The appearance of a person's alcohol dependence is always due to certain psychological factors.
To understand the behavior of an alcoholic, it is important to understand the main causes of the emergence and mechanisms of development of this problem.
The concept of alcohol dependence
Alcohol addiction - This is an uncontrollable strong craving for alcoholic beverages, which leads to a deterioration in the mental and physical health of a person.
Persons with a similar problem constantly experience an overwhelming desire to drink, which overshadows all other interests and values in life.
Addiction develops graduallystarting with regular libations on various occasions. In the final stages of the disease in the absence of the necessary treatment may be fatal.
Psychological reasons
Most people consume alcohol throughout their lives. with a certain regularity. Especially this process is inevitable during the holidays, various events and important events.
But not all drink lovers eventually become alcoholics.
The emergence of dependence is caused by certain psychological reasons:
- Bad heredity. As is known, genetic predisposition to alcoholism is inherited. If a child's parents suffered from this disease, then his chances of becoming addicted to addiction in the future are very high.
- Negative environment. If in the immediate environment of a person there are people suffering from alcoholism, then he can automatically adopt this lifestyle. So, a teenager can start drinking because of the constant drunkenness of the parents, and the wife can become addicted to alcohol with her husband.
- Weak will. Each person in the course of his life experiences various difficulties, tragedies and troubles. Some people, under the pressure of circumstances, mobilize all their resources and find a way out of difficult situations, while others prefer to avoid solving problems with the help of alcohol.
- The desire to attract attention. Alcoholism can be a form of demonstrative behavior aimed at drawing attention to one’s person.
Such a position is characteristic of people suffering from loneliness and uselessness.
- Fight against complexes. An insecure person may one day find that after a couple of glasses of wine, he becomes bolder. As a result, before each significant event that requires a certain degree of relaxation, he resorts to the use of alcoholic beverages.
How do they become alcoholics?
Man initially formed a steady addiction to the use of strong drinks. This may be due to one of the reasons mentioned above. Any occasion is used to organize a feast with its essential attribute - drinking.
Moreover, a person may initially not himself be aware that his systematic desire for alcohol consumption develops into dependence.
It seems to him that he simply drinks for the company in order to relax and rest.
As a result, a small doh alcohol gradually becomes insufficient.
To achieve the necessary state of man starts to drink more and more.
Forced breaks in the use of alcohol lead to a feeling of discomfort. At this stage, health problems begin to manifest themselves: memory impairment, the appearance of irritability and fatigue, the development of insomnia.
Gradually in the body developing a pathological process. Damage to the nervous system, deteriorating work of the internal organs.
The main goal of the life of the patient becomes the satisfaction of their need for increasing doses of strong drinks.
Professional activities, interests and hobbies, spouses and children fade into the background. Man is long in the hard drinking, his personality is completely destroyed, the state of health is aggravated. If untreated, the situation is fatal.
Characteristic dependent
There are various typologies of alcoholism, differing from each other in symptoms and developmental psychology.
Drunken
Binge - This is the use of large quantities of alcohol for a day or more.
On average, binges last from 3 to 10 days, but sometimes they can last a month or even more.
All this time a person is intoxicated, he completely out of social life (does not fulfill professional duties, is not interested in the lives of his relatives, etc.), neglects the rules of hygiene, demonstrates destructive behavior.
The exit from binge drinking is usually caused by general body fatigue, exacerbation of somatic pathologies, lack of funds for the purchase of new doses.
Binges do not always occur in chronic alcoholics. It may be isolated casescaused by difficult life situations, protracted stress, holiday feasts, etc. But more often, such conditions are still observed in individuals with a stable dependence.
Quiet
Silent, or otherwise hidden alcoholic, in every way he tries not to advertise his addiction. Such people use weak varieties of alcoholic beverages, often in diluted form. For example, coffee with cognac. In doing so, they do it systematically, because they feel the need.
People themselves justify this approach to alcohol by the need to be in good shape or, on the contrary, to relax.
Since the doses that they ingest are very small, the external obvious manifestations of intoxication notice from outsiders impossible.
This is precisely the danger of this form of dependence. And the patient himself, and his entourage too late to discover the problem.
The behavior of such a person is always slightly disinhibited. He is often unreasonably cheerful, excited, and sociable. In the later stages of the disease, gaiety is replaced by isolation and aggressiveness.
Constant alcoholic intoxication of the body with small doses of alcohol in any case leads to changes in the psyche, to the appearance of health problems.
One day, a turning point comes when quiet alcoholic becomes apparent.
Parents
Falling into dependence on alcohol, a person destroys not only his health and psyche, but also the lives of his loved ones. Children hit the hardest.
Because of their age and dependent status, they are not able to take care of themselves properly. If the surrounding people do not interfere in a critical situation, then a real threat to the health and life of children is created.
Intoxicated parents don't think about the needs and interests of their children. They are not worried about the provision of food, clothing, basic living conditions.
Children of alcoholics are in a special risk group, because they are not protected from the actions of their drunken parents, from the actions of unauthorized people.
There is a misconception that children of addicted parents are also more likely to begin to drink alcohol as they grow older or upon the occurrence of negative life circumstances.
Numerous examples show that in the presence of solid attitudes and willpower, even a person from a family of chronic alcoholics will opt for a sober lifestyle.
Often, adult addiction causes a backlash in their children — they never want to be like their parents. As a result, it is produced persistent dislike for such a lifestyle.
Why does alcohol cause aggression?
Why are alcoholics aggressive? Aggression manifests itself in a state of intoxication for the following physiological reasons, associated with changes in the brain:
- poisoning of nerve cells as a result of ingestion of ethyl alcohol;
- oxygen starvation of neurons;
- toxic effects of decomposition products of ethanol.
Also a drunken personality happens decrease in self-control.
Under the influence of alcohol, personality degradation occurs, and animal instincts come to the first place, which causes aggression.
In addition, alcohol increases testosterone levels and excites the nervous system.
Aggression can manifest itself verbally, physically, indirectly.
Psychology tips
When dealing with an alcoholic important to follow certain rulesrecommended by psychologists.
How to communicate with such people?
Not worth it try to build communication with a person intoxicated. He simply will not understand the meaning of what he is told. It is better to wait until the consciousness of the opponent comes to a normal state.
It is very important not to provoke a drunk. He is not able to control his actions and emotions, so he can equally harm an outsider, his wife, mother, child, etc.
Building a conversation with a hangover is also meaningless. Physical ill health makes someone aggressive, and someone stimulates a sense of guilt. And that, and other behavior will not last long and you should not trust him.
How to build a dialogue?
How to talk with an alcoholic?
If close people want to build a productive dialogue with an alcoholic, they need to do the following:
- Suggest a visit to a narcologist. When a person is truly aware that he has a problem, he agrees to visit a specialist. The constant postponement of a visit to a narcologist shows a reluctance to fight the disease.
- Do not scold. Scolding an alcoholic is meaningless. This will cause a reciprocal aggressive reaction and lead to conflict.
- Talk about your experiences. It should be recalled of responsibility to the spouse, to children and parents. To say that all close people suffer from this behavior.
A sense of guilt and an awareness of responsibility for your family can provoke a sincere desire to be treated.
- Set ultimatums and implement them. It is important to act methodically and firmly. A person must make sure that after the violation of prohibitions comes the retribution. For example, if the husband comes home intoxicated, the wife does not let him on the threshold. Forcing overnight on the street or with friends can have some sobering effect.
How not to become a drunkard?
If there is a tendency to excessive libations, You must adhere to the following restrictions.:
- drink in small sips;
- take long breaks between doses, being distracted by socializing, dancing, eating;
- dilute alcohol with other drinks - water, juice;
- eat plentifully during a feast and never drink on an empty stomach;
- drink alcohol no more than two times a week;
- do not stay up late in drunken companies;
- refuse new doses after reaching the maximum amount you have drunk.
The ability to say "no" in response to persistent proposals and the possession of the necessary degree of self-control will protect against the acquisition of addiction.
Thus, alcoholism occurs by certain psychological reasons. Successful deliverance from addiction is possible if the patient himself has the desire and competent support from close people.
Psychologist about alcohol addiction in this video:
