According to statistics, men are twice as likely to be addicted to alcohol. Our society considers it perfectly normal to consume alcoholic beverages regularly, although the consequences of alcoholism in men are very deplorable for both him and his family.
This opinion is of course disastrous and should be reconsidered. Alcoholism is a serious illness that destroys a person's psyche and general health. It requires a comprehensive medical approach. As practice shows, beer also leads to stable alcoholism. With him this disease begins, and later a person switches to strong alcohol.
External signs of alcoholism
Addiction arises and develops gradually, step by step. It is possible to identify the presence of alcoholism and its development by a number of characteristic signs of alcoholism in men. Psychologists and narcologists have developed the main symptoms by which one can recognize the onset of alcoholism:
- an irresistible craving for alcohol, a person looks for the strangest reasons to justify their desire to drink;
- Aggression towards family members, friends, work colleagues;
- Lethargy and fatigue;
- Speech disorders;
- Musculoskeletal disorders;
- Familiarity in dealing with strangers;
- Apathy, mood swings;
- Deterioration in general health.
These are the first signs of the onset of alcoholism, which can last up to 10 years. It is easy to overlook them at this stage, as they often do. The woman just doesn't pay any attention to her. Think a man relieves stress after work, tries to escape problems with a can of beer or a glass of brandy. Meanwhile the disease does not stand still and continues to advance.
Causes of Male Alcoholism
The problem of male alcoholism is dictated by the difference between the psychology of women and men. The male sex adapts less well to changing external conditions and resorts to alcohol to distract from the problems and worries that fall on him. In addition, men often refuse to persuade themselves to rehabilitation, believing that they can cope with it on their own.
However, this is not the case - in addition to physical dependence, alcoholism brings profound personality changes with it from the first months of abuse. The external environment often consists of the same alcoholics over time, which also prevents healing.
Every second family in our country will face the problem of alcoholism or has already experienced it. This affects all family members without exception, especially children. In general, the reasons for the appearance of this dependency can be divided into three types:
- Social;
- psychologically;
- physiological.
They can occur individually or in combination. One of the social reasons is the presence of drinking friends in the area. Social status plays a special role, as people with good jobs and higher education are less likely to be affected by the problem of addiction. Particularly noteworthy is the presence of stress at work, well-being.
Psychological factors are:
- Imbalance of the psyche;
- insufficient level of self-control;
- low motivation for professional and intellectual development;
- the presence of complexes;
- low self-confidence.
There are a number of other factors that can lead to alcoholism in a man. Here are just the most common.
There is another group of factors that cause constant drunkenness - factors of a physiological nature. These are metabolic disorders that lead to the rapid development of addiction and hereditary factors. If there have been cases of alcoholism in previous generations, it is likely that they will be relevant to subsequent offspring. A person thinks that they will not become addicted and can easily give up alcohol at any time. A similar phenomenon is characteristic of alcoholics at all stages of alcoholism.
You can recognize an alcoholic by his eyes and his gaze. Ethanol has a negative effect on the eyes, they become "glassy" and tired. Over time, bags and swelling appear. Such a person looks tired. This indirectly indicates the presence of diseases of the internal organs.
Often from a person who drinks constantly there comes the smell of alcohol "vapor", which is difficult to confuse with others. People stuck in alcoholism usually do not take good care of their hygiene, appearance, and do not hesitate to wear wrinkled and dirty clothes.
Stages of alcoholism and their signs
There are several stages of alcoholism in men. There are only three of these that come one after the other. The later treatment is started, the more difficult it is to be successful - psychological dependence and an anti-social lifestyle destroy the course of treatment.
Signs of the first stage
At the initial stage of the development of alcoholism, a gradual increase in the amount of alcohol drunk is characteristic. There are a variety of reasons for this, such a person begins looking for a reason to drink. At the same time, I get more and more drunk every time. Family members may hear excuses for this behavior:
- I want to relax.
- Others drank more than I did.
- Yes, I drink a lot, but I am not an alcoholic.
- I'm just tired at work and I want to rest.
If these phrases are accompanied by aggression, it is a clear sign of the development of an addiction. This stage is also characterized by other signs related to physiology:
- no gag reflex;
- more and more is required to achieve the same level of noise;
- there are blackouts.
All of these manifestations cause a deterioration in the general state of health, concentration of attention deteriorates, and efficiency decreases. They are more common when moving to the next level.
It is at this stage that it is necessary to begin treatment for alcoholism in a man - the earlier the stage, the greater the likelihood of a successful outcome. In the first phase, the drunkenness is completely cured and the body is returned to its original state after recovery, since the organs have not had time to suffer badly and their functions are not badly affected.
A person cannot imagine life without alcohol. This is how he spends all of his free time. Because of this, problems can arise at work, as the employee, who often comes with a hangover, works worse. As a result, conflicts with colleagues and management begin. There are also many problems in family life.
Second stage sign
In the second stage of alcoholism in men, other characteristic signs appear. Withdrawal symptoms or hangovers are more pronounced here. It consists of nausea, headache. Power outages can occur. Sleep and digestion are often disturbed. The craving for alcohol is already irresistible. The alcoholic in the second stage can no longer give up drinking. It is the main priority that all life revolves around.
This phase of the disease is also characterized by mental disorders - alcoholic psychosis. This manifests itself in an unstable emotional state, frequent manifestations of aggression, inappropriate behavior and unjustified irascibility.
Third level sign
This is the final stage of alcoholism. At this stage, the patient needs to be hospitalized urgently to save his life. A complete deterioration in personality sets in and moral values become indifferent. An alcoholic's main goal is to get a fresh dose of alcohol and he can do anything for it, including breaking the law. It also takes place:
- Poisoning comes from small doses;
- the hangover is very severe;
- Sleep depends on the amount drunk, as does food intake.
According to medical statistics, the average life expectancy of an alcoholic at this stage is not five years. Due to the constant intoxication of the body, the following symptoms may appear:
- intellectual degradation;
- Loss of speech or serious disturbances in it;
- high risk of strokes, heart attacks, paralysis, severe liver and kidney dysfunction.
When you experience these symptoms, you need to understand that the addiction is only growing. The basis of effective and successful treatment is the desire to get rid of the addiction of the patient himself. The situation is made worse by the fact that alcoholics are often drunk and unable to make informed decisions. This makes the dialogue with such a person much more difficult.
Beer alcoholism must be noted separately. Now this problem is becoming more and more important in society. As a rule, many are convinced that beer cannot cause alcoholism. Narcologists disagree on this - frequent beer consumption can lead to persistent alcoholism. It is manifested in the need to drink this drink constantly and in large quantities. Gradually the amount drunk increases. In this case, it is also worth sounding the alarm and starting the rehabilitation process to get rid of this addiction.
The Consequences of Alcoholism in Men
No matter how strong the body is, the effects of alcoholism in a man won't be long in coming. They can conditionally be divided into two types - psychological and physiological. The latter can manifest itself in functional disorders of various body systems:
- Male impotence. Under the influence of alcohol, the hormonal background changes and testosterone production is disturbed.
- Digestive system problems. It can be gastritis, intestinal ulcers, stomach diseases.
- Printing problems. Alcohol destroys the vascular system.
- Liver pathology. Frequent alcohol consumption leads to cirrhosis and liver cancer.
- Bad immunity. The body loses its protective properties, infectious diseases often appear.
- Heart problems. The likelihood of heart attacks in alcoholics is many times higher than in non-drinkers.
Alcoholism also affects the human psyche. These violations can manifest themselves in strange behavior:
- Sense of persecution. It seems to a person that he is being watched.
- The appearance of hallucinations. Under the influence of alcohol, the brain can create visual, auditory illusions.
- Encephalopathy. It is linked to poor blood circulation and poor nutrition to brain cells.
When such phenomena appear, you should immediately contact a competent psychologist who works with alcoholics. It is important to know that anytime you can start treatment for alcoholism in a man.
Steps to Recovery
- Step 1. Contact a specialized clinic
- Step 2. Convince the addict to seek treatment
- Step 3. Detox (cleansing the body of toxins)
- Step 4. Comprehensive rehabilitation in an inpatient center
Only in a rehabilitation center will a man not only be helped in relieving physiological addiction, but also brought to a complete healing with the help of inpatient treatment and accompanied the first steps in life after rehabilitation.
Of course, the sooner the qualified help of narcologists is provided, the faster and easier it will be to get rid of this disease. Therefore, at the slightest suspicion, contact a specialist immediately.