From the author: This article, revised and edited, was included in the book: Natalia Defois “Life in Harmony.” How to help yourself become happy. I believe everyone has encountered alcoholism, if not in their family, then among friends, acquaintances or colleagues, they have met an alcoholic at least once. And I think they noticed that a person with alcoholism never considers himself an alcoholic, and he has many excuses for drinking alcohol. This is one of the main problems of alcoholism - anosognasia, that is, the patient denies that he is sick and does not realize the severity of the disease. In more rare cases, the alcoholic admits that he is sick, but justifies drinking alcohol by the fact that alcoholism is not curable and he has such a unique type of alcoholism. Very rarely, but this option also happens. But in any case, alcoholics always consider their condition to be unique, that it is only they who are so unhappy that they are not understood, all their attention is directed only to themselves. Therefore, it is advised to “remove” the illusion of uniqueness. An alcoholic must see people in similar situations, and who were able to get rid of alcoholism, for example, this is well worked out in the Society of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Alcoholics are often accused of lacking willpower or character, but alcoholism is a disease, and a serious disease. It develops as a result of long-term systematic alcohol abuse. And another problem with alcoholism is that there is a psychological and, subsequently, physical dependence on alcohol. And, of course, these addictions do not arise out of nowhere, but they have their own reasons. The motive for drinking alcohol for the first time, and how it influenced the person, is very important. If a person felt liberated, “overcame” his complexes in communication, or forgot about the problems tormenting him, “got rid of” stress, etc. These are definitely illusory sensations that allowed him to simply disconnect from reality for a while, but did not change him in any way. her and the reasons for his complexes or problems. But a person liked such sensations, then he will subsequently resort to alcohol as a “solution” to his problems in any difficulty in life. And, as a result, he will develop a psychological dependence. And a person will not even try to look for real ways to solve the situation or his complexes. But it should be noted that psychological dependence, and therefore alcoholism, does not appear in everyone, everything is very individual, some can drink alcohol all their lives and will not become alcoholics, others can and drink beer. A person who not only drinks strong alcoholic drinks, but also low-alcohol ones can become dependent on alcohol. In any case, the body receives alcohol poisoning and, as a result, physical dependence is also formed. It’s just that the same level of alcohol in the blood is achieved by the hobby of drinking a low-alcohol drink (for example, beer, cocktail, etc.), that is, if you drink 100 grams of vodka, then, for example, 2 liters of beer. The maximum dose of alcohol is different for each person. And one of the symptoms of alcoholism is that a person loses control over drinking; he is unable to stop drinking, even if he understands that he should stop or has already drunk more than allowed (“alcohol is drunk like water”). He loses criticism of his state when drinking alcohol, drinks until he falls asleep or vomits, or passes out, etc. If a person gets drunk to the point of insanity, then he is already an alcoholic. Often alcoholics move from low-alcohol drinks to drinking stronger ones, but not all, this is individual. Alcohol gradually changes natural biochemical processes, thereby causing physical dependence (addiction), that is, a person can no longer do without drinking alcohol, but due to anosognosia (denial of the disease), he is not able to admit it, but on the contrary, he justifies in every possible way the need to drink alcohol. Physical dependence does not form immediately. First, psychological dependence arises, and the personAt first, he drinks alcohol rarely, out of a desire to overcome some kind of complex (shyness, for example) or just for company with friends, or trying to “escape” from pressing problems, “get out” of stress, instead of trying to solve them. And such a “way out” of difficult situations or “overcoming” complexes is fixed and becomes the only acceptable one. Gradually, if a person is unable to drink, his mood decreases and his health worsens, so the alcoholic needs to drink alcohol more often and increase the dose. At the same time, he loses control over his personal dose, he is unable to stop and gets drunk to the point of insanity. He develops a pathological, uncontrollable craving for alcohol. And now the person drinks alcohol not to relax and get rid of stress, or to overcome a complex, but because alcohol is needed to get rid of the painful symptoms of withdrawal syndrome (hangover). The case. is that the functioning of the human brain depends on neurotransmitters or neurohormones, especially endorphins (“pleasure hormones”, “natural drugs”). To balance the processes of excitation and inhibition in the human brain and to regulate positive and negative emotions, it is necessary to have a certain level of “pleasure hormones” (endorphins). In addition, endorphins are natural painkillers that allow a person to feel comfortable, for example, when moving we do not experience pain from friction in the joints, etc., which cannot be said about alcoholics - they can feel pain throughout the body if they do not drink again and etc. In a non-drinker, the required amount of endorphins is produced by the body independently. Alcohol acts on the human nervous system like endorphins (“natural drugs”), drinking alcohol always stimulates a powerful release of endorphins in the brain, and their quantity is always higher than normal, which is why a state similar to euphoria arises, sensations are much stronger than usual. This also attracts an alcoholic to drink alcohol, and he has a desire to prolong this state as long as possible, as a result, the consumed dose of alcohol increases, the time between drinking alcohol decreases, and at the same time, he gets drunk faster. In addition, the centers of emotions in the brain also “remember” the effect of a high dose of endorphins received from the outside, and with repeated use of alcohol, the nervous system is rebuilt so that over time, the brain stops producing “pleasure hormones” (endorphins) on its own, so it becomes easy for an alcoholic it is necessary to replace them with a personal dose of alcohol, otherwise he will not only have a low mood or depression, but he will also experience physical pain, this is how withdrawal syndrome (hangover) is formed. That is, the appearance of withdrawal syndrome indicates the formation of physical dependence. Once physical dependence occurs, the alcoholic is practically unable to stop drinking alcohol. He can promise and even try to abstain from alcohol, but, usually, few people simply abstain from alcohol on their own, since there are friends nearby, drinking buddies, stress, which the alcoholic cannot deal with any other way than with the help of alcohol, and a lot of free time, with which he also has no idea what to do, his thoughts will just return to how good he feels when he drinks, and his friends drink there, etc. And everything is complicated by the presence of withdrawal syndrome. And, as a result, the alcoholic cannot stand it and starts drinking. In addition, excessive alcohol consumption leads to alcohol intoxication, and vomiting occurs, but instead of thinking that this is a signal, which means it’s time to give up alcohol, alcoholics are looking for a way fighting the consequences (vomiting), and not the cause (alcohol). Vomiting is the body’s defense mechanism against poisoning, that is, the body fights an excess dose of alcohol, cleansing the stomach of a toxic substance, thereby preventingalcohol is absorbed even more into the walls of the stomach and enters the bloodstream, otherwise severe poisoning can occur, and in this case, it is impossible to do without medical help. Therefore, you cannot prevent vomiting, but it is better to give up alcohol next time or limit yourself to a smaller dose. But the more often a person gets drunk to the point of vomiting, the less often it begins to occur, that is, the person “breaks” his natural defense mechanism. The body is rebuilt, adapting to the constant toxic effects of alcohol. As a result, in the later stages of the disease, an alcoholic can get drunk to the point of coma, but he will not vomit. Long-term alcohol consumption does not just go away, it leads not only to addiction, but also to changes in the psyche, nervous system and damage to internal organs. A namely, sleep disturbance occurs. Trembling of the hands and tongue (tremor) appears. In addition, the following may be observed: hallucinations, tachycardia, sweating, redness of the face, spasm of the heart vessels, problems with blood pressure, headache, heaviness in the head, lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, abdominal pain. Thus, alcohol Personal degradation begins to develop already in the first stages of the disease. Affective disorders, psychopathic symptoms appear, memory deterioration, attention and intelligence decline occur. Alcoholics develop a pattern in their professional activities and have problems learning new things. Thinking becomes routine. There is a loss of control over alcohol consumption and one’s condition. There is a disturbance in the emotional sphere: cheerful carelessness, frivolity, alcoholic humor, some grumbling, dissatisfaction, capriciousness. At the same time, they exhibit deceit, selfishness, and egocentrism. They can flatter in the eyes, scold behind the eyes. If at the initial stage of the disease there is irritation, but over time, outbursts of anger appear and aggression increases, first towards those who, in his opinion, prevent him from drinking (family, work), then towards to all people and the world (“give me a machine gun, I’ll shoot everyone”). Alcoholics do not like it when others point out their dependence on alcohol, and react negatively, violently: they can cause a scandal to their wife for telling him this, demonstratively to be offended or, in general, to go to his drinking buddies, and even get drunk in revenge. Gradually, the alcoholic loses interest in his hobbies and sports. What he once liked ceases to interest him, thoughts about alcohol replace everything. An alcoholic finds more and more excuses for drinking alcohol and losing interests and hobbies. They often claim that if they stop drinking, they will start to get sick, when he drinks, he feels good, he doesn’t get sick. That is, an alcoholic even comes up with the idea that alcohol has a beneficial effect on him, and even tries to convince his loved ones of this, thereby justifying his addiction. In the first stages of alcoholism, his health still allows him to drink and feel physically normal, and the state of intoxication creates for him the illusion of strength, the illusion that he can move mountains, that all his problems are gone, etc. And alcoholics develop a fear of the future, of illness, therefore, in order to “escape” from their own fear, they prefer to go into the illusory world “created” by alcohol intoxication. Alcoholics also claim that they do not have an addiction, and they can stop drinking, when they want, but they just don’t have such a desire yet, but if it appears, they will definitely do it. And it goes without saying that under various pretexts he drinks alcohol and postpones a visit to a doctor, psychotherapist or OAA. If at first an alcoholic can hold on and not drink, although his mood will deteriorate, then over time it will be difficult for him to do this, and Gradually, he begins to drink alcohol constantly, coming up with various reasons and denying that he is sick. Even if he promises that he will not drink until the evening or before they come to visit, he is often unable to keep his word, but despite this he stilldenies that he is an alcoholic. And accordingly, the personality changes, which is why the wife (husband, children, parents, friends) often say that he has become a different person. And already at the last stage of alcoholism, he will drink as soon as he opens his eyes, sleeps off and again for his dose of alcohol... But after each binge, the alcoholic can tearfully promise that this was the last time, but his regrets and tears are hypocritical: everything repeat. In addition, respect for loved ones and a sense of duty to family, team, and society are lost. And, as a result, everything related to alcohol will be assessed positively, everything that interferes with drinking will be perceived negatively. Family, work, and related responsibilities become a burden, as they interfere with alcohol intake. Alcoholics have increased suggestibility. And familiarity, ease, carelessness, sloppiness appear in behavior, and the feeling of shame and disgust disappears. They become unpredictable, one and the same situation can once cause violent emotions, and the next time they will not even notice it. They categorically deny their wrong, unethical behavior, blame their family members for everything, there is a complete absence of their own guilt, no matter what he does (“he is never to blame,” “the wife (husband, children, parents) is to blame,” “the work is to blame,” “the boss”, etc.). They become touchy and try to humiliate and insult loved ones. Self-esteem becomes inadequate (either greatly underestimated or greatly overestimated). The disease itself occurs against the background of depression. But some alcoholics develop apathy. There are 3 stages in alcoholism. Stages of alcoholism. Stage 1 of alcoholism, in most cases, proceeds unnoticed both for the “beginner” alcoholic and for loved ones. A person drinks alcohol in company or on holidays, maybe only once a week. But the very expectation that at this moment he will be able to drink causes excitement, a feeling of celebration, his mood improves, and joy arises from the anticipation of drinking alcohol. Of course, the “future” alcoholic himself explains this by meeting with friends or having a feast, or by the fact that he will relax in company, but he rarely admits to himself that this is due to the anticipation of drinking alcohol. If for some reason the planned “holiday” is canceled, then the alcoholic will experience disappointment, irritation, displeasure, etc. And that he will not be ashamed to show his loved ones. The alcoholic stocks up on different types of alcoholic drinks at home, citing the fact that guests may come, he has nothing to treat them with. The following phrases appear: “how can you have fun sober”, “this is how I relieve stress”, “I have a difficult job, I relax so much”, “how can I refuse, everyone drinks, I will be offended by refusal” , “I drank for company,” etc. All conversations revolve around discussing how they drank and what they drank. They are often proud of how much they were able to drink. Gradually, alcohol becomes so significant that it pushes family, work, and hobbies into the background. Non-drinking friends begin to disappear, and by the end of this stage there remain friends who share the views of the newly made alcoholic on the “usefulness” of alcohol. He perceives everything related to alcohol positively, his drinking companions, the alcoholic not only does not consider them alcoholics, but finds a lot of positive qualities in them, and what wonderful people they are, they understand him and share his views. At this stage, only the psychological addiction, and an alcoholic can give up alcohol without any problems and, thereby, overcome his illness, provided that subsequently he does not drink it at all, and before that, he realizes that he has an addiction to alcohol - which is the most difficult for an alcoholic. On average lasts from 2 years to 15 years.2. stage of alcoholism differs from the first in that withdrawal syndrome (hangover) appears, that is, the alcoholic has developed, in addition to psychological dependence, physical dependence. Alcoholic psychosis usually occurs, the most common being delirium tremens (“delirium tremens”). As a rule, it progresses to morestrong alcoholic drinks (but not always). Vomiting begins to disappear. Alcohol occupies a major place in the human consciousness. Family and work are perceived as a barrier to drinking alcohol, and therefore cause irritation and anger. The tolerance to alcohol changes, now alcohol tolerance is determined not by the amount of alcohol a person can drink, but by the amount that brings him into a state of noticeable, distinct alcoholic intoxication (tolerance), that is, the dose of alcohol increases, but he gets drunk faster, for example, from one or two sips. If at first, an alcoholic can endure to get a hangover until the evening, then over time, he begins to drink alcohol for a hangover at lunchtime, and later more often. So gradually it moves to the third stage of the disease. Constant friends and drinking buddies appear. Most often, it is at this stage that alcoholics, under family pressure, seek help from a doctor or psychotherapist, or from the OAA. Few alcoholics themselves can cope at this stage of the disease, although attempts can be made, the alcoholic can withstand several days, but, in most cases, a breakdown will follow - he will go on a binge. On average, it lasts 10 - 15 years.3. stage of alcoholism. Irreversible changes in the psyche appear, degradation occurs, and some people develop alcoholic dementia. Attention and memory decrease, intelligence suffers, and character changes. A person does not understand the main meaning of the conversation, the ability to understand the situation is lost, he always sees something secondary, considering it important. Somatic changes also occur - health is ruined by alcohol, diseases “fall” on a person as if from a “cornucopia”: immunity is impaired and diseases such as alcoholic cardiomyopathy, alcoholic gastritis, alcoholic hepatitis, etc. develop. He drinks alone, with drinking buddies not required. Hides alcohol if the wife (husband, children, parents) try to control (“drinks around the corner”). He eats almost nothing, only drinks alcohol. Be under the influence of alcohol almost all the time. But at this stage, especially if the alcoholic is about 60 years old, some people quit drinking themselves, since their health no longer allows them to drink as much as before, and fear of the future, fear of illness and death is not uncommon pushes the alcoholic to seek help from a specialist or refuses alcohol himself. If this does not happen, then death frees a person from his dependence... Women's alcoholism proceeds in exactly the same way as men's, the only difference is that a woman, due to her anatomical and physiological characteristics, drinks herself faster. For example, if the first stage of alcoholism in men can last 2 - 15 years, then in a woman it can last only 6 months. And often female alcoholism occurs in a hidden form; women do not always need drinking companions, and sometimes they start drinking alone and can only drink low-alcohol drinks (for example, cocktails, etc.). Therefore, alcoholism becomes noticeable in later stages. In addition, women have low motivation for treatment. For example, a man, out of fear of losing his family, can stop drinking on his own or seek help from a specialist, but if a woman starts drinking, then the family is not important for her and is a strong enough argument for treatment. She has no fear of losing her family, she herself has internally, as it were, already abandoned it in favor of alcohol, although she will never admit this even to herself because of anosognosia and because of the condemnation of others. Society always treats female alcoholics more harshly than it treats male alcoholics, which further pushes women to hide their addiction to alcohol, and if a woman decides to give up a fraught addiction, then in most cases she is forced to cope on her own without the support of others, which complicates the struggle itself with alcoholism and adaptation to a new life without alcohol. That is why the problem of female alcoholism is so often spoken about - the problem is not in treatment, but in insufficientmotivation for treatment. But if a woman wants to recover (she has real motivation, and has not simply submitted to pressure from family or society), then she has the same chances of getting rid of addiction as a man. To get rid of psychological and physical dependence on alcohol, you need give it up, and after a while the brain’s function is restored, and it begins to independently produce endorphins. To one degree or another, the psyche is restored after a year of a sober lifestyle, homeostasis is restored and the physical condition is normalized - after 5 years, then it is considered that the person is conditionally healthy, since alcoholism is a chronic disease, which means it is not completely cured, but is reduced to a stage of remission, although for some it may last the rest of their lives. Alcoholism is a chronic disease, because after a long period of life without alcohol, if a person drinks it, he very quickly becomes physically dependent and can go into binge drinking (relapse). In this case, treatment will have to start again. Therefore, in order to defeat the “green serpent” once and for all, you must completely and for the rest of your life give up alcohol. So, as we see, at first it is quite easy to give up alcohol, but we must take into account that if a person becomes dependent on alcohol, then he may develop another addiction, say, he is a person who gets carried away and does not know how to stop in time. Therefore, in order to cope with addiction, it is recommended, for example, to find something “harmless” to occupy the free time that appears and take your mind off thoughts about alcohol. One option would be to collect anything, the main thing is that it completely absorbs all the person’s attention. In the fight against alcoholism, an excellent method is occupational therapy, that is, to interest an alcohol-dependent person in construction, needlework, carpentry, repairs, cooking, etc. Or if a person begins to help the poor, orphanages, the elderly, etc. It is only necessary that the person himself was interested in all this, to help him find his new hobby. It is not uncommon for alcoholics to be “switched” to religion, this helps them cope with addiction and keep them from relapses. But in this case, just as he was previously passionate about alcohol, he will give all his attention to religion. Psychotherapy in the society of Alcoholics Anonymous is very well developed. That is, former alcoholics help real alcoholics cope with the disease and undergo rehabilitation, that is, adapt to life without alcohol, find their place in society again and become its full-fledged citizen. And who else but the one who has gone through and found a way out of the impasse can better help, understand and support!? In addition, helping others helps a person to refrain from drinking alcohol and not to relapse or go into binge drinking again. And everything happens in an atmosphere of goodwill and understanding. In my opinion, this is the best method of combating alcoholism at any stage of the disease. And most importantly, completely stop communicating with drinking buddies, understand and support the person close to you if he decides to fight his addiction, and try to avoid drinking alcoholic beverages in his presence , especially at first, when he gave up alcohol (he still does it himself or is undergoing treatment). And it is important that a person understands the reason why he began to drink, and learns to cope with difficult life situations, stress, etc. in a different way, and not with the help of alcohol, which means that attitudes towards a sober lifestyle also appear. But in any case , if you have become dependent on alcohol, then you shouldn’t delay and you need to seek help from specialists or OAA, or give up alcohol completely yourself, and the sooner the better, and it’s easier to overcome the disease. Moreover, it is believed that the life of alcoholics is shortened by 10-15 years. And alcoholism increases the risk of suicide. But not only alcoholics themselves are prone to suicide, but also their children. They are the ones who suffer the most. Co-alcoholics