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Alcoholism is a disease involving mental and physical dependence on alcohol. Mental addiction causes a strong need for alcohol, which most often translates into an improvement in well-being. Physical dependence is manifested by increased tolerance to alcohol or loss of control over the amount of alcohol consumed. But why is alcoholism categorized as a disease? First of all, because it causes the body to malfunction, which may worsen your health and even lead to death.
Symptoms of alcoholism
A person addicted to alcohol most often drinks alone, hiding from others. It also happens that drinking alcohol at work and drinking from the very morning. In the case of alcoholism, we can talk about specific symptoms that may indicate addiction. The first is craving for alcohol, which increases the patient’s strong urge to drink. Even short breaks from consuming alcohol cause discomfort. The second, more serious symptom is withdrawal syndrome. Breaks in drinking can cause disturbances in blood pressure and rhythm, headache, tremors in the extremities, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, hypersensitivity to sounds, irritability, sleep disturbances and anxiety. If the addicted person starts drinking alcohol again, it restores the normal functioning of the body.
Other symptoms include impaired drinking control and increased tolerance to alcohol. In the first case, the addicted person has serious problems stopping drinking, while in the second case, he or she has to consume more alcohol to get drunk. The last symptom that most often also directly affects the family of an addicted person is concentration of life around alcohol. Over time, the symptoms of alcoholism worsen and the degradation becomes more and more severe.
Further part below the video.
Treatment of alcoholism – methods
Treatment of alcoholism in Poland is free of charge. However, it is a long process. The time required for successful therapy is 18-24 months. Anyone at any stage of addiction can benefit from professional help. From early childhood problems to severe alcoholism. Treatment of alcoholism takes place through outpatient therapy or in a closed ward. In the treatment of addiction, psychotherapy is used or pharmacological drugs are also used. However, psychotherapy remains the most important and common form of treatment for alcoholism.
A person addicted to alcohol should become aware of the disease and find motivation to start treatment. For this purpose, therapists use the so-called moral dissonances. Thanks to this, the alcoholic realizes that the greatest value in his life is, for example, family or work, and alcohol is the opposite, it destroys the family and professional career. The therapist always selects the therapy for a specific person.
Are you in the therapeutic process and want to use other available treatments for alcoholism? Discover the clinics that offer Esperal sewing.
Treatment of alcoholism with therapy
The first way we can take a goal treatment of alcoholism, there is a visit to an addiction treatment clinic or an addiction treatment clinic. Psychotherapy in such clinics is conducted up to three times a week in the afternoon. The first stage of psychotherapy lasts from 4 to 6 months. Families of alcoholics may also choose such places.
Another type of treatment is outpatient treatment of alcoholism in day care wards. Basic therapy lasts up to 8 weeks. Classes are held 5 times a week from 8 am to 14 pm. However, not all people can benefit from outpatient alcoholism treatment. It is influenced by social factors (the environment of people consuming alcohol) or problems with maintaining abstinence. Such persons may be referred for treatment in 6-hour wards for a period of 8 to 7 weeks. In the event of a life-threatening situation, a person addicted to alcohol is immediately referred to the withdrawal syndrome treatment unit. Hospitalization lasts from 10 to XNUMX days.
- Also read: Adult Children of Alcoholics – ACA Syndrome
Pharmacological treatment of alcoholism
Drugs are most often used to treat the withdrawal syndrome that occurs during the withdrawal period. These include oral or intravenous medications to rehydrate the body, vitamin B1, and benzodiazepines that have anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, sedative and hypnotic effects. Sometimes other drugs are also used that are most often combined with psychotherapy.
We are talking about hypodermic woven labels and dysulfiram tablets. They cause unpleasant reactions after drinking alcohol. In the treatment of alcoholism, drugs are also used that reduce the euphoric effects of alcohol and the desire to consume alcohol.