Alcoholism is a serious illness that can irreversibly destroy a person inside and out. According to research, male alcoholism is much more common than female alcoholism (according to statistics, 2 times more often). There are many reasons for this, including moral and ethical ones, which allow men to be more relaxed about alcohol, forming the body’s dependence.
Facing the first insignificant signs of an incipient illness – mood swings, periodic deterioration in health, men do not pay attention to them, considering it completely natural to consume alcohol in large doses. Meanwhile, the gradually developing craving for alcohol is already making itself felt with more serious signals, and unsuspecting “merry fellows” who are considered the soul of the company are on the verge of a deadly addiction.
The whole tragedy of the situation lies in the inability of a man to adequately assess the severity of the disease in full. Traditionally, a man with a glass in his hands is associated with a healthy, strong and strong-willed person, in contrast to a woman who drinks, causing hostility and condemnation.
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 the 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 condition.
Causes of male alcoholism
Scientists have combined the reasons why men start drinking alcohol into 4 main groups:
Physical. When drinking alcohol, the male brain releases twice as much dopamine, the hormone of joy and pleasure, than the female brain. Men very quickly establish a causal relationship – strong drinks, good mood. But with regular use, the level of dopamine gradually decreases, and tolerance to ethanol develops. The dose to achieve the desired effect becomes more and more. There is a risk of developing addiction.
Psychological. The strong half is not inclined to make their emotions public. All experiences, fears, problems and complexes that have accumulated inside them create a strong psychological stress. For the stronger sex, the fastest and most affordable way to relieve this tension is alcohol.
Social. The effect of imitation. Alcoholic drinks have already become a part of our mentality, they accompany people of different ages and social status “in joy and in sorrow.” In a men’s company, it is not customary to refuse alcohol, the fear of being different from others, being rejected or being subjected to general ridicule stops you from refusing to drink the next glass of alcohol. Popularization of alcohol in films, music videos and TV shows only helps to strengthen this phenomenon.
Genetic. Children with one or both parents suffering from alcoholism are several times more at risk of developing this addiction. A hereditary failure in the work of one or a group of genes can lead to the rapid development of alcohol dependence, even on a seemingly harmless dose of alcohol.
Lack of education, hard physical labor and low income also push men to look at the bottom of the glass more and more often.
Signs and symptoms of male alcoholism
In addition to craving for alcohol and lack of control over their actions, a man suffering from alcoholism is given outward signs:
- laxity of the skin resulting from a violation of collagen synthesis;
- redness of the face (nose, forehead, cheeks) due to the appearance of capillary stars;
- edema and swelling, bruises under the eyes – caused by a violation of water-salt metabolism and the removal of water from the body;
- blue lip tint;
- a change in voice to a coarser one, which is associated with the processes occurring in the ligaments;
- yellowish skin tone (caused by liver dysfunction);
- neurological disorders.
The consequences of male alcoholism
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.
Physiological consequences
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 due to 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, a violation of innervation. As a result, arterial hypertension develops.
Liver pathology. The liver is the main processing factory in our body. During a massive alcohol attack, its cells are damaged and 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. Associated with the direct effect of alcohol on the walls of blood vessels, which in the future is the main cause of formidable pathologies, for example, myocardial infarction.
Psychological consequences
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.
Stages of alcoholism in men
There are three stages of alcoholism in men.
First stage. The initial stage of male alcoholism is characterized by a refusal to understand that alcohol has become one of the components of life. A man finds any reason to drink, explaining his behavior by nervous strain and fatigue. Each time there are more reasons to drink. As a result, drinking alcohol becomes the norm and occurs 1-2 times a week, sometimes 3-day binges appear.
Second stage. The second stage is characterized by a constant irresistible desire to drink. The reason is no longer needed. Drinking alcohol can occur every other day. Binges are observed for 5-7 days.
Stage Three. 3rd alcoholism is chronic. At this stage, the satisfaction from the received doping no longer occurs. There is a feeling of guilt for their actions. Drinking appears in the house every day, and alcohol consumption is already completely out of control.
Treatment
A man must admit that he is sick. Treat alcoholism for a long period. In a few months, the work of internal organs is getting better. It takes much longer to recover mental health. Relatives should help fight addiction. Their support during this period is very important. After giving up alcohol, changes occur in the body. To cope with them, the patient is assigned special drugs. A certain stage is treated in different ways. Conversations with an experienced psychologist will help. Coding can be an effective technique. Alcoholism in men is also treated with medications that are injected into the body and cause very strong intoxication when drinking alcohol. They affect reflexes, there is an aversion to alcohol.
Consider treatment step by step
Alcohol dependence of a man can be cured – this is evidenced by both official and traditional medicine. The most favorable outcome of treatment is at the initial (first and second) stages of the disease.
The first step towards treatment is a complete rejection of alcohol (voluntary or compulsory) – this gives the body the opportunity to cleanse itself and not receive new portions of poison.
The second step is drug therapy, and the third is adaptation to a life without alcohol.
One of the common methods of treatment is coding for alcoholism (strong psychological impact, attitudes towards intolerance).
Medicinal prohibitive methods have proven themselves well – the introduction of substances that, when taking alcohol, cause severe intoxication of the body.
You can find information about traditional medicine – herbs, tinctures, special diet. Along with these methods, supportive therapy is conducted, which helps to restore the poisoned body systems.
In the process of treating male alcoholism, psychological assistance and support of loved ones are of great importance.
