes stronger, and only alcohol-containing drinks give the patient a good mood.
The second stage of alcoholism
One of the characteristic features of this stage is the appearance of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. In general terms, this is an obsessive desire to get drunk, expecting that this will help improve overall well-being. He is spurred on by constant irritation and nervous depression. Under the influence of unpleasant sensations, the head hurts, the hands tremble, the heart beats quickly and the pressure rises regularly. But when a person drinks, these sensations disappear.
Such attempts to improve he alth are increasingly repeated, dulling the vigilance of a person, and he does not pay attention to the amount of alcohol he has drunk. Drinking occurs. Each of them changes the human nature of the alcoholic, who begins to deceive everyone, brag for no particular reason, deceive or throw himself at people in fits of frenzied aggression. The inner circle is gradually changing to a new circle of trust, consisting of some drinking companions and those who are able to provide finances or a new portion of alcohol. But this is optional. Many alcoholics, without embarrassment, drink all alone. For them, this is the norm.
The clinical manifestations of the second stage of alcoholism are that the progressivethe drunkard finds it increasingly difficult to control his desire to drink. He no longer needs any reason to do so. As a rule, he just goes to the store, buys alcohol and drinks.
In this case, it is not particularly important how much alcohol is completely eliminated from the body. The patient's body becomes so accustomed to it that he loses all sense of proportion, each time increasing the dose in order to achieve the usual state of intoxication.
When sober, the alcoholic hardly remembers what he did before, and some cases are completely erased from his memory. More neglected patients have complete amnesia when it comes to themselves in a drunken state. They lose the ability to concentrate on something specific, memory deteriorates, and a careless attitude to work and household chores appears.
Signs of the second stage of alcoholism lead the patient to the idea that he is highly dependent on the presence of alcohol. At this stage, some of them independently decide to be treated, some are convinced by their inner circle. Without the intervention of specialists for 10 years, an alcoholic passes to the third stage of the disease
Characteristics of an alcoholic who is at the 2nd stage
A patient with the second stage of alcoholism acutely feels all the delights of an organism infected with toxins. Among them there are headaches, tachycardia, bouts of nausea and vomiting, strange trembling of the limbs. A new dose of alcohol helps to soften, and often completely erase all the moments that disturb a person.
The psychology of an alcoholic can be described by severalcharacteristics that gradually take root in the character of a sick person:
- aggressiveness and anger;
- depression and apathy towards everything outside of alcohol;
- strange actions, atypical for a particular person;
- constant attempts to conflict;
- unrelenting desire to drink.
The patient is less and less likely to come out of his binges, and fleeting sober periods regularly shorten their duration. An interesting fact is that the drinker is very smart and can work very fruitfully. How much alcohol is excreted from the body depends entirely on the state of he alth of the patient. But every time at such moments, the situation changes dramatically, and the person is no longer able to do or think about anything other than a burning desire to drink.
The sober alcoholic is a prime example of an apathetic personality. He quickly gets tired of the simplest actions, and any unflattering word addressed to him can cause an attack of crazy aggression. The level of intelligence is gradually falling, everyday issues are baffling, and the desire to sleep is simply not perceived by the tired brain. Thus, all signs of personality degradation appear.
Among the symptoms of the second stage of alcoholism is the presence of painful seizures. During them, a person shakes from severe convulsions, and, forgetting, he may inadvertently bite his tongue or have the fact of arbitrary urination.
There are frequent cases of hallucinations, popularly known as "delirious tremens". They are accompanied by unreasonable jealousy, whena sick person harasses his partner with constant mockery and nit-picking, not noticing real family problems behind this feeling.
In scientific circles there is a theory about the existence of Korsakov's alcohol psychosis. By this definition, they mean limited sensitivity of the hands and feet, which is absent or manifests itself in conjunction with excruciating pain, as well as periodic amnesia. It can lead to the fact that the alcoholic, waking up in his own bed, does not understand how he ended up here.
Medicated treatment
Drug therapy is carried out in stages. First, special attention is paid to detoxification, aimed at the complete cleansing of internal organs from toxins and substances that alcohol releases during decay. This stage helps the alcoholic get rid of physical cravings for their favorite drink. Gradually, the metabolism returns to normal, and sleep stabilizes. For such purposes, use "Sodium thiosulfate" and "Unithiol".
An equally important place is occupied by work with the psyche of a sick person. In this case, psychotropic drugs or sedative drugs (Aminazine, Levomepromazine) will help. They soften the general tension and irritation, remove unreasonable anxiety and have a vegetative-stabilizing effect on the entire body. But when the question concerns the psyche, in no case should you self-medicate. Only a specialist will be able to correctly prescribe the appropriate drugs and control their effects in order to avoid the development of dependence. To the most popular drugsinclude Diazepam, Elenium, Trioxazine.
For lovers of a non-standard approach, nootropics are suitable. They stabilize the metabolism, helping to reduce dependence on alcohol.
Fans of traditional medicine resort to the equally popular procedure of "coding" a sick person. It is based on the fact that an alcoholic is injected with "Disulfiram", which causes discomfort - headaches, bouts of nausea and vomiting, tachycardia, and so on. In theory, they should cause an aversion to liquor.
Other ways to help
The doctor analyzes the general condition of the patient, his mood and, depending on them, applies one of the methods:
- Aversive treatment - suitable for such cases when the patient resists his own cure. It is based on the fact that specific drugs are added to alcohol, which, when consumed, cause discomfort and very painful sensations (trembling of the hands and feet, tachycardia, anxiety, vomiting, and so on). Most often, "Disulfiram" is chosen for such purposes.
- Detoxification of the body - is the complete cleansing of the diseased body. With the help of droppers, toxins are removed from the body of an alcoholic, and stimulate the immune system to begin the restoration of organs affected by the disease.
- Psychological support and strengthening the interaction of an alcoholic with society.
Doctors emphasize that the ailment under study is a disease of a specific person who cannototherwise show their disagreement with the surrounding reality. Therefore, men in the second stage of alcoholism, women, as well as young people and the elderly, have a hidden need for the help of a psychologist who can correct all angles and direct them to another path of manifestation of ambition. If the drinker himself wants to get rid of his addiction, then the therapy will not work for him to no avail.
What additional pathologies in the work of the body causes alcoholism of the second stage
Among those are:
- inflammation of the digestive tract, provoking the development of new diseases;
- pathologies in the structure and function of the liver, gradually leading to cirrhosis;
- disorders of the central nervous system that kill the lining cells of the brain;
- strokes and microstrokes;
- kidneys gradually fail, thereby provoking the development of insufficiency;
- cardiovascular pathology;
- cramps of arms and legs, atrophy of all muscles and gradual atrophy of skin sensitivity.
As a rule, alcoholics who have reached the second stage of the development of the disease do not even have one he althy and fully functioning organ. The age of the patient, his he alth before the development of alcoholism, genetics, type of alcoholic beverages, and so on, all have an impact. Let some moments slow down the development of pathologies, but without treatment, the final outcome will be the same as that of other chronic alcoholics.
Changes are not limited to organs within the body. The disease also affects the appearance of an alcoholic. Regular lack of water turns the skin into dry and wrinkled something, a poorly functioning liver covers the entire body with age spots, cardiovascular pathologies and suffering kidneys provoke constant swelling that changes the face of an alcoholic to such an extent that his relatives do not recognize him.
Metabolic imbalance takes away from the body and so constantly lacking vitamins and nutrients, which most negatively affects the condition of hair and teeth. The ever-increasing levels of toxins atrophy muscles and joints, and the alcoholic begins to move like a deeply elderly person. Pathologies of the circulatory system in the brain area disrupt the overall coordination. The patient begins to look much older than his real age.
Changes in the psyche, intelligence and social interaction of the alcoholic with society
The intellect of an alcoholic, starting from the second stage of the development of the disease, is rapidly falling, the psyche is changing and social rejection develops due to the rejection of social rules. The mood of the patient is rapidly changing, introducing a close environment into a stupor. For example, having sipped the first glasses of alcohol, he is cheerful, joyful and quite friendly. But when the degree of intoxication goes further, the good mood changes to a gloomy state and vicious aggression. During periods of sobriety, the patient is irritable and almost constantly depressed. He himself does not know what he is afraid of, which brings him to despair and excruciating anxiety. Such peopleoften commit suicide.
Sick people cannot talk globally about their own problems. They see only the pinnacle of the disease and are simply unable to understand what it can lead to. Their memory regularly suffers amnesia attacks, and mental work leads to headaches and loss of strength. The character changes significantly, willpower and a sense of responsibility for any misconduct disappear. Psychosis develops, instilling in the patient an unusual cunning and amazing resourcefulness, which help to manipulate the people around him. He can quite plausibly cheat, get out of any situation, or try to evoke pity on the way to another dose of alcohol.
The social interaction of the alcoholic with society is gradually weakening. At the beginning of the development of the disease, he works and studies, but from the second stage of dependence, all the interests of the patient that are not associated with alcohol and alcoholic beverages disappear. He skips work, not wanting to work without the coveted bottle or money for it. Therefore, most alcoholics are fired. The need for learning is forgotten over time. Chronic patients are looking for a job that gives quick money and does not interfere with drinking at any time of the day or night.
The second stage of alcoholism destroys all non-alcoholic interests. Even if a person previously had a favorite business that brings special moral satisfaction, it will still get out of the way of such a merciless disease. There remains one craving that is characteristic of all alcoholics - gambling.
Most alcoholics go withoutfamilies. For the sake of the next dose of alcohol, they are ready to do anything: sell any thing of any value, steal from the general budget, demand from a partner, preliminarily harming his he alth or morale. The internal boundaries of acceptable behavior are erased, and the alcoholic, without hesitation, crosses them. Some individuals succumb more than others to immoral inclinations, joining the ranks of inveterate criminals.
Disease spread rate
Specialists have proved that each stage of alcoholism can cause the death of a patient. Therefore, this pathology took 3rd place in the list of the most dangerous diseases, giving way to oncology and cardiovascular diseases. How long they live in the last stage of alcoholism depends on the previous lifestyle of any patient.
Not so long ago, this disease covered about 10% of the world's population. Now that number has risen to 30%. Most of them are women who are sentenced to death by this diagnosis.
Alcoholism test
The patient has difficulty accepting the reproaches of loved ones and aggressively rejects any attempt to arrange a meeting with the doctor. He believes that he can forget about alcohol when he wants to, and ridicules allusions to his addiction. Therefore, tests that determine the degree of dependence on alcohol will not help him: the patient will give deceptive answers so that he is not forced to be treated.
For such people, a special technique has been developed that reveals hidden signs of the disease. Scientists are the authorsYakhin and Mendelevich. It consists of 25 clarifying questions, designed in a neutral tone, so as not to arouse suspicion in the patient and thus achieve the most truthful answers from him. The time of work with the test does not take more than 15 minutes. Its results are obtained in the form of points, the decoding of which is indicated in the corresponding tables.
If the patient refused to take the test or if he is so degraded that he is no longer able to concentrate, then the diagnosis can be clarified using other methods.
