Beauty and health of teeth 

Self-diagnosis of alcoholism: how to know that it's time to see a doctor. How to know that you are an alcoholic? 10 warning signs How to understand that a man drinks

People go to the doctor, and even more so to the narcologist, with great reluctance. Only in the most extreme case, when there are no other options. Are there any, even the simplest, ways to determine whether alcohol addiction has already developed or not? Is it time to run to the doctor? Or is the situation not so critical yet?

How to understand that the situation is serious?

Let's say right away that there are no tests or questionnaires that allow one to say with absolute certainty "yes, this is already alcoholism" or "no, this is not alcoholism yet" does not exist. Each case is individual and the most accurate picture of the problem can only be given by a face-to-face examination by a narcologist.

But, as we have already said, they are not in a hurry to go to him. Therefore, let us give the most common and general characteristics of some forms of alcohol abuse. If the behavior of your own or your loved ones, relatives and friends falls under one of the descriptions, this is a serious reason to think about visiting a narcologist. Moreover, no one will require you to immediately give your name, surname, height, size of boots, a copy of all pages of your passport. Anonymous assistance is guaranteed by law, and it can be obtained even in state dispensaries without registration.

Degrees of alcohol abuse

So, let's arrange alcohol abuse in order of increasing severity. Here we will consider abuse of 200-300 ml of vodka more than 1-2 times a week.

With a predominance of one-day excesses

Most drinks are limited to one day with subsequent intervals of up to several days. Less often, short-term (no more than 2-3 days) situationally provoked excesses occur, after which symptoms of intoxication (hangover), aversion to alcohol and longer periods of abstinence appear.

Occurs in stage I of alcoholism.

By type of pseudo-binge

Drinking alcohol regularly, as a rule, lasts from 2-3 days to 1 week occasionally - longer. The beginning of excess is usually motivated by some significant reasons for a person (“on the occasion” of this or that event). The end of excess is also associated with external factors - lack of money, family and other conflicts, although the need and the possibility of continuing to drink remain. Abstinence from alcohol ranges from 2-3 days to 1-1.5 weeks.

According to the type of constant drunkenness against the background of high tolerance

Alcohol use occurs almost daily for periods ranging from several weeks to several months. Tolerance reaches a maximum and is kept on a "plateau". The greatest amount of alcohol is taken in the 2nd half of the day and in the evening. Short breaks are not associated with a deterioration in the condition, but are due to external circumstances.

Occurs in the II stage of alcoholism.

According to the type of "intermittent" drunkenness

Against the background of constant drinking for many months, episodes periodically occur (for several days) with the most massive intake of alcohol. The appearance of signs of reduced tolerance and asthenia leads to a return to a more or less prolonged intake of less alcohol.

Arises at the II - the beginning of the III stage of alcoholism.

By type of true drinking

The binge is preceded by a growing craving for alcohol, accompanied by changes in the somatic or mental state - tension, increased anxiety, an indefinite feeling of internal discomfort. In the first days, the largest daily doses are taken. Subsequently, due to the increasing deterioration of the mental and physical condition, the tolerance of alcohol decreases. At the end of the binge, alcohol intolerance, aversion to it and psychophysical exhaustion develop, which determines the cessation of its intake. The total duration of binge - up to 1-1.5 weeks. Subsequent complete abstinence varies in duration from 1-1.5 weeks to 2-3 months. Binges can occur with regular cyclicity. Gradually, a tendency to shortening binges and lengthening the intervals (light intervals) between them begins to be traced.

According to the type of constant drunkenness against the background of low tolerance

Alcohol is taken in fractional doses throughout the day (including at night). Daytime intervals range from half an hour to 3-4 hours. Patients are constantly in a state of relatively shallow intoxication. Withdrawal states that occur when you stop taking it are difficult.

Occurs in the III stage of alcoholism.

For the final diagnosis - see a doctor

In any case, these are only indicative specifications. The final diagnosis can only be established by a narcologist and only after a comprehensive examination. In any case, alcoholism is not a sentence. This is not social promiscuity or weak will. This is a disease that is quite possible to cope with under the guidance of a doctor.

Many people ask themselves the question, what is alcoholism? Alcoholism is a disease that is difficult to get rid of. Alcoholism now affects a significant part of the stronger sex. The prevalence of this dependence is increasing every day, and it becomes difficult to give up alcoholic beverages. This disease requires immediate treatment at an early stage. There are certain signs of alcoholism in a man that everyone should be aware of.

Symptoms of alcoholism

The symptoms of alcoholism are quite diverse, only some of them can appear. At the very beginning of the disease, at the first signs, immediately seek help.

  1. Bad memory. The more a person drinks alcohol, the worse he remembers any events.
  2. Aggression. Occurs at the slightest provocation and without it. There is a tendency to assault, the use of obscene language, the inability to control oneself.
  3. Hand tremor. Often an alcoholic gives himself away with trembling hands.
  4. External signs. Swollen and red face.

A man has frequent offers to celebrate a holiday, a purchase, the arrival of relatives, a successfully completed business, or any other minor event. The absence of a gag reflex after taking a large amount of alcohol, the presence of an abstinence syndrome (hangover) and the desire to drink non-stop, without a sense of proportion, should begin to bother you. This is where the disease begins. Soon you won't need company. Unwillingness to communicate, to be in society, solitude will remove you from society.

In medicine, it is customary to divide alcohol dependence into three stages.

The first signs at the initial stage are craving for alcohol with or without it, its uncontrolled use, lack of a sense of proportion, the body getting used to large doses of alcohol.

Attention! This stage can last from a year to ten years.

Getting pleasure, a sense of satisfaction from drinking makes a person do it again and again. In the case of comments from relatives, an inadequate reaction appears, indignation and denial of the fact of addiction to alcohol.

For a man, it becomes incomprehensible how you can spend a holiday or a day off without another bottle. Mood and interest in life are now closely associated with alcoholic beverages.

The second stage makes itself felt in the form of diseases, is reflected in the appearance and psyche of a person. There are changes in behavior: there is constant irritability, irascibility and sudden aggression. Alcohol begins to affect mental abilities, attention. A man starts drinking every day, starting in the morning. In this regard, there is a tremor of the hands, withdrawal symptoms, anxiety.

In the third stage, irreversible processes occur. Without medical help, a man cannot get out of the binge. The hangover goes away only after drinking a glass again. Mental activity quickly weakens, degradation of the personality occurs. There is a physical addiction. Internal organs are affected: heart, blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract, liver. On the face there are swelling, swelling under the eyes.

Keep in mind! Tolerance to alcohol in a patient is reduced, as a result of which intoxication occurs instantly, from small doses.

Chronic alcoholism causes diseases such as: liver disease (cirrhosis), atherosclerosis, stomach ulcers, impotence, abnormal functioning of the heart and kidneys. Alcoholism often causes a stroke.

There are certain categories of men who may be susceptible to this disease. Predisposing factors are:

  1. Heredity. If someone in the family already suffered from this disease, then it is likely that alcoholism will be inherited.
  2. Smoking or drug addiction. If a man is addicted to drugs or smoking, then alcohol can be even more addicted.
  3. Frequent drinking (at holidays, corporate parties, meetings, etc.).
  4. Regular stressful situations, failures at work or at home. With the help of alcoholic beverages, a man tries to solve his problems, forget himself or make his life easier.
  5. Depressive state. During alcohol intoxication, a man feels freedom and lightness.

beer alcoholism

If you drink beer every day and think that it is not alcohol, you are deeply mistaken in this. Beer is a drink that is also addictive, and there is such a term as "Beer Alcoholism". Beer lovers have no idea that their precious drink is harmful to health.

signs

  • saggy mammary glands, loose body and weight gain;
  • big belly;
  • decreased interest in women, impotence;
  • drinking beer in an amount of 2-3 liters or more per day;
  • headaches, poor sleep at night and drowsiness during the day;
  • aggressive behavior and depression without beer;
  • hand tremor;
  • the occurrence of various diseases (diseases of the liver, pancreas, heart, hormonal imbalance).

Soon there is pain in the lumbar region, shortness of breath and the smell of acetone from the mouth. A change in complexion and excessive sweating will betray an alcoholic in society.

The psyche is disturbed and the appearance changes significantly. Signs of alcoholism on the face can be seen from afar. It is not necessary that all symptoms be present.

Alcoholism treatment

To make sure in the absence or presence of the disease, you need to contact the narcological dispensary and undergo an examination.

If the diagnosis is confirmed, treatment should begin immediately. In this case, you need to completely abandon alcoholic beverages. Treatment can be inpatient or outpatient. The treatment of chronic alcoholism is delayed for a long time, you should be prepared for this.

During inpatient treatment, doctors will work to eliminate binge drinking, use detoxification methods, perform coding, and then you will have a rehabilitation period. An alcoholic who is in hospital is more likely to recover quickly. The psychological work that is carried out in clinics helps a man understand the essence of the problem and take the right path. Drug therapy complements and completes the entire chain.

If you treat alcoholism on an outpatient basis, that is, at home, you must strictly follow all the doctor's recommendations. Do not skip taking medications, drink more fluids (mineral water, natural juices, fruit drinks, compotes, teas), drink vitamins (they should come both in fruits and vegetables, and additionally in multivitamins, ascorbic acid), you can drink a course of medicinal herbs .

Keep in mind! The use of medicinal herbs is a very effective addition to the treatment of this disease.

Healing herbs

Herbs used to treat alcoholism include:

  • lamb;
  • St. John's wort;
  • sagebrush;
  • thyme;
  • centaury;
  • rosemary;
  • bear ears;
  • yarrow;
  • lovage;
  • Melissa.

Sometimes they also use noble laurel, motherwort, duckweed, juniper, immortelle and calendula.

All these herbs in combination give a good result.

For example:

  1. Crimson or thyme with thyme will cause vomiting when taken with alcohol.
  2. Claw or wormwood with centaury causes an aversion to alcohol.
  3. Bearberry helps with beer alcoholism.
  4. Bay leaf with alcohol causes diarrhea and vomiting.
  5. The following herbal preparations treat alcoholism: creeping thyme, wormwood and centaury or yarrow, lovage and lemon balm. As well as rosemary, bear ears, yarrow, etc.

People not only treat alcoholics with herbs, they also use birch smoke, sour apples, walnut earrings, curly sorrel roots, pepper tincture, honey, crayfish shells and other ingredients.

There are a lot of recipes, it would seem that alcohol addiction is not such a terrible disease that needs to be treated under the supervision of a doctor. But this is far from true. All the families that have been overtaken by this disaster know that everything should not be left to chance, and only a specialist should treat this ailment. In advanced cases, of course, medications and coding are indispensable.

Human life is full of surprises and unexpected twists of fate. She is sometimes beautiful, sometimes demanding, sometimes she tests a person for strength. It gives him the opportunity to feel sorrow and despair so that he learns to appreciate happiness and joy. But not always and not all people today are able to deal with their failures on their own. Often they resort to the help of drugs and alcohol in order to forget and distract from worldly negativity. And at this moment something terrible comes - something that sneaks up imperceptibly, something that is not fully realized by the unfortunate victim of circumstances. How to understand that you are an alcoholic?

The concept of alcoholism

Speaking about such a problem as alcoholism - and this is nothing but a serious problem - one must consider it from the perspective of a pathological state of health in which a person wants to drink alcohol every day, nightly, hourly. It is a physical dependence on the desire to alleviate one's feelings, if any, or to plunge into the mood of euphoric ecstasy that a person comes to after a few glasses of a high-grade drink. This is a snake that sits in a person’s head and, on a subconscious level, pushes him to take another “life-giving” dose. After all, this is a serious disease that requires emergency intervention and immediate treatment.

Who is an alcoholic

But how to understand that a person is an alcoholic? And what is an alcoholic anyway? After all, this is not only that unfortunate tramp without a permanent place of residence in torn dirty clothes with an eternally gray swollen face, who constantly hangs around at the next "liquor store". An alcoholic can become a completely healthy, educated, intelligent person, who does not suspect it himself.

The desire to drink and bringing the desire into action occur synchronously, without postponing in the mind the information that this is the first “alarm bell”. Some kind of trouble in life, divorce, financial insolvency, loss of a loved one - all this is accompanied by a bottle of whiskey or cognac, which eventually becomes a kind of lifeline for a suffering person. He is increasingly applied to a glass of evil drink, no longer delimiting for himself the time frame and place of committing alcoholic violence against himself. He does not look at the fact that today is not Friday or Saturday, that tomorrow you need to rush to work, be fresh and cheerful, but not intoxicated at all. He is deeply convinced that such drinking parties are the so-called rehabilitation or a course of a kind of therapy, or something. And in no way does he think that he will not be able to stop in time and that he needs to stop at all, in principle. But alas, this is the deepest self-deception.

How to understand that you are an alcoholic

People very rarely come to the right conclusions in a timely manner and even more rarely can get out of the vicious circle of drinking bouts on their own. But how to understand that you are an alcoholic, not allowing the course of the disease to the point of no return? After all, it is not even necessary to be thrown into confusion or sadness on any occasion in order to “wash down” your failures in this way. This can happen in moments of joy, and with or without. Such a moment is especially dangerous for today's youth. Going Friday night to a nightclub for a party, young people are sure to use a high-degree pleasure substance. A similar situation is repeated also on Saturday evening, because the weekend continues. Subsequently, an urgent need is developed to use on weekends, this is a great way to “relax” and get away from gray everyday life and work problems.

Young people themselves do not notice how Friday and Saturday “relaxations” become more frequent, repeating on Wednesday while watching a football match with beer, and on Thursday about meeting friends, and even on Sunday - because “tomorrow a new hard work week will begin” . So, people are completely imperceptibly exposed to a disease called "alcoholism". They do not even ask themselves the question of how to understand that you have become an alcoholic. Although the answer to this question is quite simple: abstaining from alcohol for a couple of months or not being able to abstain even a week from a fraught potion will make it possible to find out who is who.

Symptoms of alcoholism

Caring people should take note of a number of factors that may indicate that their loved one has fallen into the trap called “alcohol addiction”. How do you know if your husband is an alcoholic? How to find out that a young son is excessively addicted to alcohol? How to protect an unmarried sister who has fallen into depression from alcoholism? How do you know if you are an alcoholic? manifests itself in the following symptoms:

  • the presence of a regular desire to drink, regardless of whether there is a reason for this or not;
  • the user does not care what kind of alcoholic drink to drink, because the point is not that he wants to enjoy the taste of real live beer or high-quality cognac of many years of aging, his main goal is to indulge in the euphoria of intoxication;
  • sharp mood swings from deep confusion in a sober state to violent joy after drinking alcohol;
  • the appearance of a kind of immunity to alcohol: increasing resistance to large doses and their constant increase;
  • lack of gag reflexes after drinking large amounts of alcohol;
  • manifestations of withdrawal syndrome and severe hangover;
  • a noticeable deterioration in appearance: dry skin, dilated veins on the extremities, yellowed whites of the eyes and burst capillaries in the orbits, swelling and yellowness of the face, bruising under the eyes, hand tremors;
  • deterioration in attitude towards one's appearance, especially in women: a careless look, fatigue on the face, a coarsened voice.

To a person who asks himself a question: “How to understand if I am an alcoholic?” - you just need to look in the mirror and analyze the listed signs. If the symptoms converge, the affirmative verdict is obvious.

Causes of alcoholism

Why do people become alcoholics? This is mainly influenced by negative events that occurred in the life of a drunkard the day before:

  • divorce or parting with a loved one - she is one of the mass reasons why people hit the alcohol "marathon";
  • disability due to physical injuries - many people, becoming disabled, endure such incidents very hard in their lives, so they turn to alcohol in order to somehow forget;
  • loss of a loved one - even more frequent cases of people turning to hard drinking are the result of the death or death of one of their relatives;
  • financial insolvency - it often happens that rather wealthy people who were afloat suddenly become bankrupt or lose their savings due to loss of work, and then another bottle of high-grade alcohol becomes their friend for a sufficiently long period;
  • weak will - sometimes the cause of alcoholism is the most ordinary inability of a person to resist the desire to drink, even if there are no special reasons for that.

The listed prerequisites for a destructive addiction explain the original reason for a person becoming addicted, together with symptomatic signs. How to understand that you are an alcoholic? It is enough to analyze the events preceding the binge and compare your behavior with the listed symptoms.

Consequences of alcohol addiction

Many abuse alcohol, but not everyone thinks about the consequences. And they are quite unpleasant, and sometimes scary. What can alcoholism lead to?

  • Deterioration of the psycho-emotional state - a person becomes irritable, emotionally agitated, he is tormented by insomnia and constant lack of sleep.
  • A detrimental effect on the nervous system - alcohol destroys brain cells, spreading its activity to nerve endings. A person has a tremor of the hands and motor skills are deteriorating.
  • Negative effects on the cardiovascular system - many alcoholic members of society often experience heart attacks and strokes.
  • Localization of the reproductive system - women who constantly drink beer reduce their opportunity to become mothers, and men show initial signs of sexual dysfunction.

Help from relatives

Relatives and close people are the only lifeline for people who have become addicted to alcohol. How do you know if a guy is an alcoholic? How to help him get out of the web of alcohol encroachments? Only patience, diligence and a great desire to help can affect the situation and cope with an illness that is unpleasant for a person and his environment.

A comprehensive fight against alcoholism should include several of the most important aspects, namely:

  • family intervention - only relatives can influence an alcoholic and help him get out of the "alcohol hole";
  • mandatory hospitalization - medical assistance and long-term therapy, together with coding, are simply necessary in especially advanced cases;
  • the desire of the alcoholic himself - only one who seeks to cope with his illness, and does not try to indulge it, can overcome the pathology called "alcoholism" in himself.

Author - Moskalenko V.D. (Book "Dependence - a family disease").

Yes, some women themselves cannot answer the question "Is my husband an alcoholic?". Nothing surprising. The diagnosis of alcoholism is not as easy as it might seem. It is not difficult to recognize alcoholism when the patient is lying under the fence, and regularly. And if you fell under the fence once in a state of intoxication, then another question. However, "podzabornye" alcoholics in any country make up no more than five percent of all patients with alcoholism. Any disease can proceed both hard and not so hard, and for some time remain hidden, unrecognized. And sometimes it is only a predisposition to alcoholism. Whether a predisposition is realized in an obvious illness or remains unrealized is also unclear to those who live next to a predisposed person. With their doubts, they do not always run to a narcologist, but they write letters, as my experience has shown. From a letter from Lyudmila, Orenburg region.

“I’m writing to you and crying. I’m sitting in the kitchen among broken dishes. I don’t have the strength to sweep up the pieces. The door is also broken. A drunk husband snores behind the wall. I remember where she was while her husband was raging, she probably hid somewhere, she is a shy, quiet girl with us.

With my husband, when he does not drink, we have a good relationship. But because of vodka our love disappears, our family disappears. Do not think that I am one of those wives who complain about their husbands at all intersections. I appeal to you because everything in our family life is confused. I don't seem to understand anything anymore. And my husband doesn't understand either. When I tell him sober: "You become an alcoholic," he brushes it off: "I drink like everyone else. If I want to, I'll quit completely."

But now he has drunk himself to scandals, this one is not the first. He scares children, and he loves children very much. Tomorrow he will play up, repent, curry favor with me and the children. He will come home from work with sweets, oranges - to cover up sin. And in a week or two he will again get drunk to glassy eyes.

I see that it is rolling down, and with it my life. When I say this to my mother-in-law, she consoles me, saying, be patient. The husband's father, as the mother-in-law recalls, "drank heavily" until the age of 55, and then left.

My girlfriend totally scolded me. Where do you see, he says, an alcoholic? Alcoholics lie under the fence, do not work, drink everything on drink. And yours - all in the house, at the post. (My husband is the chief mechanic of the car depot.) This is his usual peasant whim. It will pass. You will cut it - you will only make it worse.

Before the scandals, I already finished it. But the mother-in-law and girlfriend do not see our life from the inside. But I see. Peace and love are leaving our home. All around life is like on a volcano, and even a volcano at home. Every year it shakes harder and harder.

I see that my husband drinks more and more and more and not at all because I drink it. About five years ago, it never occurred to me to "cut" him. Not for what it was. I drank on holidays or on some occasion. We divided all household chores in half. He took care of the children just as well as I did. An old neighbor, Baba Shura, praised him to everyone: "The kids are better managed by other women."

On weekends, we got into the car together and went to the mother-in-law in the village - to help in the garden, to prepare food for the cattle, to fix the house, to throw money. Now I myself remind him that it is high time to visit his mother. I remember alone our past life, compare it with today's and see that we are rolling towards something bad.

There are many drunkards in our village, but there are no specialists in the treatment of alcoholism. So I decided to turn to you, I want the narcologist to answer me: do I understand correctly or not that my husband is moving towards alcoholism? I no longer know who I'm married to - an alcoholic or a drunkard? I feel sorry for him, I feel sorry for my life. And it’s hard to express how my heart hurts about children".

Reply to Ludmila:

Dear Lyudmila! You ask "Am I correct or not that my husband is moving towards alcoholism?"

I am aware that my answer will be painful for you. But someone has to tell the truth. Not to hurt, but to start solving the problem. Unnamed problems are not solved.

Your husband is not moving towards alcoholism, he is in it. So you're married to an alcoholic. This conclusion follows from what is stated in your letter.

Alcoholism naturally accompanies deep family discord. And it does not depend on what character the husband or wife has. With any character, the family suffers, this is a property of the disease, and not a property of family members. So the point is not that you "sawed" your husband, and the other wife, perhaps, would quietly endure all this. The family always suffers and, moreover, in a predictable way, I would say, in the same or very similar way.

You described a family scene where there were broken dishes, a broken door, the stuttering of the youngest son, the fright of the eldest daughter, and also your tears. A typical picture, unfortunately. Family life, where there is a patient with alcoholism, does not suffer from the fact that scandalous, bad people have gathered under one roof. It's just that this disease "covers" everyone: both a non-drinking wife and innocent children. The mother-in-law also suffers in the same way as she suffered when her husband drank. You can't live next to alcoholism and remain emotionally unaffected. Each member of the family, including infants, necessarily reacts to the alcoholism of one of the family members. The emotional involvement of the family in the cycle of the disease is one of the arguments for the position that alcoholism is a family disease. Another argument is, and you also cite it, that alcoholism occurs in several members of the same family. You report that your husband's father also had problems with alcohol, probably he is also an alcoholic.

Deep anxiety for the husband and family, constant fear that the husband might return home drunk, anger at him, replaced by pity and love, the desire to keep him from alcohol by any means (probably earlier, before the scandals, you used persuasion, entreaties, reasonable arguments) - all this is typical for the psychology and behavior of the wife of an alcoholic.

The wife is a sensitive device. No one knows an alcoholic better than his wife, not even his mother. Moreover, according to my long experience, wives tend to be patient. Since you sounded the alarm (and you did the right thing!), It means that it went off scale, the pain became unbearable. And this reaction of yours also indicates that you are dealing with an alcoholic.

I think that your husband understands very well, or at least feels that something is wrong with the family and with him. Or, as you wrote, that "the family is headed for something bad." Despite this, he continues to drink.

Someone has succinctly defined the difference between an alcoholic and a regular drinker. "A non-alcoholic wants - drinks, does not want - does not drink. An alcoholic wants - drinks, and does not want - drinks." There is another near-medical criterion for recognizing alcoholism: an ordinary person who has not become addicted to alcohol drinks for something: for fun, for communication, for relaxation, to relieve grief, etc. And dependent on alcohol, ie. sick man drinking in spite of something rather, no matter what.

Your husband drinks despite the fact that his wife is crying, despite the fact that he injures the psyche of his beloved children (be sure he understands this and only psychological protection guides him when he says that children do not suffer from his drinks). Your husband drinks despite the fact that the mother's strength is weakening, and she sees less and less filial help. Perhaps at work they have already noticed that he drinks. Perhaps he was at the therapist on Monday with high blood pressure, and the doctor warned him that further alcohol consumption would be detrimental to his heart and blood vessels. And he drinks despite all this. In the depths of his soul, the alcoholic feels that he is disappearing. And he can't stop.

The main, central feature alcoholism is a painful, all-consuming addiction to alcohol. In the people it is called traction, in medicine - attraction. This feature is present in your husband, Lyudmila. Because he drinks and repents, repents and drinks. And more and more often "to glassy eyes."

Why does your husband not directly say that he is drawn to drink? Because, like any alcoholic, he has a psychological defense called denial. He denies his drinking problems, denies the grave consequences of his drinking. The words of many patients are dictated by denial when they say: "But I'm not an alcoholic. I want to and I'll quit." He doesn't lie. He is so genuinely delusional.

Psychological protection works in such a way that it really forces out of consciousness the truth about one's misfortune, the truth about what is painful to meet. Psychological protection allows the alcoholic to downplay the extent of his drinking, they say, I don’t drink so much. Or she dictates explanations, they say, he drank because there were such circumstances that it was impossible not to drink.

So, we, Lyudmila, have identified three positions by which any narcologist will diagnose a person with alcoholism:

1. Uncontrolled craving for alcohol;

2. Denial that it has become a serious life problem;

3. An unhealthy atmosphere in the family, typical of apocoholism.

Guidelines for the diagnosis of alcoholism.

Doctor, I think I'm an alcoholic. I drink once every three months, but my drinking usually lasts three days. This has been going on regularly for the last five or six years. Tell me, do I need to be treated?

Don't know. Let's examine your problem in more detail.

It is not enough for the diagnosis and what Natalya reported about her husband: “My husband very often comes home from work drunk, but he does not consider himself an alcoholic. I did not know what to think and began to count his drunk and sober days. days in a month. Is this alcoholism?

To answer such questions, you can first use brief and purely indicative diagnostic approaches. Here is one of them. It consists of only 4 questions. Questions can be answered either by the one who is being diagnosed, or by people who know his lifestyle well.

A short questionnaire to identify possible alcoholism

1. Have you ever made the decision to cut down on your drinking?

2. Have loved ones annoyed you by criticizing you for drinking?

3. Did you feel very physically unwell after drinking and did you feel guilty about drinking?

4. Have you taken alcohol to get a hangover, calm your nerves, or get rid of a headache?

Even a single "yes" answer to the above questions indicates a suspicion of alcoholism. Positive answers to all four questions are regarded as undoubted alcoholism.

You can use another approximate diagnostic path.

A diagnosis of alcoholism is suggested if a person continues to consume alcohol in large quantities despite one or all of the following:

1. Violation of important relationships for him (for example, marital), which happened due to drunkenness, in the opinion of a partner or in the opinion of the drinker himself;

2. Job loss due to drunkenness;

3. Two or more police reports related to alcohol consumption;

4. There are signs of deterioration in health, including alcohol withdrawal syndrome, alcoholic cardiomyopathy (disorders of the heart), cirrhosis of the liver, peripheral polyneuropathy (a disorder of the peripheral nerves, which can be expressed by difficulty walking), and so on.

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It consists in the fact that it takes years to develop, and it goes unnoticed. The thin line between the main stages of the development of drunkenness is erased in familiar companies, collective parties and birthdays, which are an indispensable part of our lives. How to recognize an alcoholic, if the situation has not yet become dangerous, and provide actual support to a person?

What are the individual characteristics of alcoholics?

Ethanol compounds are able to penetrate the body and cause physical dependence. However, drunkenness has a psycho-emotional background.

Psychologists believe that there are types of people who are more prone to addictions:

  • emotionally unstable people with nervous hysterical reactions to what is happening and having difficulty with motivation;
  • people with infantile ways of responding to emerging difficulties, striving to avoid problems rather than solve them;
  • people with low self-esteem, who do not understand how to express their own emotions, and experience difficulties with socialization.

Who are alcoholics?

In the minds of many people, a drunkard is a downcast individual with trembling hands, ready for anything to get a new dose. However, this is not always true. How to recognize an alcoholic?

There are alcoholics that at first glance are not much different from ordinary people:

  1. active alcoholics. In the company, these are the people who are most worried if they do not have enough alcohol. They enjoy persuading others to drink and are very assertive.
  2. Domestic alcoholics. In the bulk there are quite a lot of lonely people who are predisposed to depressed states. They carefully hide their addiction, preferring to drink only at home.
  3. Beer alcoholics. These are people who cannot imagine their own life without an evening bottle of beer. Over time, the volume of the foamy elixir increases, but the individual categorically does not want to accept the presence of a harmful attachment.
  4. Secret alcoholics. They are hard to identify if you do not communicate with them for a long time. They may go largely without alcohol for several months, and then go on a long binge for a couple of weeks.

The influence of alcohol

Usually has 3 stages of formation. Due to personal characteristics, changes in appearance and actions may be slightly different. It has been confirmed that in representatives of the stronger sex of a dense physique without difficulties with well-being, drunkenness progresses more slowly. Women and teenagers can reach stage 3 alcohol addiction within 2 years.

Stage of euphoria

This is the initial period of becoming dependent, which lasts from 1 to 5 years. An individual evaluates alcohol as a pleasant addition to dinner or a means to relieve stress. A mental addiction is created. After a portion, a pleasant warmth spreads throughout the body, and thoughts seem to clear up. The individual ceases to feel tired and is in a state of mild euphoria. However, this does not last long. After a certain time, the body forms immunity to small portions of alcohol. In order to feel a surge of energy again, it is necessary to increase the proportion and increase the degree of the drink.

Changes take place in the nervous system. A sense of guilt is formed, and the patient seeks to suppress it with new doses of alcohol. The individual becomes irritable, especially if he is a woman, and systematically looks for a reason to drink. Medical practice shows that if a person is removed from relatives, drunkenness progresses more quickly.

Stage of desperation

This is a circle run that lasts up to 10 years. The individual still does not feel threatened, but is unable to live without daily infusions. A physiological dependence is formed, similar to drug addiction. A characteristic feature of the second stage of drunkenness is the withdrawal syndrome, which differs from a hangover by a pathological desire to take a dose. The individual begins to drink in the morning, not concentrating on the quality of alcohol. The alcoholic's apartment is untidy, and he is slovenly.

Stage of apathy

final stage of the disease. Changes in the central nervous system are irreversible. The individual is in no way capable of solving simple problems. How to recognize an alcoholic by behavior? Often, patients cannot take care of themselves. There is a stable physiological and mental dependence on alcohol. The main indicator is the rapid intoxication after taking a small dose of alcohol. Only complex inpatient treatment can bring an alcoholic back to life at the 3rd stage of addiction.

Ways that can help recognize an alcoholic by external signs

Drunkards are those people who are very dependent on alcohol. How to recognize an alcoholic and distinguish him from an ordinary person? In the event that an individual has shown at least three addiction factors, it is time to consult a doctor.

Here are the key signs:

  • A person constantly consumes alcohol and there is a trembling in the hands.
  • The person drinks for a long time.
  • A person needs a continuous dose increase.

How to recognize an alcoholic by external signs? As a rule, such a person is sloppily dressed, dirty. He has a swollen face, and the complexion becomes normal after the individual drinks again. Often alcoholics can be found among the fairer sex.

How to recognize an alcoholic when meeting? The first sign is that the person is sloppy and looks bad.

How to recognize an alcoholic? If we compare the dependent and the normal person, we can immediately notice one interesting difference. On the morning after the celebration, a normal person, having felt the hangover syndrome on himself, with all his strength strives to put himself in order and for a long time is not yet able to look at strong drinks. And the alcoholic will immediately want to get drunk. The horror lies in the fact that dependent people use alcohol not only on holidays, but also for no reason. The desire to receive immediately arises out of nowhere.

In the event that such an individual decides to quickly refuse to drink strong drinks, he has fundamental difficulties with the nervous system, as well as with well-being. A normal person will be aware that even small and harmless doses can provoke a dependent state. If people start drinking, they risk losing their priceless health.

How to identify an alcoholic by a photo?

Sometimes it is impossible to fairly assess the condition of a person from a photo. But there are a number of signs that allow you to accurately identify the dependent.

In accordance with the following features, in 90% of cases it is possible to identify an alcoholic by a photo:

  1. Red skin.
  2. Frozen expression.
  3. Swollen eyelids and bags under the eyes.
  4. Blue-purple spots on the face and body.
  5. Downcast eyes.
  6. Expanded nostrils.

Signs of female alcoholism

Alcoholism, which for a long time was considered only a male misfortune, is acquiring female characteristics. If a woman does not consider alcoholism evil and is disposed to drink at every celebration, she can imperceptibly degrade. It is important to understand the characteristics of female drunkenness. Understanding the problem is the first step to overcoming it.

Signs can be seen after 3-4 years from the onset of addiction. A swollen face is the main one. In old age, problems not only increase faster, they often have more profound consequences. The initial features of drunkenness in the fairer sex have their own characteristics, but they are basically similar to the hallmarks of alcohol abuse in the stronger sex.

Signs of beer alcoholism

With the daily use of beer to relax and have fun, drunkenness develops, tremors appear in the hands. Feeling a joyful high mood from intoxication leads to a desire to constantly experience such a situation. Dependence develops secretly, and here are the initial signs of beer alcoholism on the face. They are the same as from taking other alcoholic beverages.

How to recognize and save alcoholics?

Science does not know the situation when an individual suddenly became an alcoholic. The disease is formed over time, taking away the vitality of the consumer. Already after a year of constant use of alcohol, brain neurons irrevocably die. This is why alcoholics are notable for poor memory and incoherent speech, even when sober. In rare cases, an alcoholic recognizes his addiction, so it is important to learn how to determine the disease by external signs. A patient with alcoholism often dies from a cerebral hemorrhage, cirrhosis of the liver, or a heart attack. Only timely treatment can save a person's life.