Psychiatrist-narcologist of the Regional Narcological Hospital of Yaroslavl Lev Manuilov spoke about the signs that a person has developed an alcohol addiction.
The doctor emphasized that alcoholism is mental illness. The patient tends to deny the fact of dependence on alcohol (anosognosia). The person does not consider himself an alcoholic and is confident that he can stop at any time. His relatives, concerned about what is happening, bring him to a consultation.
It is his relatives who are the first to name the signs inherent in an established addiction.
- use drags on for several days< /li>
- a person gets hungover
- social problems are growing
- a person becomes aggressive, nervous, irritable.
Manuilov noted that alcoholism is getting younger, and he, as a doctor, even has 17-year-old patients . He identifies several reasons for this phenomenon. We are talking about the availability of alcohol, social maladaptation, increased stress, general anxiety.
“And often people try to free themselves from this condition with the help of alcohol. But you need to understand that alcohol is a psychoactive, psychotropic substance, a change in consciousness, relaxation, a feeling of escape from the problems that it causes are short-term, and the risk of developing an addiction is high. It turns out to be a vicious circle, the doctor said.
The longer the denial phase lasts, the more difficult the treatment is, he noted.
Narcologists distinguish three stages of alcohol addiction.
- Elementary. The hangover syndrome and other symptoms have not yet formed; there are no binge drinking sessions.
- Average. A person loses control over the dose and over the situation, there is a hangover. Changes in behavior begin. Usually at this stage they consult a doctor.
- Final. Irreversible personality changes, degradation, and social disadaptation occur here. Usually an alcoholic in the third stage has neither a job nor a family, and sometimes even a home. Criticism of one's behavior is completely absent, the person becomes depressed.
As previously reported, to identify alcoholism or a predisposition to it, a narcologist can ask three questions.
“Have your loved ones asked you to stop drinking?”
“Have you ever been ashamed of what you did? in a state of intoxication?”
“Did you have a desire to get drunk in the morning?”
If positive answers are received, then with a high probability the patient has problems with alcohol.
Classic symptoms of alcoholism, when we can talk about stages:
- lack of control over the amount of drinking;
- memory lapses;
- hangover syndrome;
- drinking periods;
- the appearance of external signs: rapid aging of the skin, bulging veins, bruises.
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Important! Information is provided for reference purposes. Ask a specialist about contraindications and side effects and under no circumstances self-medicate. At the first signs of illness, consult a doctor.
Lev Manuilov Medicine psychiatrist-narcologist