Alcohol addiction creeps up unnoticed. The danger of this disease is that a person is unable to notice alarming symptoms in time and diagnose himself with alcoholism. Alcoholism is a chronic disease that lasts throughout a person’s life and has severe consequences. Predisposition to this disease is determined by genes and lifestyle.

Alcoholism - chronic illness

How to recognize alcoholism?

Alcoholic drinks today are a popular product that is in constant demand. It’s impossible to list how many of their types and varieties on the shelves attract people’s attention. Alcoholic drinks contain one or another proportion of a powerful neuroparalytic poison - ethyl alcohol. This highly toxic substance destroys the entire human body. In fact, alcohol can be called a universal poison, because it is addictive and forces a person to take it voluntarily.

The main criterion for recognizing people as alcoholics is the symptoms of their severe craving for alcohol. At first it appears psychological, and soon physical dependence from this substance. The man who achieved last stage alcoholism, completely loses its worldview and value in society.

Research results have shown that alcohol affects absolutely all organs in the body. Malfunctions in the functioning of the human cerebral cortex caused by alcohol have irreversible consequences. They manifest themselves in disruption of thinking, concentration, coordination of movements, and intellectual degradation. The brain, trying to get rid of toxins, tries to remove them through increased kidney function, so urination becomes more frequent.

There is a deceptive sensation of warmth as the subcutaneous capillaries dilate, increasing blood flow to the skin. This is the main cause of death for drunk people who fall asleep on the street in winter. Alcohol is a terrible poison for liver cells, leading to cirrhosis and cancer. All digestive and cardiovascular organs are affected. IN last degree alcohol intoxication an even more frightening consequence arises in the form of a mental disorder called delirium tremens.

There are three stages in the development of alcoholism

There are external signs of alcoholism:

• Low social status, since a person is not able to earn a living in this state.
• Binge drinking periods lasting one day or longer.
• The body's protective reflex to large doses of poison disappears - vomiting.
• Increasing tolerance to ethanol.
• The presence of withdrawal symptoms, that is, a hangover.
• As a result of drunkenness, a person's appearance inevitably and quickly changes for the worse. This is first reflected in the skin, its structure and color, as well as enlarged veins.

There are three officially recognized modern medicine stages of development of alcoholism, with varying degrees of complexity. But we can also single out a fourth, which, together with the third, is the last facet. From now on, only doctors can help a person. To understand how to determine the stage of alcoholism, it is enough to know the main symptoms of each of them.

First stage

The first stage of alcoholism has signs of weak psychological dependence. There is an increase in interest in drinking alcohol, which is more pronounced when intoxicated. If a person is sober, he can refuse drinking. However, a failed feast causes a negative reaction and irritation.

The person continues to be active social life. Drinking alcohol is normal, and before drinking, your mood improves dramatically. The first stage of alcoholism is dangerous because signs of tolerance to alcohol increase imperceptibly. This is an alarming symptom, gradually leading to an increase in single doses and drunkenness. The urge to vomit disappears even with large portions of alcohol. The feeling of satiety with alcohol is dulled, and this leads to multi-day drinking bouts. After this, an asthenic state occurs.

The first stage is characterized by an increase in interest in drinking alcohol

A person’s behavior also changes towards negligence, a free manner of behavior, and a not entirely adequate reaction to the situation. There are no special physical abnormalities at this stage of alcoholism. But the more often the body’s defense mechanisms are disrupted due to drunkenness, the faster the disease will develop. The first stage of alcoholism does not always lead to progression of the disease.

Its duration ranges from three to fifteen years. A person can completely get rid of the craving for alcohol on his own if he switches his attention to some activity that excludes drinking alcohol.

Second stage

The second stage of alcoholism has symptoms of an obsessive, inescapable addiction to drinking. The patient literally lives waiting for the moment to drink alcohol. A maximum level of tolerance arises, at which an alcoholic drinks at least half a liter of vodka or other alcoholic beverages per day. At the peak of tolerance, the dose may increase to two liters. The second stage of alcoholism is characterized by the fact that the craving for alcohol increases uncontrollably after taking a critical dose.

Moreover, this dose decreases as the disease progresses. In a sober state at the second stage of alcoholism, dependence is weakened. But ideation disorders are observed, accompanied by vivid memories of the previous feast. Patients' craving for alcohol may appear and disappear for a while. There are even periods of their resistance to the disease.

At this stage of development of the disease, the change in their personality is increasing. The ability to control alcohol consumption is almost completely lost. Main symptom characterizing the second stage is withdrawal syndrome. As it develops, it forces the patient to become hungover even after small doses of alcohol.

The second stage of alcoholism is characterized by a constant desire to drink

The period of time preceding the hangover syndrome is shortened and, in accordance with this, the patient’s condition becomes more and more severe. The duration of withdrawal syndrome at this stage of alcoholism can initially be from one day and, in severe cases, reach ten days.

Third stage

Stage 3 of alcoholism is characterized by signs of a strong decrease in tolerance to alcohol. It is also called encephalopathic, as signs of alcoholic encephalopathy and epileptiform seizures are observed. Increased desire occurs not only in a state of intoxication, but also in a sober state. The third stage of alcoholism has, in most cases, irreversible consequences.

It is dangerous because psychological dependence is reinforced by physical dependence, and all the signs of illness appear. Natural hormones are blocked by alcohol, and the person simply cannot stop. The dose of ethanol consumed increases many times, and the body no longer reacts with nausea to severe intoxication. At this stage alcohol addiction withdrawal syndrome lasts longer and longer and is often accompanied by psychosis.

Patients often experience acute alcoholic psychosis– delirium that lasts from two to five days. In severe cases, delirium can plague them for up to three weeks. He is accompanied visual illusions, nightmares, body trembling, sweating with sudden unpleasant smell. At this stage of alcoholism, psychiatric and intensive care assistance is required.

Attempts to alleviate the condition by taking new portions of alcohol lead to long-term binge drinking. Drinking alcohol no longer causes euphoria. The state of intoxication occurs with the manifestation of aggressiveness or stupor and passivity of patients. In the third stage of alcoholism, symptoms of lapses in their memory are often observed. Throughout the course of the disease, personality degradation occurs, as well as social, work and family maladjustment.

The third stage of alcoholism leads to severe consequences for the body, since the number of lesions of internal organs becomes maximum and leads to alcoholic visceropathy. Symptoms of gastritis are detected, peptic ulcer stomach, cirrhosis, hepatitis. Diseases of the heart, lungs, kidneys and endocrine system, not to mention injuries to the head and limbs. Tuberculosis is very dangerous for an alcoholic, since it is much more severe in an organism with a weakened immune system.

If you try to forcefully stop drinking, you can experience aggressiveness and all the symptoms of withdrawal, like a drug addict. The third stage of alcoholism makes alcoholics socially dangerous, as they strive to drag their relatives and others into drunkenness.

The third stage of alcoholism often has irreversible consequences

Fourth stage

The last stage of alcoholism is marked by a steady decrease in tolerance to alcohol and the final dysfunction of the most important internal organs. Numerous pathological changes cause growth malignant tumors. The intention to forcibly remove patients from binge drinking can result in their death.

At the fourth stage of alcoholism, people completely degrade psychologically and physical level. Their only goal is to find the next dose of ethanol. An alcoholic takes everything indiscriminately, even windshield wiper. Suicides are common in severe cases of alcohol intoxication. The fourth stage usually has irreversible consequences and ends in painful death.

How many lives have been destroyed and taken away by addiction to alcohol! But the forecast is disappointing. Scientists say that in ten years the country's gene pool could be destroyed only because of spreading alcoholism. Information about its stages and consequences can help determine the extent of the disease in patients and decide Urgent measures to free them from addiction.

Since alcoholism is considered as a progressive disease with a specific etiology (long-term alcohol intoxication), it is quite obvious that the disease has its beginning, apogee and outcome. In this regard, three stages of disease development are distinguished.

Stages of alcoholism

First stage manifests itself as a pathological craving for alcohol, patients lose control over the amount of alcohol they drink, and their tolerance to alcohol increases. One can see a transition from episodic to systematic drinking. Withdrawal syndrome at this stage is not yet expressed. Mental disorders manifest themselves in the form of “neurasthenia-like” symptoms: vegetative-vascular dystonia, sleep disorders, and appetite are noted. As intoxication increases, personality traits become sharpened or deformed. At the same time, a decrease in interest in social life, work, and family begins to appear. Initial duration stages of alcoholism varies - from one year to 8-10 years.

Second (drug addiction) stage. The craving for alcohol becomes more pronounced. Here aas is already clearly manifested and maximum tolerance to alcoholic beverages is established (from 500.0 to 1500.0 ml of vodka). At this stage of alcoholism, during the “bright” periods of time free from alcohol consumption, the mental and physical state of patients changes. It is difficult for them to concentrate, fatigue occurs during intellectual stress, irritability, anxiety, and various unpleasant somatic sensations appear. Drinking the first dose of alcohol in this state gives a feeling of physical and mental comfort, significantly improves ability to work and causes a constant desire for repeated, frequent and massive alcoholic excesses, which leads to changes in behavior and conflicts in everyday life and at work. At the same time, personal changes become more noticeable, imbalance, rapid exhaustion, changes in motives and motivations become noticeable, which indicates defeat volitional sphere. This is confirmed by the manifestation of an irresistible attraction to alcohol. Emotions become frivolous, superficial, and “alcoholic humor” appears. According to P.B. Gannushkin, such “humor” is a sign of coarsening in psychopathic individuals due to weakening of self-control during alcohol intoxication. General moral and moral coarsening is also expressed; patients are overexcited and aggressive. Emotions are superficial, characterized by lability and instability (E. Bleuler). The range of interests narrows, the ability to memorize decreases.

During the drug addiction stage, episodic psychotic disorders in the form of delirium or paranoia. They most often develop during the period of abstinence after long-term abuse alcohol. Many believe that such manifestations indicate the first organic symptoms with a subsequent increase in signs of toxic encephalopathy.

Third (initial, encephalopathic) stage accompanied by weighting. At this stage of alcoholism, various psychoses manifest themselves to a greater degree and are observed. Alcohol tolerance decreases. Almost all patients experience binge drinking or systematic drunkenness. Withdrawal occurs even after taking very small doses of alcohol. Mental and physical dependence on alcohol is so pronounced that somatic disorders during abstinence can be life-threatening for the patient. Patients drink daily, continuously, a kind of “saturation” of the body with the “necessary” amount of alcohol occurs. The patient drinks alcohol “as a medicine” necessary to relieve withdrawal symptoms.

Here, the decrease in the level of personality is rude, distorting the personality, devastating it. Memory and intelligence are sharply reduced, the degradation of personality is such that interest not only in one’s profession, work, but also in one’s destiny disappears, all interests are reduced to drinking. Many patients at the final stage of the disease experience apathy, lethargy, and inaction.

Forms of abuse in alcoholism can be different, for example, according to the type of pseudo-binge with a duration from 2-3 days to 1-1.5 weeks, with abstinence from 2-3 days to 1-1.5 weeks, or according to the type of constant drunkenness (or intermittent) against a background of high tolerance.

Symptoms of alcoholism

The axial (core) symptom of alcoholism is a pathological attraction to drinking alcohol. At the same time, addiction to alcohol and pathological dependence on it develop. There are mental dependence (the need to change one’s mental state with the help of alcohol) and physical dependence (the need to relieve the discomfort of physical well-being that develops in the absence of alcohol influence).

The cause of pathological craving for alcohol has not been fully elucidated. The clinic distinguishes between primary attraction (mental dependence), which is not associated with either intoxication or a hangover (hangover syndrome); They also distinguish the craving that occurs in a state of intoxication after taking any amount of alcohol (loss of control over the amount taken), and, finally, the pathological craving during the period of withdrawal (hangover) syndrome, which develops after stopping drinking alcohol. A. a. tailors and etc. n. Pyatnitskaya believe that it is possible to distinguish a type of drive caused by an obsessive idea, which patients try to fight, especially at the beginning of the disease, and a type of drive within the framework of a compulsive idea (an idea that is compulsive, violent in nature), which gives the personality of an alcoholic a special character . This position is not generally accepted, but in many cases it is confirmed by observational practice.

The symptom of primary craving for alcohol (not associated, unlike the secondary one, with the presence of ethanol in the body) at the onset of the disease is very often situationally conditioned, i.e. It occurs in situations that are habitually associated with drinking. Outwardly, it is expressed in actively taking initiative in preparation for drinking, eliminating any obstacles that could “thwart” excesses. At the same time, patients experience a “lifting of spirit”; they joyfully anticipate the upcoming pleasant procedure. This symptom observed in the first stage of alcoholism (in the absence of withdrawal symptoms and the need to recover from a hangover).

The primary attraction to alcohol is evidenced by objective signs: changes in facial expressions, their revival when remembering alcohol; affective disorders - “nervousness” or low mood; vegetative-reflex manifestations, expressed especially before meals (salivation with hypersalivation, swallowing movements, “suction” in the stomach up to the sensation of the taste of alcohol in the mouth). All thoughts of patients are concentrated on alcohol, they remember the previously experienced “pleasure” after drinking, think about new “plans”, happily anticipating their implementation. Primary pathological craving for alcohol is often divided by severity (mild and moderate variants), by the severity of the craving with the presence or absence of components of a struggle of motives (obsessive-like and compulsive), by the patient’s ability to overcome the craving (“overwhelming” and “irresistible”), by the extent attraction (partial and total), by the nature of manifestation (constant and periodic), by connection with situational moments (spontaneously arising and conditioned by situational factors).

The primary pathological attraction to alcohol with an irresistible nature is observed in stages II and III of alcoholism. Here its occurrence is spontaneous and immediately reaches intensity, leading to immediate consumption of alcohol. At the same time, patients can neglect any rules of morality, ethics, morality.

Pathological craving for alcohol while intoxicated (or loss of quantitative control over what is drunk) indicates the inability of a patient with alcoholism to limit alcohol intake to a small amount. The first doses of alcohol in such cases cause an intense craving for further consumption, as a result of which the patient develops a state of pronounced intoxication. Loss of control, as well as the need to get drunk, is a manifestation secondary drive to alcohol. In practice, the term “pathological craving for alcohol while intoxicated” is more often used.

Secondary attraction to alcohol can occur in the i, ii, and iii stages of the development of alcoholism. In stage III, pathological attraction often develops with loss of situational control.

Changes in tolerance to alcohol are also an obligate symptom of alcoholism. According to h. h. Ivanets et al. (2006), a symptom of increasing tolerance is identified, when the initially consumed amount of alcohol no longer causes the previous states of intoxication and therefore patients increase the dose by two to three times. At the same time, the protective vomiting reflex, moderate or severe intoxication occurs.

It is always difficult to determine when everyday drinking ends and the first stage of alcoholism begins, since it is common for addicted people to hide their addiction from others or deliberately downplay the frequency and amount of drinking. However, the point is not that the patient is a liar by nature, but that personality changes occur, which are provoked by regular drinking of alcohol. A dependent person hides only those facts that concern him addiction, although such behavior does not bring any benefit to him.

Physical symptoms of the first stage of alcoholism

As a result of prolonged alcohol abuse, a person develops addiction. The speed of its onset depends on hereditary predisposition, general condition health, liver problems, speed metabolic processes. However, on average, alcoholism develops within 3-12 months from the onset of abuse, and in women this happens faster than in men. The appearance of physical dependence is accompanied by the following symptoms:

1. The gag reflex disappears.
2. The frequency of drinking increases.
3. The person begins to get hungover.
4. Ethanol tolerance increases.

The initial manifestation of the first stage of alcoholism is the suppression of the gag reflex, which does not appear even as a result of drinking an excessive amount of strong drinks. Every person who drinks alcohol at least sometimes knows his dose, when exceeded, he begins to feel worse, nausea and vomiting appear - this is the body’s reaction to toxic poisoning. If abuse becomes regular and degree 1 of dependence occurs, defense mechanisms become dulled, so natural cleansing The gastrointestinal tract does not occur from poisons. As a result, intoxication becomes very strong, and memory loss becomes deeper.

At the same time, the frequency of drinking alcohol increases - a person begins to drink up to 3 times a week. the next morning is present, but since aversion to alcohol does not occur, the patient begins to hangover to make him feel better. This allows him to continue drinking, as a result of which the person goes on a multi-day binge. At domestic drunkenness The very thought of drinking alcohol while hungover causes discomfort and even the urge to vomit, so there can be no question of continuing the feast.

For your information:

In cases of habitual abuse, a person may jokingly call himself an alcoholic. With addiction, any indication of drunkenness provokes anger and aggression in the patient.

The next symptoms of the first stage of alcoholism are increased tolerance to alcohol and the development of psychological dependence, while the person himself does not notice the changes and continues to believe that he drinks no more than others. In case of everyday drunkenness, a person needs an average of 100 g to achieve intoxication. strong drinks, but with increasing tolerance he has to increase this volume by 3-4 times.

Psychological symptoms

Due to a decrease in tolerance to alcohol-containing drinks, aversion to alcohol does not arise after a feast, and drinking improves well-being. As a result, a person begins to drink much more often and completely loses control over the amount of drinks consumed. At the mental level, addiction develops, which is accompanied by characteristic symptoms:

• frequent thoughts about alcohol;
• looking for reasons to drink;
• constant mention of alcohol in conversations;
• the desire to justify the actions of drunken people;
• improving mood before a feast;
• loss of interest in other entertainment;
• conflicts and problems at work due to drunkenness;
• denial of the fact of dependence;
• manifestations of aggression towards loved ones.

Due to the formed mental dependence, the condition begins to worsen physical health person, from that moment on he constantly feels unwell even when sober. Many alcoholics believe that alcohol improves their ability to work, and this is partly true, since drinking a glass temporarily eliminates thoughts about alcohol that prevent concentration. Irritability disappears, the person becomes active, but regular abuse leads to conflicts with superiors, followed by dismissal.

Treatment of the first stage of alcoholism

When the first stage of alcoholism develops, a person urgently needs treatment, since at this stage it is still possible to prevent irreversible disorders, including such dangerous diseases as cirrhosis, kidney failure, and encephalopathy. At an early stage, the patient is diagnosed with somatoneurological disorders that require gentle treatment without hospitalization.

If alcoholism is suspected, the patient needs to be examined at a medical institution, but seeking help from specialized centers on early stage may not be required. In such cases, it is carried out symptomatic therapy- patients often suffer from digestive disorders, vegetative-vascular dystonia, initial signs liver dysfunction. Treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis, so the person can continue to go to work, and isolation is usually not required because health complications have not yet become irreversible.

For your information:

At the initial stage of alcoholism, patients already show symptoms of hepatitis. Initially, liver function can be completely restored, but the disease progresses rapidly.

The main problem is that the person denies the fact of addiction, so he needs psychological treatment, which can take place in the form of group or individual lessons. The task of specialists is to convince the patient to accept the problem and understand the risk of negative consequences that may result from continued alcohol abuse. It is important that the person’s relatives join in the treatment, collecting evidence that alcohol is ruining his life. Only a complex effect will help the patient understand that he is sick and stop drinking regularly.

Attention!

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

Alcoholism is rightfully considered one of the most dangerous problems of humanity. And this is correct, because as soon as alcoholic beverages began to be sold freely, a considerable number of women and men began to drink them in large quantities, thereby leading this habit to the development of alcoholic binge.

The psychosomatics of alcoholism lies in the weakness of will of people who believe that they cannot stop drinking, and therefore do not try to do so. However, with the constant consumption of strong drinks, many diseases develop that pose a danger to human health. As a result, since the presence of diseases, constant remissions and psychosomatic disorders do not allow a person to get out of the alcohol hole and start a new happy and healthy life.

Alcoholism stage symptoms and consequences of which every lover of drinking alcohol should know is serious illness, causing disturbances the functioning of internal organs, the functioning of the brain and the central nervous system. To prevent this, you need to know the pathogenesis of alcoholism and understand that this hobby is only harmful to human health.

Types and forms of alcoholism

Like many modern diseases, alcoholism has certain features, consisting in the ability to develop this disease.

Today doctors distinguish the following types of alcoholism:

• female;
• chronic;
• drunken;
• hereditary;
• secret;
• children's

Each causes serious disruption to the body’s functioning, so it is important to identify it in time and begin to treat it. Attention - these types of binge drinking have different symptoms and shape, so every lover of strong drinks should constantly monitor own health, since alcoholism develops quite quickly.

Alcoholism is considered a serious problem of the current generation, therefore, in order to make the correct diagnosis, as well as prescribe the right decision, doctors identify the following forms this state, which narcologists primarily pay special attention to:

• True binge drinking. They develop as a result of frequent drinking of alcohol and are characterized by a strong craving for these drinks. Remissions in this case occur quite rarely.

Attention: the risk factors for alcoholism, which characterizes true binge drinking, are quite well known and modern, so any reasons for the development of binge drinking will cause this form diseases in alcoholics.

• Malignant alcoholism. It develops mainly in women and children who grow up in families of alcoholics. It is important to note that this form is characterized by frequent breakdowns, which after 5 years can cause personality degradation. Remission from alcoholism brings a lot to the alcoholic unpleasant symptoms, which can only be gotten rid of by taking anti-alcoholism medications (today you can purchase them on the Internet).
• Symptomatic alcoholism. How does this form of binge drinking develop? At frequent use Strong drinks cause the development of mental illness in humans. And if, along with this, the alcoholic has “his own” diseases in remission (heart disease, epilepsy, etc.), this leads to the appearance of symptomatic alcoholism, which is largely considered a binge. In this case, the fight for the health of the drunkard is carried out by performing complex treatment, which will remove dangerous alcoholic substances from the body, as well as normalize the functioning of internal organs.

Treatment for alcoholism is carried out depending on its form and remission of this condition. It must be carried out according to a doctor’s indications in order to quickly get rid of alcoholism and not cause the development of unpleasant consequences.

Symptoms of alcoholism

Developing alcoholism, which has a chronic course, is subject to some characteristic symptoms, which develop already at the initial stage of the disease. These include:

• constant desire to drink;
• loss of control when drinking strong drinks;
• gradual excess of one’s own daily dose, which causes the absence of vomiting, which characterizes ethanol poisoning of the body;
• frequent alcohol remissions;
• the appearance of a strong desire to drink at a certain period of time;
• loss of one's own values ​​and hobbies.

If we speak in in simple language, the alcoholic will not realize that he is sick, since he will not be able to notice all the changes that have occurred in the body. Once these symptoms appear, physical dependence occurs. The symptoms of this condition are:

• after drinking alcohol, joy and good mood are replaced by irritability and aggression;
• develops ;
• an alcoholic finds any excuse to drink;
• a person often begins to suffer from memory impairment.

These emerging symptoms indicate that it is necessary to carry out treatment, since a relapse of alcoholism will greatly aggravate the functioning of the body over time.

Stages of the disease

Today, in the treatment of alcoholism, it is customary to distinguish 3 stages of this disease and prodrome - this is a state when a person drinks alcohol every day, but is not yet an alcoholic, but is at risk. At this stage, the future drunkard drinks only in the company of friends and never drinks alcohol alone.

First stage

This stage is accompanied by a strong attraction to alcoholic drinks. In this case, a person needs alcohol just like water or food. Especially often, the desire to drink intensifies in quarrels or when severe stress. If alcohol is available to a person, he will drink large dose, it doesn’t matter whether he is in company or alone. In this case, people drink a lot after the end of a holiday or other event.

Characteristic signs of this condition are aggressiveness, memory loss, and irritability. At the same time, in this state, a person still denies his dependence and tries to look decent in front of other people.

Alcoholism, the symptoms and consequences of which cause a lot of harm to health, is treated by following comprehensive measures, which will quickly restore the body and normalize its functioning.

Second stage

This stage is characterized by an increase in the amount of alcohol a person can drink at one time. In this case, the ability to control oneself is lost after taking the first dose of alcohol. With a long course of the second stage, withdrawal syndrome develops, the signs of which are vomiting when eating, increased blood pressure, sleep disturbance or insomnia, tremors of the limbs, tachycardia. These symptoms, in themselves, cause severe deterioration in health, so what can we say about negative action on the body of strong drinks? At this stage, the development of delirium tremens, hallucinations and chills is already possible.

Third stage

Alcohol and alcoholism cause a lot of harm to health, especially if it occurs in the third stage. In this case, the drunkard develops tolerance to alcohol - a person only needs to take small dose alcohol (at least one glass) so that it causes intoxication. With the subsequent drinking of alcohol, the alcoholic’s state practically does not change. At the third stage, uncontrolled drinking of alcohol occurs, the absence of which will cause anger and aggression in a person.

Alcoholism, the classification of which is important for staging correct diagnosis, is considered a serious disease that must be treated in short term– then it will be possible to avoid negative consequences for the body.

Consequences of drunkenness for the body

Alcoholism, the risk factors of which show a person why alcohol dependence may occur, causes a large number of consequences for the body that cannot be called positive for health. , leading to serious damage resulting in death large quantities cells. This causes a lot of diseases, for example, stroke, which in themselves are dangerous to health.

Also, alcohol-containing products disrupt the psycho-emotional background, which leads to frequent aggression, panic, and clouding of reason. Long-term drinking of alcohol leads to the development of delirium tremens, in which the alcoholic himself does not understand what he is doing - this can lead to unpleasant consequences for him and those around him. As a result, this causes personality degradation, which is especially dangerous in the absence of hobbies, work and family.

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Alcoholism has been considered a problem in Russia since ancient times. Drinking strong drinks has turned into drunkenness, people are dependent on alcohol, and some are ready to give everything they have for an extra bottle - family, work, position in society, and most importantly - health and even life. Addiction to ethanol-containing drinks is spreading at an unprecedented rate.

Almost every day, every person encounters people whose examples can be used to study the stages of alcoholism. According to World Health Organization data presented for 2012, alcohol consumption in the country reached more than 16 liters per capita. At that time, Russia occupied fifth place in the table with a list of all countries in the world, we were overtaken by Moldova, Hungary, Uganda and the Czech Republic.

Today, there are almost two thousand alcoholics per 100,000 people. The statistics on alcohol consumption among teenagers are alarming. IN last years the situation has improved somewhat.

Experts believe that this happened due to an increase in the well-being of the population, the emergence of conditions for appropriate physical development. However, the problem of excessive consumption of ethanol-containing drinks still remains relevant. According to medical reference books that describe in detail the stages of alcoholism, this chronic disease is the most common form of substance abuse, which manifests itself in the form of physical and mental dependence on alcohol. regular use alcoholic drinks.

The pathology is accompanied characteristic changes emotional state, disorders of the internal organs and psyche. The disease does not develop immediately. Some drink alcohol for years, thinking that they can give it up at any time, but in fact, even an addiction to alcohol “only on weekends” and “only five drops” is also considered by narcologists to be a pathological attachment.

The problem is relevant for both women and men. Experts have noticed that children in families where parents suffer from chronic drunkenness are more likely to become victims of addiction. Psychologists associate this fact with the formation wrong image behavior with early age. A quick addiction to alcoholic drinks develops due to the effect of ethanol on the nervous system. After alcohol is absorbed into the blood, a condition quickly sets in. emotional excitement, euphoria. Problems recede, a person feels confident and relaxed.

They want to be in this state more and more often, and patients do not notice that in order to achieve relaxation they require an increasing amount of alcoholic beverages. Over time, alcohol causes destructive processes in nerve cells, resulting in changes mental state become irreversible. Ethanol is predominantly excreted through the liver, so regardless of the stage of alcoholism, this organ suffers first. Then the pathology affects gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, brain.

Due to a deficiency of vitamins and minerals, the condition of the skin, hair, and nails worsens. Such changes are accompanied by progressive social degradation. In total, there are three stages of alcoholism, although some narcologists, depending on common symptoms, changes in the physiological and mental state of the patient also describe the fourth degree of the disease. At the initial stage, the symptoms of the pathology are reversible. A person is drawn to alcohol, the consumption of strong drinks goes beyond the usual rest at the end of the week.

Signs of addiction to alcohol are not very pronounced, and according to experts, you can do without drug treatment. The most striking symptom of the second stage is the desire to get drunk. Moreover, after drinking alcohol again, your well-being and mood improve, and often the “holiday” continues. As a rule, even if you want to stop drinking alcohol constantly, a person cannot do it without outside help. At the third stage, disturbances in the physiology of internal organs become irreversible.

Acquaintances from your previous life are replaced by new “friends” with the same addiction to alcohol. At this stage, even if you give up drinking, the full functioning of your organs is impossible. The fourth stage is characterized by fatal damage to the liver and cardiovascular system.

The person is inadequate, often suffers from memory loss, and neglects hygiene. As a rule, the disease ends at this stage fatal. When the first signs of alcoholism appear, family involvement and support is very important. In addition, doctors now offer many in various ways who can cope with the disease in the second or even third stage of alcoholism. It is enough to contact a specialized clinic, and the doctor will help you choose a treatment method and explain the principle of therapy using videos and photos.

Alcohol addiction: how to determine the stage of the disease, symptoms and consequences of alcoholism

For self-determination stages of addiction to alcoholic beverages, it is not necessary to visit a doctor.

Doesn't exist and laboratory tests who can answer this question.

Moreover, the doctor prescribes studies to assess the condition of internal organs after prolonged exposure to alcoholic beverages.

In a clinic that promises to eliminate alcohol addiction, a qualified psychologist can assess the patient’s condition.

But you can draw a conclusion about how far the disease has progressed by paying attention to the symptoms characteristic of each stage of the pathology. In addition to the generally accepted classification of alcoholism, there is another system proposed by E.E. Bechtel, a famous Russian psychiatrist, author of more than 80 works on the topic of drunkenness and drug addiction. But many experts consider this classification to be insufficiently informative and not reflective of the general changes occurring in the human body.

Thus, in accordance with the Bechtel taxonomy, the following categories of patients are distinguished:

• Abstinence sufferers who consume alcohol no more than 2-3 times a year (that is, only on holidays), and the total volume of alcohol consumed does not exceed 200 ml.
• Casual drinkers. To this category E.E. Bechtel classifies people who drink lightly, but several times a month, as big company. The amount of alcohol consumed does not exceed 200 g in one evening.
• Moderate drinkers. At this stage, patients already have a craving for alcoholic beverages. As a rule, this is timed to coincide with the end of the work week and 300-400 ml of alcohol is drunk.
• Systematic users. A person is constantly looking for a reason to “celebrate” something, drinks alcohol up to 4 times a week, 200-300 ml.
• Habitual drinkers. Alcohol dependence syndrome gradually becomes uncontrollable; the patient may drink rarely (no more than 2 times a week), but the volume of alcohol consumed increases to 500-600 ml per evening.

Most doctors prefer the “classical” division of alcoholism into several stages. Like other pathologies, this disease begins with the so-called prodromal period, when a person is quite capable of recognizing the worsening addiction and independently breaking the vicious circle of alcohol addiction.

During this period, you can calmly refuse the offered glass or put it aside, only sipping slightly. A person is in complete control of his state and stops when he realizes that he is losing control over himself. Distinctive feature The prodromal period is vomiting with excessive alcohol consumption and prolonged disgust after intoxication.

First stage

A sign of the first stage from which alcohol dependence begins is emotional excited state in anticipation of the feast. Moreover, positive thoughts are caused not by meeting friends and the joy of communication, but by drinking alcoholic beverages.

The previous amount of alcohol is no longer enough to achieve a state of intoxication. Some begin to be proud of this feature of the body, but similar symptoms- a “bell” that it’s time to take measures to stop the progression of alcoholism (narcologists also call this disease ethylism).

Memories of an evening spent drinking wine cause an emotional upsurge, and a person strives to return to the same state. Forced abstinence from alcohol is accompanied by attacks of irritability, and later - aggression. A person begins to look for any excuse for a feast.

Moreover, regardless of the amount drunk, the gag reflex characteristic of prodromal stage, absent. Doctors do not note any pathological disturbances in the functioning of internal organs at this stage, but sometimes in a state of severe intoxication, memory loss may occur when a person is unable to control his behavior.

The duration of the initial stage depends on the willpower of the person and on the willingness of loved ones to provide help and support. At this stage, it is possible to completely and without complications forget what alcohol addiction is. Otherwise, after 5 years (in women, degradation takes no more than 2 years), the patient’s condition worsens.

Second stage

A distinctive symptom of the second stage is withdrawal syndrome. This is the name given to the pathological attraction to alcohol, which requires constant increase amount of alcohol. In its absence, a person cannot cope with attacks uncontrolled aggression and anger up to the development of delirium tremens.

He is tormented by tremor of his fingers, heavy sweating, pallor, nausea, tachycardia. Mental activity is impaired, all attention is concentrated only on alcohol. With time similar condition and the constant desire to get hungover leads to regular binges lasting several days.

During this period, the patient completely loses touch with reality, behavior becomes inadequate. To bring a person out of this state, the help of a specialist is often required. Between binges he can lead a completely normal life, with the exception of constant desire drink up. Chronic syndrome Alcohol dependence in the second stage is accompanied by organ pathologies. The products of ethanol breakdown are toxic to the liver, causing irreversible death of its cells and their gradual replacement by fibrous tissue.

Naturally, toxic compounds gradually accumulate, affecting the functioning of all internal organs. Under the influence of alcohol they undergo necrotic changes nerve cells brain, which influences behavior and mental capacity sick. The second stage of alcoholism can last for years (sometimes up to 20-25 years).

It all depends on the volume of alcohol consumed. But as a rule, a person needs an increasing amount of alcohol to achieve the usual state of euphoria. Therefore, the disease often progresses. Irreversible changes occur in the brain that cannot be corrected by any means modern methods treatment.

Third and fourth stages

Binges last much longer. If in the second stage the patient came to his senses after 3-4 days, now this period lasts for weeks. The body's sensitivity to alcohol increases. To become intoxicated, a minimum dose of alcohol is sufficient, and the quality of alcohol is the last thing a person pays attention to.

The patient's condition is constantly deteriorating due to progressive renal, cardiac and liver failure, serious violations work of the central nervous system.

These diseases are aggravated by permanent alcohol intoxication. Due to constant rudeness, rudeness and aggression in the final stages of alcoholism, relatives and friends turn away from a person.

Even with complete refusal from alcohol, which happens extremely rarely in the third stage, pathological changes in internal organs are irreversible, and life expectancy is sharply reduced. Often, patients are forced to constantly take medications and maintain the activity of the liver and kidneys with the help of special medical equipment. The fourth stage inevitably ends in death.

The man is constantly drunk internal organs severely affected, the gastrointestinal tract is simply unable to digest food, the heart cannot cope with the load, the nervous system practically does not work. Sick most time sees hallucinations. It is impossible to help the patient, therefore, at the last stage, alcohol dependence leads to the death of a person from multiple organ failure and intoxication.

Alcohol addiction: methods of treatment and prevention

The basic principles of drug treatment of alcoholism are:

To relieve the symptoms of alcohol intoxication, it is necessary to cleanse the blood of the end products of ethanol metabolism. For this purpose, hemosorption, plasmapheresis, intravenous infusions of plasma-substituting solutions are used ( isotonic solution sodium chloride, glucose). This is necessary, since prolonged intoxication is accompanied by dehydration and disturbances in water-salt metabolism.

Often, infusions are carried out using adsorbents that bind toxins and promote their rapid removal from the body. These are Unithiol, Magnesia, Hemodez, Sodium thiosulfate solution. Additionally, the patient is given increased dose B vitamins to normalize the functioning of the nervous system, ascorbic acid and vitamin PP, which help restore vascular and heart tone.

With pronounced withdrawal syndrome treatment is carried out in a hospital setting with the prescription of potent psychotropic drugs(for example, Haloperidol). In less severe cases, treat with Phenazepam, Grandaxin or Diazepam. These medications have an anticonvulsant, sedative, anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effect. In addition, medications can stop attacks alcoholic delirium. According to WHO, at least half of patients return to drinking alcohol within a year after treatment.

To eliminate dependence on alcoholism, doctors recommend several medicines, This:

• Disulfiram, which impairs alcohol tolerance;
• Acamprosate reduces cravings and causes aversion to alcohol, the drug is especially effective at the initial stage of alcoholism, it should be used immediately after completing the course of detoxification therapy;
• Naltrexone blocks opioid receptors, resulting in ethanol intolerance, the drug is suitable for short treatment;
• Nalmefene, this is relatively new medicine, the principle of action is similar to Naltrexone, but more suitable for long-term therapy (up to six months).

The dosage of drugs is selected taking into account the degree of alcoholism and the characteristics of the patient’s health condition.

Scientists have long established that alcohol addiction is directly related to lifestyle. Therefore, measures to prevent such a disease include playing sports, having hobbies and hobbies, and interesting work that can replace cravings for alcohol. But when the first symptoms of addiction appear, you should not turn a blind eye to the problem, but seek help from specialists.