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What is terrible female alcoholism. Effects. Female alcoholism: causes, treatment, consequences

The very serious problem of female alcoholism, destroying families, destroying the health and psyche of a woman, can be treated only when the patient herself realized that alcohol is deadly for her, and if you continue in the same spirit, drink alcohol uncontrollably further, then the fatal outcome will not beyond the mountains. A drinking woman is a terrible picture of the degradation of the human personality, and it is very important not to allow a person to such a state.

What is female alcoholism

Experts disagree on the exact definitions of the concept, but any alcoholism, including female alcoholism, is a severe chronic illness, akin to drug or substance abuse, which destroys a person both physically and morally. In women, the process of addiction to alcohol and intoxication with the same doses of alcohol occurs faster than in men, since they have less body weight and total body fluid.

Women's alcohol dependence in Russia has become rampant, akin to an epidemic outbreak - during the first decade of the 21st century, the number of patients subject to alcohol dependence at various stages, according to statistical surveys, has increased fivefold. If we take into account that many women are ashamed of their addiction and do not go to see narcologists, then the picture will be much sadder.

Features

A common stereotype says that women are more enduring than men, they tend to endure stressful situations better, and their pain threshold is, on average, higher. The same opinion is transferred to the alcohol they drink - society tends to believe that women's self-control is higher than men's in terms of resistance to alcohol. However, the peculiarities of female alcoholism include the fact that the weaker sex is much more sensitive than the strong one to the effects of alcohol, women become addicted to alcohol faster, drinking has a stronger effect on them.

If society treats drinking men much more condescendingly - they say, a person has problems, so he pours grief, then an alcoholic woman causes universal contempt and condemnation, everyone believes that she herself is to blame for everything, since she does not know how to control herself. This attitude forces women to hide the presence of their painful craving for alcohol for a long time, even from relatives, so the problem is often discovered when the disease is already difficult to treat.

Can female alcoholism be cured?

Back in Soviet times, there was a saying that alcohol addiction in women is incurable. Is this really so and is it really impossible to cure this disease? If you look at the problem more broadly, you can see that a woman's craving for alcohol is similar to the need for a drug addict to get another dose. There are special clinics for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts, many people leave from there in a state of stable remission, which means that the treatment of female alcoholism is also possible. In this situation, the most important thing is the patient's persistent desire to overcome his destructive passion.

Signs of alcoholism in women

Unfavorable heredity plays an important role: if a close older relative on the mother's or father's side abused alcohol, then there is a high probability that their heiress will also suffer from cravings for alcoholic beverages. In addition, the patient will deny for a very long time that she has formed an unhealthy constant need to regularly take "on the chest." She herself will not be able to notice that she has alarming symptoms, so relatives and friends should start sounding the alarm if they notice the following signs of alcoholism in women:

  • constant search for a reason to “use”, which can be absolutely anything;
  • constant smell of alcohol from the mouth, while the woman may try to disguise it;
  • open bottles of alcohol hidden here and there throughout the house;
  • beer alcoholism in women can be manifested by a craving to drink more and more beer or wine, because the initial dose no longer brings the desired satisfaction;
  • tremor of the hands, convulsive desire to drink, even without a snack.

Signs of female alcoholism on the face

Alcohol, like any drug, has a detrimental effect on the body, so it is not surprising that the following signs of female alcoholism on the face become noticeable:

  • the complexion becomes gray, the eyes become bloodshot, cloudy;
  • the woman's face swells, becomes puffy, and her cheeks become swollen;
  • a venous network appears around the nose;
  • an alcoholic no longer monitors her appearance, her hair can be dirty, disheveled, unkempt;
  • in the last stages, the face may turn yellow - this is a sign that the liver has ceased to cope with shock doses of toxins poisoning it and has begun to fail;
  • the patient looks much older than her years, the features of the female face lose their clarity, teeth begin to fall out.

The first signs of alcoholism in women

Despite the desire of female alcoholics to hide their craving for alcohol, it is not at all difficult to notice the first signs of alcoholism in women. They famously knock over glass after glass, considering this an achievement, their behavior becomes more and more cheeky, their face is filled with blood, they stop monitoring themselves, and quickly lose control of the situation. Friends, instead of neutralizing the situation, encourage immoderate libations. The circle of the sick begins to be limited to those people who are also intemperate in alcohol.

The female psyche is very vulnerable to alcohol-containing drinks. The disease is manifested by changes in the patient's behavior - she becomes hysterical, psychopathic tendencies appear in her character, a tendency to rudely cut off those who try to make comments about her addiction to alcohol. She can withdraw into herself, or, conversely, become unrestrained, swear, rush into a fight, become promiscuous.

Causes of female alcoholism

The change in the role of a woman-housewife to a breadwinner and a source of material well-being in the family, coupled with the tendency that has persisted in society to shoulder as many responsibilities as possible on women's shoulders, is far from being endured by everyone. Permanent economic crises in our country exacerbate the situation, forcing a woman to try to somehow make ends meet and look for new sources of income for herself and her children. Not everyone can withstand this race with obstacles, therefore, among the causes of female alcoholism, doctors distinguish the following:

  • a depressive psychological state, a tendency to neuroses caused by external causes;
  • various discord in the family or at work, problems with children, husband or relatives;
  • material distress, causing a desire to "forget" with the help of a bottle;
  • physiological factors - a slow female metabolism contributes to the retention of alcohol in the body, causing a desire for frequent drinking;
  • emptiness in life, when there is nothing else to do, the absence of a favorite thing.

Stages of alcoholism

Narcologists distinguish three stages of alcoholism in women, which can smoothly and imperceptibly move from one to another:

  • First stage. At this stage, degradation changes are still invisible - it is only visible that the patient drinks more and more, trying to somehow hide it from others.
  • Second stage. It is characterized by the development of a hangover syndrome, the absence of vomiting during alcohol abuse, memory lapses, progressive changes in the psyche, brain function, and mood swings. A woman becomes asocial, her thinking changes, her quality of life changes, she loses her job, there are problems with relatives, she can start stealing, lead a wild life, she ceases to be interested in children.
  • Last stage. The patient practically loses her human appearance, intellectual abilities, and remembers almost nothing. At this stage, the disease is difficult to treat, as it is accompanied by irreversible pathologies in the internal organs.

Since narcologists are faced with a variety of stages of the disease, the mental and physiological state of patients, it is necessary to deal with female alcoholism on an individual basis. The patient must understand that she has a serious problem, trouble, and sincerely want to recover, making every effort for this. The help of relatives in this case plays a big role. It is possible to remove alcohol dependence with medication in special dispensaries, where doctors use effective measures and brain coding tools to relieve psychological cravings.

Consequences of alcoholism in women

An immoderate craving for alcohol destroys a person from all sides, therefore the consequences of alcoholism in women are terrible - there is a complete degradation of a person, a loss of both physical and moral character. In addition to craving for alcohol, the patient does not have any priorities, all social and family ties are gradually lost, no principles, no values ​​remain. The body is destroyed, unable to withstand constant shock toxic doses, the liver, kidneys, heart, brain fail. Intemperance in sexual intercourse leads to venereal diseases.

Video: Symptoms of alcoholism in women

Experts in narcological diseases believe that women's alcoholism has a more unfavorable course and accelerated development compared to men's. The female body, due to its physiological and anatomical abilities, has a reduced tolerance (tolerance) to alcoholic beverages, and signs of alcoholism in women become apparent in a shorter period.

Congenital instability of women to alcohol is low for the reason that their liver and blood contain fewer enzymes responsible for the breakdown of ethanol. Also, women have less fluid in the body that can dissolve the incoming alcohol.

From the initial to the acute stage of the disease, which is characterized by the appearance of withdrawal symptoms (hangover) in women, it can take from 2 to 4 years. Men acquire physical dependence on alcohol much later - after 5 or more years. Of course, we are talking about averaged data: in practice, there are also reverse cases, depending on the individual characteristics of the organism.

The first symptoms of female alcoholism

Most women try to hide their addiction to alcohol, and drink alone much more often than men. Relatives and close women can sometimes for a long time not be aware that she has an addiction. Frequent causes of female alcoholism are psycho-emotional shock - the betrayal of a husband, the death of a loved one.

At the beginning of the disease, the external signs of the effects of alcohol on the body of a woman can skillfully hide with the help of cosmetics. However, this disguise is only effective for a short period. Violations in the psychological and physical spheres soon lead women to such a state that it is no longer possible to hide the signs of alcoholism from others.

External symptoms of the development of alcohol dependence in women include:

  • swollen face with swollen under-eye bags;
  • hyperemia (reddening of the skin: appears as spots or red streaks on the face);
  • poor condition of the skin, hair and nails;
  • tremor (trembling) of the hands;
  • running glance;

Indirect signs include external untidiness, bruising and slovenliness - all those signs that distinguish a drinker, even if he tries to maintain a respectable appearance, from a teetotaler.

There are also signs of a psychological plan by which a drinking woman can be identified:

  • she becomes irritable, tearful;
  • her circle of interests changes;
  • she ceases to meet with former girlfriends and seeks solitude;
  • her memory and intellect are deteriorating;

At this stage, a woman develops a strong emotional attraction to alcohol - more precisely, to those deceptive feelings of calm and euphoria that alcohol gives. Gradually, the satisfaction from drinking alcohol fades away, and only the desire to lose sobriety remains from the former joy.

Signs of the second stage of alcoholism

The second stage of alcoholism, which is also called acute, is characterized by the appearance of physical dependence on alcohol. This is expressed in the appearance of an abstinence syndrome in the morning - a serious condition of the body, which can be temporarily improved by taking another dose of alcohol. This is how binges develop - the systematic everyday use of alcohol against the background of an increase in the severity of a hangover.

Physical state

At this stage, the woman's body undergoes serious physical damage to internal organs and systems:

  • First of all, the liver suffers - in women, the development of alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis can occur much faster than in men.
  • Reproductive functions also suffer - in alcoholics, the menstrual cycle is disturbed, the resistance of the reproductive system to infections worsens, and pregnancy often leads to miscarriage or the development of an inferior child. Statistics show that only 10% of alcoholic women have normal gonadal function.
  • The heart and blood vessels of a woman wear out quickly due to increased load, which leads to tachycardia, high blood pressure, heart failure, and cerebrovascular accidents.
  • The stomach and intestines respond to constant intoxication with disorders and the formation of ulcers on the mucous membrane.

The appearance of a woman continues to change for the worse - all the signs of the first stage increase, the drinker may become too thin or too fat (this is due to metabolic disorders), her skin may acquire a yellowish-gray tint, signs of premature aging become more pronounced. The voice becomes hoarse and masculine.

In a state of withdrawal syndrome (abstinence), women may experience exacerbations of any existing internal diseases. Binge puts the body in a state of extreme vitality, at the cellular level depending on the intake of alcohol. It is very important to stop the binge in time - the best way to do this is by calling drug treatment. Alcohol detoxification of the body, especially carried out in a hospital, is the first step towards a cure for this dangerous disease.

Psychological condition

Pathological transformations also occur in the psychological sphere:

  • Control over the amount of alcohol consumed is reduced or absent altogether, which leads to constant intoxication of the body.
  • The products of alcoholic decay adversely affect brain cells, causing their necrosis. This is manifested in the development of alcoholic psychoses - hallucinations, delirium tremens, delusions of a different nature, paranoia and alcoholic dementia (dementia). Violations in the activity of the brain are also manifested by memory lapses, aggressiveness and loss of life values. The family for alcoholic women is no longer a priority value. The drinker very quickly becomes indifferent to her children, parents, husband.
  • In drinking women, the control of sexual desire is weakened, which leads to an increase in the number of sexual partners and, as a result, to an infectious sexually transmitted disease.

The social consequences of alcohol dependence in women are much more pronounced than in men. A rapid decline in intelligence and a change in personal qualities (a tendency to hysteria, viciousness and aggressiveness) of drinking women contribute to the loss of work, the loss of professional skills or the transition to unskilled work. Alcohol degradation rapidly and catastrophically destroys a woman's life and places her on the social bottom.

It is very important for relatives and friends who have discovered the first signs of alcohol addiction in their mother, daughter or wife to talk with the patient and convince her of the need for urgent therapeutic measures. There is an opinion that female alcoholism is almost impossible to cure, but medicine claims that with timely access to a specialized clinic, a woman can be returned to normal life.

Anna Mironova


Reading time: 10 minutes

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We all have seen. Women alcoholics are rarer. In any case, they do not come across so often in our field of vision. Because they hide their addiction to the last, in order to protect themselves from censure and not become an outcast in society. What are the causes and consequences of female alcoholism? Why is he scary? Are there any ways to treat it?

Causes of female alcoholism

Increasingly, in recent years, diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis and hypertension . For the most part, this is due to the excessive consumption of well-known drinks, which eventually develops into chronic alcoholism. According to statistics, the development of female alcoholism is taking place at a rapid pace, and the country will face a demographic catastrophe if this situation does not change. What pushes a woman to a bottle?

  • Beer, gin and tonics, alcoholic cocktails and other strong drinks have become very popular in our time.. They are considered absolutely harmless, very pleasant, an excellent tool for relaxation and ease of communication. Of course, few people think about the dangers of such drinks. Because everything is ahead, and life is beautiful. However, the systematic use of these drinks in the company or while watching TV after work (alone) creates that attachment, which over time flows into alcoholism.
  • Loneliness, feeling of absolute uselessness, mental trauma, depression, hopelessness . Reasons that become a springboard to where there may be no way back. Status in society does not matter. About half of women who suffer from alcoholism are single or have serious psychological problems.
  • Husband is an alcoholic. Unfortunately, this situation often becomes the cause of female alcoholism. Either a man is treated, or a divorce occurs, or a spouse falls into an alcoholic abyss following her husband.
  • Climax. The physical and psychological discomfort that comes with menopause is something that not all women can bear. Some relieve stress with alcohol. That gradually turns into a habit, which is no longer possible to control.

According to doctors, even drinking one hundred grams of strong drink twice a month is alcohol addiction. But the "culture of drinking" in Russia has always been peculiar. If in Europe one glass can be stretched into several toasts, then in our country they drink “To the Bottom!” and "Between the first and second one more." Again, in the West it is customary to dilute strong drinks, and if during our feast someone offers to dilute vodka ... there is no need to even say. Worse yet, many people simply don’t know about other ways to relax.

Why is female alcoholism worse than male alcoholism?

What is terrible female alcoholism. Effects

The "Green Serpent" and its consequences change a woman beyond recognition. Both psychologically and externally. What exactly happens to an alcoholic woman? What is fraught with alcoholism?

  • Appearance is changing. An unhealthy shine of the eyes, redness of the face and cyanotic spots appear. Hair is dull, tangled, greasy. Such a woman speaks in a raised tone, gesticulates nervously, and perceives ignoring as a personal insult.
  • Subcutaneous fatty tissue disappears. Arms, legs and shoulders lose their smooth lines, acquire an overly pronounced muscle relief.
  • The body of a woman with alcoholism begins to age early. The teeth crumble and darken, the hair turns gray and falls out, the skin wrinkles and becomes decrepit.
  • All systems and internal organs are affected - cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, endocrine, etc.
  • Thyroid malfunctions begin , which leads to arrhythmias, to excessive fullness or thinness.
  • Destruction of adrenal tissue , the production of hormones is reduced under the influence of toxic substances of alcohol.
  • Toxic alcoholic nephropathy - one of the possible consequences of alcoholism. The main symptoms are high blood pressure, facial swelling, protein and blood in the urine. With this disease, the kidney tissue begins to die. The result is acute renal failure and death.
  • Diseases of the reproductive and genitourinary systems. Cystitis, pyelonephritis and other female ailments haunt women alcoholics all the time. And given that alcohol leads to swagger in behavior, promiscuity and a complete lack of hygiene become the norm for such a woman. Which, in turn, leads to sexually transmitted diseases, frigidity, and AIDS.
  • Mutations occur in the eggs of an alcoholic woman. The result is miscarriage, the birth of handicapped children and stillbirth.
  • Ovarian function weakens which changes the general hormonal background. The production of female hormones decreases, the production of male hormones increases. As a result - the growth of mustaches and beards, hair growth on the chest, back, legs, thinness, etc. Further - uterine bleeding, early menopause.
  • - it often ends criminal and medical abortions, provoking miscarriage, death from complications ectopic pregnancy or (this is the best case) abandonment of a born child .
  • Personality change , damage to the nervous system. Hysteria, isolation, instability of mood, depression, hopelessness. Often it ends in suicide.
  • Dulling the instinct of self-preservation , reduction of habitual reactions.
  • Loss of trust in loved ones divorce, job loss, social rejection, etc.

Can female alcoholism be cured?

They say female alcoholism is not treatable. But this is not true. It can be cured , albeit with a reservation for certain female characteristics. Moreover, more than eighty percent of success depends on the willpower of a woman and her desire to "tie up". Alcoholism is mostly a psychological addiction. And at the initial stage, you can still cope with psychotherapeutic methods. With the formed, stable need for alcohol, without an integrated approach, as well as specialists, it will not work.

Treatment methods for female alcoholism

The fight against alcoholism is, first of all, a set of measures, united by one big desire of the patient to stop drinking. But the hardest thing is woman's adaptation to life that no longer contains alcohol. What methods are used today to combat the "green serpent"?

  • Psychotherapy.
  • Pharmacotherapy.
  • The use of drugs that cause aversion to alcohol.
  • The use of drugs that block the breakdown of alcohol and, thereby, causing his rejection.
  • coding techniques.
  • Taking drugs to normalize the work of internal systems and organs.
  • Phytotherapy.
  • Acupuncture.
  • Laser exposure as part of complex therapy.
  • Hypnosis.

Folk methods of treatment of alcoholism

Usually, self-treatment of alcoholism at home does not bring success. Given the severity of the disease and its consequences, of course, all methods can be tried, if only to achieve a result. But according to statistics, the most effective are Dovzhenko method, hypnosis and coding. The main thing is to remember that without the awareness and sincere desire of the woman, the treatment will not be successful.

Female alcoholism is a pressing issue in modern society. According to various studies, the number of women with this disease in a chronic form in the Russian Federation is 15 percent of the total female population.

The main problem of female alcoholism

The key problem of female drunkenness is that this disease develops in women in a shorter time than in men. A number of features of the female body contribute to the rapid development of alcohol dependence.

The reasons for the rapid development of alcoholism in women are:
  • increased susceptibility to stress;
  • reduced ability of the body to process alcohol;
  • a lower percentage of water in the body;
  • higher absorption of ethanol in some situations;
  • features of alcohol consumption by women.
Increased susceptibility to stress
The female psyche is more vulnerable than the male one. This feature leads to the fact that the representatives of the weaker sex react more sharply to stress. Depression in women is more prolonged and often becomes chronic. One of the methods of dealing with stress for women is alcohol. Due to the effects, alcohol allows you to get rid of a depressive mood for a short time. But subsequently, acetaldehyde (a breakdown product of alcohol) provokes a number of negative changes in mental health. As a result, after drinking alcohol, depression is aggravated. A vicious circle is formed.

Decreased ability of the body to process alcohol
The female body processes alcohol worse than the male body for the following reasons:

  • a smaller amount of an enzyme that breaks down alcohol;
  • reduced blood flow in the liver and spleen;
  • weak excretory function;
  • reduced blood-brain barrier.
The enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase is responsible for the breakdown of alcohol after it enters the body. In the male body, this substance contains twice as much as in the female body. As a result, intoxication in women occurs faster, and the toxic effects of ethanol are more pronounced.
Another feature of the female body that impairs the process of detoxifying alcohol is slower blood flow in the liver and spleen. Because of this, the consequences of drinking alcohol appear faster and more vividly, and damage to these organs develops in a shorter time than in men.
The excretory function of the skin and kidneys in women is significantly lower than in men. This slows down the process of excretion of alcohol decay products from the body, as a result of which dependence on alcohol in women is formed much faster.
The blood-brain barrier (protection of the nervous system from chemical and other harmful agents) is weaker in women than in men. For this reason, alcohol penetrates neurons faster and destroys them. Therefore, negative changes in the nervous system are diagnosed in women at earlier stages of alcoholism.

Less percentage of water in the body
On average, the share of water in the body of a man is 60 percent of the total body weight. In women, this figure is less than 10 percent. This leads to the fact that with an equal amount of alcohol consumed, female intoxication occurs faster.

Higher absorption of ethanol in some situations
Hormonal restructuring of the body before the onset of menstruation in many women provokes a deterioration in mood, depression, nervousness. Often, representatives of the weaker sex try to cope with this condition with the help of alcohol. The situation is complicated by the fact that the use of alcohol in the premenstrual period causes a faster and more pronounced intoxication. This happens because before the onset of menstruation, the absorption function of the stomach increases.

Features of alcohol consumption by women
One of the distinguishing characteristics of female alcoholism is its secrecy. A man who abuses alcohol is not as strongly condemned by modern society as a drinking woman. Therefore, most often female representatives drink alone. For a long time, others are unaware of a woman's attachment to alcohol. As a result, medical care is provided with a delay, which greatly complicates treatment.

Signs of alcoholism in women

Signs of addiction to alcohol in women are changes in their appearance, behavior patterns, relationships with others. Also, the fact that the disease is progressing is evidenced by the dependence of the emotional state on the alcohol consumed. A change in the body's response to alcohol is also a symptom of alcoholism.

Signs of alcoholism in women include:

  • increased craving for alcohol;
  • loss of control over the amount of alcohol you drink;
  • decreased defensive reaction to alcohol;
  • change in appearance;
  • behavioral change.
Increased craving for alcohol
One of the first and main symptoms of developing alcoholism is an increased craving for alcoholic beverages. To justify the desire to drink, a woman finds various excuses, which are often insignificant. The reason for drinking alcohol can be a minor incident at work or at home, the purchase of some thing, or just a bad mood. In the absence of the opportunity to drink, a woman becomes irritable, nervous, tearful. Drinking alcohol allows you to improve your mood for a while, distract from experiences and become more optimistic.

Loss of control over the amount of alcohol you drink
The initial stages of female alcoholism are characterized by the use of low-alcohol drinks (wine, liquor, fruit tinctures). To improve the mood, a woman needs a few glasses of the drink. As you get used to it, the body stops responding to such volumes of alcohol. Therefore, in order to achieve the desired state (euphoria, joy), a woman begins to increase the amount of alcohol. Taste preferences also change, a woman switches from wine or other light drinks to vodka, cognac, whiskey. The quality of alcohol also changes with the development of the disease. If at first a woman prefers more expensive drinks, then subsequently exposure, taste and other quality characteristics cease to play a big role. The main criteria that apply to the alcohol consumed are its strength and availability.

Decreased defensive response to alcohol
Large doses of alcohol can cause severe intoxication and death. Therefore, healthy people have a protective reaction, which manifests itself in the form of vomiting with excessive alcohol consumption. As alcoholism develops, a person begins to get used to ethanol and its loading doses are no longer recognized by the body as a poison. Therefore, one of the symptoms of this disease is the loss of the gag reflex when the standard rate of alcohol is exceeded.

Change in appearance
The manifestations of alcoholism in women from the side of appearance are:

  • voice change;
  • pathological growth of hairline;
  • premature aging of the skin;
  • unsatisfactory condition of the hair on the head;
  • the presence of traces of burst blood vessels on the face;
  • lack of fat layer.
With the development of alcoholism in the body of a woman, hormonal changes occur. As a result, her voice becomes rougher. Hair may also begin to grow in areas uncharacteristic of the female body (back, chest, face).
The systematic use of alcohol disrupts the absorption of vitamins. This leads to the fact that the skin loses its elasticity and becomes flabby, the muscles lose their tone. These changes are especially pronounced on the face of a drinking woman. Vitamin deficiency provokes a deterioration in the condition of the hairline on the head. Hair begins to fall out, becomes dull and lifeless.

One of the symptoms of female alcoholism is dark red dots on the nose and other areas of the face. This is due to the constant oxygen starvation of blood vessels and the massive death of red blood cells when drinking alcohol.
The destruction of adipose tissue is another sign of female alcoholism. The figure of an alcoholic loses the outlines characteristic of a woman, becomes masculine.

Behavioral change
Alcohol has a negative impact not only on the physiological, but also on the psycho-emotional aspects of the personality. In a sober state, a woman suffering from alcoholism is characterized by increased nervousness, aggressiveness, and irritability. When drinking alcohol, she becomes too active, talking loudly, laughing at inappropriate and "flat" jokes.
Under the influence of alcohol, the priorities and values ​​​​of a person change. A drinking woman stops devoting time to her family, work, hobbies. At the same time, she easily finds a common language with strangers who share her addiction to alcohol. A frequent sign of female addiction to alcohol is promiscuity.

Consequences of alcoholism in women

The consequences of the systematic use of alcohol for a woman are manifested by various diseases. Alcohol negatively affects both physical and mental health. Also, alcoholism damages the social position of a woman and leads to severe degradation.

The consequences of female alcoholism are:

  • damage to the liver and kidneys;
  • disorders of the nervous system and psyche;
  • various diseases of internal organs;
  • problems of the sexual sphere and violation of the reproductive function;
  • loss of social position.
Liver and kidney damage
The size of the female liver is much smaller than the male one, and the enzyme that breaks down alcohol, this organ produces much less in women than in men. This leads to the fact that liver damage in female alcoholism occurs in a shorter period and is more pronounced. The most common pathologies are fatty liver, hepatitis and cirrhosis.
Alcohol has a negative effect on the functionality of the kidneys and adrenal glands. The consequences of alcoholism include such pathological processes as the formation of kidney stones, inflammation, and the development of malignant tumors. Often, alcohol abuse provokes a disease such as alcoholic nephropathy. This disease is manifested by high blood pressure (slightly), the presence of protein and blood in the urine, swelling on the face. If left untreated, alcoholic nephropathy becomes chronic, which can lead to kidney failure.

Disorders of the nervous system and psyche


Nerve cells are most susceptible to the harmful effects of alcohol. According to pathologists (doctors who perform autopsies), the brains of women suffering from alcoholism are covered with scars, the convolutions are smoothed out, and the frontal lobes atrophy. Those areas of the brain that control thought processes, memory, speech, and logic are especially vulnerable. Intellectual abilities are reduced, it becomes difficult for a woman to build complex sentences, and speech becomes primitive. Previously acquired skills are lost, and there is no motivation to acquire new knowledge. All this leads to the degradation of the individual.
Alcoholic psychosis is a common consequence of female alcoholism. Auditory and visual hallucinations, delusions and other disorders of consciousness lead to the fact that a woman becomes a danger to society. Often, such people inflict various injuries on themselves (in some cases, their loved ones), and attempt to commit suicide.

Various diseases of the internal organs
Alcohol causes a complex defeat of all organs and systems of the female body.

The consequences of alcoholism for women are:

  • Cardiovascular diseases. One of the most common diseases in alcoholics is alcoholic cardiomyopathy (damage to the heart muscle, as a result of which its ability to contract is lost).
  • Diseases of the pancreas. Alcohol enhances the outflow of bile and causes spasm of the ducts of this organ, which leads to the development of inflammatory processes.
  • Pathology of the stomach. Ethanol destroys the gastric mucosa, as a result of which women who drink often suffer from gastritis.
  • Diseases of the blood. With the systematic use of alcohol, the qualitative composition of the blood is disturbed. Often, alcoholics develop hemolytic anemia due to the death of red blood cells.
Sexual problems and reproductive dysfunction
Under the influence of alcohol, a woman's morality decreases, which leads to disorderly intimate relationships without sexual hygiene. Often, representatives of the weaker sex who are fond of alcohol become infected with various sexually transmitted diseases. As alcoholism progresses, libido decreases, a woman loses interest in men due to frigidity.
Pathological changes also occur in the structure of the genital organs. The function of the ovaries weakens, and mutations occur in the produced eggs. All this leads to the fact that the reproductive function weakens, and eventually fades away completely. If a woman becomes pregnant, alcoholism often provokes miscarriages, stillbirths, or premature babies. Children of alcoholic mothers are often born with various physiological and mental abnormalities.

Loss of social position
The social consequences of female alcoholism are more pronounced in comparison with male addiction. The systematic use of alcohol leads to the fact that a woman quickly loses her professional skills. It also reduces the level of responsibility for one's own actions. Being late, absenteeism, violations of discipline, making serious mistakes in the workplace - all this leads to the loss of a job. Left without a livelihood, many drunken women commit crimes of the law. The loss of moral standards, combined with the lack of material resources, often leads to begging, theft, and prostitution.

Features of the treatment of female alcoholism

Features of the treatment of alcohol dependence in women are based on the difference between male and female drunkenness. The female psyche is more vulnerable, so alcoholism in women most often develops against the background of psycho-emotional factors. Divorce or problems in personal life, lack of professional self-realization and other similar circumstances provoke a desire to relax and distract from problems with the help of alcohol. Taking into account these points, the fight against female alcoholism should combine drug treatment and psychotherapy. Since women are more dependent on the opinions of others, therapy should also include work with family members.

Child and adolescent alcoholism

Childhood and adolescent alcoholism is a disease that is characterized by the appearance of addiction to alcohol and dependence on them at the mental and physical levels.
Not every child or teen who drinks alcohol is diagnosed with alcoholism. In children's narcology, the use of alcohol is divided into three main types.

Types of alcohol consumption by children and adolescents are:

  • experimental use;
  • episodic use;
  • systematic use.


Experimental drinking is said to be when a child or teenager only tastes alcohol once or twice.
Occasional drinking is considered if alcohol is consumed up to two times a month. The systematic use of alcohol - more than twice a month - is recognized by children's narcologists as the initial stage of alcoholism.

Causes of alcoholism in children and adolescents

One of the common causes of alcoholism in children and adolescents is currently identified as a genetic predisposition. In a family where at least one of the parents suffers from alcohol dependence, the risk of the disease in a child is four times higher than in a healthy family.

The causes of alcoholism in children and adolescents vary greatly by age.

The most critical age periods when addiction to alcohol appears are:

  • the period of intrauterine development and the period of the baby;
  • preschool age (5 - 7 years);
  • adolescence (from 13 to 14 years old).
The period of intrauterine development and the period of the baby
During the period of intrauterine development and during the period of infants, the development of alcoholism occurs unconsciously. With the systematic use of alcoholic beverages by a pregnant woman, alcohol easily overcomes the placental barrier and circulates in the blood of the fetus. This causes various physical and mental anomalies in the development of the fetus, including the development of intrauterine dependence (congenital alcoholism). Alcohol also has the ability to pass into the breast milk of a nursing mother. The risk of developing alcohol dependence in infants increases several times with "alcoholic" mothers.

preschool age
At preschool age, alcohol dependence in children develops due to the irresponsibility of parents.

The main reasons for the development of alcoholism in preschool age are:

  • parental addiction to alcohol - the alcoholic environment forms children's interest in alcohol;
  • frivolous attitude of parents to alcohol - many parents give their children to try sweet alcoholic drinks, thereby showing that this is not forbidden and even tasty;
  • parents' opinion on the positive effect of alcohol on sleep and appetite - Parents often add alcohol to their child's food or drink to increase appetite or improve digestion, to help them fall asleep quickly and sleep soundly.
Teenage years
Alcoholism in adolescence develops more consciously.

The most common causes of teen alcoholism are:

  • problems within the family;
  • family violence;
  • death or loss of a loved one or animal;
  • the desire to imitate adults;
  • school problems;
  • peer violence;
  • unsuccessful loves;
  • desire to assert itself in the company;
  • the presence of uncontrolled amounts of money.
The availability and cheapness of alcoholic beverages, as well as its popularization on television screens and in stores, further contribute to the development of the disease.

Stages of alcoholism in adolescents and children

The development of child and adolescent alcoholism can be divided into three distinct stages.

The stages of child alcoholism are:

  • I stage - habituation;
  • II stage – systematization and increase of doses;
  • III stage - dependencies.
The first stage of development of teenage alcoholism lasts up to 5 - 6 months. During this period, the young body quickly gets used to alcohol.

At the second stage of the development of the disease, an increase in the doses of alcohol consumed is observed. Children and adolescents begin to drink quite regularly and in large quantities. This stage can last for about a year. Its main characteristic is the change in the behavior of the child/adolescent with the development of sociopathy.

The third stage in the development of child alcoholism is the establishment of mental and physiological dependence on ethyl alcohol.

In the chronic course of the disease, an abstinence syndrome appears (withdrawal after stopping alcohol). In children, withdrawal symptoms are more pronounced than in adults, but disappear in a shorter period of time.

The effect of alcohol on children and adolescents

A young organism, unlike an adult, is very vulnerable to the effects of ethyl alcohol (alcohol). For the normal breakdown of ethyl alcohol in the human body, there is a special enzyme (active substance) - alcohol dehydrogenase. In a young organism, its activity is not sufficiently pronounced, which contributes to the long-term toxic effects of alcohol on all tissues and organs.
The systemic use of alcoholic beverages leads to a disruption in the development and functioning of vital systems and organs that have not yet fully formed.

The systems and organs that are particularly affected by childhood and adolescent alcoholism are:

  • brain;
  • the cardiovascular system;
  • liver;
  • pancreas;
  • digestive system;
  • the immune system;
  • reproductive system.
Brain
Ethyl alcohol quickly crosses the blood-brain barrier (the boundary between the blood and the medulla), reaching high concentrations in the brain compared to the concentration of alcohol in the blood. Violated basic thought processes with a decrease in intellectual capabilities. In children, concentration decreases and memory deteriorates. Particularly affected are the processes of formation of abstract thinking and logic. Psychopathy gradually develops with increased excitability, irascibility and aggression.

The cardiovascular system
Alcohol adversely affects the baby's heart tissue. The myocardium (muscular tissue of the heart) becomes "decrepit" and loses its elasticity. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy (inflammation of the myocardium) with severe rhythm and conduction disturbances develops rather quickly. The child/adolescent has tachycardia (rapid heartbeat over 120 beats per minute) with persistent shortness of breath. Blood pressure rises above 160/90 millimeters of mercury.
Chronic alcoholism leads to the development of heart failure with an increased risk of cardiac arrest.

Liver
The liver is the second organ most affected by alcohol addiction. Lack of liver enzymes leads to permanent overwork of the liver. This leads to hyperplasia (degeneration) of the liver tissue and the development of toxic hepatitis (inflammation of the liver). Acute alcoholic hepatitis is accompanied by fever (temperature above 37.5 degrees Celsius), jaundice, liver tenderness.
In children, toxic hepatitis can quickly lead to destruction of the liver tissue and the development of cirrhosis. Liver failure appears with severe encephalopathy (brain damage).

Pancreas
Alcoholism in children and adolescents often develops acute pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). Its main symptom is acute abdominal pain that appears after drinking alcohol. Multiple vomiting is possible.
Young children with alcoholism can develop diabetes mellitus, which is especially severe.

Digestive system
Of the organs of the digestive system in children, the stomach is primarily affected with the development of acute gastritis. There are constant aching pains in the abdomen, nausea, infertility, and boys - erectile dysfunction.

Secondly, due to alcoholism, there is often a premature onset of sexual activity with numerous unprotected sexual contacts. As a result, the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and sexually transmitted diseases (viral hepatitis, HIV infection) increases.

Treatment of child and adolescent alcoholism

Treatment of childhood and adolescent alcoholism compared with adults has a number of difficulties.

The main difficulties in the treatment of child alcoholism are:

  • difficulties in early diagnosis of the disease;
  • many drugs used to treat alcoholism are contraindicated in children;
  • the need for strict inpatient treatment;
  • individual psychological approach.
The first difficulty in the treatment of childhood alcoholism is the late diagnosis of the disease. Most often, children who are in the second and third stages of the development of the disease get to the hospital. These children have irreversible disturbances in the functioning of the brain, which complicates their subsequent integration into normal life.
Another barrier in the treatment of childhood alcoholism is the inability to use the usual medications due to contraindications due to age. Most drugs have severe hepatotoxic (liver-damaging) and nephrotoxic (kidney-damaging) side effects. For this reason, the treatment of alcoholism in children consists in the use of herbs and preparations with a restorative effect.

Alcoholism is the stage of a person's dependence on alcoholic beverages, namely ethanol, which is contained in each of them in different quantities. This hobby negatively affects the health of any person, so it is recommended to take strong drinks rarely and without exceeding the permissible dose. According to modern statistics, men most often take alcohol, which depends on their activities and the status of the head of the family. However, male alcoholism is not as dangerous as female alcoholism, since female drunkenness can lead to the most unfortunate consequences for the body. .

Narcologists say that it takes 7-10 years for a man to develop alcoholism, and only 5 for a woman.

This, first of all, depends on the characteristics of the female body, namely their quick attachment. Therefore, female alcoholism is considered one of the most well-known problems at the present time, since its treatment is quite long and difficult.

What are the features of the development of alcoholism in women

Features of female alcoholism depend on health, condition and craving for alcohol. Many believe that female alcoholism does not exist, as it is accepted that this is a male disease. However, cases of constant female intoxication have recently become more frequent, and, as you know, it is incurable. Even despite the fact that female representatives are more morally strong and resilient, they are much easier and faster to be influenced by bad and harmful habits. In addition, the signs of female alcoholism manifest themselves much later, while they are not endowed with pronounced signs. Therefore, many female representatives do not start treatment for alcohol dependence on time, because they do not believe that they have become addicted to alcohol.

Female alcoholism is a serious psychonarcological disease, in which, as well as internal organs.

This manifests itself especially quickly when a woman constantly takes alcohol in large quantities, significantly exceeding the permissible daily dose. For normal and healthy functioning, the body needs a small dose of alcohol, thanks to the correct "work" of the metabolism. And a sharp and large increase in the dose leads to the development of serious and negative consequences for the body, which are reflected in the disruption of the organs and the deterioration of the woman's appearance. In addition, female alcoholism causes many problems in the reproductive function, one of which is infertility.

What are the signs of addiction in women

Female alcoholism is characterized by a large number of signs, the most obvious and characteristic of which is denial. Women who have developed dependence on ethyl alcohol immediately begin to assert that they drink alcoholic beverages only on holidays and significant events. However, this is not so - such people drink alcohol for any reason, even the most insignificant. This leads to the development of a persistent craving for strong drinks, which is often difficult to get rid of.

Signs of alcoholism in women on the face are quite significant:

  • the tone of the face changes to yellow or earthy;
  • small antennae begin to grow;
  • bags appear under the eyes;
  • the skin becomes more wrinkled and flabby;
  • plentiful rashes in the form of spots and blackheads begin.

Other signs that characterize female alcoholism include:

  • A change in a woman's behavior that changes before an upcoming drink. In this case, the representatives of the weaker sex try to quickly leave work, complete their own affairs, in order to quickly get home and start drinking alcohol.
  • Search for any, even the most ridiculous reason to drink. At first this happens only on holidays, and then on ordinary weekdays. Moreover, if a woman is offered to drink any alcoholic drink, she will gladly accept it and will never give up this idea. In addition, often a woman wants to drink for no reason - then she justifies herself with excuses “it’s necessary” or “if you drink alcohol, then life will be more exciting and interesting.”
  • The first signs of female alcoholism are characterized by the protection of themselves, their own interests, as well as drinking friends. In this case, women describe themselves only from the positive side and do not notice any shortcomings in themselves at all.
  • When testing for alcoholism, doctors will notice that an alcoholic woman will not accept claims and criticism in her address, which will clearly express this problem.
  • Constant self-justification, which can manifest itself in any situation.

These are the first signs of alcoholism in women, which can be noticed after 1-2 years of constant drinking.

Of course, at first the alcoholic will try to hide them, but after a certain time they will be very noticeable. Treatment of alcohol dependence is prescribed after the identification of one or more signs - before that, the doctor conducts a test and assesses the general condition of the patient.

Stages of appearance of alcoholism in women

The stages of alcoholism in women, or in another way, the stages develop gradually - from drinking in small quantities to a complete loss of self-control,.

There are 3 stages in total:

  • uncontrolled intake of alcohol;
  • the beginning of changes in the body, namely the appearance of a craving for alcohol, a complex hangover, and so on;
  • disintegration of the personality or the onset of degradation.

It is important to note that alcohol dependence in women is quickly and easily treated only at the first stage of the disease. In other cases, the treatment and consequences of this condition are quite deplorable.

Attention: female addiction should be treated only after it has been prescribed by a doctor, since self-disposal of this condition is impossible without complex treatment.

It is important to note that all stages of female alcoholism are treated differently, so in any case, it is better to visit a doctor who will prescribe the correct and effective treatment.

Causes of dependence on strong drinks

And they show up at different times. Most often, alcoholism in women appears as a result of:

  • problems in the family, work team;
  • lack of interests in life;
  • lack of passion;
  • lack of ability to independently earn, run a household, and so on;
  • frequent stress, emotional breakdowns and depression.

For such reasons, the external signs of alcoholism in women begin to manifest themselves quite early, so they must be paid attention to. Otherwise, the consequences of female alcoholism will be quite deplorable, since slowness in providing first aid can result in unpleasant consequences for health. Conducting, doctors noticed that it is these causes of alcoholism in women that are the main ones when they start drinking a large amount of strong drinks.

Treatment of alcoholic disease

The treatment of alcoholism in women, as described earlier, is difficult and rather long. Basically, it is carried out in a complex after the doctor conducts a test and assesses the condition of the body. Typically, this treatment includes:

  • cleansing and restoring the body after the negative effect of alcoholic beverages on it (this can be done with the help of drugs against alcoholism, which you can buy even on the Internet);
  • psychological treatment (a test can show how effective the cleaning was)
  • follow-up of the patient after treatment.

Such treatment is mainly carried out when the symptoms of alcoholism are clearly visible. Each of them manifests itself quite clearly, so it is difficult not to notice them after the development of a drunken state.

Doctors say that female alcoholism, the symptoms and signs of which play an important role in prescribing treatment for the patient, is treated based on the characteristics of the health of the alcoholic, as well as the stage of dependence of alcoholism. Otherwise, it will be quite difficult to cure the drunken state.

Female alcoholism, the consequences of which cause a lot of harm to the health of the patient, is a serious problem of our time, and it is necessary to get rid of it in a short time. Otherwise, the features of female alcoholism will make themselves felt with unpleasant signs, symptoms, impaired reproductive function and other problems that cause irreparable harm to health.

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