Signs of drinking alcohol on your face. How to recognize alcoholic dependence in an alcoholic at the initial stage. How to tell if you are an alcoholic

They are drawn into the habit for months, but get rid of it for years, and not everyone succeeds.

If a person has at least two of the following symptoms, it's time to consider treatment:

Alcohol is used more and more often, at first it happens from time to time, once or twice a month, then every weekend, then during the week. The trend towards more frequent alcohol consumption is a clear sign of the development of addiction.
Increasing the dose: small volumes of alcohol no longer have the expected effect, more and more are required to enjoy.
Quality requirements, on the other hand, are decreasing. If, for example, there is not enough money for good alcohol or it is impossible to get it, the alcoholic agrees to drink cheaper drinks.
When a person does not need company and a reason to drink, this clearly indicates alcoholism. In addition, many addicted people use alcohol alone to hide the disease.
Willingness to spend money on alcohol for other purposes, set aside. The urge to drink beats common sense.
Depressed mood, irritability, nervousness in the absence of a drink. A person experiences an irresistible desire to feel the effect of alcohol on himself, and if this does not happen, he begins to get nervous. And vice versa, when it is known that soon there will be a drink, the alcoholic feels joyful excitement, is in high spirits.
Increased alcohol tolerance. As the drunkard becomes addicted to the habit, the healthy response to the toxic effects of ethanol disappears. The gag reflex is absent even after significant amounts of alcohol.

The first signs of alcohol dependence:

negative changes in appearance;
manifestation of previously unusual features: irascibility, irritability, impulsivity (or their aggravation);
deterioration of cognitive functions (ability to concentrate, memory, assimilation of new information);
changes in health (there are problems with teeth, hair, skin, digestive organs, blood vessels).

Alcohol is a toxic substance that, when it enters the body, decomposes to an even more poisonous compound.

External signs:

unhealthy complexion, dull sagging skin;
decreased elasticity of the skin, "sagging" of the oval of the face;
yellowish tint of the skin, mucous membranes, eye sclera, which indicates liver problems;
pale with a blue complexion, speaks of problems with blood vessels and blood circulation in general;
dark circles under the eyes;
swelling of the face, limbs, bags under the eyes;
the appearance of rosacea - bursting small vessels on the nose, near him, on the cheeks;
rapid aging of the skin.

Women are more prone to worries about their appearance than men, however, alcoholics lose their desire for beauty over time. In the early stages of addiction, they may try to mask problems with their face with makeup, pay attention to skin care.

Clothes, hairstyle

A rare woman will allow herself to appear on the street in an inappropriate manner. Most of them even take out the trash with their makeup and hair. Alcohol addiction relieves from worries about appearance.

A woman who drinks or is in a state of abstinence may leave the house with a disheveled head, in dirty clothes or in need of repair. Sometimes an alcoholic can be identified by a dress that does not match the weather and even the season. Dirty clothes, unclean shoes, greasy hair that has not been cut for a long time, an unpleasant smell of an unwashed body - these are the clear signs of alcoholism.

Looking at herself in the mirror, a person who is addicted to alcohol may be horrified and remember her gender. In such cases, loose, unhealthy skin is covered with a thick layer of foundation and blush.

Skin and hair

In alcoholics, the body is dehydrated due to improper fluid distribution under the influence of ethanol. The kidneys, for the implementation of the filtration function, draw off large volumes of moisture. Due to constant dehydration, the skin ages many times faster and wrinkles appear. Hair becomes dry, brittle, early pigmentation.

Voice, figure

Ethanol has a negative effect on the liver and organs of the endocrine system. As a result of the systematic use of alcohol, their functionality decreases. As a result, hormonal imbalance appears.

As a result of alcoholic liver damage, the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates slows down. This contributes to their deposition, therefore, a drinking woman's waist swells, a flabby belly appears, and weight is added. At the same time, the muscle fibers are getting weaker and thinner. Lack of nutrients and essential minerals leads to osteoporosis and disorders in the functioning of the musculoskeletal system. As a result, the gait changes, the smoothness of movements disappears.

Alcoholism usually develops more slowly in men than in women. However, they are more susceptible to it, due to physiological characteristics, they can drink more and feel better at the same time. The male body quickly copes with the incoming ethanol, since the liver more actively produces the enzymes necessary for its utilization.

Modern life, with its speed, endless and huge flow of information, brings people into a state of permanent stress. The problems in the family, the search for their social role, are aggravating the matter.

Almost every person in their minds has a certain image of an alcoholic: a dirty, unshaven man in "sweatshirts", with a corresponding specific smell, a swollen face. However, not all of them look exactly like this. Many of those addicted to alcohol for some time are able to control themselves, go to work, exercise social functions... The further the disease progresses, the more the man turns into that same man, but this does not happen immediately.

You can identify an alcoholic by how he looks.

Taking a closer look at a man, you can tell by his appearance whether he often applies to alcohol:

the skin becomes flabby, unclean, takes on an unhealthy color (reddish, bluish, at an advanced stage - purple);
swelling appears on the face and body, bags under the eyes, eyelids become swollen;
if liver problems begin, the skin and sclera of the eyes may be yellowish;
due to damage to peripheral nervous system there is an intentional tremor - a disorder of fine motor skills of the limbs, expressed in trembling, involuntary small movements.

As the disease progresses, the manifestations become more noticeable. Men, like women, eventually stop paying attention to the condition of their clothes, do not visit the hairdresser, and may not shave or take a shower.

Even in the early stages of development, alcohol dependence can be identified for some signs. The patient begins to look for a reason to drink, justifying his drunkenness. Any insignificant event can become an impetus for taking alcohol, which a healthy person would not even think of to mark with alcoholic beverages.

When addiction is formed, alcoholism enters the second stage, men devote less and less intellectual effort to finding an excuse.

Another warning sign is an increase in dose. Gradually, alcoholism leads to the fact that small volumes of alcohol cease to have an effect, in order to feel euphoria, relaxation, a man needs more and more alcohol. For this reason, another symptom of alcohol addiction manifests itself - anxiety that "not enough", the desire to get more booze.

The inability to take alcohol (lack of money, late time of day, the need to work) leads a man to despair, he becomes irritable and nervous. Conversely, the anticipation of drinking makes him joyful, excited, cheerful.

Another sign of alcoholism is the desire to make "stash". Finding hiding places with alcohol should lead relatives to the idea of the need for treatment.

Talking about addiction is most often unpleasant for alcoholics, and they leave them by all available means.

If a man has at least one of the listed signs, this is an alarming sign. Relatives and friends need to take action: to convince a person to undergo treatment.

Signs of alcohol dependence in men boil down to the following:

He often drinks with the company and begins to consume various alcoholic beverages on his own;
The desire to drink becomes irresistible, the man loses interest in other activities, rest, does not want to spend time with his family;
Absenteeism at work appears;
The amount of alcohol consumed is increasing;
The hangover is quite severe, after a stormy evening, a strong headache and a general deterioration of health overcomes;
Addiction to alcohol acquires a psychological character - if there is no drink, then the mood disappears, aggression appears, in the presence of alcohol, the situation immediately changes, the man becomes more cheerful;
The body's defenses are clearly reduced - after drinking there is no nausea and vomiting, but they appear after eating.

Signs and manifestations of alcohol dependence in men

Symptoms of alcoholism are very diverse. The most common are represented by the following:

Aggression. There is a tendency to irascibility, assault, violation of self-control.
Memory impairment. It progresses over time with alcohol consumption.
Changes in cognitive abilities. Degradation is noted, mental capabilities are minimal.
Disease susceptibility. It is associated with a change in the body's immune status.
Tremor. The main reason is the toxic effect of alcohol on the structures of the brain.
External changes. Appear over time, characterized by hyperemia and swelling of the face.

a change in a person's personality, a lack of criticism in relation to oneself;
cravings for alcoholic beverages;
the inability to control their actions;
disruption of the work of all organs and systems of the body;
changes in memory, impairment of the ability to remember, loss of certain moments of life;
emotional instability, lability of emotions;
denial of the existing problem;
addiction of the body to high doses of alcohol;
changes in the mental sphere (hallucinations, delirium, epileptic seizures);
disorders of the neurological sphere.

Stages of alcoholism in men

Alcoholism sneaks up unnoticed, although everyone knows that drinking is harmful, they still allow the use of alcohol. The difficulty of alcohol addiction is that it is quite difficult to recognize its development in the early stages of its formation. Statistics inexorably show that usually alcoholics turn to specialists for help too late, when the disease not only strengthened in psychophysiological terms, but also led to some pathological consequences, often irreversible.

It is impossible to determine that a person is dependent on alcohol by how much booze he drinks, because each organism has its own measure. Therefore, an alcoholic is equally likely to be someone who drinks several bottles of vodka, and who is used to drinking a couple of glasses of strong alcohol at dinner every day.

Symptoms of alcoholism in the early stages are expressed blurred, practically not manifested in any way, which only complicates the recognition of the problem. Alcoholism is not yet so pronounced; a person has only a craving for strong drinks. Sometimes there may be transitions from episodic to systematic drinking. But such transitions are not clearly pronounced, since for some periods of time a person may not drink alcohol.

At the first stages of the development of addiction, the following are considered alarming signs:

Cravings for alcohol. The novice alcoholic has no desire to get drunk before losing his memory, he just wants to drink, so he looks for a variety of reasons for this. In such a situation, the desire to drink is conscious and cannot be considered as subconscious, but this is the first alarm bell.
Alcohol tolerance. A similar symptom manifests itself in the fact that in order to achieve the desired degree of intoxication, a person needs to consume a larger dose of alcohol.
Loss of gag reflex in cases when too much alcohol is drunk. It's just that the body gradually loses its ability to recognize ethanol as a strong toxin, it simply absorbs it, and quite quickly.
Having a hangover. This condition is accompanied by severe headaches and a deterioration in general health. A person sees salvation in the next portion of intoxicating. Sometimes the hangover is replaced by new drunkenness, then an even more severe hangover occurs, which is also removed by alcohol. As a result, a binge begins, which is characteristic of the later stages of alcohol dependence.

The initial stage of alcoholism lasts long enough - up to 8-10 years. During this time, its signs gradually develop, manifesting themselves more and more intensely and brighter. And closer to the second stage, signs of alcoholism are supplemented by manifestations such as sleep disorders and lack of appetite, neurasthenic phenomena and sudden mood swings, vegetative vascular dystonia, etc.

Experts distinguish three main stages of alcohol dependence, where each subsequent stage is a consequence of the previous one.

Stage	Clinical manifestations
Stage 1. It is difficult to come to light. The duration is 1-10 years.	Personality deformation. Change of priorities, personal environment. Violation of the sleep-wake cycle, disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, changes in the work of the cardiovascular system. Alcohol resistance. A gradual increase in the dose consumed. The emergence of a pathological craving for alcoholic beverages.
Stage 2. External changes. Significant deformation of the personality, noticeable to others.	Mental disorders. They can manifest themselves in the form of epileptic seizures, recurrent hallucinations. Memory change. Decreased cognitive ability. Lability of the emotional background. It can manifest itself as aggression and depressive states. The dominant feature is alcohol. The appearance of a painful hangover after drinking.
Stage 3. The final stage of alcoholism. The body is not able to fight this condition on its own; qualified assistance is required.	Indifference to the outside world. The main interest is alcohol. Frequent binges. The minimum dose of alcohol can lead to severe alcohol intoxication. More pronounced changes in the psyche. Pathologies associated with the main organ systems of the body are identified.

Identifying female alcoholism

Female alcoholism is considered to be less of a problem than male alcoholism. Recently, however, there has been a clear trend towards an increase in alcoholics among women. This is facilitated by the equalization of social roles: they work no less, and sometimes more than men, bear great responsibility, but no one canceled their old responsibilities (giving birth and raising children, maintaining a home). At the same time, they are more emotional and experience stress more heavily, which makes them look for ways to relieve stress.

However, in women, alcohol consumption leads to the development of dependence faster, the disease progresses more severely. This is due to the characteristics of the organism. The activity of the enzymes responsible for the utilization of ethanol is lower. The moisture content is also less than in a man's body, so the alcohol concentration is higher when consumed.

At the same time, it is more difficult for women to recognize themselves as sick, and it is very difficult to convince them of the need for treatment. Even if an understanding of the disease comes, the majority categorically refuses to see a doctor, convincing loved ones that they are able to overcome the addiction on their own.

Unlike male alcoholism, female alcoholism develops much faster, approximately within a 5-year period. Ladies also die from alcohol addiction much more often and much faster. Recognizing female alcoholism can be somewhat more difficult, because the signs of addiction are noticeably reflected in the appearance, especially on the face. Any lady is uncomfortable with these changes, such as wrinkles and swelling, so women try to mask the traces of drunkenness with the help of cosmetics.

As with men, female alcohol addiction goes through several stages. The first stage is hidden, without any manifestations. The woman says that she drinks like everyone else - on holidays, but a deeper examination reveals that there are more and more “festive” occasions. During feasts, a novice alcoholic talks loudly and a lot, behaves noisily, often offers a drink and taunts non-drinkers.

The environment of a woman starting to drink is also changing noticeably. Friends who do not have a penchant for drinking become not so good, relations with them deteriorate. But people who share a drink with her are getting closer. In the process of drinking, a woman loses her sense of proportion. A woman simply does not control the amount of alcohol consumed, so every meal ends with an unconscious state for her.

This stage can last for a 5-year period, after which it is replaced by the second stage of alcohol dependence, for which the presence of withdrawal symptoms is typical. In order to get back to normal, a woman definitely needs to drink again. In the future, the condition only worsens, and the symptoms that arise are similar to male alcoholism.

Male alcoholism

Most often, men use alcohol in order to temporarily get rid of the constant burden of responsibility. They are usually responsible for the financial support of the family, which explains the enormous burden. It is alcohol that helps to relax, to temporarily forget about existing problems.

Also, a common problem for men is the inability to manage their emotions. The constantly accumulated tension should be relieved, come out, but males try to remain calm to the last and keep everything to themselves. When piled up problems become unbearable, they can break into a binge and give free rein to their emotions.

Often, the hereditary factor also affects. Alcoholism is often a genetically determined disease.

The consequences of alcoholism in men

No matter how strong the body is, the consequences of alcohol addiction will not be long in coming. They can be divided into two large groups:

physiological;
psychological.

Associated with the work of organs and body systems. The most common problems:

Impotence. Associated with a violation of the hormonal background of a man, which occurs as a result of a change in the normal production of testosterone.
Pathology of the gastrointestinal tract. Most often, gastritis and gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer are detected. The symptomatology is very characteristic - a painful reaction that occurs at least 30 minutes after eating.
Arterial hypertension. Alcohol can damage the walls of blood vessels, which leads to a gradual change in their structure, violation of innervation. As a result, arterial hypertension develops.
Liver pathology. The liver is the main processing plant in our body. With a massive alcoholic attack, its cells are damaged, undergo necrosis. Normally functional tissue is replaced with one that cannot perform its basic functions. The functional capabilities of both the liver itself and other organs and systems are impaired.
Decreased immunity. Influencing the immune status, the body becomes susceptible to many infectious diseases.
Heart disease. They are associated with the direct influence of alcohol on the walls of blood vessels, which in the future is the main cause of formidable pathologies, for example, myocardial infarction.

This group is represented by the development of the following reactions:

Persecution delirium. It manifests itself as an obsessive feeling of constant control, surveillance.
Hallucinations. They can be both visual and sound. It's hard to tell from real events.
Encephalopathy. It is associated with impaired blood circulation, as a result of which there is an insufficient nutrition of the brain. As a result - a disorder of the basic functions of the body.

Behavioral changes

Personality changes in alcoholism are a kind of manifestation of mental problems, which consists of moral, spiritual and social components.

After a person has been consuming alcoholic beverages for a long time and in large quantities, his mental state can change in two types - a bright manifestation of emotions, which is replaced by complete disappointment and tearfulness.

Stages of alcoholism

The immediate human desire to drink more and more with each person, and the resulting inability to control their own behavior, can be conditionally subdivided into several stages

At the first stage, a person drinks more and more each time, which leads to a certain loss of self-control.

A condition such as:

swagger in behavior;
inability to remember some events;
feeling unwell;
sleep problems.

At the same time, he himself zealously condemns alcoholics, believing that he has this just a hobby, with which he is ready to end at any moment.

This stage is already chronic, in which there is a persistent desire to drink, since alcohol is now the only hobby, and the morning hangover is now becoming a must, which, of course, leads to hard drinking. Here, the need to drink is already manifested at the physiological level, and a sober person is already becoming angry and depressive.

Attention!

The second stage is called late, during which there are disturbances in the work of the body. Degradation in this case already occurs at the physiological level, as brain cells are destroyed. Problems with speech, coordination and thinking are pronounced here.

Already literally at the second stage, the so-called alcoholic character begins to form in a person, which manifests itself as:

lack of critical perception of one's own life;
decreased intelligence;
increased emotionality;
tearfulness;
deceit;
the inability to communicate and adequately behave in society.

Judging by all of the above symptoms of personality change in alcoholism, degradation in a drinking person is noticeable, which is said to be obvious.

In addition, over time, in order to return to his favorite state of intoxication, he begins to use much cheaper alcoholic products that are surrogates, such as colognes, medicinal tinctures, pharmaceutical alcohol and so on. Of course, this further aggravates the condition with failing health.

Alcoholism is a chronic pathology that develops over time and leads to a gradual, inexorable destruction of human health - physical and mental.

Exposure to ethanol and its metabolites (especially acetaldehyde - the strongest toxin) leads to necrosis of brain cells - the death of brain regions.

Mental disorders in alcoholism are a direct consequence of damage to the central nervous system.

At the initial stage of alcoholism, an emotional dependence on alcohol is formed, which forces a person to become more and more deeply involved in a lifestyle that was previously unusual for him. There is a change in his life priorities: soon everything that is not associated with drinking and drunkenness fades into the background.

The alcoholic loses interest in work, family, and favorite occupation, ceases to monitor his appearance. Later, when there is a physical dependence on alcohol, the change in the psyche and thinking becomes even more profound. In fact, all thoughts of the addict become directly or indirectly related to alcohol - the person develops a kind of alcoholic psychology.

In a state of withdrawal symptoms - a condition very characteristic of acute (second) stage alcoholism - the first signs of mental degradation begin to appear in the drinker. Drinkers at the stage of a hangover (withdrawal syndrome) experience:

Anxiety states;
Fear;
Irritability;
Panic;
Aggressiveness;
Suicidal moods;
Apathy.

At the third, chronic stage of alcoholism, the destruction of the psyche reaches its peak. Alcoholics at this stage do not have elementary personal characteristics - will, the ability to make decisions, assess their own behavior. Patients develop traits such as self-centeredness, deceit, and irresponsibility.

Memory is impaired (an alcoholic may not remember the events of his own life), speech functions, attention and self-control are weakened, thinking becomes stereotyped and superficial, the horizon inexorably narrows. In the end, there is a complete and irreversible change in the mental structure, and only a creature with conditioned (alcoholic) reflexes remains of the person's former personality.

Mental disorders in alcoholism are observed to varying degrees in all addicts. The most severe forms of mental and nervous disorders are as follows:

Alcoholic hallucinosis;
Delusional psychosis and paranoid states;
Delirium;
Alcoholic epilepsy;
Encephalopathy.

Real psychoses develop more often in the second and third stages of alcoholism after 5-7 years of regular drinking. The second stage of alcoholism is characterized by acute forms of mental illness, the third - subacute or chronic disorders. Let us consider in more detail the psychoses most characteristic of alcoholism.

Alcoholic hallucinosis is a psychosis with a predominance of verbal (auditory) hallucinations, accompanied by delusions and feelings of anxiety. Auditory hallucinations may begin with vague sounds, shouts or muttering, which then turn into voices that are clearly audible to the patient.

These voices can talk to each other or comment on the patient's actions, censure him, insult or, on the contrary, encourage him. In rare cases, auditory hallucinations are accompanied by visual hallucinations, usually of a threatening and nightmarish nature.

Hallucinosis with alcoholism can be:

Acute (with a predominance of anxious auditory hallucinations), lasting several days, at least several weeks;
Subacute - in this case, verbal hallucinations are accompanied by depressive or delusional disorders (duration - 2-3 months);
Chronic, lasting from six months to several years - the patient constantly hears dialogues or voices commenting on his actions.

Delirium

Delirium (the notorious delirium tremens) is an acute psychosis that develops against the background of alcoholism. Delirium is accompanied by a narrowing of consciousness, the onset of hallucinosis and motor excitement.

The classic form of delirium tremens occurs at the peak of abstinence: the severity of delirium can be aggravated by concomitant somatic diseases (at the second stage of addiction, an alcoholic usually has a whole bunch of such diseases).

Delirium begins with vegetative disorders, restless sleep with severe nightmares, sudden mood swings, vague images that the patient sees in the surrounding objects (pareidolia).

Then there are true hallucinations, in which the patient himself is directly involved. The scenes that arise in the upset psyche can be very different, but they all have a threatening character: the patient can see the ropes strangling him, reptiles, insects, devils, and other fantastic creatures.

Hallucinations are complex in nature - accompanied by visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory sensations. The patient's motor excitement reflects the nature of the developing delirium - a person can fight an invisible enemy, escape from invisible snakes, etc. Hallucinosis with delirium tremens develops mainly in the evening or at night.

Delirium may be short-lived, but more often it lasts about 3-5 days.

Delusional psychoses

A change in the psyche with alcohol dependence can lead to the development of persecution delusions: the alcoholic begins to suspect others of bad intentions and the desire to harm him. The paranoid state can be accompanied by hallucinations and motor excitement: the patient suddenly starts to flee or begins to hide from imaginary enemies.

Another type of psychosis is delirium of jealousy: an alcoholic begins to be unreasonably jealous of his wife and suspects her of treason. The condition is usually accompanied by a loss of erectile function due to alcoholism.

Any mental disorder aggravates the course of alcoholism: their appearance is a clear sign that it is time for the patient to seek medical help and begin immediate treatment.

An alcoholic does not need to look for a reason to drink, but at first he still tries to find excuses for taking alcohol. Anything can be the reason for the "holiday". It may even be the end of the working week, and in neglected cases - the end of the working day.

In the early stages of addiction, a woman gets drunk quickly enough, due to physiological characteristics. In the second stage, alcohol tolerance is developed. Small doses do not bring the desired effect, so she begins to drink more and more alcohol or switches to strong drinks.

Alcohol affects the central nervous system and mental state: cognitive functions deteriorate, intellectual level decreases, moral principles change. Alcohol-dependent women find it easier to have sexual intercourse, often with unfamiliar people.

Behavior can be cheeky, sometimes aggressive. Some alcoholics get annoyed with family members. When drunk, they provoke or aggravate conflicts, show verbal or physical aggression towards children. Adults can also get it, it depends on the character. Some, on the contrary, become whiny, demand indulgence, self-pity.

Causes of alcoholism in men

Many people think about what are the factors in the development of alcoholism. Why it happens to one person, but it never happens to another person. The reasons for the development of alcohol dependence in men have been fairly well studied by researchers and are divided into the following groups:

biological;
psychological;
social.

This group includes the features of the formation of the human body. These can be congenital metabolic disorders (improper metabolism leads to the rapid formation of addiction), a history of mental illness (depression, dissociative disorders), a genetic predisposition (the descendants of alcoholics are more susceptible to alcohol dependence in the future).

It is worth noting here the specific features of the personality itself. These include the emotional background, lability, psychological instability, weak motivation, lack of any life goals, psychoorganic disorders, problems with communication in society.

Social

Forms its own micro- and macroenvironment. Often determined by mentality. One of the features of this is the use of alcoholic beverages on holidays, after a hard day at work, on weekends.

Alcoholism is a disease that manifests itself in a pathological dependence on the use of alcohol or alcoholic beverages. This pathology nowadays responds well to treatment both with medication and with the help of psychotherapy. If you identify symptoms of alcohol dependence in your loved ones, you should consult a specialist.

The alcoholic has his own, very special "flavor", which cannot be confused with any other. But in addition to the olfactory identification signs, the drinker has external characteristics that clearly distinguish him from the crowd. Profibeer explains how to recognize an alcoholic at a glance.

"The face of an alcoholic"

By the reddened and swollen face, you can recognize the drinking character even in cartoons. Redness is caused by high blood pressure and increased heart rate due to the body's fight against toxins. Blood rushes not only in the limbs, but also to the head. Therefore, there is a blush on the face of a drunk person. But in those who abuse alcohol on an ongoing basis, the vessels do not stand up and are damaged, which subsequently becomes the cause of persistent bluish and burgundy bruises. In addition, due to the large amount of toxic substances, oxygen stops flowing to some parts of the body.

That is why a burgundy-bluish face (more often a blue tint takes on a nose) is perhaps the first thing that comes to our mind if we are asked to describe a classic alcoholic. Over time, the hue changes to a yellowish-earthy color, which may indicate the presence of serious problems with liver function.

In addition to the specific color, alcohol gives the face some puffiness. To remove alcohol from the body, a large amount of water is required. It is necessary for carrying out chemical reactions that promote the breakdown of ethanol. The water balance in the body is rather shaky, and as a result of the loss of even a small amount of fluid, dehydration occurs, and the body seeks to compensate for this shortage as quickly as possible.

The drinker is tormented by a strong thirst, which he tries to quench with a huge amount of water, which, in turn, is absorbed for a long time in the poisoned body. And when too much fluid accumulates in the body, it begins to store all the available water, leading to swelling of the face, hands and feet.

Another characteristic feature of the "alcoholic face" is the constant tension of the frontal muscle, while all other muscles of the face are relaxed. As a result, the face sinks and takes on an elongated appearance. The nasolabial fold in the upper part deepens, while its lower part is smoothed out and becomes shallower. The inner corner of the eye has noticeable folds, making the eyes appear more sunken. The nostrils dilate, the lips become thicker and are constantly closed due to the fact that the circular muscle of the mouth relaxes. Because of this, alcoholics tend to have a puffy and silly facial expression.

We recognize by gait

Due to the negative effect of alcohol on the brain cells, the vestibular apparatus of the drinker also suffers, due to which the gait is disturbed. Coordination problems persist even after the person stops drinking.

According to a study by a group of scientists at the Neurobehavioral Research Center in Honolulu under the direction of George Fein, even after a few years ago a person quit alcohol abuse, his physical shape will not be the best. The researchers drew such conclusions after observing 200 volunteers. 70 people quit their addiction within 15 weeks prior to the start of the study, and their tests were the most unsuccessful.

And even the years after giving up alcohol abuse could not completely return a person to normal. Thus, participants in the control group, who had never been alcoholics, performed better in tests for "upright posture" than those who suffered from alcoholism several years ago. Dr. George Fein says that ex-alcoholics are never fully balanced at all. According to him, at best, 80-90% recovery can be expected, but not more.

Watch your hands

Hand tremors can occur not only in an alcoholic, but also in the average person who has allowed himself a little too much. Therefore, it is worth highlighting tremor as a sign of poisoning, and tremor as a sign of alcoholism.

In the first case alcohol poisoning the body just goes hand in hand with. But more often the hands of alcoholics shake for another reason. Ethanol is already familiar to the body, it is no longer possible to stop drinking. Alcohol suppresses the nervous processes in the brain, which provokes intoxication. When alcohol is consumed constantly, the internal organs begin to work differently. Therefore, when an alcoholic stops drinking, it leads to shaking. The nervous system is extremely overexcited. This can lead to very serious consequences - up to and including death.

No matter how funny and ridiculous people with alcohol dependence may seem to us, alcoholism was and remains a serious chronic disease that affects the entire body as a whole, which cannot but affect the person's appearance. And if you want to always look fresh and beautiful, we advise you to approach your drinking.

Alcoholics are a group of people with similar health and similar appearance. Swollen, puffy, faces, large noses. A characteristic gait, tremors in the hands - they make it easy to identify an alcoholic. Outward signs of alcoholism in women appear even faster. All the same, women have a more delicate body, in contrast to the male. Premature aging, loss of shine in the eyes, deterioration of the condition of the skin, hair, nails. Indifference to oneself, loved ones, craving for alcohol. Sound familiar?

How does alcohol affect your appearance?

Alcohol affects the tone of blood vessels, as a result, all this is reflected in the appearance of a person. Of course it's negative.

The complexion takes on a characteristic shade, becoming even more bright red when intoxicated. After a few years, the color changes to yellowish-earthy. The nose of an alcoholic most often enlarges, becomes cyanotic. The face swells, mimic reactions are simplified, smoothed, the eyes do not express anything. The muscles around the mouth also lose their tone, the lower lip begins to sag. The mouth opens slightly, the face looks a little silly.

The most common alcohol-related breakdown is delirium tremens. Most often, it "comes" to a person in the phase of a hangover, when a drunk person suffers from insomnia, fears, terrible visions, trembling hands. He experiences visual and auditory hallucinations in the form of calls, noises, and shadow deceptions. These are all signs of impending delirium tremens. Its symptoms bloom most at night. The patient begins to experience vivid emotions of a frightening orientation. The thought does not leave my head that there are a lot of rats, insects, terrible monsters around that want to bite him. He begins to run away from his pursuers, manifests himself very emotionally.

Scientists have identified a form of epilepsy associated with alcohol abuse. A convulsion overtakes a person during periods without drinking, as well as in a state of a hangover. This is a terrible sight - the face turns pale, loss of consciousness is possible. At such a moment, it is better for someone to be near, because there is a high probability of falling, injuring yourself.

Outward signs of drunkenness also affect the human eye. Due to disruption of work internal organs, the iris becomes cloudy. The voice already at the first stage of the disease becomes coarser, harder. Its emotional coloring is lost. A "drunken voice" appears. Drinking people speak too expressively. They don't notice how they start screaming. The addiction also affects clothes: a careless and sloppy look is a companion of any alcoholic.

How to recognize an alcoholic in a crowd?

Characteristic staggering gait and amber. This is more than enough. And of course a puffy face. By the way, coordination problems can persist even several years after giving up alcohol.

A team of scientists in Honolulu reached this conclusion by observing 200 volunteers. Of these, 70 people quit alcoholism within 15 weeks before the check-up, and their tests showed the worst results.

Even a few years after being tied to alcohol, a person cannot regain their former shape. Participants in the test group who had never consumed alcohol at all performed better on tests than those who had alcoholism a few years ago. The initiator of testing, George Fein, notes that coordination in alcoholics is not fully restored even after 20 years. In the best case, you can expect 80-90% recovery.

Therefore, an alcoholic is easiest to recognize in a crowd by a crooked gait, chaotic and hesitant movements. You can also notice:

Swollen and flabby face.
Absent look.
And of course the smell.

How to identify an alcoholic by external signs?

It must be said that drinking women look much older than their age - this is facilitated by the capillary mesh, bags under the eyes, puffiness and swelling of the face and limbs. A gentle female voice becomes harsh and harsh. In the whole appearance of a woman, there is untidiness, sloppiness, the so-called "homeless" look. Appropriate behavior, appearance, and characteristic voice. External signs of alcoholism are manifested primarily in premature aging.

It is believed that women alcoholics live on average 10% less than non-drinkers. For men, the difference was 15%. It was also found that women suffering from alcoholism for a long time lose the ability to breastfeeding... Experts note that this deficiency occurs in a third of women who regularly consume alcohol.

The condition of the hair is noticeably deteriorating: it becomes dull, dry. The skin becomes more flabby, the face becomes moon-shaped, the nose diffuses, as does the general outline of the face. Bags under the eyes are another telltale sign of alcoholism.

How to identify an alcoholic man by his appearance

In the appearance of men, alcoholism manifests itself in the later stages, external stable signs appear that make it possible to distinguish an alcoholic man from a healthy man.

Trembling hands. This may not be a clearly conspicuous sign, but there will be a slight lack of coordination in any case.
Bad breath and body odor. With the development of the addiction, this symptom will become more and more obvious.
Edema from alcohol (especially typical for those who suffer from beer alcoholism).
Reddened whites of the eyes.
Red spots on the face after alcohol.
Seclusion, aggressiveness, private mood swings.
Reddened hands.

The signs of alcoholism in adolescents are similar to those in adults. The longer a man or guy drinks, the easier it is to understand that he is an alcoholic. The muscles of the face lose their tone, which is restored only after drinking alcohol. Swelling also affects the chin, neck, and cheeks. This is due to the dysfunction of the kidneys. Which are getting worse and worse to remove water from the body.

How to get rid of the external manifestations of alcoholism

Alcoholism is a serious illness that always affects your appearance. External signs remain with a person even years after giving up alcohol. But all this can be fixed. But only with the help of a specialist. No self-medication!

Recovery must be comprehensive. Aimed at all internal organs: kidneys, liver, etc. That is, when you restore the internal microflora as much as possible, your appearance will improve.

The general condition of the human body is always reflected in its appearance and an experienced doctor, by one glance at the face, can diagnose a number of ailments that the patient suffers from. The most noticeable traces are left by excessive drinking. The face of an alcoholic reveals not one or two characteristic signs, but a whole complex of pathological changes, which became all the more obvious the longer the addiction lasted.

What can a person's face tell?

A person's face can tell a lot about his character, habits, lifestyle, social and intellectual level and other individual characteristics. Being a kind of visiting card, an attractive face contributes to success, building a brilliant career and establishing contacts with people, and, conversely, any flaws in appearance significantly complicate life.

Alcohol abuse leaves an indelible mark on faces, significantly changing features and making it impossible to hide this pernicious passion in secret. The face of a drunkard is a very unsightly and repulsive sight, capable of causing only negative associations in others with all the ensuing consequences.

Characteristic features of the face of drunken alcoholics

In medicine, there is the term "face of an alcoholic." This concept is a collective image of the most typical features and characteristic features the appearance of a person who abuses alcohol. First of all, such a face can be recognized by its characteristic puffiness and strongly pronounced pigmentation. Swelling in the wings of the nose and eyelids is usually most noticeable, and the skin on the cheeks becomes pale.

Skin turns bluish, looks withered and dehydrated, and enlarged pores often become inflamed. Violet vascular network, formed due to micro-rupture of capillaries, is also considered an integral sign of alcoholism. Facial features become coarse, and the look loses meaning. A person looks much older than his age, which is primarily characteristic of women who, even having abandoned the bottle, will no longer be able to return their former attractiveness and freshness.

Who would have thought:

Alcohol changes the body's hormones, increasing the amount of male hormones in women and female hormones in men. It is for this reason that the sexual desire of drinkers quickly fades away and even external sex differences are erased, turning them into asexual alcoholics.

Under the influence of alcohol, irreversible changes in the tone of facial muscles occur, which leads to drooping of the cheekbones and lips. The forehead, on the contrary, is constantly in a tense state, which, in combination with half-closed, puffy eyes, is a very repulsive picture. The pores of the skin become noticeably enlarged and often inflamed, leading to rashes and abscesses.

Causes of facial edema in drinking people

One of the main consequences of irrepressible libations is dehydration of the body, which cannot but affect the state of the urinary system in the most deplorable way. The decay products of alcohol are dangerous toxins, for the elimination of which the body uses all internal resources, forcing the liver and kidneys to work in an enhanced mode. Over time, this situation causes a failure in maintaining water balance and contributes to the emergence of a whole bunch of diseases.

It is kidney diseases that make the faces of alcoholics swollen and withered, as well as cause permanent "bags" under the eyes. Poorly filtered blood becomes poor in iron, oxygen and other transported substances and elements, which negatively affects the appearance. The kidneys, being unable to work in extreme mode for a long time, simply fail. As a result, a hypertensive crisis may occur, ending in a stroke, including a fatal one.

Why do alcoholics have a red face?

The liver takes on the first and most severe blow in the breakdown of ethyl alcohol, as a result of which the skin of the face and body acquires an icteric tint over time. Secondly, the cardiovascular system suffers from alcohol. The already fragile walls of blood vessels become thinner and micro-strokes occur, providing the appearance of purple stars on the face and neck, as well as giving them a characteristic crimson color.

And finally, alcohol harms all metabolic processes in the human body. Endocrine disorders, unbalanced nutrition and vitamin deficiency lead to the formation of inflammation and characteristic rashes on the skin of the face. In general, the skin looks unkempt, dry and covered with a network of wrinkles, and the lips lose their natural color, becoming lilac-whitish.

Who would have thought:

Light alcoholic drinks, which are preferred, considering harmless, young girls and young people from 16 to 25 years old cause alcoholism with a probability of 75% if they are consumed at least two to three times a week. This is 4.5 times more than the likelihood of acquiring alcoholism due to the consumption of cognac, whiskey, vodka and other strong drinks with the same frequency. A tribute to fashion and a club lifestyle over the past 5 years has led to the fact that 40% of Russian youth of reproductive age and 30% of adolescents are at one stage or another of the development of alcoholism.

It is worth noting that redness and rashes on the skin by themselves cannot indicate alcoholism, but in combination with other external signs, including neglect, puffiness and asocial behavior, are considered quite a significant diagnostic aspect. As a rule, the more the disease is started, the more obvious the external manifestations of alcoholism become. Not surprisingly, all alcoholics look more or less the same over time.

Faces of alcoholics in the photo, before and after

Very quickly, the addiction to alcohol of famous people from the world of show business and politics, often falling into the lenses of paparazzi cameras, becomes the public domain. All the changes that occur to the face of a person suffering from alcoholism are striking in comparison with the photographs in which such a person was captured before acquiring a bad habit.

The Internet is replete with unattractive photographs of drunken stars and ordinary people, viewing which may well become a powerful incentive to quit alcohol. It is enough to look at the photo of a person before and after alcoholism to be sure of how serious the damage this addiction causes.

Alcohol undoubtedly ruins human lives, destroying their psyche, crippling their health and causing irreparable harm to their appearance. Disfigured by addiction to alcohol, persons can only cause disgust. The faces of alcoholics, coupled with untidiness and an unpleasant smell of fumes, make them outcasts of society, and only by a powerful willful effort, coupled with qualified medical care, such people manage to return to normal life, raising themselves from the very bottom.

Despite the fact that the damage caused by alcohol abuse of appearance is the least of the evils caused by alcoholism, for many, the fear of losing physical attractiveness becomes a weighty argument for leading a healthy lifestyle and quitting the addiction.

How to get rid of it?

The only really working way is to stop drinking. And start to carry on healthy image life. Food, sports, sleep. And then, of course, over time, the face will take its usual shape.

How is it changing?

Everything is very simple. At first, the face just swells. Then the characteristic signs appear for him: puffiness, red nose, bluish skin tone, tearful eyes and much more.

With the regular use of alcohol in people, a persistent dependence is formed, which is not always possible to recognize in time. A person gradually poisons not only the body, but also life, losing control over himself and losing his human appearance. Therefore, it is important for relatives of an alcohol addict to recognize alcoholism in a timely manner in order to have time to prevent its development to intractable stages.

Alcohol addiction belongs to the category of the most severe chronic pathologies, with neglect of which irreversible disorders occur throughout the body and human psyche.

Alcoholism is characterized by the presence of an irrepressible craving for drinking, a noticeable change in the tolerance of alcohol by the body and personality degradation. For addicted people, drunkenness seems to be the best state.

Gradually, the symptomatology of alcohol addiction increases, a person needs more booze, and with an obvious bust, there are no gag reflexes. That is, the body loses its ability to fight intoxication on its own.

The risk group for the development of alcohol dependence includes the presence of such factors:

drinks to relax or relieve stress;
daily intake, albeit a small amount of alcohol;
feeling lonely or tired of life;
if a person likes to be in the company of hard drinking people;
when a person tries to attract attention through drinking;
when drinking alcohol for boredom;
escape from reality;
if a person drinks alcohol more than 5 times a week.

Most drinking people believe that the worries of loved ones are exaggerated and alcohol dependence does not threaten them, because they are completely in control of the situation. But problems usually arise suddenly, and alcoholics do not realize that they have become victims of addiction, attributing the frequent desire to drink to frequent stress, the need to relax and other excuses.

Alcoholism sneaks up unnoticed, although everyone knows that drinking is harmful, they still allow the use of alcohol. The difficulty of alcohol addiction is that it is quite difficult to recognize its development in the early stages of its formation.

Statistics inexorably show that usually alcoholics turn to specialists for help too late, when the disease not only strengthened in psychophysiological terms, but also led to some pathological consequences, often irreversible.

It is impossible to determine that a person is dependent on alcohol by how much booze he drinks, because each organism has its own measure.

But here, too, there are some nuances, because often alcoholics hide their cravings, which complicate the diagnosis of a dangerous addiction. Who, then, is considered an alcoholic?

Symptoms of alcoholism in the early stages are expressed blurred, practically not manifested in any way, which only complicates the recognition of the problem.

Alcoholism is not yet so pronounced; a person has only a craving for strong drinks. Sometimes there may be transitions from episodic to systematic drinking.

Attention!

But such transitions are not clearly pronounced, since for some periods of time a person may not drink alcohol.

At the first stages of the development of addiction, the following are considered alarming signs:

Cravings for alcohol. The novice alcoholic has no desire to get drunk before losing his memory, he just wants to drink, so he looks for a variety of reasons for this. In such a situation, the desire to drink is conscious and cannot be considered as subconscious, but this is the first alarm bell.
Alcohol tolerance. A similar symptom manifests itself in the fact that in order to achieve the desired degree of intoxication, a person needs to consume a larger dose of alcohol.
Loss of gag reflex in cases when too much alcohol is drunk. It's just that the body gradually loses its ability to recognize ethanol as a strong toxin, it simply absorbs it, and quite quickly.
Having a hangover. This condition is accompanied by severe headaches and a deterioration in general health. A person sees salvation in the next portion of intoxicating. Sometimes the hangover is replaced by new drunkenness, then an even more severe hangover occurs, which is also removed by alcohol. As a result, a binge begins, which is characteristic of the later stages of alcohol dependence.

It is possible to recognize alcoholism in men by some of its obvious manifestations and in relation to alcohol.

According to statistics, only 24% of men agree and admit that they suffer from alcoholism. In most cases, men dismiss the problem, claiming that they are in control and know how much they need to drink. It is possible to recognize alcoholism in men by some of its obvious manifestations and in relation to alcohol.

at the first alcoholic stage, the appearance of tolerance to alcoholic man is not noticed, although from the outside it can be noticed that he began to drink much more than usual. Tolerance is accompanied by the emergence of frequent reasons for drinking alcohol such as holidays, stress relief, marking an expensive purchase, etc. If you fail to drink, the man gets upset and may even show aggression. As a result, drinking accompanies a man's life several times a week, or even drunkenly. A severe hangover may be troubling, but it goes away quickly;
at the second stage of addiction, tolerance reaches a vivid expression, and an irrepressible desire to drink is observed in a man for no reason. At this stage, drinking is observed within a day, and binge drinking becomes a frequent occurrence. Drunkenness is perceived comfortably, and sobriety causes noticeable discomfort. If it is not possible to drink, then the man may become depressed, show extreme aggression, and become uncommunicative. Signs of alcohol intoxication appear with a multiple increase in dosage. After cessation of use, withdrawal symptoms develop, manifested by dry mouth, rapid pulse or hyper-perspiration, while the hangover lasts a little longer and harder than before. Then nausea and headaches begin, the man behaves aggressively, does not eat anything, does not sleep well, being in a depressed state;
at the final stage, alcohol tolerance is critically reduced. Drinking is present every day, there is no more control over the amount drunk. There are no protective reactions of the body to alcohol. The physical and mental state is completely disturbed, and the disturbances are so strong that a man is incapacitated when sober.

Alcoholism among the male population occurs twice as often, and there is a tendency towards its rejuvenation every year. There are cases when a similar diagnosis was made to 14-year-old patients.

Unlike male alcoholism, female alcoholism develops much faster, approximately within a 5-year period. Ladies also die from alcohol addiction much more often and much faster.

Recognizing female alcoholism can be somewhat more difficult, because the signs of addiction are noticeably reflected in the appearance, especially on the face.

Any lady is uncomfortable with these changes, such as wrinkles and swelling, so women try to mask the traces of drunkenness with the help of cosmetics.

During feasts, a novice alcoholic talks loudly and a lot, behaves noisily, often offers a drink and taunts non-drinkers. Can persistently offer toasts, and out of place, and sometimes at the wrong time.

Experts call such a manifestation the syndrome of advancing the circle, when a woman wants to drink more, but in order not to feel like a drunkard and not stand out, she provokes the company to do the same.

A woman simply does not control the amount of alcohol consumed, so every meal ends with an unconscious state for her. If you run out of booze, then you can run to the store, if there is no money, then you can borrow.

It is these principles that dominate the behavior of a novice alcoholic.

There is also such a kind of alcoholism as beer. Narcologists distinguish the following symptoms of beer alcohol addiction:

Desire to drink beer regularly and in large quantities.
If it is not possible to empty a bottle of a cold drink, then the mood drops, aggression appears.
The figure changes, the beer belly grows.
If a person refuses beer, then he has hyper-persistence, hands trembling, headache worries, etc.
Men have erectile problems.

Each drinker has his own excuses for drinking: heredity, problems, loneliness. But regardless of the reasons, the outcome of alcoholism is the same - death. Therefore, it is important for loved ones to recognize addiction and it is necessary to put all efforts to persuade the patient to be treated.

Alcohol affects the tone of blood vessels, as a result, all this is reflected in the appearance of a person. Of course it's negative.

Signs of alcoholism in men and women. The first and external signs of alcoholism

It is not always possible to recognize the initial manifestations of the disease, since the drinking woman is carefully disguised, hiding the fact of alcohol abuse. However, there are early signs of the disease at this stage:

manifestation of aggression, irascibility;
deterioration in concentration;
change in appearance(dental problems, early gray hair);
changes in character (unbridled joy, euphoria).

It is surprising why a lady who is in a state alcoholic intoxication seems so disgusting. Maybe the usual canons are to blame? That a woman, first of all, is a mother, an ideal housewife and an example to follow.

Is that why she can't get the hell out of it? The reason lies deep under the skin, and has already been proven more than once by scientists around the world.

Unlike men, girls get used to alcohol much faster. And since female alcoholism, as well as male alcoholism, is incurable, the reasons for its danger are obvious.

However, before proceeding to condemn a drunk lady, it is necessary to understand why and why she starts drinking. As a rule, the reasons are as follows ...

For the representatives of the weak half of humanity, there is nothing worse than loneliness. And when they feel abandoned by everyone, when their heart aches from unrequited love, when everything goes awry in life, the bottle is the best and only friend.

Putting on a dress, lighting a cigarette and taking a glass of wine, the girl feels like the personification of Audrey Hempburn. And with each new glass, she more and more gets used to the role, living a beautiful illusory life.

Stages of alcoholism:

The first stage - the body's sensitivity to alcohol changes (the development of alcohol tolerance). The amount drunk becomes more;
The second stage - the endurance (tolerance) to alcohol significantly increases, a person can take very large doses of alcohol;
The third stage is the drunken stage of alcoholism, alcohol tolerance decreases, alcohol consumption becomes almost daily.

Not many people also know about the peculiarities of female alcoholism. In degraded alcoholics, you can read the diagnosis by looking at the face. Their alcoholism has a third, very last stage, but before it the disease must go through two more stages.

Nowadays, many women drink, the growth of female alcoholism is noted everywhere. Women also have a benign form of the disease. And many quite respectable women do not even know that they have developed alcoholism.

Narcologists do not examine people who drink against their will to find out if a person is an alcoholic or while a drunkard. The doctor can provide assistance only when the patient himself asks him about it. And as we understand, this does not happen often.

There are several stages of alcoholism, thanks to which it is possible to understand that the problem has entered the house with a drunk gait. In order to understand at what stage of "drinking" the girl is, it is necessary to get to know them in more detail.

The stages of alcoholism, and in our case, female, are as follows.

1. An increase in the number of reasons for drinking.

Unfortunately, women, who are so strong and resistant to many blows of fate, become absolutely defenseless before alcohol addiction - they get hooked on alcohol much more easily, drink more quickly and degrade, and treatment for alcoholics is much more difficult than for male alcoholics.

Although, in general, those symptoms of addiction that concern men also apply to the fair sex, there are a number of features of female alcoholism:

Women become alcoholics almost 2 times faster than men.
One of the first signs of alcoholism in women is the changed character and behavior of an alcohol lover - such traits as hysteria, nervousness, selfishness, aggression become very pronounced. In addition, the keeper of the hearth forgets about her main role - she stops looking after the house, husband, children, and the desire to drink comes to the fore.
The weaker sex degrades more quickly mentally.
If we talk about female appearance, ladies usually hide their love for drinks with a degree to the last, taking care of themselves and skillfully masking signs of alcoholism on their face with cosmetics. However, over time, it becomes increasingly difficult to hide such signs of chronic alcoholism, such as:
- Puffy face and bags under the eyes
- Changing the proportions of the figure - thin legs, more massive top,
- Yellowing of the skin
- Staggering and unsteady gait, even when sober,
- A changed voice
- Persistent smell of fumes,
- Outward sloppiness.

Unfortunately, this topic is practically inexhaustible, because as many alcoholics, there are so many nuances of alcohol dependence.

But we really hope that knowing about all the signs of alcohol addiction: both external, written on the face, and behavioral, relatives and friends will be able to detect the addiction in time and immediately respond.

In the late, chronic stages of alcoholism, stable external signs appear, which in no case should be ignored:

Trembling hands.
Bad breath and body odor.
Swollen body (beer alcoholism).
A reddened, dented, or swollen face.
Reddened whites of the eyes.
Reddened hands, especially palms (hepatic palms).
Aggressiveness, isolation.
Attacks of euphoria, accompanied by the smell of alcohol.

Have you noticed signs of alcoholism in women in your environment? Maybe with family members, friends or acquaintances? Or maybe your beloved, girlfriend or daughter suffers from an unbridled passion for alcohol?

Do you find the behavior of a well-known person strange? Don't suppress your doubts! Don't be indifferent. Try to help, thereby you will save him from falling into the abyss!

Alcoholism is a disease or tragedy that mercilessly accepts more and more strong, healthy and efficient representatives of the stronger sex into its ranks, without disregarding adolescents and old people.

The problem affects not only the personal space of the drinker, but becomes the cause of family dramas, goes to the level of a public scale. The fate of the alcoholic is foretold, since the denial of addiction is the first bell that indicates the presence of a problem.

And only the attention and patience of relatives and friends, who were able to recognize the signs of the disease in a man, help the poor fellow to break out of the vicious circle.

Each company has a cheerleader, a merry fellow and a joker who will surely find a non-trivial reason for a feast and come up with an original way to get together for a "glass" of tea.

His face lights up with a smile when a strong drink appears on the table, because he is always ready to give out a new portion of unusual toasts and stories.

And after all, few people understand that the first signs of alcoholism in men are on the face.

If we consider the problem from a medical point of view, then an important role is played by:

Genetic predisposition. Male alcoholism develops symptoms of a chronic nature much more rapidly in the presence of a certain gene in the body, which a person inherits from relatives who are firsthand familiar with alcohol dependence or drug addiction.
Feature of metabolic processes. In men with impaired metabolism, alcoholic beverages quickly lead to intoxication, which becomes the cause of the development of addiction.
Certain diseases in the form of schizophrenia, depression, traumatic brain injury.
Age. Signs in men develop much faster during adolescence.

The psychological prerequisites for the development of alcohol dependence are associated with:

Psycho-emotional instability. The first signs of addiction in men are closely related to the emotional state. Nervous overstrain, which occurs against the background of troubles at work, family troubles, overwork, and other far-fetched and real problems, is often relieved by a dose of alcohol, which later becomes a ritual.
Certain character traits: isolation, shyness, inferiority complexes.
Lack or loss of vital motivation.

Reflect on alcohol addictions and social traditions. Society does not condemn the adoption of alcohol by men during the holidays. For many, the habitual glass of an intoxicating or foamy drink after work or at dinner becomes a ritual.

Why is the traditional use of a festive glass or "combat 100 grams" to relieve fatigue become the first steps up the inclined staircase leading to the chronic stage of alcoholism in men?

With the constant intake of even small doses of alcohol into the body, irreversible physiological processes occur. Against the background of alcohol entering the blood, an active synthesis of dopamine, a hormone responsible for the psycho-emotional state, begins. In fact, the alcoholic experiences pleasure, satisfaction after each libation.

With a lack of this neurotransmitter, a man faces significant discomfort, which can be expressed both by moral and physical factors of alcohol dependence in men. Therefore, a new dose of alcohol is intended to return euphoric sensations or to correct poor health, which depends on the stage of alcoholism in men.

The constant increase in the volume of "coveted nectar" inevitably affects the work of all systems of the body. The nervous system suffers most of all, since under the influence of alcohol there is a complete imbalance of metabolic processes. And already there is no talk of pleasure. At this stage, in men, the factors of the presence of willpower are completely absent. All actions and deeds are subject to alcohol withdrawal.

Of course, the path from acquaintance with alcohol to chronic alcoholism takes more than one year. The stages of the disease in men develop systematically and have characteristic external and behavioral features.

How to recognize an alcoholic in a crowd?

We are all dependent on something - air, water, cigarettes, alcohol or others. There are habits that people cannot live without, but there are also those that cripple us spiritually and physically, often destroy the person himself completely. But you can always say that everyone has their own choice, and some choose to die of poison for themselves.

Nowadays, seeing a wide selection of alcoholic drinks offers, people forget about their effect on the body. It is believed that alcohol helps to get rid of everyday problems, makes you feel more cheerful, it gives courage and self-confidence. But these are all delusional sensations.

Alcohol is a strong and addictive drug, especially if it is used a lot and often. Long-term alcohol consumption causes irreversible consequences: a person degrades as a person, many organs and systems in the body are damaged.

In this article we will try to figure out how to recognize an alcoholic.

Drunkards are those people who have a strong addiction to strong drinks. How to identify an alcoholic and distinguish him from an ordinary drunkard? If a person has shown at least three signs of addiction, it's time to see a doctor. Here are the most basic symptoms:

a person often drinks alcohol;
the person drinks longer than previously planned;
a person needs a constant increase in dose to achieve a state of complete intoxication.

The general symptoms of alcoholism are expressed as follows:

a man tries to reduce alcohol consumption to a minimum, but he fails;
a person is able to spend a lot of time looking for an intoxicated one;
a person drinks, despite the fact that his drunkenness has led to big problems at work and on the personal front;
A person is not able to move away from a hangover if he does not drink.

Absolutely any addiction has its own signs and reasons for the formation. People who drink alcohol are unable to admit their illness and cope with it on their own.

It always seems to an alcoholic that he is in control of the problem and can stop at any moment.

In this article, we will tell you how to identify a drinking person, as well as analyze the main signs of alcohol dependence and how to recognize an alcoholic?

How to understand whether you are an alcoholic or not? There are three main signs that help recognize addiction:

The photo shows a diagram of the effect of alcohol on the human body.

How to define alcoholism by external signs? There is one important difference between a dependent and an independent person. After a stormy feast, a person will always try to bring himself into a normal and tidy look, and having felt a strong hangover, he will not be able to drink alcohol for a long time.

For alcoholics, everything happens differently, after drinking they will always want to drink more, and their appearance will be of little interest to them.

It is worth noting that alcohol destroys a person from the inside, disrupts his processes, reduces the functionality of all organs, and over time, everyone can already understand what a person is drinking.

The use of any dose of intoxicant negatively affects the mental state of a person, and if the drinker does not stop, then almost always ends up fatal. Addicted people often lead immoral lifestyles, drink in uncontrolled doses, lead erratic sex life.

With this lifestyle, there is a high probability of getting pregnant. Narcologists say: “I don’t feel so sorry for adults, they choose their alcoholic path independently and consciously, but with babies, everything is much more complicated.

Most often, addicts give birth to children with disabilities, in such a situation you cannot fix something. ” Physical deviations of children of alcoholics are manifested:

in the disproportion of the head, which indicates the presence of dropsy;
poor physical and mental development;
children are withdrawn and downtrodden.

Stages of alcoholism

Narcologists distinguish between several stages of alcohol dependence. So how do you know that you are an alcoholic?

Pre-alcoholism is the initial stage at which the addiction is less pronounced. During the period of drinking intoxicating drinks, a person experiences an emotional uplift, a good mood, alcohol contributes to liberation and a pleasant pastime;
Zero stage - at this stage, the volume of drinking increases, the brain lacks oxygen. At this stage, narcologists note the lack of control over the dose.

The first stage - the identification of this stage is manifested in an increase in the amount of alcohol consumed. The addicted person begins to constantly look for reasons and excuses for drinking. The period of abstinence from drinking alcoholic beverages ends with aggression and hysteria, thus, the first stage smoothly passes into the second;
The second stage - at this stage of the disease, control over the dose of alcohol is completely lost, the person begins to drink, and may even go into binge drinking. A hangover, as a rule, is relieved by another dose of alcohol, as a result of which severe intoxication occurs and pathologies appear in the cardiovascular system and in the gastrointestinal tract. This stage is accompanied by the onset of problems in the family, in the financial sphere, a person loses his face and authority, alcohol completely replaces all the benefits and becomes the meaning of his life;

The third stage or chronic alcoholism - occurs after 15 years of continuous alcohol consumption. At this stage, the drinker's personality is completely destroyed, the psyche is disturbed and the person becomes uncontrollable. Drinking alcohol starts in the morning and lasts all day, while the dose is significantly increased (200 milliliters). The alcoholic has memory lapses, a sluggish state, and during the period of sobering up, he urgently needs to take another dose. As a rule, a chronic alcoholic is difficult to stop and understand, this stage requires medical attention.

It is quite easy to identify a drinking person, the main signs of alcohol intake are difficult to hide.

Depending on the condition of the drinker, try to convince him and give the necessary arguments that will help him to stop drinking alcohol.

If you do not understand the causes of addiction, we advise you to seek help from narcologists. Remember, the early stages of alcohol addiction are much easier to correct than to treat a chronic alcoholic.

Characteristic staggering gait and amber. This is more than enough. And of course a puffy face. By the way, coordination problems can persist even several years after giving up alcohol.

Therefore, an alcoholic is easiest to recognize in a crowd by a crooked gait, chaotic and hesitant movements. You can also notice:

Swollen and flabby face.
Absent look.
And of course the smell.

In the appearance of men, alcoholism manifests itself in the later stages, external stable signs appear that make it possible to distinguish an alcoholic man from a healthy man.

Trembling hands. This may not be a clearly conspicuous sign, but there will be a slight lack of coordination in any case.
Bad breath and body odor. With the development of the addiction, this symptom will become more and more obvious.
Edema from alcohol (especially typical for those who suffer from beer alcoholism).
Reddened whites of the eyes.
Red spots on the face after alcohol.
Seclusion, aggressiveness, private mood swings.
Reddened hands.

Science is not aware of cases when a person suddenly became an alcoholic. The disease develops gradually, taking away the vitality of the drinking person.

After a year of regular drinking, the neurons of the brain irrevocably die off. That is why alcoholics are distinguished by "short" memory and incoherent speech, even during periods of sobriety.

It is a rare alcoholic who recognizes addiction, so it is important to learn how to identify the disease by its external signs.

Alcohol addiction has 3 stages of development. Due to the individual characteristics of the organism, changes in appearance and behavior may differ slightly. It has been proven: in men of a dense physique without health problems, alcoholism progresses more slowly. Women and adolescents are able to reach the third stage of alcohol dependence within 2 years.

Stage of euphoria

This is the initial stage of addiction, which lasts from 1 to 5 years. The person views alcohol as a pleasant addition to dinner or as a stress reliever. Psychological dependence is formed.

After a portion of booze, a pleasant warmth spreads through the body, and thoughts seem to clear up. The person ceases to feel tired and is in a state of mild euphoria. However, this does not last long. After a while, the body develops immunity to small doses of alcohol.

Main signs and symptoms

Signs of a female

become apparent about

systematic use of alcoholic beverages. The reason for the accelerated development of the disease lies in the physiological characteristics of the female body:

low alcohol tolerance;
a small amount of enzymes responsible for the breakdown of ethanol;
little liquid to help dissolve alcohol.

Symptoms of female alcoholism:

Consuming alcohol regularly. The intervals between doses are reduced, the patient switches to daily libation.
Reducing the requirements for alcoholic beverages. Over time, taste subtleties cease to excite, the main condition is the content of ethanol in the composition.
Change in mood. Depressed when there is no way to drink, excited and joyful in anticipation of a new dose.
Drinking alcohol alone. The reason and the presence of the company no longer matter.
Willingness to spend the last money on a drink. A woman can part with her last funds, even if they were put off for an important family purchase.

External

First of all, alcoholism is reflected on the woman's face. It looks depressing and is an indicator of addiction, making others see the problem. Typical signs are a decrease in muscle tone, flabbiness and bluish tint of the skin, swelling all over the face, unhealthy blush, yellow eyes, the appearance of "stars" - bursting capillaries.

Drinking woman ceases to take care of herself, appearance no longer plays a huge role in her life. May appear in a public place wearing dirty clothes. The hair is greasy, the face is masked with a thick layer of powder, blush.

Common signs:

painful thinness;
staggering gait;
bright sloppy makeup;
non-observance of personal hygiene;
blackening of the teeth;
enlargement of facial features;
untidy clothes.

With beer alcoholism, additional external signs will be a large belly, a change in hormonal levels, the appearance of unwanted hair on the chest, abdomen, above the lip.

Behavior

Any event is a reason to drink. Awareness of this fact causes an agitated state, joy, revival. A woman in a hurry completes all the work, becomes inattentive, absent-minded, thinks about the upcoming feast.

With the development of the disease, behavior becomes inadequate, swagger and rudeness appear. Against the background of regular drunkenness, social and psychological degradation develops.

Loved ones become strangers, unnecessary, interfere with life. A drinking woman stops taking care of her family, puts her children at risk for their lives.

At this stage, the patient cannot critically assess herself, determine her future life.

In the generally accepted sense of the word "alcoholic" is an asocial personality, the highest priority of which is to achieve a state of alcoholic intoxication, to which a career, family values, personal time and resources are sacrificed.

The state of binge, sometimes accompanied by attacks of delirium tremens, becomes an integral part of life.

With alcoholism, a person drinks until they turn off consciousness, experiences withdrawal symptoms when abstaining from taking alcohol and does not pay attention to individual contraindications (such are ulcers, heart diseases).

Scientists at the Institute of Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences have come to the conclusion that the main reasons are social factors.

Attention!

The environment, the culture of wine consumption in a particular society, the general socio-psychological background have a decisive effect on the formation of addiction to alcohol.

In societies where alcohol consumption is prohibited, alcoholism is unlikely to spread, and, on the contrary, where alcohol fits into the value system, there is a problem of alcohol dependence.

Dissatisfaction with life, an attempt to snatch at least a surrogate feeling of happiness from life leads a person to the wine department, where one can buy strong alcohol for affordable money. This is how the path to addiction begins. The psychology of an alcoholic is due to the following reasons:

Lack of opportunity for dialogue with a loved one who can be trusted.
Lack of opportunities in society to build a career for talented people who, not finding opportunities to realize themselves, are looking for oblivion in wine.
The presence of psychological complexes that help to remove alcohol (the psyche of an alcoholic is characterized by stiffness, fear, suspiciousness).
Psychological dependence on the surrounding community, for which alcohol is the unconditional norm.

Revealed the regularity of personality degradation by alcohol type. Such people, especially at the last stage, are similar, they have the following features of a psychological portrait:

Denial of the disease: admitting the fact of a painful addiction means responsibility for the destruction of one's life and relatives.
Egocentrism of an avid alcoholic in relation to others: taking into account the interests of others is a challenge.
Inconsistency of thinking: today the drunkard is ready to support one decision (for example, to quit drinking), and tomorrow, under the influence of the slightest circumstances, the decision is reversed.
Indifference and lack of initiative: since the life of an unfortunate person is fixated on a passion for wine, other motivations fade into the background.

The man

The psychology of alcoholism in men consists in the features caused by a number of system-forming factors of self-esteem and self-awareness of a person in society:

Work full of stress and overload, leading to a decrease emotional state and burnout. Alcohol acts as an antidepressant for depression.
Difficult living conditions under which a man cannot correspond to the social role of protector and support of the family.
If the first sexual success with a woman was associated with alcoholic intoxication, then the man has a corresponding inadequate model of the psychology of the behavior of an alcoholic.
Psychological trauma, especially associated with a challenge to male pride (cheating or underestimation at work).
Alcoholics' wives often tried to dominate family relationships, creating a stressful environment for the man.

A woman

Psychologists say that the main reason for female alcoholism is the feeling of loneliness and unsettled personal life.

Statistics show that women who are divorced, who have experienced a great personal loss (death of a child, parents), and a fiasco in their professional activities are susceptible to alcoholism.

These factors create a feeling of hopelessness in a woman, provoke emotional instability, which aggravates alienation from the world. Often her husband introduces a woman to alcoholism.

In children

The psychosomatics of alcoholism in children lies in the danger that the child, when he becomes involved with wine, has a poor idea of a decent lifestyle. A teenager often thinks that drinking alcohol is evidence of maturity, a positive life status.

This psychological background perpetuates the drinking habit.

Today in Russia there are youth subcultures that completely exclude the use of alcohol-containing liquids, and this proves that the social environment is the main factor of child alcoholism, the psychology of an alcoholic depends on it.

Alcoholics earn money to buy a bottle, so they are irresponsible. They do not need approval, they do not feel ashamed that they have lost the ability to criticize themselves.

The novice drinker is often an idealist and requires life to achieve unrealizable goals. Over time, dreams are shattered and a habit of reduced willpower is developed.

An inveterate drunkard no longer overcomes difficulties due to the weakening of volitional qualities, he drowns difficulties in wine.

Sometimes young people make mistakes that adults forgive them, realizing that they are dealing with a psycho-emotional immature person. Persons suffering from chronic alcohol addiction degrade to this state and constantly make mistakes, being unable to appreciate their fall. Self-esteem returns to the alcoholic not by work on himself, but by a bottle of vodka.

Aggressiveness

Sober people adequately assess the framework of generally accepted norms of behavior. Alcohol intoxication blurs this framework and provokes the manifestation of pathological mental deviations of the personality, aggressiveness. If a sober person controls the development of anger, then the alcoholic goes to the end when sorting out the relationship, which sometimes ends fatally for one of the parties.

Ethanol destroys the personality, changes the psychology of an alcoholic, and even being sober, for example, while searching for a drink, an alcoholic is capable of aggressive behavior towards a person who criticizes the drunkard's lifestyle or stands in the way of the coveted bottle. The statistics of criminal offenses against the person is off the charts. People rush to family members, grab a knife at meetings with drinking companions.

Family behavior

The phrase "husband is an alcoholic - grief in the family" sounds ironic, but it is absolutely true. Only during periods of sobriety does an alcohol addict begin to feel guilty, and then the family experiences a real "honeymoon".

Unfortunately, over time, the alcoholic darkness absorbs the personality without a trace, and the family inevitably collapses. The drinker begins to achieve his goal not by dialogue, but by assault.

The lack of money for wine is compensated by the sale of family property.

Attitude towards people

In order to understand the attitude of an alcohol addict towards people, it is necessary to understand that the alcoholic depends only on the bottle, and his relatives depend on the alcoholic himself.

That is, close people become codependent on the vice of a person dear to them. These are, for example, the wives of alcoholics. For the patient, humanity is divided into drinking companions and those "who cannot understand."

The feeling of empathy for people is lost.

Since the addict develops a thinking focused on the extraction of alcohol, his normal human attitude towards others changes to a consumer one. A sensitive ability to manipulate is developed, which helps to reduce criticism and get to the wine. Often, to justify their behavior, drinkers join the prison subculture, which professes a life for their own pleasure.

Any experienced narcologist will confidently complement the psychological portrait of a drinker with the touches inherent in all their unfortunate patients with shaking hands and an unhealthy complexion:

pathological deceit;
inability to concentrate on one thing;
thoughts of suicide;
frequent mood swings;
manifestations of immorality and cynicism are not uncommon.

How to identify an alcoholic by external signs?

Alcoholism is a serious illness that always affects your appearance. External signs remain with a person even years after giving up alcohol. But all this can be fixed. But only with the help of a specialist. No self-medication!

Recovery must be comprehensive. Aimed at all internal organs: kidneys, liver, etc. That is, when you restore the internal microflora as much as possible, your appearance will improve.

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How to learn to take responsibility

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Obesity classification by BMI (WHO)

Chapter 3. The covenant of a man with a woman

Attention!

Axes and planes of the human body - The human body consists of certain topographic parts and areas in which organs, muscles, vessels, nerves, etc. are located.

Cutting the walls and cutting the jambs - When the house lacks windows and doors, a beautiful high porch is still only in the imagination, you have to climb from the street to the house along the ladder.

Second Order Differential Equations (Forecasted Price Market Model) - In simple market models, supply and demand are usually assumed to depend only on the current price of the product.

Ticket 10 The main signs and symptoms of alcoholism.

Alcoholism, like any other disease, has a number of symptoms, signs by which one can judge whether a person is susceptible to addiction or not.

So, if an alcoholic is not given a drink, then his body begins to starve, the person physically feels the need for alcohol - this is the main sign of alcohol dependence. There are a number of obvious symptoms that make a drinking person different from those around them.

And the stronger the alcohol dependence, the more pronounced its symptoms. This is especially noticeable when a patient with alcoholism has passed into the second or third stage of addiction.

First of all, the signs of alcohol dependence are usually distinguished based on the stages of the disease:

In the first stage of alcoholism, the symptoms are subtle and can be easily treated. If there is no alcohol in the house, the person is not particularly worried. The first signs of alcoholism are psychological in nature and are expressed in the desire to drink with friends on the weekends, relax or drink alone at home.

At this stage, a person can easily give up drinking, replacing the process of drinking with other activities, for example, sports. Alcohol dependence is not so high and disappears quickly. If you continue to drink regularly, alcoholism can develop into the second stage.

It is especially important to notice the first symptoms of alcohol dependence in a teenager or child, since they are more susceptible to the influence of alcohol.

· In the second stage, the signs of alcoholism are more pronounced, they can be easily noticed. The main symptom of this stage is the constant desire to consume alcohol. Psychological dependence becomes more vivid, a person is visited by obsessive thoughts about alcohol. He is looking forward to the moment when he can drink.

Resistance to alcoholic beverages is gradually increasing, and there is no longer enough to meet the needs of the former. The person does not notice how he gradually begins to drink too much. He does not perceive drinking as something dangerous and bad. The frequency of drinking can be several times a week or daily.

Over time, a person passes into the most severe, third stage of chronic alcoholism.

· Symptoms of alcoholism of the 3rd degree become visible immediately, the most striking is the withdrawal syndrome in the patient. When a person stops taking alcohol, his hands begin to shake, his whole body trembles until he drinks again.

Drunken alcoholism is expressed in such characteristic symptoms as: the constant use of alcoholic beverages several times a day, depression, psychosis, damage to many body systems.

Psychological dependence develops into a physical one - a person cannot live without alcohol for a day. There is a breakdown of the body, similar to drug addiction.

The symptoms of chronic alcoholism include high resistance to alcohol: the patient drinks a dose that is several times higher than the norm. The patient changes outwardly, gets old very much. Damage to nerve tissues, liver, heart and kidney cells begins.

External signs of alcoholism

The development of alcohol dependence can be easily determined by the external signs and behavior of a person:

· In chronic alcoholism, the following signs are observed: constant binges, an increase in the consumed dose of alcohol.

· Closure and depression prior to drinking. After him, a sharp change in mood, an improvement in his condition.

· Resistance to large doses of alcoholic beverages, manifestation of vomiting with food, but not alcohol.

· Increased tolerance to alcohol, a gradual increase in the volume of alcohol consumed.

· Manifestation of withdrawal symptoms or hangovers.

· Pronounced signs of alcoholism on the face and body: wrinkles and dry skin, enlarged veins in the arms and legs, burst capillaries in the eye, swelling and bruising under the eyes, trembling hands, yellow face. In women, the external signs of alcoholism include a careless look, wrinkles, voice changes, puffiness of the face.

Dizziness, migraines and impaired coordination are external manifestations of alcohol poisoning.

The diagnosis of "alcoholism" in Russia is determined by the presence of the following symptoms and signs in the patient:

Alcoholism is a serious illness that negatively affects all internal organs, and also affects a person's appearance.

First of all, the following signs of alcoholism appear on the face:

Flabbiness of the skin;
Loss of muscle tone;
Yellow eyeballs;
Blueness of the skin;
Swelling of the face and limbs;
"Stars" on the cheeks, nose.

After 2-4 years of regular use of alcoholic products, physical, anatomical changes in an unfavorable direction begin to occur in the body.

It will not be difficult to recognize an alcoholic by external signs. There is a special table of the stages of addiction, it indicates the symptoms of the development of pathology at each stage. Signs of alcoholism on the face in women appear earlier than in men.

The longer the abuse of alcoholic beverages continues, the stronger they are and the greater their dose, the easier it is to recognize the drinking girl. Her appearance betrays her.

As a result, it is very difficult for her to get a job, make a new acquaintance and even communicate with old acquaintances.

A woman ceases to monitor the condition of her clothes and hairstyles. Her figure, voice, gait are changing.

Hair and nails become brittle. The skin loses its elasticity and becomes unhealthy.

One of the first signs of alcohol addiction is untidiness in clothes and hair. No self-respecting girl will allow herself to appear in public in this form. It is beneath her dignity.

A drinking woman may appear in public in dirty, torn clothes. There is a feeling that she is dressed in a hurry. Her shoes are unkempt. It may even be worn out of season. For example, summer sneakers at the end of November and the like.

A greasy, disheveled hairstyle also betrays addiction. Roots that have not been stained for a long time are often observed. In addition, hair with alcohol dependence becomes lifeless and falls out.

External signs of chronic alcoholism in women are manifested in the form of deterioration in the condition of the hair and skin. This occurs as a result of an imbalance in the water balance in the body. To eliminate toxic substances from the body, the kidneys take all the water from other organs. As a result, pathological changes occur.

The outer layer of the skin dries up, it loses its elasticity, flakes off, a healthy shade goes away. Early deep wrinkles and laxity appear.
Hair, from lack nutrients become dull and brittle. Split ends appear. The appearance of gray hair, bald patches will not keep you waiting long.

Another symptom of alcohol dependence in women is a decrease in the tone of the voice. There is a hoarseness characteristic of pathology. Often a woman's voice can be confused with a man. This is due to the fact that with the abuse of alcoholic beverages, male hormones begin to prevail in the female body.

The woman's figure becomes angular. The gait becomes clumsy. Such pathological changes are associated with dystrophic changes in muscle tissue. They are due to a lack of nutrients in the body. Muscles lose their tone, become flabby. At an advanced stage of alcoholism, a woman involuntarily begins to slouch, her shoulders drop down, her head and neck protrude forward.

The figure loses its female lines. The waist disappears, the belly appears. Outwardly, a strong thinning of the lower extremities becomes noticeable. "Staggering" gait is observed not only in a state of alcoholic intoxication, but also in a sober state. To eliminate the external signs of alcoholism in girls and women, they need to quit drinking.

Signs of alcoholism in women and men in behavior are very similar. Regardless of gender, the circle of hobbies is narrowed. All that the patients are interested in is only booze. The woman is looking for the slightest excuse to drink. Whether it's a happy event or a sad one. Regardless of the situation, as soon as a woman realizes that she will be able to drink, it causes her a storm of delight.

Signs and stages of alcoholism in women

The dull sight on the streets is not pleasing to the eye - drunk females, sometimes sleeping on benches in the park.

Where are the roots of female alcoholism? It is common for people to drink alcoholic beverages at a festive feast in good company, but after that not everyone becomes alcoholics. Relatives do not always notice the first signs of alcoholism in women.

And when they become obvious, sometimes it's too late. When is the turning point between normal life and female alcoholism?

The path from a young, healthy, beautiful woman to a patient of a narcologist goes differently, in everyone's life there are factors that prompted such behavior.

Here one cannot exclude the role of heredity, biological predisposition to alcoholism. If spouses regularly and regularly drink during the period before conceiving a child, then the children born to them will also have a tendency to drink alcohol, they are 2-4 times more likely to get sick than other children.

In childhood and adolescence, young people develop an interest in the use of energy, low-alcohol, including beer drinks, the body gets used to drinking alcohol in small doses, which in the near future threatens with serious consequences.

Attention!

Stress, loneliness, uselessness, death of a loved one provoke alcohol abuse. Trouble at work or dismissal cause moral trauma, and a person is overcome by apathy, a sense of hopelessness. Having flooded grief with vodka, women try to get away from problems, not eliminate them, and find relief from their mental pain in a bottle.

The social circle plays an important role in the emergence of an addiction to alcohol. When a family or immediate environment loves to drink, it is possible that a woman or girl will follow the same path.

Alcoholism is a disease resulting from the consumption of alcoholic beverages in large quantities, which causes irreparable harm to physical health, psyche, affects the life, family and social activities of a person. Not a single alcoholic became one on purpose and purposefully. The disease sneaks up on the stairs. There are some first signs of alcoholism in women, suggesting that alcohol dependence is already present.

Alcohol activates the body's production of hormones endorphins ("hormones of happiness"), a person's mood rises, a feeling of satisfaction and even euphoria awakens. The word "alcohol" in translation from Arabic means "intoxicating liquid".

With this behavior, loved ones should be on their guard, this is the first harbinger of trouble, and you already need to go to a narcologist and pass a special test.

At the beginning of the disease, one glass of wine may be enough to raise the mood, but soon the body gets used to such a dose and stops responding to it. The amount of alcohol is increasing, the need for it is growing, a sick woman can no longer stop in time, and it is possible that she has to switch to something stronger than wine.

Having entered the body in huge doses, alcohol can lead to death or severe poisoning. In a healthy person, when taking an excessive amount of alcohol, a protective reaction of the body occurs in the form of vomiting.

If the gag reflex disappears with an overdose of alcohol, this means that alcoholism, as a disease, is progressing. Large doses of alcohol are not recognized by the body as a poison.

The biological mechanism that saves from poisoning is broken.

Immunity, or addiction to alcohol, develops gradually. If at an early stage of the disease 250 g of wine is enough to achieve the desired degree of intoxication, then at the 1st stage 750-1000 g is already needed for the same effect.

A woman from episodic drunkenness goes to regular and daily. Or it is excessive alcohol consumption to unconsciousness for several days in a row with short breaks for a hangover. Addiction syndrome arises, the craving for alcohol surpasses common sense. The disease becomes severe. In the absence of alcohol, withdrawal begins.

Chronic alcoholism leads to gradual and irreversible damage to the human nervous system.

The hemispheres of the brain are affected - hallucinations and other disturbances of consciousness appear. These symptoms indicate a diagnosis such as alcoholic encephalopathy. In some cases, cerebral edema is observed.

Cerebellar syndrome manifests itself in impaired coordination of movements, other vestibular disorders.

For many alcoholics, convulsive syndrome is characteristic - frequent seizures, sometimes with memory loss. There are cramps of the limbs (hypertonicity), folding into the embryo position, heart pain, loss of sensation in the legs.

The substances present in alcoholic beverages directly affect the heart. Heart pathologies are present in 50% of alcoholics, 15% die from cardiovascular diseases.

Most alcohol dependent people suffer from alcoholic hypertension (a significant increase in blood pressure) and alcoholic cardiomyopathy (myocardial dystrophy).

Liver diseases are observed in patients with alcoholism in the form of an increase in the size of the liver (fatty degeneration, hepatitis, cirrhosis).

These are the main diseases of people with alcohol dependence. But practically the entire organism, all systems and organs weaken and are affected to one degree or another, and sooner or later a disease of any organ manifests itself.

The mental consequences of alcoholism are:

Alcoholic amnesia. Some fragments of what happened during the intoxication fall out of my memory.
Personality disorders. A person changes as a person - intellect and creativity decrease. Attention, clarity of thinking deteriorates, memory, desire to create disappears, a state of depression sets in. A woman becomes rude, soulless, nervous, indifferent to others. With the further development of the disease, the severity of the personality disorder becomes even stronger - there are bouts of anger, excessive aggression and violence, hysteria.
Degradation of personality. Changes in personality gradually turn into complete degradation, where there is no longer a personality. Dementia occurs.
Alcoholic psychoses- delirium (delirium tremens), acute delusional states, hallucinations.

Alcoholism is a psycho-narcological disease characterized by dependence on alcoholic beverages. Abusing, a person poisons the body with ethyl alcohol, the decay products of which, in particular acetaldehyde, affect all vital systems.

The fairer sex becomes addicted much faster than men. There are three stages of alcoholism in women.

You don't become alcoholics overnight. The need for regular drinking begins gradually. The impetus for this can be a strong shock, communication with alcohol addicted people, a difficult life situation, depression and other mental disorders. Each woman has her own motivation.

There is an opinion that it is impossible to cure female drunkenness. But there is still a way out of the situation, the main thing is that there is someone to rely on. Society condemns addiction in women much more than in men.

This is the reason that ladies try not to show it in public. They are ready to hide the problem even from their relatives. As a result, the truth comes to light only when the signs of regular alcohol intoxication are reflected in the woman's appearance and behavior.

Unfortunately, at that time, the treatment of alcoholism was complicated by strong dependence and concomitant diseases. Often the patient does not recognize herself as such, which significantly reduces the likelihood of a positive result.

Women are much more resilient than men. They also tolerate pain better and tolerate various diseases more easily. But, unfortunately, the influence of alcohol for the fair half of humanity is more catastrophic.

So little time passes from the onset of the disease to the acute stage (withdrawal syndrome) that the woman and those close to her, acquaintances do not understand when the situation was released from control. The woman has time to finally get drunk by this time.

There are 3 stages of the disease:

First. Denial of the dependent state, the transition to the systematic use of alcohol. Formation of mental dependence, state of intoxication after a small dose of alcohol, loss of the gag reflex.
Second. Increased cravings for alcohol hangover syndrome, changes in the body (destruction of internal organs) and appearance (earlier aging). The stage is accompanied by amnesia, insomnia.
Third. Complication of concomitant diseases, destruction of internal organs, the main filter, the liver, suffers the most, cirrhosis develops. There is a complete loss of self-control, degradation, dementia, amnesia, prolonged drinking, leading to delirium tremens. Therapy at this stage rarely gives results due to the patient's lack of desire to be treated. The mortality rate is high.

Female alcoholism always leads to dire consequences.

Families are being destroyed, divorces are taking place, since the ever-drunk keeper of the hearth cannot take care of the family, or solve the usual everyday issues.

The body is changing rapidly, the general condition is deteriorating. Ethanol has a strong effect on the patient, which is often fatal. In addition, reaction decreases, intellectual abilities, mental illness develops. Frequent companions of abundant libations - hallucinations, "delirium tremens".

Many consequences pose a threat to life, therefore, when the first visible signs of an alcoholic appear, they should be treated immediately.

Treatment

The addict must herself desire recovery, otherwise any method of treatment will be meaningless.

As a rule, therapy is carried out in several stages:

Help of psychologists, psychotherapists. Determination of the treatment program. Sessions of individual and group therapy using visual material (photos and videos).
Cleansing the body with medication.
Drug therapy for the formation of aversion to alcohol.
Prescribing drugs to block brain receptors (drug coding).
Encoding with hypnosis and psychotherapy.
Rehabilitation therapy of organs affected by alcohol.

Therapeutic measures are selected individually based on the patient's condition, characteristics of the course and stage of development of the disease. Subject to all the recommendations, the patient's persistent desire to get rid of the addiction, a positive result is possible.

In addition, during the treatment, folk remedies are used: decoctions of herbs (thyme, bearberry), pumpkin seeds.

A woman has a chance to get rid of the addiction if she:

is in a warm atmosphere with family;
receives support from loved ones;
bypasses stressful situations;
receives the necessary treatment and assistance.

A persistent desire to get rid of addiction and return to a healthy life is an important first step towards recovery.