Psychological dependence on alcohol
Drug addictions are complex; even the irresistible craving for psychoactive substances, including alcohol, has two components: psychological and physical dependence.
First, addiction is formed in the psyche. It occurs for a reason; the patient has within himself a predisposition to develop the disease. Almost every person has mental characteristics that can lead to the formation of alcohol dependence.
If someone has problems with communication, with building harmonious happy relationships, achieving success and goals, it is safe to say that behind this there are complexes, fears, beliefs and attitudes that prevent the person from being fully realized as a happy and successful person. In this case, the psyche is looking for a way to eliminate the problem, and usually there are two of them: solve the problem and forget about it.
Psychoactive drugs, alcohol and drugs, allow you to do both. Of course, such a “solution” to a problem situation will be questionable, but at first, drugs and alcohol really help you loosen up, become more active, and even increase your status in some social groups. By clouding a person’s mind, they make it possible to temporarily erase problems from one’s head.
So, after several uses, which at first bring pleasure and the illusion of resolving difficult situations, the human psyche becomes attached to the process and begins to identify it with something positive. This is a symptom of the first stage of alcohol addiction.
Physical dependence on alcohol
Physical attachment to alcoholic beverages can develop only when consumption has already become regular. This happens if a person has acquired psychological dependence.
When alcohol enters the body constantly, the human body gets used to it. Active substances are included in the metabolic processes of the body, its metabolism. These are complex and subtle biochemical reactions in which alcohol itself or ethanol breakdown products are incorporated. As a result, they have a direct or indirect effect on every cell of the body. Naturally, the impact is negative, destroying cells and tissues.
On the one hand, this leads to a general slagging of the whole organism. It is because of this that almost all alcoholics have concomitant chronic diseases that arose during the period of use. But it also leads to physical dependence.
If a person at this stage of the disease reduces the dosage of alcohol or stops drinking it, then he experiences a withdrawal syndrome, which in alcoholism is called alcohol withdrawal. The syndrome is characteristic of the second stage of drug addiction; it means that the patient has fully developed physical dependence. Now, to return to normal operating mode, the body needs time. During the period of abstinence and painful withdrawal symptoms appear, for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal it is necessary to consult a narcologist.
Drugs to support liver function
You should pay attention to the condition of your liver. This organ suffers more than others due to alcohol abuse
As a rule, after a binge or a single drink of a large amount of alcohol, you need to take hepatoprotectors:
- "Heptral". Preserves organ function during intoxication and has a mild antidepressant effect. Release form: ampoules for intravenous administration and tablets. This is one of the best drugs to take during alcohol withdrawal.
- "Essentiale". Contains phospholipids that support liver cells and help cope with intoxication. The course of treatment with Essentiale is at least a month.
- "Karsil". Available in the form of dragees. Contains silymarin as the main active ingredient. To restore liver cells, long-term use is required - at least a month.
- "Ursosan." Suitable for those patients diagnosed with cholecystitis. The drug facilitates the functioning of the liver and gallbladder, promotes the outflow of bile.
Alcoholism disease
Psychological and physical cravings for alcohol cause the patient to drink it uncontrollably and in excessive quantities.
Alcohol addiction is a serious complex disease that destroys the entire human body and his entire life. Like any drug addiction, alcoholism leads to constant long-term intoxication; this damages all the internal organs of the patient, which is a serious, but far from the only problem.
A person dependent on alcohol loses social connections and status, interest in life, stops experiencing emotions, enjoying ordinary things, and becomes immoral. The physical, social, emotional, spiritual spheres of the patient’s life collapse. The longer alcohol addiction lasts, the more destruction it produces.
Stages of treatment for alcohol addiction
Only an integrated approach to treatment can provide guaranteed relief from alcoholism. Withdrawal from binge drinking and elimination of withdrawal symptoms are emergency services, but do not cure addiction completely. The full course always includes three stages:
- Drug detoxification.
- Psychological rehabilitation.
- Socialization, including assistance to codependent relatives.
Nevertheless, there is often a need to relieve alcohol withdrawal and normalize the patient’s condition. After all, while he is tormented by an acute craving for alcohol, he will not be able to move on to a rehabilitation program.
How and where to relieve withdrawal for an alcoholic
In Moscow and the Moscow region, this is done by drug treatment clinics and drug treatment clinics, and advice on the treatment of alcoholism can be obtained by calling a hotline.
Once again, we draw your attention to the fact that for the effectiveness of the treatment and rehabilitation course, the voluntary desire of the addicted person, his willingness to change his life, is necessary. We are ready to assist in drug treatment and prepare for a rehabilitation course in the “Personality” program
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+7 Relief of withdrawal symptoms and comprehensive treatment of alcohol addiction
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome
Any dependence on psychoactive drugs invariably sooner or later leads to the development of withdrawal syndrome.
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome causes binge drinking, because without alcohol, a drug addict begins to experience a number of painful physical and mental symptoms. All these manifestations are called alcohol withdrawal.
Different psychoactive substances cause withdrawal symptoms at different times after the onset of the illness. There are drugs that are instantly addictive; addiction to some develops over several months or even years. But don’t let this mislead the addicted person, because withdrawal will happen one day to every drug addict and alcoholic.
Causes of the disease
Doctors are still arguing about exactly how alcohol withdrawal syndrome develops. But they agree on one thing: the problem is complex. These are mental disorders that are vegetative, neurological, and somatic in nature.
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome appears after prolonged consumption of alcoholic beverages, and then with a sharp or forced cessation of them.
The breakdown products of the toxic compound, the standard, accumulate in the body. It is formed in the intestines and liver. If the body is healthy and alcohol does not enter it in excess, then it itself is restored and neutralizes harmful substances. But otherwise, the liver will not be able to repair itself. Harmful substances enter all organs. And alcohol withdrawal begins.
The central nervous system, the brain, takes the main blow.
How to survive alcohol withdrawal: signs, treatment
Withdrawal syndrome in alcoholism has several degrees of severity, each with its own symptoms. Depending on how severe the syndrome is when quitting alcohol, its treatment is selected.
- The mild degree is characterized by a general broken state. A person is unable to concentrate, there is no attention, and one may notice the symptom of “shifty eyes.”
- Withdrawal syndrome of moderate severity leads to insomnia, heart rhythm disturbances, the patient develops shortness of breath, stops eating, and hallucinations may occur. At this stage, mandatory medical assistance is already required.
- Severe withdrawal syndrome in alcoholism has all the signs of the previous stages, and also the alcoholic’s sweating increases, convulsions begin, and there is a lack of visual attention.
Alcohol addiction treatment
For a clearer understanding of the treatment process, you can familiarize yourself with the sections of our website where all treatment methods are described.
1. Consultation 2. Drug treatment clinic for drug assistance + coding for alcoholism 3. Rehabilitation stage for any forms of addiction 4. Structure of the “Personality” program and step-by-step inclusion in the treatment process
Effective treatment of alcohol addiction is our specialty, welcome to the psychotherapeutic program to change the quality of life! Let's start treatment today! All services are anonymous and provided according to an individual plan!
Tags: Alcohol withdrawal, Alcohol withdrawal
Complications from heavy drinking
Each time the patient’s binges become longer and longer, and the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal become more intense. With chronic alcoholism, it is especially difficult for the patient to survive the first three days of withdrawal without treatment. Convulsive seizures alternate with involuntary urination, a strong desire to drink is accompanied by depression and mental disorders. And only on the fifth day does a person feel better without treatment. How many people can withstand alcohol withdrawal without breaking down?
As a result of binge drinking and abrupt cessation of alcohol, acute conditions associated with the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract often occur. Peptic ulcer disease is a faithful companion of alcohol addiction. Alcohol poisons reach the delicate mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines, sometimes even without food. But during the period of binge drinking and alcohol withdrawal, the gastrointestinal tract is especially difficult.
At this time, it is necessary to carefully monitor the patient. If bloody discharge appears in the vomit, and you also see almost black feces, which acquires this color due to congealed blood, then you need to urgently call a doctor. This may be a sign of open bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, during alcohol withdrawal, banal constipation and diarrhea are observed, and hemorrhoids may develop or worsen.
Without treatment, withdrawal symptoms sometimes lead to swelling of the brain. In this case, the patient most often falls into a coma and dies.
This benefit can be measured
In the above study, the data was obtained simply from the words of those who “gave up” with alcohol. But improving health in such a short period of time is not just the enthusiastic words of people who are impressed by the capabilities of their willpower. You can “touch” positive changes in the body.
The staff of New Scientist made sacrifices for the sake of science. They stopped drinking for one month and allowed themselves to be examined by scientists from University College London. The results impressed the researchers.
Liver
An important discovery was that those who abstained from drinking for a month reduced the amount of fat in their liver by an average of 15% (maximum by 20%). Fatty deposits in the liver are an important marker of the risk of severe damage to this organ in the future: they can provoke inflammation and cirrhosis.
Diabetes risk
A month of abstinence helped reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Study participants experienced a 26% decrease in tissue resistance to insulin. This condition is a possible precursor to diabetes, in which glucose gets into the tissues less efficiently because they become less sensitive to the hormone insulin.
Heart and blood vessels
New Scientist employees have significantly lower levels of risk factors for cardiovascular disease: blood cholesterol levels dropped by 13%, blood pressure by 6%. They also lost an average of 1.5% of their body weight.
Cancer risk
In the blood of people who gave up alcohol after a month, the levels of certain proteins that are associated with the risk of cancer growth noticeably dropped. Study co-author Gautam Mehta noted that it is impossible to say for sure that the risk of cancer may actually decrease after a month of abstinence. However, this is not a coincidence: similar results were obtained in other studies.
How is alcohol withdrawal treated?
The difference between alcohol withdrawal and a regular hangover is the strong craving for alcohol. In alcoholism, it represents the greatest concern along with critical conditions. After all, it is precisely because of the painful desire to drink that the patient continues to be in a drunken state.
Treatment of withdrawal syndrome begins with urgent detoxification of the body. It is carried out using intravenous drips based on saline solution. This treatment allows the patient’s blood to be cleansed of toxins as quickly as possible. But this is not always enough, so along with the basic components of any dropper for alcoholism, medications are added to it that reduce cravings for alcohol. The volume and composition of the droppers depends on how long the binge lasts and on the general condition of the patient.
Causes that cause alcohol withdrawal syndrome
It is impossible to say clearly how long this condition lasts.
- Cases of withdrawal withdrawal symptoms are often associated with a person’s independent decision to stop taking it or with a change in the dose of the substance taken.
- Withdrawal occurs after violation of the drinking interval.
- An addict may feel very bad in the morning before taking the first dose. This type of hangover is called the “zero hour phenomenon.”
- Deterioration in health when taking medications, for example, occurs when the active substance is rapidly removed from the body. This condition can occur with diarrhea, vomiting, and kidney failure.
- If you stop taking it abruptly. The formation of withdrawal syndrome is caused by a sudden and complete cessation of ethanol entering the body. The condition is aggravated if the patient has previously taken large doses. Withdrawal can be severe if a person is unable to drink alcohol.
Alcohol addiction according to ICD
Alcoholism is not a bad habit, not the result of a bad character, as ordinary people often think. In fact, it’s the other way around: first the disease appears, then its behavioral symptoms: indifference, inappropriate behavior, irresponsibility, deceit. Like any disease, alcohol addiction has its own code in the International Classification of Diseases - ICD-10.
From the codes describing individual manifestations of the disease, we learn that alcohol causes dependence syndrome (code F10.2), the development of abstinence (code F10.3), up to withdrawal syndrome with delirium (code F10.4).
Treatment of alcohol addiction in
Treatment of alcoholism is a complex process, because specialists must relieve acute conditions, withdrawal symptoms, eliminate physical attachment, and psychological causes of the disease. In addition, it is not enough to simply cure the patient and return him to a normal lifestyle. His condition is still unstable; the person needs some time to adapt to sober life. During this period, he needs the help of doctors.
Today you can see a lot of offers for the treatment of drug addiction diseases, not all of them include a full range of services or provide the opportunity to conduct a full course of treatment and rehabilitation for addiction. There are clinics and centers that specialize only in emergency care, or, on the contrary, in rehabilitation after drug treatment.
Ours provides its clients with support and quality treatment at absolutely all stages of the treatment course. With us, you can call a narcologist to your home to relieve the patient’s acute condition, or use the service of motivation for treatment when you yourself cannot persuade a relative to undergo treatment. We provide complete detoxification and drug treatment for addiction, as well as long-term psychological rehabilitation. Post-treatment support by our specialists helps the recovering person calmly settle into a new sober life without relapse.
It is not enough just to know about such opportunities. After all, while you are thinking and planning, doing nothing, the patient risks his life every day, and his body receives irreversible damage that can make him disabled, even if the addiction is cured.
Therefore, we sincerely recommend that you do not hesitate, but ask all your questions regarding treatment today, draw up a rough plan, and find out the estimated cost from our consultants. It's free and doesn't obligate you to anything. You can do this at any time by calling our hotline, its number is listed on the website page. Or you can fill out any feedback form and we will contact you.
The difference between false and true binge drinking
Binge drinking does not always require the help of a specialist. A person can drink for several days and stop on their own. If addiction has not yet formed, then the person does not experience withdrawal symptoms and can stop drinking alcohol and return to their normal life. This is called a false binge. This can happen, for example, during a long weekend, on vacation or in a stressful situation.
In a false binge, if a person takes more alcohol to alleviate the condition, vomiting occurs. The body is still able to fight intoxication on its own. In an alcoholic, this protective function is broken during a binge; he drinks to relieve withdrawal symptoms, poisoning the body even more.
It is difficult to immediately distinguish a false binge from a real one. In any case, when a person drinks for several days in a row, this is already a cause for concern. You may need specialist help.
