Alcoholism is a serious disease characterized by severe physical and mental alcohol dependence, which is explained by the inclusion of alcohol in the metabolic processes occurring in the body.
One of the common causes of the emergence and further development of alcoholism can be a mental disorder, for example, depression. And just as depression can hide under the mask of an ordinary bad mood, so alcoholism can hide its cause – a mental illness (and this is not always depressed).
What are the main signs of alcoholism?
The main symptoms of alcoholism are:
- Irresistible desire, the need to drink alcohol.
- Loss of control, lack of willpower to stop drinking.
- Physical dependence on alcohol.
- Signs of chronic alcohol intoxication, damage to the brain, liver (nausea, vomiting), heart and other vital organs and systems.
- Mental disorders (irritability, insomnia, lethargy, reduced intelligence, and others).
How to treat alcoholism?
Treatment of alcoholism should begin with a comprehensive diagnosis of the patient. It is very important to correctly and timely make an accurate, detailed diagnosis. It is necessary to carefully examine the main organs (heart, liver, etc.), and the body’s systems (nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular) in order to assess how much they are affected by alcohol.
Treatment of alcoholism should be complex and consist of the following components:
- drugs that block craving for alcohol;
- detoxification drugs;
- drugs that restore the function of the liver, cardiovascular system;
- drugs that improve brain function;
- psychotherapy.
A prerequisite for a positive result in the treatment of alcoholism is the patient’s confidence in the attending physician. Ideal when a narcologist has extensive experience in the treatment of alcoholism, and is proficient at the professional level of psychotherapy.
From coding to treatment
The man “coded” – does not drink, does not smoke, does not play. He received a ban on unhealthy behavior, but his dependence remained with him. Encoded, even, it became more difficult to live, it was deprived of the opportunity to relax and rest in the usual way, they took away the dope and gave nothing in return. A man with a “code”, like a wild beast in a cage – just waiting to break free. He looks forward to the moment when he will again be able to hit the winds. Someone manages to wait, and even the fear of death does not stop someone. Re-encoding after such a breakdown is rarely effective.
That is why a patient with addiction needs long-term psychotherapeutic treatment, and coding should be considered only as an initial stage, followed by further psychotherapeutic work. One ban is not enough, something must change in a person (in his thoughts, ideas, actions), which will allow him to build his life in a different way, to feel new opportunities, to realize his inner potential. This goal is served by a course of psychotherapy that helps a person to get rid of dependence, to find a successful strategy of behavior, to be happy.