Stage 3 signs of alcoholism. The third stage of alcoholism. What is alcoholism and its stages

Stage III of alcoholism is characterized by the depletion of the compensatory capabilities of the body, massive manifestations of the toxic effects of alcohol. All clinical manifestations of stage III undergo further development and manifest themselves in the form of the most difficult options.

The primary pathological attraction to alcohol is realized without a struggle of motives, and in some patients it becomes irresistible. The intensity of such an attraction can only be compared with hunger and thirst. When the attraction is actualized, it is realized according to a rather strict program: patients can neglect any professional and ethical obstacles.

Secondary forms of pathological craving for alcohol are getting heavier. Loss of control over the amount drunk is accompanied by a loss of situational control. The urge to get alcohol becomes irresistible, it can be accompanied by any, including illegal, actions, cruelty to relatives. The patient can drink alcohol substitutes, drink alone, in inappropriate places.

Intoxication, as a rule, occurs against a background of declining tolerance. Both single and daily doses are reduced. Intoxication takes place with a predominance of stunnedness or a dreary-vicious mood.

Violations of reproduction in the memory of the events of the intoxication period take on the character of total amnesia. Patients find it difficult to recover most or all of the period of intoxication, and such disorders occur even after relatively small doses of alcohol.

At stage III, alcohol withdrawal syndrome manifests itself already in expanded form, sometimes with reversible psycho-organic disorders, convulsive seizures. In the structure of AAS for a long time, disorders on the part of internal organs have already been manifested. Retarded hangovering is no longer possible.

The form of alcohol abuse is partially transformed (pseudo bouts turn into true binges) and is even more complicated. Constant drunkenness may appear amid low tolerance. In these cases, alcoholic beverages are consumed in small fractional doses throughout the day: patients are continuously intoxicated, more often shallow.

Personality changes in stage III are characterized by alcohol degradation (moral-ethical and intellectual-mnestic decline). Several types of degradation are distinguished: with a euphoric attitude, with spontaneity (a decrease in all interests and motives) and a psychopathic one.

Social consequences are no less severe. Patients are not able to fully perform family and work responsibilities, often do not work for a long time, and are dependent on others. Marriages break up.

The somatic consequences at this stage of alcoholism are diverse and irreversible. Severe toxic lesions of almost all major systems are detected.

Alcoholism   - a disease that occurs with the systematic abuse of alcohol is characterized by mental dependence in intoxication, somatic and neurological disorders, personality degradation. The disease can progress with abstinence from alcohol.

In the CIS, 14% of the adult population abuse alcohol and another 80% moderate drink alcohol, which is due to certain drinking traditions that have developed in society.

Such factors as conflicts with relatives, poor living standards, and inability to realize oneself in life often lead to abuse. At a young age, alcohol is used as a way to feel inner comfort, courage, overcome shyness. In middle age it is used as a way to relieve fatigue, stress, and get away from social problems.

The constant appeal to this method of relaxation leads to persistent dependence and inability to feel inner comfort without alcohol intoxication. According to the degree of dependence and symptoms, several stages of alcoholism are distinguished.

Stages of alcoholism

The first stage of alcoholism

The first stage of the disease is characterized by an increase in doses and the frequency of alcohol intake. A syndrome of altered reactivity occurs, in which the tolerance of alcohol changes. Protective reactions of the body from overdose disappear, in particular, there is no vomiting when drinking large doses of alcohol. With severe intoxication observed palimpsest   - memory losses. Psychological dependence is manifested by a feeling of dissatisfaction in a sober state, constant thoughts about alcohol, a mood boost before drinking alcohol. The first stage lasts from 1 year to 5 years, while the attraction can be controlled, since there is no physical dependence syndrome. A person does not degrade and does not lose the ability to work.

Complications of alcoholism of the first stage are primarily manifested by the liver; alcoholic fatty degeneration . Clinically, it is almost not manifested, in some cases, a feeling of fullness of the stomach may occur,. The complication can be diagnosed by an increase in the dense texture of the liver. At   the edge of the liver is rounded, it is somewhat sensitive. With abstinence, these symptoms disappear.

Pancreatic complications are acute and chronic. . At the same time, abdominal pains are noted that are localized on the left and radiating to the back, as well as a decrease , nausea , flatulence unstable chair.

Often alcohol abuse leads to alcohol , in which there is also no appetite and nausea, pain in the epigastric region.

Second stage

Alcoholism of the second stage has a progression period of 5 to 15 years and is characterized by an increase in the syndrome of altered reactivity. Alcohol tolerance reaches a maximum, so-called pseudo bells , their frequency is associated not with the patient’s attempts to get rid of addiction to alcohol, but with external circumstances, for example, lack of money and the inability to get alcohol.

The sedative effect of alcohol is replaced by an activating one, memory lapses when drinking a large amount of alcohol are replaced by the complete end of intoxication. At the same time, daily drunkenness is explained by the presence of a syndrome of mental dependence, in a sober state, the patient loses the ability to work mentally, disorganization of mental activity occurs. There is a syndrome of physical alcohol dependence, which suppresses all feelings except craving for alcohol, which becomes uncontrollable. The patient is depressed, irritable, inoperative, after taking alcohol, these functions fall into place, but control over the amount of alcohol is lost, which leads to excessive intoxication.

The treatment of alcoholism in the second stage should be carried out in a specialized hospital, by a doctor narcologist   or psychiatrist. A sharp rejection of alcohol causes somatoneurological symptoms of alcoholism such as mydriasis , hyperemia upper body, fingers, nausea, vomiting, intestinal weakness, pain in the heart, liver, headaches. Mental symptoms appear degradation of personality, weakening of intelligence, crazy ideas. Often there is anxiety, night anxiety, convulsive attacks, which are the precursors of acute psychosis - alcohol delirium, popularly called delirium tremens .

Complications of alcoholism of the second degree from the liver are presented alcoholic hepatitis , often of a chronic form. The disease is more common in persistent form than progressive. Like complications in the first degree, little manifested by clinical symptoms. The complication can be diagnosed by gastrointestinal pathology, severity appears in the epigastric region of the stomach, right hypochondrium, mild nausea, flatulence are observed. On palpation, the liver is compacted, enlarged and slightly painful.

Alcoholic gastritis in the second stage of alcoholism can have symptoms masquerading as manifestations of withdrawal symptoms, the difference is painful repeated vomiting in the morning, often with an admixture of blood. On palpation, pain in the epigastric region is observed.

After prolonged binges, acute alcoholic myopathy develops, weakness, swelling in the muscles of the hips and shoulders appear. Alcoholism most often causes non-ischemic heart disease.

Third stage

Alcoholism of the third stage is significantly different from the previous two, the duration of this stage is 5-10 years. This is the final stage of the disease and, as practice shows, most often it ends fatally. Alcohol tolerance decreases, intoxication occurs after small doses of alcohol. Hard drinking ends in physical and psychological exhaustion.

Long-term drunkenness can be replaced by prolonged abstinence or systematic daily alcoholism persists. There is no activating effect of alcohol, intoxication ends with amnesia. Mental dependence does not have pronounced symptoms, since deep mental changes occur in the third stage of alcoholism. Physical dependence, for its part, manifests itself quite strongly, determining the lifestyle. Man becomes rude, selfish.

When intoxicated, emotional instability is manifested, which represents the symptoms of alcoholism, gaiety, irritability, anger unpredictably succeed each other.

Degradation of personality, decrease in intellectual abilities, inoperability, lead to the fact that an alcoholic, having no funds for alcohol, consumes surrogates, sells things, and steals. The use of such surrogates as denatured alcohol, cologne, polish, etc. lead to serious complications.

Complications of alcoholism of the third stage are most often represented by alcohol cirrhosis . There are two forms of alcoholic cirrhosis - compensated   and decompensated the form. The first form of the disease is characterized by persistent anorexia nervosa, flatulence, fatigue, low apathetic mood. Thinning of the skin occurs, white spots and spider veins appear on them. The liver is enlarged, dense, has a sharp edge.

The patient’s appearance changes greatly, there is a sharp weight loss,. The decompensated form of cirrhosis of the liver varies in three types of clinical symptoms. These include portal hypertension, which leads to hemorrhoidal and esophagal bleeding, ascites - accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity. Often there is jaundice, in which the liver is significantly enlarged, in severe cases, liver failure occurs, with the development of coma. The patient is found to have a high content, which gives the skin an icteric or earthy hue.

Diagnosis of alcoholism

The diagnosis of alcoholism can be suspected by the appearance and behavior of a person. Patients look older than their years, over the years the face becomes hyperemic, skin turgor is lost. The face acquires a special form of volitional licentiousness, due to the relaxation of the circular muscles of the mouth. In many cases, dishonesty, carelessness in clothing is observed.

Diagnosis of alcoholism in most cases is quite accurate, even when analyzing not the patient himself, but his surroundings. Family members of a patient with alcoholism experience a number of psychosomatic disorders, neurotization or psychotization of a non-drinking spouse, and pathologies in children. Most frequent   in children whose parents abuse alcohol systematically, this congenital minor cerebral insufficiency . Often such children have excessive mobility, they are not focused, have a craving for destruction and aggressive behavior. In addition to congenital pathology, the development of a child is also affected by the traumatic situation in the family. In children, it is detected logoneurosis , , nightly fears, behavior disorders. Children are depressed, prone to suicide attempts, they often have difficulties with learning and communicating with peers.

In many cases, pregnant women who abuse alcohol have a birth alcohol fetus . Fetal alcohol syndrome is characterized by gross morphological abnormalities. Most often, the fetal pathology consists in the irregular shape of the head, body proportions, spherical deep-set eyes, underdevelopment of the jaw bones, and shortening of the tubular bones.

We have already briefly described the treatment of alcoholism depending on its stages. In most cases, relapse may occur after treatment. This is due to the fact that treatment is often aimed only at eliminating the most acute manifestations of alcoholism. Without the right psychotherapy, the lack of support from loved ones, alcoholism recurs. But as practice shows, it is psychotherapy that is an important component of treatment.

The first stage of the treatment of alcoholism is the elimination of acute and subacute conditions caused by intoxication of the body. First of all, interruption of binge and the elimination of withdrawal symptoms is carried out. In the later stages, therapy is carried out only under the supervision of medical personnel, since deliric syndrome arising from interruption of binge, requires psychotherapy and a number of sedatives. The relief of acute alcoholic psychosis is the rapid immersion of the patient in sleep with dehydration and support of the cardiovascular system. In cases of severe alcohol intoxication, alcoholism treatment is carried out only in specialized hospitals or in psychiatric wards. In the early stages, anti-alcohol treatment may be enough, but more often when refusing alcohol, there is a deficiency of neuroendocrine regulation, the disease progresses and leads to complications and organ pathology.

The second stage of treatment is aimed at establishing remission. A complete diagnosis of the patient and the treatment of mental and somatic disorders. Therapy at the second stage of treatment can be quite peculiar, its main task is to eliminate somatic disorders, which are key in the formation of pathological craving for alcohol.

Non-standard methods of therapy include rozhnov’s technique , which is an emotional stress therapy. A good prognosis in treatment gives a hypnotic effect and the preceding psychotherapeutic conversations. During hypnosis, the patient is instilled with an aversion to alcohol, a nausea-vomiting reaction to the taste and smell of alcohol. Verbal aversive therapy is often used. It consists in adjusting the psyche by the method of verbal suggestion, to respond with an emetic reaction to drinking alcohol, even in an imaginary situation.

The third stage of treatment involves the extension of remission and the return of a normal lifestyle. This stage can be considered the most important in the successful treatment of alcoholism. After the previous two stages, the person returns to his former society, to his problems, friends, who in most cases are also alcohol-dependent, to family conflicts. This affects the relapse of the disease to a greater extent. In order for a person to be able to independently eliminate the causes and external symptoms of alcoholism, prolonged psychotherapy is required. Autogenic training gives a positive effect; they are widely used for group therapies. Training consists in normalizing autonomic disorders and relieving emotional stress after treatment.

Is applied behavioral therapy , the so-called lifestyle correction. A person learns to live in a sober state, to solve his problems, acquiring the skill of self-control. A very important step in restoring normal life is to achieve mutual understanding in the family and understanding of your problem.

For successful treatment, it is important to achieve the desire of the patient to get rid of alcohol dependence. Forced treatment does not give such results as voluntary. Nevertheless, refusal of treatment requires the local narcologist to forcibly refer the patient for treatment in the LTP. Therapy in the general medical network does not give positive results, since the patient has open access to alcohol, he is visited by drunk friends, etc.

In the case when alcohol abuse began in adulthood, an individual approach to the choice of therapy is required. This is due to the fact that somatoneurological symptoms of alcoholism appear much earlier than the onset of addiction and mental disorders.

Mortality in alcoholism is most often associated with complications. The decompensation of vital organs occurs due to prolonged binge, withdrawal conditions, intercurrent diseases. 20% of elderly patients with alcoholism have signs, a little less common acute Gaye-Wernicke syndrome . The attacks of both diseases with alcohol intoxication can be fatal. The presence of alcoholic cardiomyopathy significantly worsens the prognosis. Continued systematic use of alcohol leads to mortality.

Less than 25% of patients with this complication live longer than three years after diagnosis. A high mortality rate due to alcohol intoxication is death due to suicide. This is facilitated by development. chronic hallucinosis , alcohol paraphrenia , delirium of jealousy . The patient is not able to control delusional thoughts and commits acts unusual in a sober state.

In this article you will learn everything “ Stages of alcoholism". Having received the information, you can easily determine alcohol addiction both in yourself and in another person.

According to recent studies, it is the model below, where you will see the stages of alcoholism, that is worth considering as a new standard.
  And perhaps alcoholism will be much closer than you thought before.
  And this is good! Because the sooner you recognize at what specific stage of alcoholism you are, the sooner you can do something about it.

I wrote about the signs of alcoholism in a previous article.

Stages of alcoholism

1st stage of alcoholism

1. At the first stage of alcoholism, a person consumes alcohol, and it seems to him that he only enjoys without experiencing any negative consequences.
2. At the first stage, alcohol gives a strong short-term benefit to a person, thereby forcing a person to perceive alcohol not only harmless, but also desired.
3. A person does not yet have a hangover, headache and others.
4. It seems to him that he has bypassed him, and he can drink alcohol safely.
5. Also, in the first stage of alcoholism, a person completely denies his dependence. He believes that he drinks moderately, for the company, and just for fun. It also uses other excuses. I wrote about them in detail in the article.
6. At the first stage, alcoholism is socially acceptable, which masks the problem, allowing addiction to gain more and more strength.

2 stage of alcoholism

For the second stage of alcoholism, the following symptoms are characteristic:

• Intermittent use

Alcohol consumption becomes permanent and periodic. For example, once a week a person is sure to get drunk to a “good” state, accompanied by a complete loss of control. The presence of alcohol in life becomes a necessity.

• Deprivation of freedom of choice.

If at the first stage of alcoholism a person could still choose to drink it or not, then at the second stage a person is deprived of such an opportunity. Dependence itself dictates how much and when a person will drink alcohol.
  To check if you have the freedom of choice, try, for example, not to drink alcohol for at least a year.

• Consumption Protection

Consciously or unknowingly, a person comes up with reasons to protect his drinking. He believes that he just relaxes on the weekend, relieves stress and so on.

• Increasing tolerance

Also, the second stage of alcoholism is characterized by an increase in alcohol tolerance.
  Tolerance to alcohol means that now a person needs to drink more alcohol in order to feel as well. The old norm ceases to bring the same effect of pleasure.

• Alcohol adaptation

The body adapts to alcohol, the natural reflexes of alcohol rejection are removed. The body ceases to resist.
  Again, it seems to man that he can drink alcohol without serious consequences.

• Loss of ability to control drinking

Increasingly, a person loses control over alcohol consumption.
  It is the loss of the ability to control the drink that is the main sign of the second stage of alcoholism.
  Outwardly in a person’s life, everything looks good. He leads a social lifestyle, there are friends who, by the way, also drink.

3 stage of alcoholism

The third stage of alcoholism is characterized by several signs:

• Reorienting Life to Alcohol

In the third stage of alcoholism, a person’s whole life begins to be built around drinking alcohol. Other matters lose their significance and fade into the background.

Even if a person continues to go to work, engage in external affairs, he is in a “standby mode” of use.
  He is waiting for the day when he can drink to relieve stress.
  Drinking alcohol is becoming the only desired goal, a source of pleasure.

• The origin of other dependencies

In a person, other addictions begin to form and intensify.
  A person begins more, apply various kinds, watch porn, fantasize on “obscene” topics, overeat, drink coffee. Often, he applies dependencies at the same time in order to get a greater “high” effect, since the application individually ceases to “embed” a person.

• The discomfort of real life

The real life of a person, when he is deprived of the opportunity to use, becomes uncomfortable. A person begins to accompany internal pain, constant anxiety and irritation.
  Only when a person drinks does he become unreasonably cheerful and super-energetic for some time.

• Crisis intensification

In life, problems that did not bother before begin to manifest themselves more and more. due to the fact that a person ignores other areas of life in favor of drinking alcohol.
  At this stage of alcoholism, a person does not recognize his addiction, believes that new problems have arisen due to the evil fate fate, external causes, but not due to addiction.
  A man zealously defends his drinking, considering alcohol to be the only source of joy.

• Breaking social bonds

In the third stage of alcoholism, changes occur in:
  Appears selfishness, pride, sharpness in communication with loved ones.
  There is also aggressiveness towards other people.
  The desire for isolation from society.
  Other people begin to annoy a person.

• Increased frequency of use

The frequency of drinking is increasing.
  A person can consume several days in a row, for example, on Friday and Saturday.
  Drinks in the middle of the week.

Stage 4 alcoholism

  In the fourth stage, mental problems caused by alcohol consumption begin.

• In the fourth stage, mental problems caused by alcohol begin.
• A degradation of the person occurs, imperceptible to the person himself.
• The skills of a sober life, the ability to get along with people and cope with problems are lost.
• The frequency of alcohol consumption becomes permanent and does not change for some time.
• Irreversible changes begin to occur in the human psyche, in physiology.
• A long stay in abstinence without alcohol gives rise to internal discomfort, increased heart rate, and bad thoughts.
• Irreversible consequences appear in thinking, which acquires most of the negative and suppressed character.
• A person begins to think that the whole thing is in his use of alcohol.
• He makes an attempt to stop drinking, but suddenly realizes that it is difficult for him to do without alcohol and returns to drinking. He begins to realize his mental and physical dependence on alcohol, but does not know what to do with it. He tries to reduce the dose, drink less, or stop drinking altogether - but all attempts fail.

It is at the fourth stage of alcoholism that the consequences end when a person is still able to get out of dependence on his own.

What to do?

If you notice that you or your loved one are on one of stages of alcoholism   - this is a signal to sound the alarm.
  It is at these stages that you must stop denying your own as soon as possible. You need to admit to yourself that you are at one of the stages of alcoholism and start to do something about it.

These were 4 stages of alcoholism.
  Already, being at these stages, it is rather difficult to stop drinking.
  Alcoholism is terrible only when you do not know what to do with it.
  But in this case there are specific what to do and how to win forever

The third stage of alcoholism can be compared with balancing over the abyss. When it begins, it is impossible to predict. It all depends on the internal resources of the body, the amount and frequency of alcohol consumed, its quality and strength. If the addict begins to drink in his youth, the third stage may occur as early as 40 years.

But the “trigger” is known - this is the moment when the liver, which worked for a long time for wear, can no longer work in this mode. Her "resources" are drastically depleted, like a driven horse.

Symptoms of the third stage of alcoholism:

A sharp drop in the dose used. Do not confuse this with self-control. No, the addict still wants to drink in the same volumes as before. Moreover, he often wants to drink even more often. But just can't.

The smallest dose is enough for him to get intoxicated, even less than he drank before the development of addiction and the first stage of the disease. And due to the fact that the production of liver enzymes drops to a minimum, alcohol is practically not processed and toxins receive blood in a much larger volume.

Moreover, by the third stage of alcoholism, the internal environment of the body is already so poisoned by alcohol and weakened that defense reactions also drop to a minimum. So corny lacks the strength to withstand the effects of alcohol.

An alcohol-dependent person again has gag reflexesbut if earlier they testified that the body was not accustomed to a large amount of alcohol and rejects it as poison, now nausea and vomiting occur when even small doses of alcohol are consumed - this is like the last protective reaction.

Rapid intoxication in the third stage of alcoholism is not only dangerous for medical reasons. This is a high risk both for the most dependent and for people living with him, because a person can put food on the stove or light a cigarette, and then “slam a glass” and turn off. He won’t even notice how the fire started. And if the other family members are sleeping at this time, then they will not have time to notice.

Amnesia   - memory loss is rapidly progressing, the addict ceases to remember significant fragments of events after drinking. However, the period of any activity is also steadily decreasing.

Hard drinking. The addicted is actually constantly tempted to drink. To some extent, it is constrained only by the most serious consequences, the inability of the body to continue to take alcohol. The alcoholic drinks fractionally, little by little, but constantly.

At first, the daily dose of drunk, despite a fractional intake, is very impressive. In the process of development of the third stage, the daily dose is already reduced - the body does not have enough strength. Often binges end in complete exhaustion.

A sharp decrease in appetite   - the addict practically ceases to eat, loses much in weight. On the one hand, this is due to inhibition of brain functions, the "signals" about hunger are becoming weaker. In addition, a depleted digestive system is not capable of adequate intake and assimilation of food.

In addition, drunken dreams are characteristic of the third stage..

Degradation of personality in the third stage of alcoholism

Degradation of personality occurs due to prolonged toxic effects on the brain. As a result, behavioral patterns (scenarios) brought up in a person from childhood are “smeared” and “blurred”.

Instinctive, egocentric behavior takes the place of the conscious. Gradually developing chronic alcoholic encephalopathy.

An alcoholic changes, becomes "different." Moreover, it is quite difficult to predict the nature of future personality changes - all individually.

Most often, relatives observe such a picture. The behavior of the addicted ceases to be regulated by any moral and ethical standards. He becomes deceitful, boastful, overestimates himself and his abilities, rudely jokes, quickly moves from a state of euphoria to anger or depression.

Moreover, he does not hold back negative emotions - if he doesn’t like something, he can hit a woman, a child, without reckoning with anything. Criticality to one’s behavior is completely absent, but pronounced anosognosia - the alcoholic does not understand and denies the destructive effect of alcohol on his life.

Most dangerous drop in moral standards   due to the fact that such addicts do not just slide lower and lower - they begin to involve other people in their drunkenness. Young people are drinking; if one of the former drinking companions has undergone treatment, push him to a breakdown; the rehabilitation center interferes with the treatment of other patients.

Such people need a very special approach. If your loved one has similar personalities in the environment, then after treatment it is important to first ensure that he does not resume contact with them, otherwise the risk of a breakdown will increase many times.

A somewhat less common pattern of personality changes is observed. The addicted becomes apathetic, quickly gets tired, both from physical and from intellectual labor. Sleep is getting more and more upset, depression and suicidal moods appear. Weakening memory, attention, intelligence.

Rarely enough, but still extreme forms are observed - the dependent either becomes talkative and boastful, but generally complacent, or, on the contrary, comes to complete emotional dullness and resembles a person who was stunned by something.

Social degradation in the third stage of alcoholism

In the third stage of alcoholism, the addict completely disappears interest in life. Moreover, even drinking is no longer fun. Only the simplest instincts remain, but they are also in a depressed state: sleep, food. And, of course, booze.

But if earlier alcoholism had at least some conscious form, now the craving for alcohol is becoming almost automatic. Man is virtually completely lost to society. is he does not work, it’s almost impossible for other people to communicate with him.

The concept of any obligations disappears as such. There is no speech even about some commonplace things - hygiene, cleaning.

If an alcoholic lives alone, his apartment is gradually turning into a real “den”. Here and there, rubbish, the remains of the “feast”, spoiled food, traces of emptying the stomach, etc. If relatives live with the alcoholic, they have to constantly clean up after him, as if he were a seriously ill patient.

Communication skills are completely violated - “communication” (if you can call it that) comes down to requirements (bring alcohol, food or money) or an illegible set of sounds.

For the sake of drinking, you can go “foolishly" - to do some simple work for a minimal payment or just "for a bottle." It can reach crime - theft, robbery with attack, etc.

Physical degradation in the third stage of alcoholism

Prolonged exposure to alcohol decays all systems of the body, effectively depleting the resources of all organs.

Gastrointestinal tract   it suffers in the first place, because it is here that alcohol initially gets in, here the initial breakdown of alcoholic beverages and the absorption of their components into the blood take place. The mucous membrane of not only the stomach, but also the intestines is damaged (especially in the area of \u200b\u200bthe duodenum).

Disturbed absorption of liquids. As a result, various diseases of the stomach and intestines progress. At this stage, the most severe pancreatic diseases are frequent - from inflammation to its complete necrosis (pancreatic necrosis). The risk of developing cancer of the rectum, stomach and esophagus is doubled.

According to studies by the international agency for the study of cancer, ethanol contained in alcoholic beverages is a carcinogen that provokes the development of cancer.

One of the most common diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that develops against the background of alcohol dependence is pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas, during which the enzymes produced by it cause self-digestion of the gland itself and, when it enters the bloodstream, causes serious damage to the liver, kidneys, lungs, heart and even the brain.

Liver   - diseases of this organ do not develop so fast, but it is the liver that is affected by ethanol most of all, primarily due to the direct exposure to toxins. Liver cells undergo major changes and gradually degrade.

Alcoholics' liver diseases, as it were, pass one into another, but these are stages of one process, cirrhosis of the liver as the end of the process - a state of its almost complete disability due to the replacement of normal tissue with a non-functional one. Such a liver cannot work, and those “islands” in which the necessary work is still taking place cannot cope with the load.

Impaired functioning of the liver leads to the fact that the outflow of blood along one of the central vessels supplying venous blood to the heart is disrupted. This vessel is called the portal vein (vena porta). An increase in pressure in it leads to the fact that venous blood stagnates in the lower parts of the esophagus, venous nodes form, veins expand unevenly, and varicose veins form.

Because of this, alcoholics have a dangerous complication - bleeding from the veins of the lower esophagus, which is very difficult to stop, sometimes even in the clinic. Vomiting, which again occurs in the third stage, can provoke a rupture of the walls of the veins.

The cardiovascular system   - a high concentration of ethanol, arising in the second stage of alcoholism and increasing in the third, adversely affects hematopoiesis, causing anemia and concomitant oxygen starvation of tissues. Dependents begin to suffer from serious heart diseases: various arrhythmias, it is very likely the development of alcoholic cardiomyopathy, in which the heart, as it were, is stretched and turns into a “sluggish sac" that is no longer able to contract effectively.

According to the American and Australian Cardiology Associations, after a detailed study of the effects of alcohol on the human body, it was found that all the supposedly positive effects of moderate alcohol consumption on the cardiovascular system are greatly exaggerated. In particular, there is no scientific evidence that red wine has a beneficial effect on heart function. And all the antioxidants that are found in alcohol can be obtained from vegetables, fruits and berries. And it will be much safer, and most importantly, harmless.

The prognosis of the treatment of alcoholism in the third stage

There is a misconception that alcoholics in the third stage are useless to treat. Moreover, in this group of patients addicts older than 50 years are often found, burdened with a "bouquet" of various diseases. Many doctors are simply afraid to take responsibility for such patients.

Indeed, with serious somatic and mental disorders, treatment is much more complicated, and rehabilitation is longer. However, if a person is at least minimally contacted, still retains the ability to perceive other people's speech, and intelligence is not critically reduced, in any case there is a chance that the treatment will bear fruit.

It is important to understand: with a long period of alcohol consumption, you can not count on a quick result, you can not rely on techniques that promise a quick solution to the disease. Complex processes occurred that changed the work of the whole organism, completely rebuilding the personality. For an alcoholic in the third stage, one cannot thoughtlessly apply assistance strategies effective for an alcoholic in the second stage — work is needed that can last quite a long time.

It is very important not only to restore physical health as much as possible, but also to start working with the personality itself, with the psyche, with the worldview, and with an emotional response. This is a multifaceted work that requires comprehensive rehabilitation measures with the participation of a wide variety of specialists.

Alcoholism is a disease that sneaks up unnoticed. First, the first sample of a drink, then a rare drink, and soon drunkenness. Everything about everything usually takes from 2 to 10 years. The next step is addiction.

At the first stage of alcoholism, a psychological craving for alcohol develops, and at the second, a physical craving (withdrawal syndrome) is added. The third final stage is characterized by various nervous disorders, diseases of the liver, cardiovascular system, digestive tract. The alcoholic’s personality degrades; everything that interests him is the next dose of “medicine”.

Zero stage or drunkenness

Quite often, relatives of drunkards confuse a bad habit with alcoholism. In fact, the true meaning of these terms is different.

Drunkenness is a type of licentiousness, the systematic use of alcohol without a formed dependence. Alcoholism is a disease that manifests itself not so much in regular intake of alcohol as in a painful craving for it.

Alcoholics may abstain for a long time, but this does not cancel the diagnosis. The formed disease remains with the person until the end of his life, but after treatment, a stable remission is possible.

A drunkard can drink regularly mainly in company. A person likes the process itself. He does not experience severe symptoms in the morning, uses about the same amount of alcohol, so to speak, knows his dose.

Drinking does not always lead to alcoholism. At this point, a person can easily stop. He has other interests besides alcohol. Under certain circumstances, addiction loses its significance.

However, drunkenness undoubtedly increases the risk of developing true addiction. What symptoms are characterized by the initial stage, read in the next section.

First stage

The onset of alcoholism is difficult to diagnose due to the weak severity of symptoms. Most of them are purely psychological, little understood by the patient himself.

At this stage, the craving for alcohol is almost always justified by the need to relax, celebrate, support the company, brighten up the gray days. The dose of strong drinks is still low.

An alcoholic needs 50–75 ml of pure ethanol for intoxication, which equates to 1–1.5 liters of beer or 150 ml of vodka. The daily dose is 3 times higher.

Systematic use can be frequent or rare. For example, every weekend. This happens when the patient does not have the opportunity to drink more often due to work, condemnation of the environment or lack of funds. An alcoholic with anticipation awaits the moment of drinking, when he thinks about an upcoming event, his mood rises, life energy, joy appears. In the absence of alcohol, the patient wilts, feels deep dissatisfaction, irritation and even despair.

Immediately after taking alcohol, a person becomes excited, jokes, his mood improves. Outbreaks of aggression, depression or other negative emotions, if they arise, are extremely rare. 2-3 days of binge occur. After the abolition of an alcoholic, a hangover suffers, which is manifested by a breakdown, apathy, irritation, headache and nausea.

The first stage is characterized by a loss of control over the amount drunk, the beginning and end of drinking. A person may suddenly get drunk, despite plans to go to work or do important work. The dose is not controlled. An alcoholic drinks more and more until drinks are finished or deep intoxication sets in. There is no vomiting when taking large doses. With abstinence, the patient has a full life, craving for alcohol decreases over time.

6 characteristic features

The first stage of alcoholism is also called neurasthenic. This is the preclinical stage of the disease. In simple words, the functions of the body are not yet violated. The disease is manifested by neurological disorders. Signs of the initial stage:

• the disappearance of an emetic reaction to significant doses of alcohol;
• loss of control over the amount drunk, the beginning and end of the booze;
• the appearance of desire, the desire to use more often, the search for reasons;
• psychological dependence, alcohol determines a person’s mood;
• pseudo bouts - not caused by physical need;
• the appearance of memory lapses, partial amnesia.

At this stage, binges may occur. Usually the patient continues to drink alcohol in order to get a hangover, but unexpectedly for himself, gets drunk again. In addition, a characteristic symptom of the onset of the development of alcoholic illness is the fading of interest in other activities, careers, hobbies. An alcoholic takes more time off, gives up training. The duration of the first stage is from 1 year to 5 years.

Second stage

The average degree of alcoholism is characterized by a worsening of all symptoms and the addition of new ones. The transition is smooth. The patient gradually begins to use an increasing dose of alcohol (scientifically, tolerance increases). If a drinker becomes so sick from a bottle of vodka that he can die, then an experienced alcoholic will drink it and will not really get intoxicated.

In the second stage, alcohol is mostly used to feel “normal.” Euphoria, fun, calm no longer come. Having drunk, the patient is excited, becomes aggressive, quick-tempered. Craving for strong drinks becomes irresistible, interest in other activities disappears. At this stage, many alcoholics stop working, drink the acquired. The last stage of intoxication disappears from memory.

The daily dose can reach 1.5–2 liters of vodka, which equates to 600–900 ml of pure alcohol. An alcoholic begins to drink more and more drunkenly, from several days to 3 weeks or more. In case of interruption, she feels extremely bad.

In 3-6 hours after stopping alcohol intake, withdrawal symptoms develop, which is manifested by severe neurological disorders, digestive disorders, heart pain, in the right hypochondrium, headache, tremor of the extremities. A person cannot fall asleep, becomes irritable, aggressive, prone to hysteria. Alcohol temporarily relieves these symptoms due to the analgesic and psychotropic effects.

The second stage of the disease is dangerous for the life of the alcoholic and for others. Progressive degradation of personality, mental disorders, frequent alcohol intoxication leads to inappropriate behavior. An alcoholic can fall asleep on the street, at home with a lit cigarette, get hit by a car, drown, fight, inflict a personal injury, commit a crime. According to statistics, about 80% of all such incidents occur due to alcohol abuse. In addition, at this stage of the development of the disease, the risk of domestic violence, inappropriate parenting and child care is increased.

5 symptoms

The middle stage is called withdrawal symptoms. This is the clinical stage of the disease, the formed dependence. The main symptoms of the second degree of alcoholism:

• high tolerance to alcohol;
• withdrawal syndrome (withdrawal symptoms);
• nervousness, mobility, psychosis, sleep problems;
• personality degradation, social disadvantage;
• true binges.

The duration of the stage is on average 3-5 years. An alcoholic may refrain from drinking for a while, but the slightest disturbance in emotional balance leads to a breakdown and even more binge. At this stage, alcoholic diseases begin to develop - hepatitis, pancreatitis, gastritis, cardiomyopathy and others.

Third stage

At the third stage of the development of the disease, the manifestations of alcohol degradation of the personality are most pronounced, as well as harmful effects on health. Destruction in the nervous system and internal organs leads to a partial loss of speech, movements, sometimes paralysis can be observed. The appearance of the alcoholic, especially the face, is significantly deteriorating. It becomes swollen, red. The frontal muscle is constantly strained in the patient, the nasolabial fold in the upper part of the face is deepened, the nose is covered with a network of wrinkles, the nose is porous, blue.

The third stage is characterized by a decrease in the dose of alcohol. After drinking 150-200 ml of vodka, prolonged intoxication occurs. An alcoholic can drink 1 liter of strong alcohol per day. Then begins the binge.

At the end, the patient drinks 100-150 ml of alcohol per day. Drinking is interrupted due to complete physical exhaustion, exacerbation of the disease. The craving for alcohol becomes instinctive. The type of drink is losing its importance, the patient does not disdain even the cheapest, low-quality alcohol.

Helpless, socially dangerous alcoholics in the last stage of addiction eat poorly, often get sick and go to hospitals. Many of them die from a sudden heart attack, internal bleeding, failure of damaged organs. A significant proportion of patients commit suicide, die a violent death or in an accident. The consequences of the disease at this stage of alcoholism are already irreversible. The nervous system is so damaged that even the latest treatment is not able to return to a person benign thinking, personality, health.

Symptomatology

The last stage is encephalopathic. Of the symptoms, organic brain damage caused by chronic alcohol intoxication comes to the fore. The patient is prone to delirious disorders, hallucinations. Other clinical manifestations of the stage:

• decreased alcohol tolerance;
• true binges;
• chronic alcoholic psychoses;
• severe withdrawal symptoms;
• lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss;
• frequent acute conditions - peptic ulcer, liver, heart failure and others.

The late stage can last up to 10 years, after which a lethal outcome occurs. Alcohol acts as a medicine and toxin at the same time. A person takes it not for the purpose of pleasure, but for the relief of pain, so as not to die. However, the analgesic effect is short-term and only exacerbates the situation. A decrease in sensitivity often leads to death due to an exacerbation of a chronic illness or as a result of alcohol poisoning.

Forecast

Progressive alcohol dependence reduces life expectancy by an average of 17 years. It is impossible to build an accurate prognosis, because the disease is characterized by an increased risk of sudden death. In addition, the age of the patient, the amount and type of drinks consumed, the systematic nature of their intake, the general state of health, and the desire to get rid of addiction are important.

In the most favorable case, alcoholics live up to 45–55 years. Moreover, in men, a fatal outcome occurs, as a rule, earlier. This is despite the fact that female alcoholism is developing at an accelerated pace and is more difficult to treat. In addition, the prognosis for hereditary alcoholics worsens, people who started to abuse alcohol in old age.

conclusions

Alcoholism is a chronic disease characterized by mental and physical dependence on alcohol. The initial symptoms are reminiscent of drunkenness, and differ only in that alcohol for the patient becomes the main factor determining the mood. As the disease develops, the symptoms are aggravated, new characteristic signs are added.

You can determine the stage of alcoholism by the severity of the clinical picture. There are 3 of them. The final stage of the disease is visible to the naked eye. The patient changes significantly in appearance, loses weight, his face swells and blushes. Speech and movements become inhibited, the construction of a logical chain is difficult. Alcoholism of stages 2–3 is difficult to treat and requires qualified help of specialists - a narcologist, psychologist and psychiatrist.