Male alcoholism

It is estimated that about three quarters of the population drink alcohol. Of this number, 4 to 5 million find that drinking leads to serious problems related to their health, work, finances, relationships with family and friends.

When a person consumes alcohol despite the obvious harm to their health and well-being, it is called an alcohol disorder or alcoholism. In general, it is believed that men are more likely to develop alcoholism than women. However, the incidence of alcoholism among women has also increased over the past 30 years.

What is alcoholism

Alcoholism or dependence on alcohol is a serious illness that includes the following four symptoms:

• craving for alcohol – a strong need or an irresistible desire to drink;
• loss of control over consumption – the inability to stop drinking after starting to drink alcohol;
• physical dependence – symptoms due to alcohol withdrawal such as nausea, sweating, trembling and restlessness;
• tolerance is the ever-evolving need to consume more alcohol in order to enjoy.

An alcoholic’s craving for alcohol can be as strong as the need for food or water. An alcoholic will continue to drink despite serious family, health, or legal problems. Like many other diseases, alcoholism is chronic, that is, it lasts a person’s entire life. It usually develops according to a certain scenario and it has symptoms. The risk of developing alcoholism depends on both a person’s genes and their lifestyle.

Causes of male alcoholism

Research shows that the risk of developing alcoholism does indeed run in the family. The genes inherited by a person partly explain this pattern, but lifestyle is also a risk factor. Researchers are currently working to discover the real genes that put people at risk for alcoholism. Friends, chronic stress in life, and how easily alcohol is available are also factors that can increase the risk of alcoholism.

Additional risk factors include the presence of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, or an anxiety disorder. Poverty, social isolation, problematic parenting, and shyness can also be risk factors.

In addition, how the body processes alcohol can affect the risk of developing alcohol dependence. Studies have shown that people who require relatively more alcohol to achieve an effect are more likely to become alcoholics.

Alcohol affects the “reward mechanism” in the brain. If a person feels good every time they drink alcohol, it usually makes them want to use it again. This common feature may explain why people abuse alcohol. If you drink regularly, your body needs more and more of the substance to achieve the same effect. This is called tolerance, and it may be the last factor contributing to the development of alcohol addiction.

Symptoms of male alcoholism

Alcohol is poisonous to many types of human cells. In small amounts, it can suppress their activity. In large doses, it can kill them. While most drugs that act on the brain stimulate the production of brain hormones such as serotonin and dopamine, alcohol actually lowers the levels of these chemicals while raising the levels of several others. It is a depressant because it has the opposite chemical effect of antidepressants. However, since it also suppresses the activity of the part of the brain that inhibits and controls our behavior, most people find the effect pleasant when taken in moderation.

At higher doses, it quickly becomes apparent that alcohol is actually toxic. The main symptoms are vomiting, stupor, behavioral changes, and severe damage to the central nervous system, followed by dehydration and headache. In large doses, alcohol can be deadly by disrupting breathing or stopping the heart.

But even non-lethal doses can kill.

Aspiration pneumonia is a condition that occurs when people who are asleep after a very heavy night of drinking suffocate when their own vomit is inhaled into the lungs. This should be automatically prevented by the gag reflex, but it can fail when the nervous system is depressed.

Anyone who drinks alcohol after a long period of not eating can experience an episode of hypoglycemia, a sudden lack of blood sugar that causes nervous symptoms such as stupor or abnormal behavior, and in severe cases, coma or seizures.

Long-term alcohol use can cause a number of chronic problems. These include:

• arrhythmias – heart rhythm disturbances that can instantly kill even young people if they abuse alcohol;
• beriberi disease (vitamin B1 deficiency) – a lack of vitamin B1 (thiamine) is common in alcohol dependent individuals and can accelerate heart damage and mental degeneration;
• brain damage – alcohol kills its cells;
• diabetes;
• damage to the heart (cardiomyopathy) associated with changes in the size and structure of the heart;
• hypertension (high blood pressure);
• liver disease such as cirrhosis;
• loss of sensation in the arms, legs and other places due to effects on the nervous system;
• stomach ulcers and gastritis (inflamed stomach lining).

These are just a few of the conditions closely associated with alcoholism. In fact, excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of almost all pathologies, including a number of cancers.

Treatment of male alcoholism

There is currently no cure for alcoholism. Even if an alcoholic has not drunk for a long time, he can still relapse. Quitting alcohol is the safest way for most people with alcoholism.

Alcoholism treatment programs use both counseling and medication to help a person stop drinking. Treatment has helped many people stop drinking and start a new life.

Diagnostics

Most people know deep down whether they are in control of their drinking or if alcohol is controlling them. If you sometimes feel guilty about how much you drink, chances are you may be in trouble.

Other warning signs of alcohol use disorder include:

• annoyance when others tell you to drink less;
• drinking alcohol, even if you know that it can have bad consequences (for example, at work);
• drinking alcohol in the morning to prepare you for your day;
• regularly drinking more alcohol than you planned at social events;
• stash of alcohol at home or at work;
• drinking alcohol alone or in secret from others;
• loss of interest in activities and hobbies that you used to enjoy;
• frequent attempts to reduce alcohol consumption (unsuccessful);
• craving for alcohol;
• drinking alcohol in dangerous situations.

If you think you or someone close to you is at risk for alcohol abuse, seek help.

Modern treatments

Some people experience serious physical problems when they try to quit alcohol. Hallucinations and delirium tremens, which most people think are symptoms of intoxication, are actually caused by sudden sobriety. Fear, confusion, fever, and palpitations are just some of the symptoms seen in alcohol addicts who have a severe physical reaction when alcohol is no longer present in their system. Hospital care and anxiety medications can help alleviate the physical effects during this phase of withdrawal.

For most people who quit drinking, the greatest danger is a return to drinking (relapse). Convincing a loved one to seek help for alcohol addiction can be difficult, as denial of the problem is common and is associated with disease-related cognitive changes. You may need to raise this issue more than once, and you may need to involve friends and family in the discussion to show the extent of your concern. It is best to approach the subject calmly, without accusations, and with an emphasis on caring and supporting the person involved. Instead of generalizing, point to the specific behaviors and events that caused the concern.

There are many effective ways to treat alcoholism. Some people will be able to change their drinking levels or stop drinking altogether simply because someone they trust has pointed out to them the devastating consequences of their behavior. Unfortunately, the intervention of family and friends is sufficient only in a small number of cases.

Some medications may also help when used in combination with other forms of treatment. These medicines work in different ways. Some suppress the urge to drink (eg, naltrexone), some cause uncomfortable physical reactions with alcohol (eg, disulfiram), and some relieve physical withdrawal symptoms (eg, diazepam, clonidine).

Prevention of male alcoholism at home

Treatment for alcoholism helps a lot. But like other chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma, there are different levels of success when it comes to treatment. Some people stop drinking and stay sober. Others have long periods of sobriety with bouts of relapse. And still others cannot stop drinking for a while.

However, one thing is clear with treatment: the longer a person abstains from alcohol, the more likely he or she will be able to stay sober.

Popular questions and answers

Answered questions related to alcoholism psychotherapist, evidence-based narcologist, cognitive behavioral therapist, head of the online clinic of Dr. Kisler Ilya Kisler.