From the author: Psychology of addiction. This article was prepared for the All-Russian Day of Sobriety and was published on the website What is the psychological nature of alcohol addiction? What is the mechanism of psychological dependence on alcohol? So, alcohol dependence or alcoholism is a chronic disease that occurs as a result of regular and long-term consumption of alcohol and is characterized by a pathological craving for alcohol, a change in tolerance to it and personality degradation. Questions about the psychological nature of addiction have been raised for a long time and repeatedly. It was assumed that those who become alcoholics were childish, emotionally immature, low in stress tolerance, overly demonstrative, etc. Social disadvantage and genetic predisposition were indicated. But in the 90s of the last century, it was proven that, whatever the personality traits common to alcoholics, they develop after the onset of this addiction, and not before it. Thus, those personality traits that were often called the causes of alcoholism are in fact its consequences. And one of the most likely causes of alcohol dependence is the general attitude of society towards alcohol and alcoholic traditions. From childhood, a person adopts the attitudes, values ​​and traditions of his environment, and if people significant to him, instead of improving their lives, instead of achieving a decent and meaningful existence, habitually go into a drunken stupor, then there is a high probability that he too will do the same. Moreover, existing traditions also impose, as if, obligatory alcohol consumption: wakes, weddings, New Year, etc. one way or another, existing attitudes in society are fixed in a person already in childhood. And taking into account the fact that the beginning of use is often accompanied by euphoria, or a slight sedative effect, then remembering this state, a person strives to achieve it again and again. And at the same time, the individual observes that, like him, many of those around him do the same: his idols (theatre, film stars, singers...), many famous people, politicians, and what to go far - his own parents, and this shapes everything clear guidelines for drinking alcohol. And when a person begins to be drawn to alcohol, the physiological mechanisms of the formation of alcohol dependence also come into play. Therefore, it is initially necessary to treat society, its worldview regarding alcohol, and then it will be easier for a specific person to experience, or rather cope with, his illness. Is there an alternative to alcohol? addictions from a psychological point of view? What is the mechanism of getting rid of alcohol addiction in terms of psychology based on? So, if we touched upon issues of worldview, then an acceptable alternative to alcoholism in all respects is a healthy lifestyle. At the same time, a healthy lifestyle means not only proper nutrition and exercise, but also the ability to build healthy relationships in various areas of a person’s life (family, work, friends,...), the desire for self-realization and self-improvement, the presence of a system of “high” values, the ability to cope with emotions, regulate work and rest schedules, etc. Therefore, from a psychological point of view, a person needs to gain self-sufficiency and spiritual integrity in order to resist the attraction to alcohol. Unfortunately, there is no “magic pill” for alcoholism, however, like for many other diseases, a person will have to work long and diligently on himself, and on building his personality and value-semantic sphere. And as you know, the hardest work is working on yourself. Can periodic consumption of alcohol, which from a medical point of view is not alcoholism, for example, regular consumption on weekends, be called an addiction? As for episodic consumption, it does not fall under the definition of “alcohol addiction.”addiction". However, when “harmless” use on weekends will become one binge, so that there will be weekends 7 times a week, no one can imagine. Since first a person relieves fatigue from work, and then fatigue from his wife, children, problems, bad mood, etc. and then a psychological dependence is formed, which consists in the impression that life is more or less bearable only when intoxicated. How to force yourself to give up alcohol? Is it harmful to give up alcohol completely, without exception? Is it true that “complete withdrawal” is fraught with breakdowns and that, if desired, you can drink alcohol in small doses? To give up alcohol, the first thing you need to do is realize the fact that this cannot go on any longer. “I can’t drink anymore!” because I feel bad, my body can’t cope, my family is destroyed, my job is lost... And at this moment the most difficult thing begins. Since an alcoholic, over the years of drinking, knows only one mechanism for relieving tension, avoiding problems, raising his spirits, etc. Literally, a person must learn to live again, build relationships, cope with difficulties, and be able to relax. In this case, alcohol must be completely excluded. And in order for a person to start a qualitatively new life, sobriety is not a goal, but a necessary condition for this life. Therefore, all the talk about how “it’s harmful to quit forever” or “the beginning is fraught with breakdowns” was invented by those who did not wants to live differently. A person with alcohol addiction cannot drink in a controlled manner, since he is already sick, and the mechanism for controlling the amount of drinking is broken forever. And the cause of binge drinking can be any, even seemingly insignificant amount of alcohol. How should the relatives of a person who is addicted to alcohol act - what is the strategy of their behavior if he does not want to admit such dependence? A person suffering from alcohol addiction, rarely finds himself cut off from society. Most often, an alcoholic has a family that suffers no less than the alcoholic himself. The entire immediate environment of a person with alcohol addiction is knocked out of a normal state. Parents usually feel responsible for what happens to the child and feel guilty for “bad upbringing” and shame in front of the whole world. Everyone in the family becomes irritable. At the same time, the alcoholic himself does not realize, or rather does not want to realize, that the main cause of all problems in the family is alcohol use. Therefore, in very rare cases, an alcoholic seeks help on his own. More often, he is forced by relatives or circumstances. For relatives, convincing an alcoholic to get treatment is a difficult but possible task. What is important here is the consolidation of all family members, “tough” love, understanding of the disease, and getting rid of one’s own codependency. Reproaches, threats, scandals, begging do not work and should be excluded. Relatives need to take approximately the following position: “That’s enough. We refuse to get you out of the problems you create for yourself; we love you and therefore we tell you: “If you want to suffer, suffer, but without us. If you don’t want to, look for a way of salvation!” And then everyone begins to be responsible for themselves, and the alcoholic will have to change something. They no longer give him money, they don’t pay off his debts, they don’t wash him, they don’t feed him, they don’t run around him. The addict will have to change something in his life and agree with the rules that will be provided for in the family. Of course, these are fairly general recommendations, but these recommendations are the basis for changing the situation in the family of an alcoholic. And before the behavior of an alcohol addict changes, you will first have to change something in yourself and in your attitude towards your relative’s painful addiction. And you may have to resort to the help of specialists: psychologists, psychotherapists, both in individual and group therapy. We regularly host seminars in Belgorod on the basis of the National Anti-Drug Union,.