Alcoholism is rightfully considered one of the most serious problems of modern society., as the rate of spread of this disease increases every year. Constant advertising of alcoholic beverages and the availability of alcohol play a negative role, because it contributes to the spread of alcohol addiction among the population. “Advertising” has a particularly negative impact on teenagers, так как все запретное всегда притягивает. Alcoholism among young people is a common phenomenon. In order for a person to get rid of the irresistible desire to drink alcohol, one must make a huge effort..

Alcoholism - what is it?

It is generally accepted, that alcoholism is a disease, caused by frequent consumption of alcoholic beverages and characterized by the appearance of a strong addiction to alcohol. Его относят к одному из видов наркомании за счет того, that alcohol acts like a drug on the central nervous system. Due to prolonged and intense alcohol abuse, characteristic changes begin in the internal organs, therefore, this fact is also considered a symptom of alcoholism. Any disease should be treated by a specialist. In this case, you should contact a psychiatrist-narcologist., так как alcoholism is a serious problem, causing psychiatric and physical changes in the body. Most often, it is impossible to cope with this disease on your own., especially, when it comes to the second and third stages of alcoholism. As a result, timely consultation with a doctor will help restore health and eliminate addiction..

Causes of alcoholism

Recently, all the causes of alcohol addiction have been divided into three large groups::

• Physiological factors.
• Psychological factors.
• Social factors.

One of the most important points is the presence of a genetic predisposition to alcoholism, которая возникает из-за возникновения мутации в генах. As a result, a person with such changes in chromosomes becomes an alcoholic much faster compared to others. Since over the past decades a huge number of people have begun to suffer from alcoholism, то и вероятность рождения детей с имеющейся предрасположенностью очень большая. But the presence of such a cause of alcoholism is not necessary for its occurrence, since upbringing and social status are of great importance.

In addition to genetic predisposition, Physiological factors include the state of human health. For some diseases, relating to the nervous system, metabolism or liver problems alcoholism occurs faster. Psychological changes in an alcoholic are most often present from the onset of the disease. Human, alcoholic, often experiences depression and anxiety, has manic personality changes. Alcoholism and its psychological consequences are terrible., because a person’s personality is greatly degraded. Many people start to drink bottles out of desperation., others think, that alcohol gives them the opportunity to relax after a working day. Taken together, this causes regular alcohol consumption, which will lead to addiction in the future.

The socio-economic factor is those conditions, in which a person exists. Depending on the environment, a person is either inclined to drink alcohol, or not. Upbringing, traditions and family values ​​influence, how a person relaxes and solves problems. If there was a negative example before his eyes, that is alcoholism in the family, the likelihood of addiction increases significantly. This is related to, that the fear of drinking alcohol disappears. If parents could, then I can too - that’s what most young people think, when it comes to alcohol and cigarettes.

Stages of alcoholism

There are two forms of addiction – psychological and physical.. The first occurs due to the effect of alcohol on the central nervous system, the second is due to the inclusion of ethanol in metabolism. Alcoholism develops gradually, which depends on the frequency of use and the amount of alcohol consumed. In order to diagnose a pathological addiction to alcohol, the doctor evaluates four signs:

• Degree of craving for alcohol.
• Changing alcohol tolerance.
• Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (the appearance of psycho-neurological and somatovegetative symptoms, that occur after stopping drinking alcohol). Symptoms of alcoholism always include withdrawal symptoms, characteristic of all drug addicts.
• Alcohol damage to internal organs.

To understand the severity of the condition, A psychiatrist-narcologist always evaluates signs of alcoholism. The most important thing remains addiction to alcohol, that is, an irresistible desire to use it regardless of the situation. Doctors also distinguish three stages of alcoholism:

• The first stage is characterized by the emergence of dependence. A person has a strong desire to drink alcohol. Even if the desire worsens once a week, this is still a terrible symptom. The alcoholic does not realize the danger of what is happening and prefers to satisfy the need, rather than fight it. Loss of control over the amount of alcohol consumed, that is, he drinks until that moment, until intoxication sets in. The person is often aggressive and irritable, which is very striking. The next day there is a hangover, but there's no need to get hungover yet. Рвота отсутствует. Alcoholism and its stages occur in different ways. The first stage necessarily passes into the second, but always for different periods of time.
• The second stage is characterized by, that alcohol tolerance increases, that is, more alcohol is needed to, to become intoxicated. The addiction becomes very strong. Losing control when drinking alcohol, а его количество постоянно растет. Alcoholism and its causes lead to the appearance of retrograde amnesia. The main difference between the first stage and the second is the occurrence of withdrawal syndrome. If the desire to drink alcohol is not satisfied, then a number of mechanisms are triggered, worsening a person’s physical and mental condition. In this way, the body demands the next portion of alcohol.
• Irritability appears, increased blood pressure, hand shake, century, increased heart rate, insomnia, vomiting after eating or drinking water, not after drinking. In addition to physical symptoms, psychosis with hallucinations may begin. The condition is extremely dangerous for the alcoholic himself., and for those around you. To prevent such severe symptoms, the alcoholic continues to drink alcohol, what leads to binge drinking. The consequences of alcoholism are still reversible, but only if all treatment conditions are met. Alcoholics can remain at this stage for a very long time., sometimes until the end of life.
• The third stage is final. Characterized by, that your tolerance for alcohol decreases greatly, that is, a small amount of alcohol is required to, to get drunk. Withdrawal syndrome is very vivid, leads to daily alcohol consumption. A person's personality changes for the worse, так как интеллект и способность к мышлению полностью пропадают. Chronic alcoholism leads to irreversible changes in internal organs.

Treatment and consequences of alcoholism

The main point in the treatment of alcoholism is complete abstinence from alcohol for life., since even a single drink of alcohol returns the alcoholic to his previous path. At the beginning of treatment, a special role is given to eliminating withdrawal symptoms and mitigating alcohol dependence. Drugs are used to relieve alcohol intoxication, усиливающие обмен веществ и выводящие этанол из организма. Alcoholism and its consequences lead to, that it is extremely difficult to limit oneself to drug treatment alone. Alcoholics need intensive psychotherapy, since stable remission is possible only with full treatment.

In order to appreciate the seriousness of such a problem, like chronic alcoholism, social damage must be realized. Families are breaking up due to alcohol addiction, sick children are born, who in the future may also become alcoholics. Number of crimes, committed due to intoxication or for the purpose, to get alcohol, growing steadily. Due to the prevalence of alcoholism, there is a decrease in the general intellectual level of society, which leads to degradation and disappearance of cultural values. Из-за проблем со здоровьем уменьшается количество трудоспособного населения. The consequences of alcoholism are terrible not only for the person himself. They affect society and worsen the genotype of the entire nation. Therefore, special emphasis should be placed on the prevention of this terrible disease..