In the life of every person who thinks and finds himself in a prolonged situation of alcohol abuse, comes a borderline stage when he asks the questions, what else and how to stop drinking? For radical changes to come, doubts and opinions alone are not enough, they must be backed by a determined determination to realize our plans. If it were that simple, then the question of how to give up drinking strong drinks forever, or even just how to give up drinking beer, would not be so acute in front of millions of people. However, this is possible and the examples of the lucky ones who managed to get out of this vicious circle serve as confirmation.
What is alcoholism?
Experts say that alcoholism is not only an addiction, but also a serious illness. It has a somatic character, therefore psychological and physiological dependence on strong drinks is formed. In addition, alcoholism is a personal, social and even economic problem that affects many people. The disease damages not only the fortunes and bodies of alcoholics, but also the lives of their loved ones.
Separately, it should be said about beer alcoholism, as many people are wondering how to quit drinking beer. Although this drink is weak, it is quite insidious. Since it rarely leads to serious alcoholism, most do not consider it dangerous, but it is often beyond the power of many people to give up drinking beer.This beer contains a soothing hop extract. This is why many people crave this drink during periods of stress. But remember that this is still an alcoholic beverage, in addition rich in phytoestrogens (an analogue of female sex hormones). And since beer lovers are often men, this hobby does not go unnoticed. They usually show signs of feminization (muscle weakness, breast enlargement, fat distribution in the female body), so it is important to stop drinking beer before these problems appear.
Causes of the disease
Despite the opinion of scientists that in some cases alcohol dependence is due to an inherited predisposition, no one born is doomed to become an alcoholic. After all, drunkards are not born, they become. And everyone has their own way of falling into this trap. Someone, then, faces the problems of personal life, the loss of a loved one, and someone to get into this vicious circle "helps" a cheerful company of drinking companions.
Some people drink from boredom in order to kill time, others - for courage, to get rid of some fears or to become more relaxed in company. But whatever the reason that pushes a person to drink alcohol, the result is always the same - ruined life, health, broken relationships with loved ones, broken families, careers, moral and mental degradation of the individual.
Depression can also cause alcoholism.
Stages of pathology
There are several stages in the development of alcohol dependence.
- A person who drinks, despite feeling an increased craving for alcohol, has not yet developed a physical addiction, which means that he does not have withdrawal syndrome. But it is difficult for him to fight the urge to drink, as he does not understand why he has to give up something that brings a lot of pleasure. Moreover, at this stage, many still think they are in complete control of the process, but that is far from the issue. People have increased their tolerance for alcohol and often this reinforces their belief that "they know how to drink". It is at this stage that people drink until memory loss or complete cessation.
- In the second stage, physical dependence on alcohol begins to form and attempts to stop drinking are accompanied by a severe withdrawal syndrome, reminiscent of drug withdrawal. In addition, during this period, tolerance reaches its peak, namely alcoholic beverages and does not get drunk. At this stage, the person already needs medical help to overcome the addiction.
- The third stage is characterized by a complete lack of control, mental and emotional degradation of a person, when intoxication occurs even from the smallest doses of alcohol. A similar phenomenon is associated with the fact that in the stage of increasing tolerance, a person drank alcohol in amounts capable of bringing an ordinary person into a coma and eventually led to the fact that the liver stopped producing enzymes that break down alcohol.
Since it is possible to give up drinking alcohol yourself only in the first stage of addiction, which many "slip", not realizing the imminent problem, you should not feed on illusions and immediately seek help fromspecialists.
Nuances of female alcoholism
Alcoholism is often considered a male problem, but it is not. Yes, female alcoholism is not such a common phenomenon, which is explained by the specifics of the female psyche: they are more resistant to stress. In addition, society also imposes certain stereotypes, and alcohol often becomes a status drink, a certain sign of masculinity. Therefore, the motivation to drink strong drinks in men is stronger. In these conditions, women have less opportunity to sleep.
But it is much harder for a woman to stop drinking, especially herself. This is facilitated by female physiology: ethanol is excreted somewhat worse by the liver and absorbed much faster in the intestine. Due to these features of the body, strong drinks harm women much more. First of all, reproductive function suffers: women who regularly consume alcohol are more often diagnosed with infertility and give birth to children with physical and mental disabilities. And since it is very difficult for a woman to give up drinking, it is better for any reasonable lady to abstain from drinking alcohol at all.
Addiction Tactics
There are several strategies for eliminating alcohol dependence. Some experts are of the opinion that it is necessary to "bind" by gradually reducing the dose of alcohol to acceptable levels or to zero. And the obvious plus of this method is the lack of withdrawal symptoms. But in practice, this method is quite difficult to implement due to the high risk of spoilage and return to strong drinking. Therefore, the technique is rarely used.
Another technique consists of completely rejecting alcohol in one step. Its indisputable advantage is that it is much less tempting for the patient to return to the previous way of life. However, this technique is not advised to apply if a person is excited due to the increased risk of withdrawal. In this case, experts first take a person out of the noise and only then introduce a complete taboo on alcohol. It is very important that the choice of this or that method is made by a narcology specialist, and not by the patient himself or his relatives. Since it is not so easy to leave drinking at home, you do not need to hesitate to see a doctor.
Complete alcohol abstinence is a smoking cessation technique.
Ways to treat a harmful disease
Fighting a destructive habit will be meaningless until the person realizes that he is ill and needs help. Only such people stopped drinking once and for all. But most alcoholics do not adequately evaluate their behavior and believe that there is no problem, and they can "quit" alcohol at any time. Since the problem is obvious to the environment, their loved ones may force them to stop drinking forever, suppressing them morally, or trying to cure them insidiously.
But no matter what medication is given to such a person, no matter how good psychologists work with them, the result will be predictable - the patient will not be able to stop drinking for a long time and earlywill later break down, turning into addiction. Without an inner attitude to change everything, any action will be useless.
There are many ways to help those who are determined to quit drinking to get rid of alcoholism. But there is no one-size-fits-all method for everyone. Since all people are different and come into addiction in different ways, they get out of this trap in different ways. Of course, the will can not be underestimated, as there are those who have been able to leave drinking alone. But there are not many of them, as it is mainly those people who do not have an iron will that get into alcoholism.
Furthermore, remember that the decision to quit drinking is the result of a clear mindset, and for many years of alcoholism, ethanol disrupts the natural processes in NS and many such people do not have a purely physical ability to takesuch a decision. But that is only one side of the coin. The other is that alcohol is physically addictive, and immediate rejection of alcohol can lead to withdrawal symptoms.
Psychological techniques
They will be useful to anyone who quits alcohol, whether they followed this path on their own or with the help of a narcologist. The first thing a person needs to do is analyze the factors that led him to addiction. The first priority is to avoid such provocative factors. Then you need to focus on the following.
Find your call
Often a person starts drinking in order to soften the contrast between the real state of affairs and his expectations, ambitions and inability to be fully realized. This is another reason why men are addicted to alcohol. Above all, questions of self-realization and status are paramount to them.
A change of activity or job can help. But do not underestimate the hobbies and hobbies. It is necessary to find such a hobby that would fully capture, leaving almost no free time not only to drink, but also to think about it. Hobby options are endless, but in this matter it is important to understand that successes in any field do not appear immediately, therefore, satisfaction from the process itself is very important.
Reject the previous round and minimize temptations
Of course, there should be no alcohol in the home of an addict. You can not leave any drinks for guests and buy. Moreover, one should not be tempted by beer either, as most of them cannot give up drinking beer. The problem is that many people do not take their beer addiction seriously.
Also, there should be no empty bottles in the apartment of a person quitting drinking, as nothing should remind them of the past. All these nuances must be remembered by his environment. Relatives are obliged to help the person who quits drinking in any way possible and if he himself sees that they or his friends are pulling him after addiction, then it is worth changing the circle of friends or limiting interaction with peoplesuch at least temporarily.
To stop drinking, you need to throw all the alcohol out of the house.
The addict should not visit places where alcohol can be offered (banquets, parties), and in the beginning it is better to bypass the points of sale of alcohol. In the first stage of the war, the will of the thrower is still very weak, so he does not need unnecessary temptations.
Self-advertising
It is also important to reward yourself for giving up alcohol. Instead of buying another bottle, you can indulge yourself with something that just did not have enough money. You can also have a special piggy bank and refill it whenever you want to buy a drink. As a rule, after a month of such an experiment, a person is literally overwhelmed by the amount saved.
Communication
Harmony with other people and comfortable communication is an excellent tool against alcoholism. Sometimes it is enough just to realize how much easier and more constructive it is to communicate with people in a sober state, than in a state of altered consciousness, for things to go normally. This is why there are many groups that support alcoholics, where you can not only share your story but also get the support you need.
Medications
Pharmaceutical companies systematically supply the market with remedies for alcohol dependence. But you should understand that these are not magic pills, from taking which alcoholism disappears by itself. They are just a tool for those who have started a difficult path of self-healing and help not to leave it.
There are two types of drugs used: some cause alcohol aversion, while others help to get rid of physical alcohol dependence. The first group of drugs is suitable for people who have never had a particularly pronounced hangover syndrome and that is why they quickly became addicted to alcohol.
In the second case, with a pronounced physical dependence on alcohol, benzodiazepines are prescribed, which act on the same receptors as ethanol. But the course of taking them should be short, as instead of alcohol dependence, an even more dangerous addiction to psychotropic drugs may appear.
Folk remedies
The most popular medicine for cleansing the body of alcoholic toxins is oatmeal infusion. To prepare, pour 1 cup oats with 5 cups boiling water and leave for at least 3 hours. Drink it 0, 5 cups before meals, 5 times a day.
Aversion to alcohol helps to promote a medicine as simple as thyme infusion. To get the product, you need 15 g of herbs, pour 500 ml of boiling water and stand for 15 minutes. Use the infusion in the amount of 50 ml of the product for 15 ml of vodka.
Canteen cooking has the same properties. It is prepared according to the following scheme: 4 tbsp. The herbs are poured with 500 ml of hot water and the product is kept in a water bath for at least half an hour. The finished soup is taken twice a day, within 2 weeks.
Influence of diet and lifestyle on pathology
Food and physical activity are equally important during the alcohol withdrawal period. It is important for a thirsty person to adhere to a drinking regimen (water helps detoxify the body) and drink 2-2, 5 liters of water daily. It is also worth paying attention to the diet and the introduction of products that stimulate the synthesis of endorphins and serotonin (fresh fruits, chocolate, meat), which contain B vitamins (legumes, fish, eggs). At the same time, it is necessary to adhere to food moderation and limit fats, spices and salts, as long-term consumption of alcohol is associated with the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system.
Introducing sports into the life of such a person is no less important. Even a simple walk will stimulate the release of endorphins, and if you add exercise, yoga, jogging to it, it will significantly strengthen not only the body but also the nervous system. However, when choosing physical activity, you should take into account the general state of human health - in some cases, sports may be contraindicated.