Binge drinking - forms, symptoms, treatment. Treatment of binge alcoholism

Alcoholism is a terrible problem that can come suddenly. An attempt to relieve stress, relax, drown out melancholy, and brighten up loneliness gradually drags a person into a drunken whirlpool, a deadly vicious circle, from which it is extremely difficult to get out. Alcohol addiction is a severe chronic pathology that completely subjugates a person, affecting the mental and physical side of the personality.

When alcoholism enters the binge stage, therapy becomes even more complex and no longer provides a 100% guarantee of complete recovery. If such a misfortune has happened to a loved one, relatives should know exactly what binge drinking alcoholism is, all the symptoms of the syndrome and the consequences. This knowledge is necessary to provide timely assistance to the patient.

Binge drinking develops at the second stage of alcohol addiction

Doctors attribute this condition to the drug addiction (second) stage of the disease. This syndrome is based not only on distinct health problems. Alcohol binge drinking becomes the main cause of family breakdown, loss of work, friends, relatives, and domestic scandals.

The number of alcohol addicts in Russia has long exceeded 5 million people. This represents about 3.5% of the total population. Moreover, only 1.5% of patients with alcohol addiction are registered.

Binge alcoholism is one of the last stages of degradation of the drinking personality, in which a person no longer understands his existence without drunkenness. Alcohol now occupies the main place in life, pushing family, work, and relatives into the background. The life expectancy of a binge alcoholic rarely reaches 50 years; this is significantly less than the life span of a healthy person.

Alcoholism is becoming a common cause of suicide

And this period can be significantly reduced due to the exacerbation of existing chronic health problems. But, if an addict agrees to treatment and has a great desire to recover, he may well live up to 60-70 years; life expectancy depends on the degree of the patient’s existing health.

Forms of pathology

In the presence of prolonged binges, the patient experiences persistent personality degradation, and numerous internal diseases develop. Symptoms of binge alcoholism are based on a large number of external signs, which include:

• inadequacy of view;
• the appearance of deep wrinkles;
• structural changes in the skin;
• the appearance of pigment spots;
• constant tremor of the limbs;
• severe incoordination.

All pronounced external symptoms of pathology depend on the existing form of alcohol addiction. In particular:

1. Long drinking bouts. The patient consumes strong alcohol daily and completely refuses help and treatment. The processes occurring in the brain regions become irreversible.
2. In the presence of temporary alcoholism, the duration of binge drinking is about 1-2 months. This is followed by periods of remission (abstinence). But alcoholic psychosis in this case can happen to a patient in any place and time.

True (classic) binge drinking

The clinical picture in these drunken states is based on one goal - to get the next dose of alcohol in order to somehow mitigate the symptoms of withdrawal. The day of a binge alcoholic begins with waking up for only one purpose - to get over the hangover.. Moreover, the amount of alcohol consumed daily is constantly growing. The patient may experience an attack of alcoholic delirium (delirium tremens) at any time.

The main and only goal of a patient with alcoholism is to search for the next dose of alcohol.

Pseudo-binges (false)

This form of binge drinking is characterized by unexpected (spontaneous) urges to drink. Such desires may arise on holidays and weekends, but do not end with the beginning of the work week, but continue for many days.

The main and main sign of pseudo-binges is the presence of any reason for drunkenness, then the patient ceases to control himself.

The development of false binge drinking is characterized by the presence of social factors, which are a kind of trigger for the development of long-term drunkenness. Pseudo-binges also end for some good reason - the threat of dismissal due to absence from work, lack of finances, etc.

Stages of the disease

Binge drinking develops progressively, and every day the symptoms of the condition become more distinct and critical. Narcologists distinguish three stages of binge alcoholism:

1. Initial. This stage is characterized by the almost complete absence of the possibility of developing delirium tremens. The first symptoms of the problem can even frighten the patient with an overly acute hangover, which resolves against the background of severe intoxication. At this time, the alcoholic can still be helped at home, without mandatory hospitalization.
2. Average. At this time, the patient develops a stable dependence on alcohol. Abstinence is already becoming a common norm. Binge drinking varies in duration, and depressive features are clearly manifested. The dose of alcohol a person needs to feel better is constantly growing.
3. Heavy. This is the last and already clinical stage of binge drinking. They occur against the background of hallucinations, the person experiences degenerative lesions of the central nervous system and parts of the brain, and the psyche is extremely unstable. Healing a person at this level is already becoming an almost impossible task. Even the use of effective medications cannot provide the required positive dynamics.

The post-binge state, when the patient can be brought out of drunken madness, can be characterized by memory loss. The person is unable to remember how, where and with whom he drank. There is a violation of reflexes, and sometimes prolonged and profuse vomiting attacks occur.

Binge drinking develops in the second stage of addiction

Symptoms of binge drinking alcoholism

The main symptom of this condition is constant consumption of alcohol. Relatives and friends of the patient do not even remember the last time they saw the person sober. Binge drinking is equated to mental disorders and is accompanied by severe poisoning of the body. The symptoms of this condition are as follows:

• seizures;
• complete loss of appetite;
• chronic insomnia;
• high degree of anxiety;
• attacks of aggressive behavior;
• short-term amnesia (memory loss);
• constant and uncontrollable desire to drink;
• loss of control over all current events;
• significant changes in the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Binge drinking develops at stage II of alcoholism. It is during this period that the patient’s body reaches full tolerance, when, against the background of alcohol, the person no longer has a gag reflex. The body ceases to resist the intake of toxic and poisonous substances.

What does the condition lead to?

If you ignore the development of binge drinking, this form of alcoholism leads to a complete collapse of health. The consequences of this syndrome are very depressing and sometimes lead to fatal outcomes. Narcologists identify the following possible conditions that binge drinking can lead to:

• stroke;
• myocardial infarction;
• frequent attacks of epilepsy;
• chronic and incurable hepatitis;
• acute heart failure;
• cirrhosis of the liver (and this pathology is characterized by rapid progression);
• sudden death of a patient with binge alcoholism, and death can occur suddenly and at any time.

Alcoholism as a separate disease was first described in the 19th century.

Methods of treating binge alcoholism

It is quite difficult to cure a binge alcoholic; in many cases, long-term and intensive therapy is required, which takes many months. It is especially problematic to cure a drinking woman. With male alcoholics, things are simpler. But the general recommendations of narcologists for patients of both sexes are almost identical. They are as follows:

• complete sobriety;
• consumption of vitamins E, C and B-group;
• taking sedatives to provide the patient with complete and sound sleep;
• the use of diuretic drugs to cleanse the body of alcohol metabolites;
• carrying out infusion therapy (drips) using detoxification drugs;
• Regular visits to your treating narcologist to check your current condition and receive useful recommendations.

Drug treatment

The main goal of doctors in the treatment of binge alcoholism is based on cleansing the patient’s body of large doses of alcohol accumulated there. In the treatment of this syndrome, droppers are carried out using medicinal agents:

1. Ringer's solution. It contains calcium, potassium and sodium chlorides. The use of this product helps remove metal salts and remnants of alcohol metabolites from the body and blood. Ringer's solution is administered gradually by intravenous infusion; it is used only in a hospital setting.
2. Glucose with the inclusion of vitamins. This complex increases collagen synthesis, improves tissue regeneration and intercellular metabolism. With intravenous administration of the healing composition and in the process of gradual accumulation of glycogen, liver function is restored and normalized.
3. Diazepam. This drug is intended to treat specifically the binge stages of alcoholism. The solution is administered intramuscularly. This remedy can also be used at home. The use of Diazepam provides a longer period of remission, which has a positive effect on the general condition of the patient.

The therapeutic regimen of drug treatment directly depends on the degree of the person’s condition, the form of binge alcoholism and the severity of abstinence. Withdrawal syndrome usually occurs 12-15 hours after the last intake of alcohol.

Main symptoms of alcohol addiction

Traditional methods of therapy

Is it possible to conduct and organize treatment for binge drinking at home? In this case, you should be aware that it is extremely difficult to confront a person suffering from alcohol addiction, especially during relapses. But there are some alternative medicine methods that have successfully proven their effectiveness over time.

Treatment of binge alcoholism using folk methods becomes effective only in the initial forms of this pathology.

When the husband is a binge alcoholic, what should a woman do - contact a narcologist or try to help him on her own? If binge drinking has not yet reached its final stages, you can try to help it by using one of the following effective recipes:

Recipe 1. Mix thyme (60 g) with wormwood and centaury (15 g each). Steam the herbal mass with boiling water (200 ml). After 20 minutes of infusion, cool the drug and give the patient a tablespoon to drink on an empty stomach (an hour before meals) 3-4 times daily. The course of treatment is 2-4 weeks.

Recipe 2. Grind the lovage root. Place the raw materials (50 g) in a glass container and add 2-3 bay leaves to it. The mass is filled with good, high-quality vodka (500 ml) and left for two weeks to infuse. This remedy is given to a drunkard, 20 ml 3-4 times a day for a month. But noticeable improvements occur after just a week of taking it.

Alcoholism can affect anyone

Recipe 3. Mix angelica and calamus roots, juniper berries (1 part each) with wormwood, yarrow, mint and St. John's wort (2 parts each). Steam the raw materials (25 g) with boiling water (200 ml) and leave for 30-40 minutes. The daily dose of the drug is 5-6 decoctions. The course of treatment lasts 3-4 weeks.

conclusions

It should be remembered that independent withdrawal from a drunken state is possible only at the first stage of the disease. But when using herbal remedies, one should be especially careful and monitor the person’s condition. If the disease develops, home methods will no longer be able to save you. In this case, you should seek help from a narcologist..

You can also invite a doctor home to carry out the necessary procedures and place an IV. The specialist will also give useful recommendations to relatives on how to care for the addicted person and, if necessary, visit the patient again. The time it takes for a person to recover from a drunken state is on average 1-10 days and depends on the severity of the disease and the initial state of health.

In contact with

Binge alcoholism is a terrible disease, since it harms not only one’s health, but also brings a lot of trouble for the alcoholic, practically destroying his life. After all, such people are fired from their jobs, their wives leave them, and in the company of drunken drinking buddies it is very difficult to find a common language and often such emotional conversations almost lead to a knife fight.

Symptoms of the disease

The symptoms of binge drinking are very clear. If a husband goes on a drinking binge, it is simply impossible not to notice. What to do and how to understand that your husband has gone on a drinking binge? First of all, you need to observe his behavior and the possible changes that have occurred to him:

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• Being extremely intoxicated, the alcoholic still cannot get rid of the desire to drink more.
• In a drunken state, he does not understand how much alcohol he has already drunk.
• Persuasion and entreaties from loved ones to stop and not drink anymore mean nothing to a person in a drunken state.
• He does not vomit, no matter how much alcohol he has already drunk.
• Throughout the day, he drinks large doses of alcohol at varying levels of strength.
• An alcoholic exhibits partial amnesia. He can't remember where he was or what he did.
• Binge drinking can cause anxiety and aggression in a husband.

• A drunkard remains in an intoxicated state for more than a day.
• A person loses his appetite and cannot sleep properly, as a result of which his brain cannot relax and rest.
• An alcoholic develops nervous and psychological disorders that can only be overcome with another dose of alcohol.
• Withdrawal syndrome occurs - this is a great desire to get drunk.
• The husband began to think and talk only about alcoholic drinks. Drinking becomes his main goal.
• If a person in a drunken state is restricted from accessing alcohol, he becomes very aggressive. He begins to cheat and lie. He is already losing his conscience and sense of shame.
• Urinary problems may also occur.
• If earlier a person’s mood improved from drinking, now the opposite happens.

Types of binge alcoholism

There are two types of binge drinking:

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• pseudo-binge or false binge;
• true.

These painful conditions are very dangerous for humans, but still they have their differences.

Pseudo-alcoholism usually does not last long. It occurs quite suddenly and the reason for it can be anything. The most common excuses include someone's birthday or wedding, or buying some nice thing. And even a simple end of the work week can serve as a reason for fun. A pseudo-binge can turn any event into a real holiday.

To bring a person out of this condition, it is not necessary to use any special medications. The need for money, family scandals, or the need to go to work will help bring him to his senses.

At this stage, dependence on alcohol is not yet very strong, so a person can withstand a pause that will last from several days to several months.

Although with this type of binge alcoholism, during the period of alcohol abuse, a person can drink a very large amount of alcohol. At this stage, binge drinking among alcoholics, as a rule, does not become regular. They can forget about alcohol by changing their usual circle of friends or employees, who always invite them to support their company with a glass or two. But still, we should not forget that the real threat of addiction to alcoholism has not disappeared. Still, it’s better to start treating binge alcoholism now, before it moves into the next stage.

Alcohol abuse

True binge drinking is the most dangerous form of alcoholism. This disease occurs when a person tries to relieve a serious condition in the morning, after an evening of drinking with the same alcohol, and then a few hours later he takes a dose of this “healing drink” again and again. The consequences of such actions are very dire, the husband is constantly in a state of intoxication and without outside help he will no longer be able to get rid of this addiction. If an alcoholic even somehow tries to recover on his own and stops drinking, he will develop nervous and psychological disorders that he will want to eliminate with the help of alcohol. And, having drunk even 1 glass, the alcoholic will no longer be able to stop; everything will repeat again and again. What to do? At this stage, only doctors can cure him.

Treatment

It is not at all easy to get a person out of a drunken state. Therefore, it would be best to admit him to a special clinic, but if this is not possible, then you should try to do it at home with the help of a doctor. But this is also not easy, since not all doctors agree to take a patient out of an alcohol binge at home. And if there is such a doctor, it will cost a lot of money, which not everyone can afford.

The main condition for getting out of binge drinking is healthy sleep. Since a person in a state of alcoholic intoxication will not be able to sleep normally, in this case the doctor will prescribe special pills. It is not at all worthwhile to give sleeping pills to a drunk on your own, since many medications are incompatible with alcohol, and they can lead to disastrous consequences.

In addition, sudden sobering up can cause serious psychological consequences. Visual and auditory hallucinations may begin, as well as greater aggression. The person will begin to get lost in time and space. He will be tormented by constant nightmares.

The patient needs to restore the water balance in the body and remove intoxication products from the body as quickly as possible. Diuretics will help with this. During this period, it will be beneficial for the patient to consume broth and dairy products. But this is not always possible, since an alcoholic often loses his appetite and refuses to eat.

The next step on the way out of the drinking stage is taking vitamins. They will support a weakened body and normalize metabolism. But if binge drinking has been going on for quite a long time, then you won’t be able to get much effect from them. Sometimes psychotropic drugs are used for treatment or an alcoholic is coded.

To get a person out of binge drinking, he is also prescribed IVs and injections. However, it should be understood that getting a person out of binge drinking does not mean curing him of alcohol addiction.

What to do, how to overcome alcoholism? Unfortunately, it is impossible to do anything on your own with an alcoholic. First of all, he himself must want to overcome this disease and seek help from a specialist. It is impossible to get rid of alcohol addiction on your own. After all, no amount of beliefs or folk methods can eradicate this disease. In addition, alcohol abuse, as a rule, causes dire consequences for a person’s psychological and physical condition, which cannot be cured at home.

Consequences of alcohol abuse

The consequences of alcohol abuse are so widespread that it’s hard to even imagine. There is no organ in our body that would not be affected by the results of drinking huge amounts of alcohol. Alcohol is carried by the blood throughout the body, but, naturally, it is most concentrated in the liver and brain. As you know, ethanol deprives cells of oxygen, which is necessary for the brain. Because of this, the central nervous system subsequently suffers and metabolism is disrupted. Consequently, toxic substances accumulate in the body, which enter the liver, kidneys, heart and other organs.

Such alcohol abuse also affects a person’s appearance. Mostly in men you can notice the following signs:

Blue skin tone on the face

1. A so-called facial swelling appears. It swells when the kidneys become unable to process everything the alcoholic drinks.
2. The color of the skin on the face changes. She turns burgundy and blue. And sometimes you can even see consequences such as burst blood vessels.

In addition, we should not forget that alcoholics often begin to use surrogate, which poses a threat to their life. Also, various changes occur in the psychological state of a person’s health, subsequently, some people even decide to commit suicide.

If your wife or husband begins to show signs of alcoholism, you need to immediately help him or her fight them. Since this disease is practically incurable and causes great harm to the psychological and physical state of a person. It is much easier to prevent and prevent the onset of alcohol addiction than to get rid of it.

When an alcoholic is admitted to the hospital, the narcologist asks him a question about how often the use occurs, with what frequency, and how much alcohol was drunk per day. This survey is aimed at determining whether dependence has been formed and what stage it is at the time of admission to the hospital. The stages of addiction are determined based on the number of symptoms inherent in each of them. Binge drinking is characteristic of the second stage of alcohol dependence.

What happens to an alcoholic at this stage and what is the peculiarity of the binge form of the disease? At the second stage of alcoholism, a persistent physical and mental dependence on alcohol has already been formed. It is at this stage that alcoholic psychosis, convulsive seizures are possible, and the number of suicides increases. The amount of alcohol consumed is stable and in large doses. An addict, experiencing withdrawal, cannot stop drinking alcohol and drinks without a break from several days to several weeks, or even months. The binge ends when the body is no longer able to break down ethanol.

Doctors distinguish two types of binge drinking:

Pseudo-binges;

True binge drinking.

Pseudo-binges - alcohol consumption is associated with certain events: weddings, birthdays, funerals, end of the work week, etc. Binges stop when, for example, you need to go to work or important events are coming up.

True binge drinking occurs spontaneously due to aggravated cravings, manifested by continuous thoughts about alcohol and physical illness. This form of alcoholism is more “severe”. During the abstinence period, the addict experiences intense physical ailments, which in particularly acute cases, without medical intervention, can lead to death (cardiac arrest).

How does “dry sobriety” go for an alcoholic?

During the “bright” periods, the addict seems to live a normal sober life: he works, does housework, etc. During this period, the alcoholic is driven by a feeling of guilt. It is often beneficial for employers to keep an alcoholic in their organization, because after another binge, feeling guilty, he will do more work for the same pay, and sometimes for free. However, not everything is so smooth. During the period of spontaneous or therapeutic remission, with an independent refusal to drink alcohol or as a result of medical assistance, the alcoholic lives in tension, which is caused by negative emotions and thoughts. The experiences are associated with irritation and thoughts about alcohol, which the addict tries to “drive away” from himself. He endures, projecting evil and discontent onto the people around him; family members suffer first of all. Tension grows more and more every day, conflicts occur more often in the family and, as a result, another binge begins.

The addict blames those around him for his drinking: his wife, children, boss, state, etc. Psychological defense mechanisms are activated, which enable the alcoholic to drink without “remorse.”

During this period, further destruction of the moral value system occurs. The value of your life, family, qualities such as honesty, trust, care, respect, love, devotion decreases, and then is lost, and with the development of the disease, alcohol is put in the only place.

Anyone who interferes with consumption becomes an enemy. Therefore, in the end, the alcoholic is left alone, losing his family, the support of relatives and friends.

Persuasion and intimidation of a drunken alcoholic by family members can have an effect for a certain period, then the use will continue.

Also at this stage you can encounter the so-called delusions of jealousy. The addict develops an obsessive idea that his wife has a lover. To expose his wife, the alcoholic spies on her, looks for evidence of infidelity (and finds it for himself), and creates scandals with accusations of infidelity. No amount of persuasion will convince an alcoholic otherwise.

You may encounter another phenomenon when an addict thinks that he is being stalked by his acquaintances. These are people with whom he has had conflict in the past and who want to harm him.

All these phenomena are acute symptoms of alcohol dependence, which require medical correction. Seeing a doctor is necessary, since in a delirious state an alcoholic is capable of causing harm to himself and others.

As a result of systematic binge drinking, the addict’s personality deteriorates. In families with such an alcoholic, life becomes “unbearable.” All the addict’s money is spent on drinking alcohol, and when the funds run out, household utensils and valuables are sold or exchanged for alcohol. When one of the family members tries to stop the alcoholic, it is possible to become a victim of his aggression (although the addict has never “touched” anyone before).

Is it possible to stop an alcoholic's binges on his own?

There is a large selection of folk remedies and medications that loved ones of addicts use to independently stop their drinking and alleviate the physical torment of an alcoholic. Some succeed, some end up calling resuscitation, and some don’t even have time to dial the ambulance number - death occurs. Are you ready to take this risk?

Comprehensive treatment will help stop an alcoholic’s binges - withdrawal from binge drinking in a medical hospital and recovery with help or inpatient rehabilitation. During the recovery program, experienced specialists work with the patient: narcologists, psychologists, peer consultants.

How to keep an alcoholic sober?

First: only the addict himself can maintain his sobriety, making decisions himself and performing certain actions for this. It is important to understand that detoxification in a hospital is not enough to maintain sobriety in the future; a long-term

Second: relatives of an alcoholic can help him maintain sobriety by studying the problem of alcohol dependence, realizing his role in maintaining the disease and working on his thoughts, emotions and behavior (self-help groups, therapeutic groups, webinars, seminars, individual consultations with a psychologist).

Over 80% of alcoholics’ visits to a narcologist are associated with the appearance of regular binges. And if at the second stage this painful condition still allows many addicts to work successfully and lead an active social life, then the third stage of alcoholism often forces even the most hardened alcoholics to come to their senses.

What is binge drinking?

The binge form of alcoholism is a type of addiction in which withdrawal symptoms or, as it is also called, hangover syndrome develop. It is characterized by a serious deterioration in the patient’s condition, “breaking” of the body in the absence of new doses of alcohol.

Until recently, patients do not think about what binge drinking alcoholism leads to: it seems to them that evening libations are not a hangover, but simply a new intake of alcohol. Often in the morning they do not feel any consequences of yesterday's drinking, and therefore they believe that they have the situation under control. In fact, with regular intake of large portions of alcohol, the body develops tolerance, which allows you to increase the volume of alcohol consumed and gradually bring it to the maximum possible level. Several bottles of vodka a day cease to be something supernatural for the patient. The binge drinking period is characterized by dysphoria, dizziness, nausea, and high blood pressure when trying to abstain from alcohol. The patient's body experiences enormous stress, which in the absence of medical care can lead to death. Most deaths from alcoholism occur during another binge. In this state, the addict knocks over the glass no longer for the sake of pleasure or relaxation, but in order not to die.

The binge can last from a couple of days to several months, and the patient constantly finds it increasingly difficult to get out of it on his own. The breaks between drinking alcohol are shortened - soon the alcoholic is forced to drink several times throughout the day.

It is important to distinguish true binge drinking from false ones. In case of a false binge, a person can refuse libations without disturbing physiological processes - he just doesn’t want to, for example, because of the protracted holidays. In a true binge, the patient has no choice. Only a specialist in narcology can differentiate between these conditions.

Symptoms of Binge Alcoholism

There are signs by which others can notice that the patient’s alcoholism has entered the binge stage:

a person completely denies the presence of illness and binge drinking - the critical perception of his own condition disappears;

the addict clearly perks up and experiences undisguised joy at the mention of the upcoming drinking binge;

the patient loses his sense of proportion and gets completely drunk even on the most insignificant occasions, completely ignoring the inappropriateness and untimeliness of this;

the body’s tolerance to alcohol develops, allowing you to drink more than healthy drinking companions and maintain external sobriety of judgment - “not in one eye”;

when consuming large doses of alcohol, there is no gag reflex - the body, accustomed to toxins, stops dumping them and cleansing itself;

sudden, uncontrolled aggression in response to attempts to limit alcohol consumption, frequent and unreasonable mood swings from one pole to the other;

a period of binges during which the patient forgets about his duties and turns into the semblance of a person.

Consequences of binge drinking

Binge drinking causes moral decay and social decline of the individual. During a binge, when the “pipes” are on fire, the alcoholic forgets about responsibility, family ties, social norms and laws. Most alcoholics are forced to come to their senses by precisely this destruction of the familiar world - the departure of a spouse, urgent hospitalization, dismissal from work due to the inability to perform work duties.

With cyclical drunkenness, a person is constantly in a state of nervous tension - and at the same time experiences a loss of strength. This soon leads to phenomena of a neuro-asthenic nature, mental disorders and diseases. The most common of them is delirium tremens or so-called. "delirium tremens". This is a psychosis that is dangerous to human life and health, the clearest manifestation of which is frightening hallucinations that are accompanied by high temperature (up to 40 degrees). The patient sees spiders, fetters, dangerous creatures, objects that hurt him, strangers threatening his life, and so on. There are frequent cases of suicide caused by the desire to end one’s own torment.

Treatment of binge alcoholism

Removing a patient from binge drinking on his own is fraught with complications and unpredictable consequences - the effect of most drugs is greatly enhanced or neutralized by alcohol. For this reason, calculating the dosage becomes extremely difficult.

The best plan of action for the family and friends of an alcoholic is to call a narcologist to relieve alcohol intoxication. Suppressing the craving for alcohol is only possible if the person is absolutely sober and ready to accept help - after all, it is impossible to cure alcoholism against the will of the patient. Therefore, it is recommended to wait until the addict exits the binge stage - during this period he is highly likely to agree to inpatient treatment in a drug treatment clinic.

Binge drinking in men and women is treatable. For this purpose, psychotherapeutic and medicinal techniques are used. Preparation for medical procedures begins with eliminating the consequences of alcohol intoxication in the body.

It is not easy to overcome, but if it is aggravated by the duration of use, then it is generally very difficult to cure.

If there is a constantly drunk person next to you who does not even try to sober up, reaches for another glass and this continues day after day, and then for several days after drinking he tries to come to his senses, suffering and suffering from a hangover, then you have an alcoholic in front of you. who was on a drinking binge.

Let's determine why this phenomenon occurs, what the symptoms are and how to deal with binge drinking.

Where do drunkenness and binge drinking come from?

A person without knowing it becomes psychologically dependent on alcohol if he drinks it periodically. These could be daily buffets, meetings, or just get-togethers with friends.

But when he understands what is happening, it is already too late. As a rule, ethyl alcohol contained in alcoholic beverages causes addiction. It's a kind of addiction.

The patient tries to “improve his health” in the morning; he feels better for a few minutes, but then he realizes that he is sick again and reaches for the next portion of the drink. Just like when using drugs, after one dose the next one is sure to follow.

According to the advice of those “versed” in alcoholism, after “yesterday’s drinking bout” you can drink a glass of beer or a glass of vodka in the morning, it really becomes easier, then at lunchtime another glass, another and without knowing it “gets on the other side”. And so on day after day. These are the signs of binge alcoholism.

After several days of drinking, the alcoholic becomes irritable, aggressive, he does not listen to anyone, the people around him enrage him with their advice, he blames everyone. Trying to forget these reproaches, he takes a new batch of booze and the binge continues, not understanding that he needs to stop by any means.

Some people can calculate their dose and feel in control even if they drink every day, but unfortunately, there are only a few of them.

People who are weak-hearted, weak-willed, and who often depend on the opinions of others are most susceptible to drinking. Once in a company of friends, they cannot simply refuse, and in response to the exclamation “Aren’t you our friend” or “Oh well, why are you crumpling”, they begin to take the first 100 grams “on the chest”, then the rest follow.

The modern population of the planet, wanting to get drunk, begins to blame everything they can, start a conflict from scratch, present themselves as victims, and then get drunk, supposedly to make amends for the offense. This is where the majority of alcoholics come from, who lose everything over time, but when they come to their senses they realize that nothing can be regained, and they begin to drink too much again.

Symptoms of Binge Alcoholism

The state of binge alcoholism is distinguished by the following symptoms:

1. An irresistible desire to drink, even while in a state of severe intoxication.
2. Lack of self-control. Often an alcoholic cannot realize the amount of alcohol he drinks.
3. The patient drinks a large amount of alcohol during the day, no matter what strength. He can consume all possible drinks that he managed to get.
4. During a binge, a drinker, as a rule, does not eat or sleep. This causes his brain to disconnect from real events. He does not understand what time it is, what day it is and who is next to him.
5. A severe hangover, which the patient tries to relieve by drinking another portion of an alcoholic drink.
6. The person tries to get himself a drink by any means, and does not react in any way to persuasion to stop.
7. All thoughts and conversations are only about alcohol, other than that they are confused and chaotic. It is impossible to grasp the logic of things from them.

Lack of self-control during a binge can lead to catastrophic consequences. The patient does not understand what drink he is drinking, so he may drink some kind of surrogate or technical alcohol and get severe poisoning at best and death at worst.

In addition, during a hangover, a person tries to relieve pain with the help of medicines that are at hand, then washed down with vodka, not realizing that some of them are simply incompatible. Such a hangover can result in serious consequences that negatively affect the organs.

Stages of binge alcoholism

Binge drinking is a serious disease, and every disease has its own stages, and so it is here. What are there during binge drinking?

• Initial. This should include people who just have to “smell the cork,” as they say, and away they go. At any party, he gets drunk faster than anyone else. For him, the main problem is not to have fun, it is important for him to drink as much alcohol as possible and then lie in a plate with salad. In the morning there is a certain pain in the head, ringing in the ears, nausea, vomiting, but after taking anti-hangover pills it becomes easier. They can control the hangover situation and give it up by replacing a glass of beer with kefir or mineral water.
• Intermediate or average. At this stage, dependence on alcohol is already evident. In the morning, a person becomes very ill, which is why he reaches for intoxicating drinks. During the holiday, the alcoholic constantly sits at the table with a glass in his hand, he is not interested in entertainment programs. He tries to reject the surrounding society, for him the main goal is to empty the bottle and start another. This is where the drinking begins.
• . In this case, there is complete degradation of the individual who has been intoxicated for a long time. They lead an immoral lifestyle because they lose complete control over themselves and what is happening. This stage may not be curable.

How does binge drinking develop?

Binge begins to develop in the second stage of alcoholism, when a person loses complete control over the amount of alcohol he drinks. The body begins to adapt to this amount, and it increases each time a light drinker drinks. It can be determined in liters per day.

In the morning, such a person experiences pain throughout the body and shaking of the body, although he did not eat during the drinking session. This is how the toxic element in the form of alcohol is rejected, but the patient still tries to cope with it and drinks again, trying to relieve unwanted symptoms.

This goes on for a long time; it is impossible to break this vicious circle on your own. Patients often resort to the help of doctors who try to relieve them with medications, cleanse the blood, and install systems.

Gradually, the desire to drink vodka appears again, the time period between drinking sessions is reduced and everything starts again.

Breaking out of binge drinking on your own is only possible at the initial stage of alcoholism. Further, you cannot do without medical help. Even simple painkillers won't help. The body is oversaturated with poisons that must be removed with special medications in a hospital setting.

Treatment after binge drinking

Treatment after binge drinking is also a very important moment in the patient’s life. The patient’s brain is in constant work, thoughts do not leave him for a minute, he feels guilty, tries to distance himself from everyone, because he is ashamed of his behavior. Therefore, it is important to surround him with your participation and care.

• Give the patient vitamins B and C to normalize metabolism and support a depleted body.
• Invite a psychotherapist for the patient so that he can have an instructive conversation with him and eliminate the causes of binge drinking.
• Monitor his diet during recovery from binge drinking.
• Try to protect him from thoughts about alcohol.

Removing a patient from binge drinking does not mean that he is cured; treatment is longer and involves the use of more effective measures by medical workers. But this is only possible with the consent of the patient, which can be achieved by a psychotherapist.

It takes time to direct an alcoholic’s thoughts to or (methods of treatment), and during this time he may relapse again.

Conclusion

Before you take a drink, you need to think about whether it’s worth it at all and what it will cost. Such people need to be protected from going to parties or meeting friends. When reminded that “don’t drink, you won’t be able to stop,” drunks usually say, “a couple of drinks and that’s all,” but this is a misconception.

Binge drinkers are fired from their jobs, their marriages break up, and their friends and neighbors turn their backs on them. It will take a long period to establish all contacts, and during this period the desire to drink arises and everything starts again.

Video: Binge drinking - duration, consequences, types and treatment

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