Alcoholism: Fast back to life

Alcoholism: Fast back to life

The consumption of alcohol is firmly established in Germany in Germany. Ever German drinks almost 136 liters of alcoholic drinks in one year. This corresponds to over ten liters of pure alcohol. Especially with hustle and stress, many people grab to alcoholic beverages. The probability of getting health problems is rising. In men, an average consumption of 24 grams per day leads to increased health risk. In women, even half

Alcoholism is a serious mental illness. Development of consumption on abuse to dependency is creeping. Characteristic of the addiction includes, among other things, a strong desire for alcohol, rising consumption and the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms. Read all about the signs and consequences of alcoholism and how to get the addiction under control.

When is one speaking of alcohol addiction?

About 1.3 million people in Germany are considered alcohol dependent. About 300,000 of which are in treatment. On average, alcohol dependence is treated only after 10 to 15 years.

But when is an alcohol dependence? The emergence of an alcohol dependence is a creeping, individually extending development. It is often not recognized or denied for a long time. Neither a certain amount of alcohol nor the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms are compelling requirements.

An alcohol dependence exists if at least three of the six diagnostic criteria are at the same time during the past year:

Strong desire or a compulsion to consume alcohol

Tolerance development: There are increasing larger amounts of alcohol to achieve an effect

Continued alcohol consumption, although consequential damage

Difficulties to control the beginning, termination and amount of consumption

Physical withdrawal symptoms when no or less alcohol is drunk

Progressive neglect of other interests in favor of alcohol consumption

Short overview

Signs: Strong desire for alcohol, loss of control, quantity increase, withdrawal symptoms, neglect of interests and contacts, continued consumption despite negative consequences

Possible consequences: Damage to liver, pancreatic gland, stomach and intestines, cardiovascular system, cognitive deficits, fears, depression, suicidal thoughts, job loss, destruction of social relationships

Causes: genetic predisposition, stress, mental stress, mental lability, problematic dealing with alcohol in family and circle of friends

Diagnosis: Notes related to persons, questionnaires, blood testing (liver values), examination on possible typical sequelatics of alcohol addiction

Therapy: stationary or outpatient, cognitive behavioral therapy, single therapy, group therapy, mindfulness training, stress management training, therapy destination: abstinence

Forecast: Addiction is life-accompanying, in case of illness and therapy good opportunities for abstinence even in occasional relapses, untreated heavy sequelae, shortened lifetime

Alcohol addiction: symptoms and complications that can occur in chronic alcohol consumption

Who drinks too much, significantly reduces his life expectancy. Alcohol is made responsible for more than 200 diseases, he damages almost every organ.

Particularly frequent physical and psychological consequences:

Stroke, dementia, alcohol with trembling, epileptic seizures and delirium

Sodburn, inflammation, ulcers and cancer on esophagus, stomach and duodenum

Fat liver, hepatitis, cirrhosis and cancer

Kidney failure

Testicular shrinkage, sexual malfunctions

Nervous damage and muscle

Personality changes, depression, fears

Heart weakness, cardiac arrhythmias, high blood pressure

Pancreatic inflammation and cancer

Dick and end medical cancer

Skin change

Blood clotting disorders, anemia

Increased infections

Overweight

diabetes

In addition, alcohol dependence also has social consequences:

Hazard of the workplace by reduced performance and quality of work

Co-dependence of life partners and children

Decrease in social contacts

Impairment of ability to drive

High accident hazard

Diminished perception

Longer reaction times

Missing disease inspection

Alcoholics no longer drink enjoyment, but out of an inner compulsion or even a physical need. Therefore, the attempts fail to reduce consumption regularly.

Nevertheless, most alcoholic cranks are first convinced that they could stop at any time. Often they actually succeed for days or weeks. This encourages them in their faith not to be dependent.

But as soon as they resort to the glass, the next relapse with loss of control is mostly preprogrammed. Your failure increases your frustration and let you continue to drink.

Shame, secretliness

Despite their obvious problems, most alcoholics have far from being alcoholic. The reason for this can be extreme stigmatization that people contribute to alcohol problems. The corresponding prejudices often share the alcohol cranks themselves ("I'm not a penner").

Added to this is the fear of the necessary consequences - namely to do without alcohol. Many people with alcohol disease drink as soon as the environment appeals to the problem increasingly secretly.

Short-term effects of alcohol

Alcohol can lift the mood in the short term and reduce inhibitions. But he also makes him whine, other aggressive. Depending on the amount and type of alcohol drinks as well as the body weight and the drinking habits, there are earlier consumption sooner or later perception disorders and coordination difficulties.

Alcohol spreads over the blood quickly throughout the body to the brain. Even those who tolerate a lot without being drunk harms his organs. Because the liver can only reduce about 15 grams of alcohol per hour. Everything that goes beyond, remains in the blood. When removing alcohol, toxins arise, which may affect the health in the long term.

Long-term physical effects of alcohol

Alcohol and its degradation products are toxic. Long term damage all organs of the body.

Liver damage

The liver, which must be continuously difficult for dual drinkers, increases more fat, increases and converts to the so-called fatty liver. This often remains unnoticed, because the liver itself can not feel pain. It sometimes makes itself noticeable by a pressure feeling in the upper abdomen. Pain is causing only when the liver ignites.

After some time liver cells die: it develops a liver cirrhosis (shrink liver). This is a steadily progressive life-threatening disease. The risk of liver cancer is also increasing.

Psychological dependency

It follows the psychic dependency. The person concerned neglects social life and tasks increasingly. The alcohol becomes the center of the center. Often, the thoughts only circle around the next glass. At this stage, those affected are already concealing drinking. If no alcohol is available, a strong desire develops.

Physical dependency

The body gets used to the alcohol and requires the affected larger quantities for the desired effect, is the entry into the physical dependency. Raising the dependent in this stage on alcohol, immerse physical withdrawal symptoms.

They range from sweating and trembling to life-threatening delirium with hallucinations. In severe cases, a withdrawal can endally end at least single-handedly. It should therefore be done under medical supervision.

Excouraged life expectancy

Without therapy, the average life expectancy of an alcohol is reduced by twelve years. The most common cause of death are suicide, accidents, liver failure, heart disease and cancer.

Despite the consistent use of all therapeutic possibilities, only 45 percent of the former alcoholic patients are still abstinent four years after the end of a therapy. However, those who can not be deterred by relapses can also get the alcohol addiction under control in the long term.