Three stages of alcoholism
Alcoholism is a disease caused by the systematic use of alcoholic beverages, characterized by a pathological attraction to them, the development of mental (compelling attraction) and physical dependence (alcohol withdrawal syndrome).
In the clinic of alcoholism, three stages of the disease are distinguished. Their "classic" basic symptoms are described below, which, however, can vary in each individual case.
The first stage of alcoholism
Duration from 1 year to 5 years.
At this stage of the disease, the patient develops a syndrome of mental dependence: constant thoughts about alcohol, a rise in mood in anticipation of drinking, a feeling of dissatisfaction in a sober state. The pathological attraction to alcohol is manifested in a situationally conditioned form. "Thrust" for alcoholic beverages occurs in situations related to the possibility of drinking: family events, professional holidays ... There is a syndrome of altered reactivity in the form of growing tolerance. The tolerance of alcohol increases, there is the ability to take high doses daily, vomiting disappears with an alcohol overdose, palimpsests appear (forgetting certain episodes of the intoxication period). With mild alcoholic intoxication, mental functions are accelerated, but some of them - with the loss of quality.
Reduced quantitative control in the patient, a sense of proportion is lost. Following the initial doses of alcoholic beverages and the appearance of light intoxication, there is a desire to continue drinking. The patient drinks to medium or heavy intoxication.
The remaining symptoms of alcoholism at its first stage still do not have time to form. Physical dependence on alcohol is absent, the effects of alcoholism can be limited to asthenic manifestations and neurological dysfunctions.
The second stage of alcoholism
Duration 5-15 years.
At this stage, all of the above symptoms are heavier. The pathological attraction to alcohol becomes more intense and arises not only in connection with "alcoholic situations", but also spontaneously. Patients are more likely to find motivation for alcoholization themselves than to use the appropriate situations.
Tolerance in the formation of the second stage continues to increase, reaches a maximum, and then, for a number of years, remains constant. Alcoholic amnesia becomes systematic, individual episodes of a significant part of the intoxication period are forgotten.
During this period of the disease, the form of alcohol abuse changes. This can be expressed in the tendency to periodic or constant abuse of alcohol throughout the disease. In the first case, frequent single drinks are replaced by drinking-bouts. Drinks are characterized by periods of daily drunkenness, the duration of which can range from a few days to several weeks.
There is a physical dependence on alcohol A sharp break in drunkenness is accompanied by an abstinence syndrome: limb tremor, nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, insomnia, dizziness and headache, pain in the heart and liver.
Alcoholics have changes in the mental sphere. The level of personality decreases, creative possibilities are lost, intellect is weakened. There is psychopathy and delusions of jealousy. In the future, it can go into a persistent delirium, extremely dangerous for the patient and his loved ones.
The third stage of alcoholism
Duration 5-10 years.
All manifestations of the second stage - pathological attraction to alcohol, loss of quantitative control, withdrawal syndrome, alcoholic amnesia - undergo further development and are manifested in the form of the most severe clinical variants.
Intensive attraction is also manifested in the loss of situational control (there is no criticism of the place, circumstances, the company of drinking companions), which is facilitated by the loss of intellectual abilities that has come. The main sign of the transition of alcoholism to the third stage is a decrease in tolerance to alcohol, the patient gets drunk from smaller, than usual, doses of alcohol. Activating effects of alcoholic beverages are reduced, they only moderately level the tone, almost every alcoholic intoxication ends with amnesia.
Physical dependence and irresistible attraction determine the life of the patient; The lack of quantitative control in combination with decreased tolerability often leads to fatal overdoses.