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Among the many types of addictions, from the widely accepted, such as cigarettes, to the more difficult to treat and consequences, such as drugs, alcohol addiction is distinguished by the fact that while the “percentages” can be found in any liquor store, the effects of addiction can be tragic.
An innocent habit or a serious addiction?
Alcohol addiction is still a huge problem these days, not only for the sufferer himself, but also for his family, friends and loved ones. It is also worth remembering that addiction does not only affect people from the so-called “social margin” or famous celebrities. It is often difficult to determine whether a person is already addicted to it or whether it is still an innocent habit. This is because most people drink alcohol from time to time, sometimes without a great occasion: a glass of wine after a hard day’s work or a few beers at a party. It is especially difficult even for the closest of a potential alcoholic: he himself will try to hide his addiction.
Alcohol addiction – symptoms
They may be difficult to recognize at first, but you can see them with the naked eye in the advanced stages of alcohol dependence. We can talk about alcoholism when more than three of the following symptoms appear. Belong to them:
- “Abstinence Syndrome” – This is a collection of symptoms that can be observed when an alcoholic stops drinking. These are, for example: heart rhythm disturbances, trembling of arms or legs, nausea and vomiting, excessive sweating, blood pressure spikes; in some cases, seizures and hallucinations may also appear as symptoms;
- alcohol craving – the need to drink is so great that it overshadows other needs;
- focusing all areas of life around alcohol – work or family are relegated to the background, and the most important thing is to satisfy the craving for alcohol; a person suffering from alcohol addiction does not enjoy alternative activities, hobbies or other forms of leisure, but spends all energy, time and funds on obtaining and consuming alcohol drinks;
- increasing tolerance to alcohol – a person suffering from alcoholism will need a gradually increasing dose to bring himself to the desired state of intoxication;
- control impairment – the alcoholic is no longer able to draw the line between sobriety and drinking;
- drinking despite being aware of the negative effects of alcohol – still consumes alcohol, despite the fact that it knows how devastating it is to him and his environment.
Specialist help
So those interested will ask: what to do next? How to heal? The family’s work on an alcoholic’s addiction can be extremely difficult, especially if alcohol makes him aggressive. In addition, a person suffering from alcohol dependence often does not see a problem, cultivating a false image of an innocent habit and believing that he can handle it on his own. It is also sometimes an embarrassing problem that people do not want to admit in order not to lose their good reputation. However, it is important to seek the help of a specialist. Only a doctor can 100% diagnose alcoholism, and because it is a disease that affects both physical and mental health, a psychiatrist is responsible for the diagnosis. Psychologists and addiction psychotherapy specialists also help in this.
- Check how alcohol addiction affects others: Adult Children of Alcoholics – ACA syndrome
How to Treat Alcohol Addiction?
It is best to ask for help from a facility that specializes in this. A list of such institutions can be found on the website of the State Agency for Solving Alcohol Problems. There are drug rehabilitation centers divided into 30/40 and day care centers. The main elements of alcoholism treatment include psychotherapy (according to research, psychotherapy brings the best results, and statistics show that XNUMX-XNUMX% of patients return to abstinence after this type of treatment) and pharmacotherapy. Often the patients of these institutions are also people suffering from other addictions, people with an undetermined degree of alcohol addiction, but who drink in an irresponsible and harmful manner, and sometimes also family members of addicts. It is worth knowing that alcohol addiction treatment is free in Poland. This even applies to people who are not insured. This is due to the awareness of the legislators about the debilitating impact of such diseases on the well-being of individuals in society. Treatment of this type of addiction is voluntary, with one exception, i.e. a situation where a family court orders drug addiction treatment as a result of threats to the environment.