The individual, as a rule, has illusions of easy overcoming of difficulties, everyday adversities. Therefore, first of all, weak and weak-willed people are easily subject to alcohol. The main psychotropic effect of alcohol is that it causes a falsely elevated mood. In a state of intoxication, a person becomes uneasy, he is cheerful and carefree. Alcoholic "joys" are short-term, they create illusions in the drinker, which very soon dissipate, leaving unpleasant sensations, and sometimes a serious illness.

With prolonged intake of alcoholic beverages it develops. A characteristic feature of the clinical picture of alcoholism is the constant urge to drink without any reason. The outstanding Russian psychiatrist S. S. Korsakov, speaking about alcoholism, wrote that an alcoholic loses measure in the amount of alcoholic beverages. He begins to drink with the aim of being only tipsy, but already a small amount of alcohol causes a decrease in volitional delays. The character of an individual begins to deteriorate, he becomes egocentric, rude, self-confident, prone to flat, monotonous humor. Memory, attention, ability to systematic thinking and creativity decrease, elements of disintegration and degradation of personality appear. Along with the defeat of mental functions, profound changes in morality take place. Have drinking people very early, when mental capacities and thought processes hardly change, indifference to moral questions appears. It manifests itself in the form of partial moral anesthesia, the inability to experience remorse.

The loss of morality is expressed primarily in the loss of shame. A number of scientific studies have shown that alcoholic beverages reduce the strength and subtlety of the feeling of shyness. Loss of shame leads to loss of conscience, truthfulness, and sincerity. A sober person with intact moral principles is ashamed to commit an offense. A person with lost moral qualities has no brake on committing a crime. The property of wine is known to drown out the voice of conscience, therefore, individuals consciously consume alcoholic beverages for this purpose. Everyone knows that immoral people who lead an immoral lifestyle are prone to drunkenness. LN Tolstoy in his famous article "" wrote: "Everyone knows people who have drunk themselves completely as a result of crimes that tormented their consciences. Everyone can notice that immorally living people are more prone to intoxication than others. Robber gangs, thieves' gangs, prostitutes - they cannot live without wine. " That is why alcohol often becomes a companion to the waste and theft of socialist property. Experienced criminals involve new accomplices in illegal acts using bribes and alcohol. A bribed, drunk person is likely to become an obedient tool.

Alcohol (C2H5OH - ethyl or wine alcohol,) is an organic hydrocarbon compound, a transparent colorless liquid with a specific taste and smell, irritating to mucous membranes. Ethanol is highly flammable, soluble in fats, and miscible with water. Wine alcohol belongs to narcotic substances (tobacco, opium, morphine, etc.), so people get used to it, as well as to drugs. In the decision of the World Health Organization (WHO) (1975) it is written: "Alcohol is a drug that undermines the health of the population."

Alcohol is a chemical compound that is widespread in nature. For household needs, it is extracted from various food products, grain, potatoes, and also obtained synthetically, using wood, oil, natural gases and coal.

Alcohol and its derivatives in any form and in any dose have a destructive effect, first of all, on human health, have a detrimental effect on his mental abilities, character and morality. Not a single sip of wine goes by without causing harm to a person. The toxic equivalent of ethyl alcohol is 7-8 g. The higher its concentration, the more toxic the alcohol is. Alcohol in some cases plays a major role in the development of pathological processes in the human body.

Drunkenness and alcoholism disfigure the life of both the individual and the whole society. Statistics convincingly show that the consumption of alcoholic beverages increases the number of injuries, accidents, crimes, diseases, and deaths several times. Drinking alcohol, even in a small dose, deprives a person of the ability to orientate correctly, he develops self-confidence, not provided by skill and experience, with him much more often than with a sober one, trouble happens.

The danger of the harmful effects of alcohol on humans and society lies in the addiction of the human body to alcoholic beverages. Alcohol addiction depends on the regularity of alcohol consumption. The onset of intoxication occurs when the blood alcohol content reaches 0.04-0.05% and manifests itself in swagger, decrease in self-control. Mild intoxication develops with a blood alcohol content of 0.1% and is expressed in impaired coordination of movements, painfully elevated mood - euphoria, and in some, on the contrary, tearfulness. Excessive self-confidence, carelessness appear, a sense of tact, civil and legal responsibility is lost. Medium intoxication is observed with a blood alcohol content of 0.2% and manifests itself in movement disorder, loss of balance, aggressiveness, and malice. The disinhibited base instincts are sharply exposed, out of control. Alcoholic dullness occurs when the alcohol content in the blood is 0.3% and manifests itself in difficulty moving, disorientation, memory loss. Alcoholic coma occurs when the blood alcohol content is 0.4-0.5%. A person loses the ability to move, his perception of the world around him completely stops. With a higher blood alcohol content - 0.6-0.7%, death may occur, because the functions of vital centers are disturbed or terminated.

For any living cell, starting with the simplest lump of protoplasm and ending with highly organized cells of the human brain. Penetrating into the body, alcohol deprives the tissues of oxygen, water and sharply disrupts the activity of cells. Gradually, it affects all systems of the human body, but the central nervous system, especially the cerebral cortex, suffers most of all. The largest concentration of alcohol ingested is found in the brain. If we take the concentration of alcohol in the blood as a unit, then in the liver it will be 1.5, and in the brain up to 1.8. This direction of the action of alcoholic poison on the brain is explained by the high content of fat-like substances (lipoids) and water in the nervous system. In the brain, alcohol affects all parts, and primarily those that provide respiration and regulation of vascular tone. Most dangerous consequence alcohol intoxication is paralysis of the respiratory or vascular centers. Vascular paralysis of the motor center, even partial, is deadly not only due to circulatory disorders, but also due to a possible drop in body temperature to 30 C.

The living organism and the external environment are closely related to each other. Signals that come from the outside world determine the activity of the nerve cells of the cerebral cortex. Alcohol negatively affects the vessels that carry blood to the brain. At first, they expand, and the blood saturated with alcohol rushes violently to the brain, which leads to a sharp excitement of the cells of the cortex, and after this, a sharp weakening of the inhibition processes is observed. The activity of the cerebral cortex is disrupted, which ultimately leads to a change in the psyche. A person ceases to be himself. Alcohol easily passes through biological membranes. It begins to be absorbed already in the mouth, very quickly enters the bloodstream from the stomach and intestines, with which it is distributed to all organs. Alcohol in direct contact with the cells of a living organism irritates tissues. Under such conditions, it dehydrates the protoplasm of the cell, dissolves fats and causes denaturation of proteins, as a result of which tissue coagulation occurs. The ability of alcohol to mix with water and easily dissolve in fatty compounds is explained by the small size of its molecule and near physical properties... Evenly distributed throughout the tissues, alcohol has the earliest and strongest effect on the central nervous system, especially on the functional state of the brain. Higher nervous activity changes even with relatively small doses of alcohol.

Scientists have found that even a small amount of alcohol disrupts the well-coordinated work of the cerebral cortex. Changes in brain cells are irreversible. They leave behind an indelible mark in the form of loss of small and smallest brain structures, which inevitably affects its function. Alcohol enhances the arousal process, weakens, and sometimes paralyzes the inhibition process. In the activity of the brain, excitement gains preponderance, and hence the uncontrolled and unpredictable behavior of a drunk person.

The behavior of people is inadequate to the action of alcohol. Some become restless, loud, others - sullen and taciturn.

Human behavior is determined by the relationship between the processes of excitation and inhibition. The ratio of these processes affects such qualities as attentiveness, restraint, and prudence. Already in small doses, alcohol not only excites, but also disrupts the correctness of nervous activity. A person's restraint decreases, confusion disappears, anxiety and fear of consequences for his actions decrease - he lives more in the interests of this moment. Alcohol-induced agitation can be very dangerous; especially in persons prone to aggressive behavior. Alcoholic intoxication primarily affects inhibitory reactions. Further alcohol poisoning leads to a distortion of responses nervous system to external stimuli. With the appropriate attitude, a person who has consumed alcohol can easily commit an offense. Alcoholic intoxication most often does not introduce anything new into the motivation of the drinker's actions, but reveals and realizes the desires, inclinations, intentions formed in him long before intoxication.

However, some people, under the influence of alcohol, may have an unjustified feeling of anger and indignation, resentment, jealousy, and revenge easily break through. Such feelings can increase excitability and weaken the restraining nervous mechanisms; in this state, a person completely loses his self-control. This explains the fact that a significant part of crimes against the person are committed in a state of intoxication.

Alcoholic intoxication contributes to the identification and implementation of an unconscious, but vaguely outlined by the subject of the criminal goal. It plays an equally important role in the subject's making a volitional decision to commit a previously conceived crime.

In this sense alcoholic intoxication - one of the circumstances contributing to the commission of crimes, although it is not directly related to the formation of this specific criminal purpose or intent. In a number of persons, alcohol intoxication leads to such changes in the psyche, which may turn out to be the only subjective reason for a committed offense. In these cases, intoxication serves not only to reveal hidden desires or to form the determination to commit a crime, but also to ripen in the subject of criminal intent.

Alcohol causes a change in the intellectual activity and emotional state of a person. If alcohol poisoning is repeated often, then the subject remains mentally immobile, thinking is simplified, becomes stereotyped. In the future, there is a weakening of old associations and perceptions, mental processes are narrowed, the ability for creative activity, the originality of thinking are lost. With the onset of paralysis of certain parts of the brain, there is a loss of subtle elements of the psyche, such as attentiveness, the ability to think, sound judgment and criticism. With the weakening of the manifestation of these processes, feelings begin to dominate, which are not tempered or restrained by self-criticism. As self-criticism weakens, self-confidence, boasting, and frivolity grow. As a result of disinhibition and weakening of self-control, alcoholic euphoria occurs. It is caused by excitation of the subcortex, paralysis and disturbance of other, more sensitive parts of the brain.

The consumption of alcoholic beverages in large doses leads to further, more severe brain damage. The perception of external impressions becomes difficult and slow, and their accuracy decreases. Memory and attention are impaired to an even greater extent than from taking small and medium doses. The ability to listen attentively to the interlocutor is lost, to monitor one's speech, to control behavior, talkativeness and carelessness appear. Sudden mood swings are observed - from unbridled joy to deep depression, and even anger. A person begins to scold, commit aggressive actions, make obscene jokes and remarks, and conduct erotic conversations. Those who have drunk a significant dose are usually guided by individual or random impressions and ideas, misunderstand and interpret the statements of others, can take harmless remarks at their own expense and see them as a personal insult, do not sufficiently weigh the meaning of their words and possible consequences their actions.

When intoxicated, volitional disorders and motor dysfunctions occur. This is expressed in insufficient internal mental processing of external stimuli and impressions, a hasty transformation of perceptions and representations into motor acts. Alcohol excessively accelerates the body's response to external stimuli, causes premature realization of motor impulses. The mental processing of external irritation either completely disappears or becomes superficial. As a result, the reaction takes the form of automatic movement to the only expected stimulus. This explains the increased excitability and decreased ability to assess their actions in drunken people, which leads to all kinds of impulsive acts, reflex, unmotivated and aimless actions, sudden criminal acts. Everything that comes to a drunkard's mind is immediately realized in his actions.

General motor excitability is the reason for the need to go out "to people" and drunkenness. Drunk people become long-spoken, pester with their conversations, impose their society. Opposition from the outside, an accidentally dropped remark or a just protest against the intrusive behavior of a drunk can cause ridiculous, inadequate, violent reactions that often end in drunken brawls and other criminal offenses.

The weakening of the ability to self-critically evaluate their actions as a result of prolonged use of alcoholic beverages prevents the alcoholic from realizing the depth of his fall, the reasons for family and work troubles. The character of the drunkard is also changing for the worse, irritability and anger, intolerance, a tendency to cynical abuse, fights, lies and immoral acts are increasingly manifested. Drunk people easily go from fun and good mood to hurt and unreasonable anger. Intoxicated alcoholics are ruthless, rude and cruel.

Feelings like fear are easily lost. Loss of fear, according to psychiatrists, can have dire consequences. Fear, as you know, in its high manifestations turns into a fear, first of all, of committing evil and in fear of its consequences - this is its protective value in matters of morality. The drunkards lose their sense of fear and sense of shame. All feelings of alcohol abusers change so that the most sublime and subtle elements are lost from complex mental acts, a person in all his mental manifestations becomes coarse, becomes primitive. Higher feelings are reborn into lower ones.

Long-term consumption of alcoholic beverages contributes to further profound changes in character. Willpower weakens early, this process ends with lack of will. The circle of interests sharply narrows, only a greedy craving for alcohol remains. Thoughts lose depth, "slide" over the surface. Under the influence of prolonged intake of alcoholic beverages, profound physiological changes and gross mental disorders occur in the brain, which often leads to crimes against the person, and sometimes takes terrible forms. A brain brought to such a state cannot control human behavior.

On the scale of society, an increase in the number of alcoholics leads to an increase in nervous and mental illnesses, a decrease in morality, an increase in the number of crimes, an increase in the number of dysfunctional families, and a decrease in labor productivity among this category of workers.

Despite the fact that the exact pharmacological mechanism of the effect of alcohol on human behavior, including aggressive behavior, is currently insufficiently studied, it has been possible to establish a number of important general principles of this effect. Thus, an analysis of the relationship between self and a person's response shows a close relationship between dose and response. A study of the blood and urine of offenders arrested for violent behavior, conducted by US scientists, shows that the higher the alcohol content in the body, the closer connection human behavior with the commission of crimes.

Another pharmacological factor to be considered when analyzing the effects of alcohol on behavior is the possible presence of psychoactive agents, which, in addition to ethyl alcohol, are found in alcoholic beverages. Although the narcotic effect depends mainly on the ethyl alcohol content, additional psychoactive compounds can influence behavior.

There are differences in how people react to alcohol. In addition to the pharmacological effects, the reaction to alcohol can depend on the biological and psychological qualities of the individual. The differences in response to the same dose of alcohol are quite obvious. For example, in a small number of people who consume alcohol, small doses of it cause an obscure clinical phenomenon called pathological intoxication. Disease intoxication refers to an abnormal response to small doses of alcohol, characterized by varying degrees of memory loss, mood swings, noisy excitement, and sometimes violent behavior that may culminate in murder or other violent crimes.

Conversely, the same dose of alcohol can reduce the likelihood of violent behavior in most individuals, causing mild euphoria and increased sociability.

Two other factors that contribute to differences in response to alcohol are age and level physical development persons who consumed it. Thus, the effect of the same dose of alcohol on a 15-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man is significantly different. A youth has to overcome many dramatic psychological and biological changes associated with the period of his development, which can increase his susceptibility to the negative effects of alcohol and other drugs that change behavior. The duration of alcohol consumption also contributes to deviations in individual reactions. Studies show that chronic alcoholics exhibit both behavioral and pharmacological tolerance to the effects of alcohol: a given dose of alcohol causes few behavioral changes and unexpectedly low blood alcohol levels.

Laboratory studies show that regular alcohol abuse is not necessarily associated with dulling feelings of anxiety and anxiety; rather, on the contrary, there is an exacerbation of dysphoria and hostility. The behavior of a chronic alcoholic, including his criminal activities, may differ from the behavior of people who drink little or moderate alcohol. Individuals exhibit a relatively persistent behavior deviation that regularly leads to conflicts with the law and other members of society, regardless of the immediate specific circumstances. These antisocial individuals exhibit recurring tendencies towards various forms of behavioral deviation, including criminal behavior and alcohol abuse. At an early age, such people may show a tendency to actively pursue their selfish goals at the expense of others. The example of parents plays an important role in the development of an antisocial personality. Research has shown that children whose parents exhibit criminal behavior or alcohol abuse are more likely to engage in criminal behavior. Most of the data that directly link alcohol to violent behavior comes from empirical observation and forensic statistics.

Drinking alcohol, especially on weekends when most crime is committed, is an integral part of the lifestyle of the groups in which crime is most frequent. Alcohol use and violent behavior can be associated with personality and cultural subgroups. In many violent crimes, alcohol is consumed by both the perpetrator and the victim.

So, with a high level of consumption of alcoholic beverages, the likelihood of committing illegal actions increases sharply. Alcohol abuse is a negative social phenomenon. The higher the level of alcohol consumption, the more pronounced its criminogenic properties. Alcohol upsets the health of millions of people, increases mortality in a number of diseases, is the cause of many physical and mental illnesses, disorganizes production, destroys the family, sharply increases crime, and undermines the moral foundations of any society. Alcoholism is incompatible with the task of ensuring the well-being and all-round development of the personality of all members of society, which serves as the main goal of the development of socialist social relations; the eradication of drunkenness and alcoholism should become a paramount task both for the whole of society and for every conscious member of it.

The negative effects of alcohol are widely discussed. Everyone knows that it destroys the liver, heart and other organs. But how does alcohol affect the human psyche? Ethanol's harm is not limited to mood swings or violent drunken behavior. Abuse can lead to serious mental illness and illness.

Read in the article

The effect of alcohol on the psyche

Regular alcohol intake kills a large number of nerve cells, which, when killed, secrete substances like opiates or morphine. This phenomenon creates a sense of pleasure from consuming ethanol. Trying to achieve the euphoria or the feeling of bliss caused by the intake of ethyl alcohol, a person experiences a craving for alcohol. The addict has mental and behavioral disorders caused by alcohol consumption:

• violation of the perception of reality;
• trouble concentrating;
• sudden mood swings;
• violation of logical thinking;
• sleep problems that are resolved only after drinking alcohol;
• changes in the acuity of perception of current events;
• rapid body fatigue as a result of insomnia;
• lack of plans for a future life;
• family quarrels and divorces.

Passion for alcoholic beverages causes degradation of the personality, both at the emotional and at the behavioral level. A person ceases to imagine ordinary everyday life without drinking alcohol and it becomes more and more difficult to rebuild to his old life. This process takes 5-10 years.

The influence of alcohol on the human psyche is also manifested in the attitude to work. He does not see expediency in it and often stops it.

Alcohol dulls the imagination, and a person is not able to make long-term plans for life, it becomes enough for him to be within four walls, periodically alternating with trips to the store for a drink.

It is worth mentioning how a drinking person behaves in society. For him, the usual moral rules of behavior are absent, he becomes spontaneous and unpredictable. Theft, hooliganism and intoxicated murder are not perceived by an alcoholic as something forbidden. He considers these crimes to be something forced rather than immoral.

A person dependent on alcohol stops communicating with loved ones, often provokes scandals and, as a rule, remains completely alone. His psychology is changing dramatically. But he does not notice this, since these generally accepted norms are now in the first place in life. His life becomes gray and inconspicuous, and joyful moments come only after drinking a dose of alcohol. Old friends and acquaintances fade into the background, a new environment appears that shares a person's addiction to alcohol and is always ready to keep company at the table.

Serious life circumstances are no longer a strong argument for avoiding alcohol. The true reasons can only be depletion of the body, poisoning or lack of funds.

The harmful composition of alcohol

Alcohol has a detrimental effect on the body, not only because of the presence of ethyl alcohol in its composition. Beverage constituents such as alkaloids, salts and essential oils, do not carry any useful properties, but only destroy the nervous system at the cellular level. They disrupt blood flow, cause hypoxia, enhance the effect of ethanol and affect individual structures of the brain.

Stages of mental disorder

Disorders and mental illnesses under the influence of ethanol develop gradually. In the early stages, violations make themselves felt by memory lapses. This should be a wake-up call for those around you and a reason for help. to a loved one... Increasing failures are a sure sign of developing alcohol dependence.

The next stage in the interaction of alcohol and the psyche is characterized by:

• changes in the sensitivity of the hands and feet;
• distortion of the usual gait;
• degradation of personality;
• violation of coordination of movements;
• a sharp change in the behavior and character of a person.

The third stage of mental disorders in alcoholism is accompanied by constant binge drinking, family problems, psychosis and Korsakov's disease.

Effects on the body of women and adolescents

The female body much more often becomes dependent on alcohol, and it is much more difficult, and sometimes impossible, to cure it. As a result of prolonged exposure to ethanol, the following are observed in dependent women:

• apathy;
• obesity;
• aggression;
• lethargy and constant fatigue;
• deterioration of mental abilities;
• unwillingness to take care of yourself;
• depression;
• sudden mood swings;
• lack of motivating goals in life.

In addition to mental disorders in women, reproductive function is impaired and infertility or pathology of the pelvic organs occurs. Drunken women are more likely to suffer from oncology, diseases of the kidneys, pancreas, liver, cardiovascular and digestive systems.

Adolescent children (under 18) are also at risk. Their psyche is just being formed, therefore, vulnerable.

Alcohol penetrates into the child's body more actively, lethal doses are much lower.

It is often much more difficult for a child to know when to stop. This very often leads to irreversible or even fatal consequences. The first warning signs of addiction in adolescents are memory lapses and developmental delays. Gradually, these symptoms lead to a complete degradation of the personality.

Diseases caused by alcohol

Mental disorders in alcoholism arise as a result of disturbances in the normal functioning of brain cells and the inability to conduct and produce nerve impulses.

Alcoholic delirium

The most common mental disorder of an alcoholic is delirium tremens. With this disease, a person has:

• sleep disturbances, insomnia;
• restless behavior;
• panic attacks;
• frightening auditory or visual hallucinations.

The danger of alcoholic delirium lies in the fact that a person ceases to see what is happening as it is. Reality is distorted so much that anything can be expected from an alcoholic. He may sense a threat in others or run away from danger through a window. Sometimes, in order to avoid the dire consequences of such behavior, you have to call an ambulance.

To deal with this mental disorder should be under the supervision of qualified professionals.

Alcoholic polyneuritis

The cause of this disease is inflamed nerve endings in the brain. With him, an alcoholic is observed:

• itchy sensations in the legs;
• decreased sensitivity of the body;
• inability to navigate in space;
• pain when moving.

A person suffering from polyneuritis sees the only way out of the situation not in refusing alcohol, but in stopping movement, which slowly leads to muscle atrophy.

This pathology is a kind of foundation for the onset of Korsakov's disease. This is a mental disorder in which a drinking person becomes absent-minded, forgetful, lost in time and what is happening around. Short-term memory loss is replaced by longer gaps, which later develop into the fantasy of a sick imagination.

Hemorrhagic polioencephalitis

The effect of alcohol on the body in this disease is manifested by speech impairment and hyperthermia as a result of the onset of inflammatory processes in the brain centers. People often become immobile, which leads to the formation of bedsores that accompany a person for the rest of his life.

How to restore the psyche

Usually, after a binge, a person experiences a feeling of shame for what happened and dreams of getting rid of the addiction, but this desire is quickly drowned out by the need for a new dose of ethyl alcohol. And here close people who noticed the symptoms characteristic of alcoholism should come to the aid of the alcoholic. First of all, it is very important to protect the person from the environment that shares his addiction. And then you should contact specialized medical institutions, where he will be provided not only physical, but also psychological assistance.

Drinking alcohol, a person destroys the nervous system of the body, which gradually leads to the emergence of mental and behavioral disorders. Such diseases cannot be completely cured. Therefore, it is very important for the relatives of the addict to pay attention to the characteristic features of alcoholism in time and take measures to eliminate them.

At the very beginning of his "path" an alcoholic usually notices only positive changes in the psyche - a feeling of euphoria arises, the mood rises. But with a long experience of use, everything positive the effects fade away. The negative influence of alcohol on the human psyche is becoming more and more obvious even for the most addicted.

The first signs of the negative impact of alcohol on the psyche

Many people who drink alcohol are sometimes unaware of the serious consequences not only for physical health, but also mental health. Only in the later stages of the disease, the addict himself can realize the presence of the problem. Therefore, one should carefully observe behavior and the emotional state of a binge-prone relative.

One of the reasons for the neglect of the problem is ignorance: many believe that alcohol affects the brain, the nervous system only when regular long-term use. However, this is not so - the first problems arise immediately after the first drink:

• the ability to concentrate is significantly reduced;
• the perception of reality changes.

The effect of alcohol on human behavior is due to damage to brain cells. It should be noted that there are no safe doses of ethanol. Some neurons, synapses will die even after 0.5 beer. The brain starts to work more slowly, there are problems with logical thinking. All this is a consequence of the effects of alcohol on human physiology.

The negative effect tends to accumulate and other serious problems arise in the body. Constant prolonged headaches appear, problems with sleep occur. With prolonged use, alcohol destroys the psyche to the core. The result slow and malfunctioning of the subcortical formations becomes:

1. inadequate reaction to acquaintances and strangers;
2. lack of opportunity to abstract from reality;
3. loss of imagination.

Personal breakdown: how long-term alcohol consumption affects the human psyche

Diseases caused by alcohol are varied and the complete list includes several hundred items. It's not just damage internal organs, a consequence of their refusal. But also schizophrenia, psychopathy, and other mental illnesses. Long-term use causes a strong psychological dependence on alcohol. The reason is simple - ethanol causes a state of euphoria, without dopamine a person is no longer able to feel normal.

In the absence of alcohol in the body, the addict loses his thirst for life, the world around him seems gray to him. Only after taking another dose of alcohol mood is changing for the better. Reasons for personality destruction:

• the dopamine stores present in the body are completely used up;
• neurotransmitters stop being produced.

Abrupt refusal to drink leads to "starvation" - this state is similar to the usual drug withdrawal. The main symptoms are hallucinations, obsessive states, there is unreasonable anxiety. Delirium develops along with other symptoms. The more common name for alcoholic obscuration is delirium tremens. It occurs with prolonged continuous use.

A person becomes dangerous for himself and others. Due to the lack of imagination, all objects, actions of other people, without exception, turn into a threat. The alcoholic is trying to escape or defend himself in an accessible way. Often, crimes, injury to other people are consequence being in a state of delirium tremens. A much more dangerous mental disorder is Korsakov's syndrome. It is determined by a number of behavioral disorders, other signs:

• persistent hallucinations;
• partial amnesia, filling the memory with fictional events.

The syndrome has partially irreversible harm to the body: peripheral nerve endings become inflamed, begin to die off. The destruction occurs with almost no symptoms. The only symptom is the appearance of a slight tingling sensation during the movement of the addict.

Is it possible to restore the psyche and personality of an addict?

The harmful effects of alcohol on a person are hard to miss in the last stages of addiction. It affects the physical condition, lifestyle. Behavior becomes antisocial, it is difficult to integrate into any society. On my own it is impossible to cope with the disease. The only sure way is to consult a specialist. Personal recovery, return to normal life is possible only with an integrated approach.

Treatment includes several main stages:

• withdrawal from the state of binge;
• detoxification of the body - elimination of all decay products of ethanol and other harmful substances;
• individual therapy - after analyzing the patient's condition, diuretics and other medications are prescribed;
• work with a psychologist.

It is important to note: personality restoration is possible only after a complete rejection of use alcoholic beverages. If the addict, after withdrawing from the binge, is unable to cope with the craving for alcohol, then the only way out will be coding. A comprehensive rehabilitation course will restore the patient's social skills, help to find strength for a life without alcohol. You need to closely monitor your loved ones. At the first signs of alcoholism, you need to contact a specialist.

Recent studies have shown that after a course of rehabilitation, the patient remains at risk for the rest of his life. Even a small glass can re-start destructive processes in the body. Complete refusal to use any alcohol - the best solution.

Alcoholism is a serious illness from which not only the patient himself suffers, but also his relatives. She often has social or psychological reasons... The first acquaintance with alcoholic beverages at a young age can lead to addiction and, as a result, to illness. The main danger of alcoholism is that it begins imperceptibly, and often a person does not see anything reprehensible in drinking from time to time in a company or on holidays. But in the absence of control of the dose of the drunk, serious problems often arise. Habit develops into addiction, and addiction develops into a disease.

Stages of development of alcoholism

Alcoholism begins to develop imperceptibly. At the first stage, a person drinks with friends, at holidays or corporate parties. He needs alcoholic drinks to feel more confident and to keep the conversation going. When using large doses, a person feels discomfort, expressed in such unpleasant symptoms as headache, nausea, vomiting. If at the same time there is a habit of repeated consumption of alcoholic beverages to alleviate the condition, then the person approaches the second stage.

The second stage is characterized by an increase in tolerance to alcoholic beverages and an increase in the dose sufficient for intoxication. At this stage, a person already has problems associated with frequent alcohol consumption - the inability to remember the events of the past evening and difficulties in going to work. At the same time, the drinking person himself denies the presence of problems.

Between the second and third stages, the patient's psyche also undergoes significant changes. Creative and intellectual abilities decrease, intellectual degradation occurs. At the third stage, small doses are sufficient for intoxication. A person loses his legibility in choosing a company for joint feasts - random people with pronounced signs of alcohol degradation can become drinking companions. At this stage of alcoholism, an overdose can be fatal.

Successful treatment of alcoholism is impossible without the main factor - the desire of the patient himself. At those stages when the addiction is still reversible, he refuses to admit the problem. Some patients come to the idea of \u200b\u200bthe need for treatment only when social connections, work, family and health have already been lost.

Alcohol addiction affects all systems of the human body, without exception. First of all, the cardiovascular system suffers from the negative effects of alcoholic beverages. Diseases such as hypertension or coronary heart disease develop. The harm caused by alcohol and the gastrointestinal tract is widely known. Among the most common diseases is stomach ulcers.

The liver and kidneys are significantly affected by alcoholic beverages. The task of the liver - the implementation of metabolism, is disrupted by prolonged alcohol abuse. In many cases, addicts develop serious illnesses such as cirrhosis of the liver and alcohol. Serious kidney problems also occur.

The poor condition of the liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract leads to a deterioration in the condition of the skin and hair. The image of an alcoholic in the minds of many is, first of all, a reddish tint of the skin of the face. It is a consequence of problems of cardio-vascular system... And disturbances in the functioning of the liver lead to the fact that the skin of the face acquires a yellowish tint. Swelling is also common because alcohol retains fluid.

Many people know the destructive effect of alcoholic beverages on the psyche. A person with alcohol dependence can be in a state of euphoria only at the time of drinking alcohol. In general, people with alcohol dependence are practically never in a positive mood, they are often irritable and aggressive. In addition, alcohol abusers acquire such qualities as deceit, cunning, resourcefulness, since they are forced to hide the facts of drinking alcohol from family and friends or hide "stashes" at home.

The most difficult thing for loved ones is to convince the addict that the problem exists. This is what distinguishes the psyche of people suffering from alcohol addiction. Often they do not see anything threatening in large doses of alcoholic beverages, and the inability to remember the events of the past evening seems like a fun adventure to them. In some cases, willpower helps to recover from addiction, but the intervention of a psychotherapist and a narcologist is often required.

The problem of alcohol addiction is that not only the addict himself suffers, but also his relatives. In many cases, frequent drinkers develop codependency, for example, the wife starts drinking with her husband. Many women who grew up with an attitude of sacrifice and a desire to save the sick. But in fact, solving the problems arising from alcohol consumption does not lead to their cure, but contributes to the aggravation of a difficult situation.

It is useless to explain the consequences of actions to a person who is in a state of alcohol dependence. The conversation about the inadmissibility of certain actions and the setting of conditions should be carried out only when he is in a sober state. A serious condition for the successful treatment of alcoholism can be the support of loved ones, especially those who themselves were in a similar situation and successfully found a way out of it.

An important step for successful treatment will be contacting specialists - a narcologist and a psychotherapist. Treatment for alcoholism includes psychotherapy or hypnosis. The main task of psychotherapy is to instill in the patient behavioral patterns that make the use of alcoholic beverages impossible. In severe cases, the patient is admitted to a hospital.

The problem of “alcohol and psyche” is not new, but it remains relevant. Many individuals seek solace, a solution to their problems in alcohol. Not everyone understands how alcohol affects and what consequences it can lead to. The influence of alcohol is reflected in the human psyche and makes its own adjustments in all areas of his life.

How does alcohol affect the psyche and what diseases can alcohol use provoke?

The consequences of drinking alcohol

Alcoholism negatively affects mental processes: the connection with the surrounding reality is broken, the processes of perception slow down. Due to the effects of alcohol, the patient has problems concentrating. The patient is distracted from business, forgets about important events, dates, plans, promises, that is, alcohol scatters attention. Others note the incorrect perception of reality in some people due to the impact of alcohol. A person who is addicted to alcohol breaks the habit of being sober, as if he is missing something when he does not drink. Alcohol dependence affects the normal activity of the brain, human behavior, which is fraught with degradation.

In people suffering from alcoholism, sharp changes in mental processes and, accordingly, in the emotional state are noted. Unreasonable mood swings, an inadequate reaction to events and people, and the disappearance of the logic of thinking are observed. The patient, as a rule, becomes incapacitated. Regardless of the amount of beer or vodka drunk, a person has problems with imagination. It is difficult for a patient suffering from alcoholism to abstract, to imagine something that is not in his immediate vicinity. Closing his eyes, such a person will be able to see in front of him only the situation that is familiar to him.

A person who is addicted to alcohol usually has trouble sleeping if they have not taken their usual dose of alcohol. Regardless of how much time was spent on sleep, a person does not feel rested, vigorous, full of strength and energy. Dreaming is another consequence of the effects of alcohol on the human psyche. It can be argued that dreams are common to many people, but not nightmares in which a person experiences negative emotions due to threats, attacks or attempts.

Frequent alcohol consumption affects the psyche, human behavior: moral prohibitions are erased, ethical norms are neglected. A person in a state of intoxication is capable of theft, fight, and even murder. For the patient, the social component of life, family, work fade into the background. The outcome of an alcoholic's life is divorce, dismissal, loss of social ties with friends, acquaintances, and people around him.

Diseases provoked by excessive drinking

The effect of alcohol on the psyche is associated with various diseases. One of the diseases is considered to be alcoholic delirium, which is popularly called delirium tremens. This disease is complicated by the fact that the patient is dangerous both for himself and for the people around him. A few days before the appearance of this disease in a person, if an alcoholic can still be called that, sleep problems begin, and a state of unreasonable anxiety develops.

A person's consciousness is subject to such disturbances that the patient has various hallucinations and nightmares. It can be both auditory and visual, hallucinations. Effective way to escape, according to the patient, is an attempt to jump out of a window or protection from an attacker with an improvised object (for example, a knife). The condition of a person who suffers from this disease is so difficult that the people around him, his relatives become his enemies. The behavior of such a person is asocial, which is why he needs to be urgently hospitalized.

Drinking alcohol can trigger the development of alcoholic polyneuritis (inflammation of the peripheral nerve endings). A person begins to complain of tingling and itching in the lower extremities, a feeling that he has served his leg, decreased sensitivity of the feet. Movement only makes the pain worse. Accordingly, after a while, a person addicted to alcohol stops moving, and the muscles atrophy.

Alcoholic polyneuritis can provoke a serious illness - a mental disorder (Korsakov's disease), an indicator of which is memory problems. People who are addicted to alcohol do not remember current events, they are poorly oriented in time and space at the moment, although they remember past events and dates. Memory gaps can be filled with hallucinations, sick fantasies.

Another disease that demonstrates how alcohol affects a person is hemorrhagic polioencephalitis, which is characterized by impaired speech activity, fever, and changes in the typical gait. People who are addicted to alcohol develop hallucinations, memory lapses. He enters an unconscious state, as a result of which bedsores appear, and the person can die.