Chronic alcoholism occurs due to the regular use of alcoholic beverages, is characterized by a strong craving for alcohol, abnormalities in mental and physical health. Chronic alcoholism belongs to the category of diseases, not bad habits. In this regard, targeted treatment is necessary to get rid of it. Censure in this situation will have no effect. An alcoholic of hundreds undertakes to quit drinking, but without help he will never succeed.
Chronic alcoholism is characterized by an underlying disorder that occurs with sleep quality. As a rule, sleep in chronic alcoholism is shallow and short, most often nightmare. All alcoholics have severe irritability, emotionality and conflict. There are frequent mood swings in chronic alcoholism, and interests are very narrow, focusing mainly on alcohol. Chronic alcoholics are rude, cynical people with a very poor memory. It should be noted that people close to the patient suffer most from all of the listed phenomena.
The chronic alcoholic sincerely believes that those around him are to blame for what he drinks. Most often, the “guilty” is the spouse, colleagues and management at work, troubles in life.
Chronic alcoholism is conventionally divided into three stages of development.
The first stage of chronic alcoholism is characterized by an irrepressible desire to drink, which intensifies, for example, with fatigue or hunger. Although this desire is painful, the person himself perceives it as an analogy to desire, in which there is nothing reprehensible. If at the moment there is no opportunity to drink alcohol, then the desire for a certain period leaves the person. But if alcohol is consumed, then the ability to control the amount of alcohol consumed goes away, and the person tries to achieve a degree of severe intoxication.
At the first stage of chronic alcoholism, there are no vomiting urges, and intoxication from alcohol proceeds accompanied by strong aggression and irritability. In some cases, alcoholics may not remember what happened to them when they were drunk. Alcohol at this stage can be consumed inconsistently, sometimes drunkenness continues for several days without interruption. It is especially worth highlighting the transformation of the alcoholic’s perception of alcoholic beverages – criticism of excessive alcohol consumption disappears, a person begins to look for excuses for each use of alcohol. If untreated, the first stage of chronic alcoholism gradually develops into the second.
The second stage of chronic alcoholism is characterized by an increase in tolerance to the amount of alcohol consumed. The craving for alcohol begins to acquire the character of mania, control over one’s condition gradually fades away. Even a glass of vodka turns off control completely. In a state of strong alcoholic intoxication, a chronic alcoholic at the second stage behaves aggressively and often poses a threat to others. A characteristic feature of the second stage of chronic alcoholism is an abstinence syndrome, which is a complex of disorders of the psychosomatic system, developing due to constant alcohol intoxication and turning into a state of exacerbation after drinking a certain amount of alcohol.
The third stage in the development of chronic alcoholism is characterized by a sharp decrease in tolerance to alcoholic beverages, alcohol is consumed every day. At this stage, a process of severe degradation of a person with violations of the thought process and reason is noted. Disorders of the work of internal organs increase like a snowball and most often it is already impossible to stop this process.