Female alcoholism: where does the craving for alcohol begin and how to recognize this trouble? Alcoholism signs in women: symptoms and stages. Is there a cure for female alcoholism?

- pathological dependence on alcohol in women. Due to the physical, mental and endocrine characteristics of the body, the development and course of alcoholism in women in a certain way differs from a similar dependence in men. Female alcoholism develops in a short time, accompanied by rapid mental degradation and rapid destruction of internal organs. Often proceeds latently up to stage II or III. The diagnosis of “female alcoholism” is made on the basis of anamnesis, a survey, and tests for alcohol content in bodily fluids. Treatment - various types of coding in combination with psychotherapy.

General information

Women's alcoholism in society is treated more negatively than men's. Drinking men are stimulated to treatment, they try to educate, they take them to doctors. Women who drink are turned away. When the first signs of female alcoholism appear, or even just the publication of information about regular drinking, in the absence of obvious physical and psychological changes, a woman is less likely to receive help and support from relatives and friends. In advanced cases, after severing ties with the former environment and the fall of the social level, the support of others with female alcoholism becomes extremely unlikely.

Causes of female alcoholism

Alcoholism in women occurs under the influence of various factors and their combinations. Sometimes the cause is unfavorable heredity and family traditions that allow excessive drinking, drinking alcohol not only on holidays, but also on weekends, after work, etc. Often, female alcoholism develops due to psychological exhaustion. Modern representatives of the fair sex have to bear a heavy load, combine career advancement, household chores and caring for children. This leads to emotional breakdowns, which patients try to relieve with alcohol.

Women's alcoholism can also occur due to other problems. In particular, women who are housewives sometimes begin to drink alcohol to dispel the boredom provoked by the monotony of domestic worries and to eliminate the feeling of lack of demand due to the lack of professional fulfillment. Quite often, family problems become the impetus for the development of female alcoholism: husband's infidelity, dissatisfaction with family relationships, violence, loss of a loved one, divorce, etc.

Sometimes alcohol intake is provoked by loneliness, lack of full-fledged close relationships and lack of time to create a family. Female alcoholism also often develops in the wives and cohabitants of alcoholics. At first, the woman begins to take alcohol "for company" so as not to destroy the relationship and be able to control her husband's behavior. Subsequently, due to the rapid development of female alcoholism, she herself becomes the initiator of drinking. Often, the physical and moral degradation of such women occurs faster than that of their husbands, who began to drink alcohol earlier. As a result, the husbands of the patients initiate divorces and find other partners for themselves, and the women who are left alone quickly sink to the very bottom.

Dependence on alcohol in men, on average, occurs after 7-10 years of regular drinking, for the development of female alcoholism it takes only 5 years. The faster development of alcoholism is due to the psychological and physical characteristics of the body of the fair sex. Liver enzymes in women break down ethanol worse than in men. At the same time, blood flow in the depot organs (liver and spleen) in women is slower than in men. These factors provoke accelerated liver damage in female alcoholism.

The protective function of the blood-brain barrier in women is lower than in men, so alcohol and its decay products in large quantities penetrate the brain, quickly damage brain cells and destroy neural connections. This causes rapid mental degradation, deterioration of thinking, decrease in intelligence, loss of moral and ethical guidelines. Female alcoholism has an extremely negative effect on appearance. As a result of all of the above, an image of a typical alcoholic is formed - repulsive, devoid of individuality, interested only in finding and drinking alcohol.

Symptoms and stages of female alcoholism

The development of alcoholism in a woman is evidenced by her positive attitude towards drinking, bursts of vivacity and enthusiasm when offered to arrange a feast, self-initiation of alcohol consumption. A woman begins to take alcohol at every opportunity, motivating this by the need to relax after work, celebrate some minor event, etc. Patients with female alcoholism drink on a par with men. The dose required to achieve the state of intoxication is gradually increased.

Some women drink alcohol secretly, trying not to catch the eye of their family and friends. In such cases, female alcoholism can be suspected on the basis of indirect signs: no one knows where the money is disappearing, hidden full or open bottles, some disheveledness and a “tired” appearance, the smell of alcohol, which the patients try to kill using chewing gum, lollipops, coffee grains, etc. e. Over time, coarsening of the voice occurs. With female alcoholism, the character changes, the woman becomes less balanced, less likely to show empathy. Scandals and inexplicable emotional breakdowns are becoming more frequent.

Women's alcoholism, like men's, has three stages. At the first stage, the sense of proportion disappears, the individual “norm” necessary to achieve intoxication increases. The use of alcohol becomes regular, the patient, suffering from female alcoholism, is actively looking for reasons to drink. Nausea and vomiting disappear even after large doses of alcohol. There are gaps in memory. The next day after drinking alcohol, a hangover is observed. During long periods of sobriety there is a growing irritation.

The second stage of female alcoholism is characterized by the development of withdrawal syndrome. Tolerance to alcohol continues to increase and reaches a "plateau". Control over behavior after drinking alcohol is further reduced, aggression and immoral acts are possible. There are short-term, and then long-term binges. With a sharp interruption of hard drinking, the development of meth-alcohol psychoses is possible. The appearance is gradually deteriorating. The face of a patient with female alcoholism becomes moon-shaped, bags appear under the eyes, the skin acquires a yellowish or grayish tint.

The woman begins to neglect the rules of hygiene. She tries to hide the changes in her appearance by using a large amount of makeup, and because of this, she acquires a characteristic vulgar appearance. Female alcoholism leads to a slowdown in thinking and assimilation of new information. Without alcohol, there is constant aggression and irritability. Life priorities are changing, all interests are centered around drinking alcohol. There is a decline in moral standards. The condition of the internal organs gradually worsens.

In the third stage of female alcoholism, the amount of alcohol required to achieve a state of intoxication decreases. Pronounced intoxication occurs after one glass, after a further increase in the dose of alcohol, the state practically does not change. There is no control over the amount drunk. Gross changes in appearance are observed. At this stage of female alcoholism, severe pathological changes in the liver and gastrointestinal tract occur. Marked intellectual and moral degradation is noted. Emotions are flattened and impoverished.

Diagnosis of female alcoholism

The diagnosis of alcohol dependence in women is made on the basis of clinical symptoms. Any methods of laboratory research are of an auxiliary nature and cannot be evidence of alcoholism. Four signs are considered as the main diagnostic criteria for female alcoholism. The first is a change in the value system, an inappropriately high place for alcohol in the list of personal priorities. The second is the loss of control over the dose of alcohol (the patient almost always consumes more than planned). The third is the continuation of alcohol intake in spite of obstacles (personal, social and professional interests of a woman). The fourth is the development of an abstinence syndrome.

The first three signs confirm female alcoholism with the presence of mental dependence, the fourth indicates the development of physical dependence. The conversation with the patient is supplemented by testing using various questionnaires. The simplest survey for the preliminary diagnosis of female alcoholism includes only four questions:

Has the woman thought that it is time for her to stop drinking?
Does other people bother her with complaints about drinking?
Does she feel guilty about drinking alcohol?
did she ever want to get drunk?

The interview and the survey are supplemented by an external examination to identify specific markers of female alcoholism. Chronic alcohol abuse may be indicated by redness of the face, expansion of subcutaneous capillaries on the skin of the face, enlargement of the parotid glands, coated tongue, enlarged liver, trembling of the extremities, polyneuropathy, muscle atrophy, symmetrical reddening of the palms, increased sweating, telangiectasias, a transient increase in blood pressure and characteristic of the female alcoholism, a change in the figure (disappearance of the waist, thinning of the arms and legs in the presence of a stomach).

Treatment of female alcoholism

Treatment tactics are determined individually, depending on the duration of regular alcohol consumption, the stage of female alcoholism, health status, motivation level, strong-willed qualities, personality traits and some other factors. A prerequisite for successful treatment of female alcoholism is the complete rejection of alcohol. Reducing the dose and trying to "use in moderation" will obviously be unsuccessful, since the alcoholic is not able to control the amount of alcohol he drinks and breaks down even after taking a small dose.

, hypnosuggestive therapy, dual coding and other techniques. Detoxification measures must be carried out before coding.

Subsequently, the patient is referred to psychotherapy to identify the causes of the development of female alcoholism, to develop new ways of thinking and behavior. Psychologists and psychotherapists help the patient survive the difficult period of giving up alcohol, often accompanied by emotional breakdowns caused by changes in the usual way of life, the need to find new priorities, changes in relationships with loved ones, etc. In the process of treating female alcoholism, both individual and group psychotherapy are used. .

Female alcoholism is a pressing issue in modern society. According to various studies, the number of women with this disease in a chronic form in the Russian Federation is 15 percent of the total female population.

The main problem of female alcoholism

The key problem of female drunkenness is that this disease develops in women in a shorter time than in men. A number of features of the female body contribute to the rapid development of alcohol dependence.

The reasons for the rapid development of alcoholism in women are:

increased susceptibility to stress;
reduced ability of the body to process alcohol;
a lower percentage of water in the body;
higher absorption of ethanol in some situations;
features of alcohol consumption by women.

Increased susceptibility to stress
The female psyche is more vulnerable than the male one. This feature leads to the fact that the representatives of the weaker sex react more sharply to stress. Depression in women is more prolonged and often becomes chronic. One of the methods of dealing with stress for women is alcohol. Due to the effects, alcohol allows you to get rid of a depressive mood for a short time. But subsequently, acetaldehyde (a breakdown product of alcohol) provokes a number of negative changes in mental health. As a result, after drinking alcohol, depression is aggravated. A vicious circle is formed.

Decreased ability of the body to process alcohol
The female body processes alcohol worse than the male body for the following reasons:

a smaller amount of an enzyme that breaks down alcohol;
reduced blood flow in the liver and spleen;
weak excretory function;
reduced blood-brain barrier.

The enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase is responsible for the breakdown of alcohol after it enters the body. In the male body, this substance contains twice as much as in the female body. As a result, intoxication in women occurs faster, and the toxic effects of ethanol are more pronounced.
Another feature of the female body that impairs the process of detoxifying alcohol is slower blood flow in the liver and spleen. Because of this, the consequences of drinking alcohol appear faster and more vividly, and damage to these organs develops in a shorter time than in men.
The excretory function of the skin and kidneys in women is significantly lower than in men. This slows down the process of excretion of alcohol decay products from the body, as a result of which dependence on alcohol in women is formed much faster.
The blood-brain barrier (protection of the nervous system from chemical and other harmful agents) is weaker in women than in men. For this reason, alcohol penetrates neurons faster and destroys them. Therefore, negative changes in the nervous system are diagnosed in women at earlier stages of alcoholism.

Less percentage of water in the body
On average, the share of water in the body of a man is 60 percent of the total body weight. In women, this figure is less than 10 percent. This leads to the fact that with an equal amount of alcohol consumed, female intoxication occurs faster.

Higher absorption of ethanol in some situations
Hormonal restructuring of the body before the onset of menstruation in many women provokes a deterioration in mood, depression, nervousness. Often, representatives of the weaker sex try to cope with this condition with the help of alcohol. The situation is complicated by the fact that the use of alcohol in the premenstrual period causes a faster and more pronounced intoxication. This happens because before the onset of menstruation, the absorption function of the stomach increases.

Features of alcohol consumption by women
One of the distinguishing characteristics of female alcoholism is its secrecy. A man who abuses alcohol is not as strongly condemned by modern society as a drinking woman. Therefore, most often female representatives drink alone. For a long time, others are unaware of a woman's attachment to alcohol. As a result, medical care is provided with a delay, which greatly complicates treatment.

Signs of alcoholism in women

Signs of addiction to alcohol in women are changes in their appearance, behavior patterns, relationships with others. Also, the fact that the disease is progressing is evidenced by the dependence of the emotional state on the alcohol consumed. A change in the body's response to alcohol is also a symptom of alcoholism.

Signs of alcoholism in women include:

increased craving for alcohol;
loss of control over the amount of alcohol you drink;
decreased defensive reaction to alcohol;
change in appearance;
behavioral change.

Increased craving for alcohol
One of the first and main symptoms of developing alcoholism is an increased craving for alcoholic beverages. To justify the desire to drink, a woman finds various excuses, which are often insignificant. The reason for drinking alcohol can be a minor incident at work or at home, the purchase of some thing, or just a bad mood. In the absence of the opportunity to drink, a woman becomes irritable, nervous, tearful. Drinking alcohol allows you to improve your mood for a while, distract from experiences and become more optimistic.

Loss of control over the amount of alcohol you drink
The initial stages of female alcoholism are characterized by the use of low-alcohol drinks (wine, liquor, fruit tinctures). To improve the mood, a woman needs a few glasses of the drink. As you get used to it, the body stops responding to such volumes of alcohol. Therefore, in order to achieve the desired state (euphoria, joy), a woman begins to increase the amount of alcohol. Taste preferences also change, a woman switches from wine or other light drinks to vodka, cognac, whiskey. The quality of alcohol also changes with the development of the disease. If at first a woman prefers more expensive drinks, then later exposure, taste and other quality characteristics cease to play a big role. The main criteria that apply to the alcohol consumed are its strength and availability.

Decreased defensive response to alcohol
Large doses of alcohol can cause severe intoxication and death. Therefore, healthy people have a protective reaction, which manifests itself in the form of vomiting with excessive alcohol consumption. As alcoholism develops, a person begins to get used to ethanol and its loading doses are no longer recognized by the body as a poison. Therefore, one of the symptoms of this disease is the loss of the gag reflex when the standard rate of alcohol is exceeded.

Change in appearance
The manifestations of alcoholism in women from the side of appearance are:

voice change;
pathological growth of hairline;
premature aging of the skin;
unsatisfactory condition of the hair on the head;
the presence of traces of burst blood vessels on the face;
lack of fat layer.

With the development of alcoholism in the body of a woman, hormonal changes occur. As a result, her voice becomes rougher. Hair may also begin to grow in areas uncharacteristic of the female body (back, chest, face).
The systematic use of alcohol disrupts the absorption of vitamins. This leads to the fact that the skin loses its elasticity and becomes flabby, the muscles lose their tone. These changes are especially pronounced on the face of a drinking woman. Vitamin deficiency provokes a deterioration in the condition of the hairline on the head. Hair begins to fall out, becomes dull and lifeless.

One of the symptoms of female alcoholism is dark red dots on the nose and other areas of the face. This is due to the constant oxygen starvation of blood vessels and the massive death of red blood cells when drinking alcohol.
The destruction of adipose tissue is another sign of female alcoholism. The figure of an alcoholic loses the outlines characteristic of a woman, becomes masculine.

Behavioral change
Alcohol has a negative impact not only on the physiological, but also on the psycho-emotional aspects of the personality. In a sober state, a woman suffering from alcoholism is characterized by increased nervousness, aggressiveness, and irritability. When drinking alcohol, she becomes too active, talking loudly, laughing at inappropriate and "flat" jokes.
Under the influence of alcohol, the priorities and values of a person change. A drinking woman stops devoting time to her family, work, hobbies. At the same time, she easily finds a common language with strangers who share her addiction to alcohol. A frequent sign of female addiction to alcohol is promiscuity.

Consequences of alcoholism in women

The consequences of the systematic use of alcohol for a woman are manifested by various diseases. Alcohol negatively affects both physical and mental health. Also, alcoholism damages the social position of a woman and leads to severe degradation.

The consequences of female alcoholism are:

damage to the liver and kidneys;
disorders of the nervous system and psyche;
various diseases of internal organs;
problems of the sexual sphere and violation of the reproductive function;
loss of social position.

Liver and kidney damage
The size of the female liver is much smaller than the male one, and the enzyme that breaks down alcohol, this organ produces much less in women than in men. This leads to the fact that liver damage in female alcoholism occurs in a shorter period and is more pronounced. The most common pathologies are fatty liver, hepatitis and cirrhosis.
Alcohol has a negative effect on the functionality of the kidneys and adrenal glands. The consequences of alcoholism include such pathological processes as the formation of kidney stones, inflammation, and the development of malignant tumors. Often, alcohol abuse provokes a disease such as alcoholic nephropathy. This disease is manifested by high blood pressure (slightly), the presence of protein and blood in the urine, swelling on the face. If left untreated, alcoholic nephropathy becomes chronic, which can lead to kidney failure.

Disorders of the nervous system and psyche

Nerve cells are most susceptible to the harmful effects of alcohol. According to pathologists (doctors who perform autopsies), the brains of women suffering from alcoholism are covered with scars, the convolutions are smoothed out, and the frontal lobes atrophy. Those areas of the brain that control thought processes, memory, speech, and logic are especially vulnerable. Intellectual abilities are reduced, it becomes difficult for a woman to build complex sentences, and speech becomes primitive. Previously acquired skills are lost, and there is no motivation to acquire new knowledge. All this leads to the degradation of the individual.
Alcoholic psychosis is a common consequence of female alcoholism. Auditory and visual hallucinations, delusions and other disorders of consciousness lead to the fact that a woman becomes a danger to society. Often, such people inflict various injuries on themselves (in some cases, their loved ones), and attempt to commit suicide.

Various diseases of the internal organs
Alcohol causes a complex defeat of all organs and systems of the female body.

The consequences of alcoholism for women are:

Cardiovascular diseases. One of the most common diseases in alcoholics is alcoholic cardiomyopathy (damage to the heart muscle, as a result of which its ability to contract is lost).
Diseases of the pancreas. Alcohol enhances the outflow of bile and causes spasm of the ducts of this organ, which leads to the development of inflammatory processes.
Pathology of the stomach. Ethanol destroys the gastric mucosa, as a result of which women who drink often suffer from gastritis.
Diseases of the blood. With the systematic use of alcohol, the qualitative composition of the blood is disturbed. Often, alcoholics develop hemolytic anemia due to the death of red blood cells.

Sexual problems and reproductive dysfunction
Under the influence of alcohol, a woman's morality decreases, which leads to disorderly intimate relationships without sexual hygiene. Often, representatives of the weaker sex who are fond of alcohol become infected with various sexually transmitted diseases. As alcoholism progresses, libido decreases, a woman loses interest in men due to frigidity.
Pathological changes also occur in the structure of the genital organs. The function of the ovaries weakens, and mutations occur in the produced eggs. All this leads to the fact that the reproductive function weakens, and eventually fades away completely. If a woman becomes pregnant, alcoholism often provokes miscarriages, stillbirths, or premature babies. Children of alcoholic mothers are often born with various physiological and mental abnormalities.

Loss of social position
The social consequences of female alcoholism are more pronounced in comparison with male addiction. The systematic use of alcohol leads to the fact that a woman quickly loses her professional skills. It also reduces the level of responsibility for one's own actions. Being late, absenteeism, violations of discipline, making serious mistakes in the workplace - all this leads to the loss of a job. Left without a livelihood, many drunken women commit crimes of the law. The loss of moral standards, combined with the lack of material resources, often leads to begging, theft, and prostitution.

Features of the treatment of female alcoholism

Features of the treatment of alcohol dependence in women are based on the difference between male and female drunkenness. The female psyche is more vulnerable, so alcoholism in women most often develops against the background of psycho-emotional factors. Divorce or problems in personal life, lack of professional self-realization and other similar circumstances provoke a desire to relax and distract from problems with the help of alcohol. Taking into account these points, the fight against female alcoholism should combine drug treatment and psychotherapy. Since women are more dependent on the opinions of others, therapy should also include work with family members.

Child and adolescent alcoholism

Childhood and adolescent alcoholism is a disease that is characterized by the appearance of addiction to alcohol and dependence on them at the mental and physical levels.
Not every child or teen who drinks alcohol is diagnosed with alcoholism. In children's narcology, the use of alcohol is divided into three main types.

Types of alcohol consumption by children and adolescents are:

experimental use;
episodic use;
systematic use.

Experimental drinking is said to be when a child or teenager only tastes alcohol once or twice.
Occasional drinking is considered if alcohol is consumed up to two times a month. The systematic use of alcohol - more than twice a month - is recognized by children's narcologists as the initial stage of alcoholism.

Causes of alcoholism in children and adolescents

One of the common causes of alcoholism in children and adolescents is currently identified as a genetic predisposition. In a family where at least one of the parents suffers from alcohol dependence, the risk of the disease in a child is four times higher than in a healthy family.

The causes of alcoholism in children and adolescents vary greatly by age.

The most critical age periods when addiction to alcohol appears are:

the period of intrauterine development and the period of the baby;
preschool age (5 - 7 years);
adolescence (from 13 to 14 years old).

The period of intrauterine development and the period of the baby
During the period of intrauterine development and during the period of infants, the development of alcoholism occurs unconsciously. With the systematic use of alcoholic beverages by a pregnant woman, alcohol easily overcomes the placental barrier and circulates in the blood of the fetus. This causes various physical and mental anomalies in the development of the fetus, including the development of intrauterine dependence (congenital alcoholism). Alcohol also has the ability to pass into the breast milk of a nursing mother. The risk of developing alcohol dependence in infants increases several times with "alcoholic" mothers.

preschool age
At preschool age, alcohol dependence in children develops due to the irresponsibility of parents.

The main reasons for the development of alcoholism in preschool age are:

parental addiction to alcohol - the alcoholic environment forms children's interest in alcohol;
frivolous attitude of parents to alcohol - many parents give their children to try sweet alcoholic drinks, thereby showing that this is not forbidden and even tasty;
parents' opinion on the positive effect of alcohol on sleep and appetite Often parents add alcohol to their child's food or drink to increase appetite or improve digestion, to help them fall asleep quickly and sleep soundly.

Teenage years
Alcoholism in adolescence develops more consciously.

The most common causes of teen alcoholism are:

problems within the family;
family violence;
death or loss of a loved one or animal;
the desire to imitate adults;
school problems;
peer violence;
unsuccessful loves;
desire to assert itself in the company;
the presence of uncontrolled amounts of money.

The availability and cheapness of alcoholic beverages, as well as its popularization on television screens and in stores, further contribute to the development of the disease.

Stages of alcoholism in adolescents and children

The development of child and adolescent alcoholism can be divided into three distinct stages.

The stages of child alcoholism are:

I stage - habituation;
II stage – systematization and increase of doses;
III stage - dependencies.

The first stage of development of teenage alcoholism lasts up to 5 - 6 months. During this period, the young body quickly gets used to alcohol.

At the second stage of the development of the disease, an increase in the doses of alcohol consumed is observed. Children and adolescents begin to drink quite regularly and in large quantities. This stage can last for about a year. Its main characteristic is the change in the behavior of the child/adolescent with the development of sociopathy.

The third stage in the development of child alcoholism is the establishment of mental and physiological dependence on ethyl alcohol.

In the chronic course of the disease, an abstinence syndrome appears (withdrawal after stopping alcohol). In children, withdrawal symptoms are more pronounced than in adults, but disappear in a shorter period of time.

The effect of alcohol on children and adolescents

A young organism, unlike an adult, is very vulnerable to the effects of ethyl alcohol (alcohol). For the normal breakdown of ethyl alcohol in the human body, there is a special enzyme (active substance) - alcohol dehydrogenase. In a young organism, its activity is not sufficiently pronounced, which contributes to the long-term toxic effects of alcohol on all tissues and organs.
The systemic use of alcoholic beverages leads to a disruption in the development and functioning of vital systems and organs that have not yet fully formed.

The systems and organs that are particularly affected by childhood and adolescent alcoholism are:

brain;
the cardiovascular system;
liver;
pancreas;
digestive system;
the immune system;
reproductive system.

Brain
Ethyl alcohol quickly crosses the blood-brain barrier (the boundary between the blood and the medulla), reaching high concentrations in the brain compared to the concentration of alcohol in the blood. Violated basic thought processes with a decrease in intellectual capabilities. In children, concentration decreases and memory deteriorates. Particularly affected are the processes of formation of abstract thinking and logic. Psychopathy gradually develops with increased excitability, irascibility and aggression.

The cardiovascular system
Alcohol adversely affects the baby's heart tissue. The myocardium (muscular tissue of the heart) becomes "decrepit" and loses its elasticity. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy (inflammation of the myocardium) with severe rhythm and conduction disturbances develops rather quickly. The child/adolescent has tachycardia (rapid heartbeat over 120 beats per minute) with persistent shortness of breath. Blood pressure rises above 160/90 millimeters of mercury.
Chronic alcoholism leads to the development of heart failure with an increased risk of cardiac arrest.

Liver
The liver is the second organ most affected by alcohol addiction. Lack of liver enzymes leads to permanent overwork of the liver. This leads to hyperplasia (degeneration) of the liver tissue and the development of toxic hepatitis (inflammation of the liver). Acute alcoholic hepatitis is accompanied by fever (temperature above 37.5 degrees Celsius), jaundice, liver tenderness.
In children, toxic hepatitis can quickly lead to destruction of the liver tissue and the development of cirrhosis. Liver failure appears with severe encephalopathy (brain damage).

Pancreas
Alcoholism in children and adolescents often develops acute pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). Its main symptom is acute abdominal pain that appears after drinking alcohol. Multiple vomiting is possible.
Young children with alcoholism can develop diabetes mellitus, which is especially severe.

Digestive system
Of the organs of the digestive system in children, the stomach is primarily affected with the development of acute gastritis. There are constant aching pains in the abdomen, nausea, infertility, and boys - erectile dysfunction.

Secondly, due to alcoholism, there is often a premature onset of sexual activity with numerous unprotected sexual contacts. As a result, the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and sexually transmitted diseases (viral hepatitis, HIV infection) increases.

Treatment of child and adolescent alcoholism

Treatment of childhood and adolescent alcoholism compared with adults has a number of difficulties.

The main difficulties in the treatment of childhood alcoholism are:

difficulties in early diagnosis of the disease;
many drugs used to treat alcoholism are contraindicated in children;
the need for strict inpatient treatment;
individual psychological approach.

The first difficulty in the treatment of childhood alcoholism is the late diagnosis of the disease. Most often, children who are in the second and third stages of the development of the disease get to the hospital. These children have irreversible disturbances in the functioning of the brain, which complicates their subsequent integration into normal life.
Another barrier in the treatment of childhood alcoholism is the inability to use the usual medications due to contraindications due to age. Most drugs have severe hepatotoxic (liver-damaging) and nephrotoxic (kidney-damaging) side effects. For this reason, the treatment of alcoholism in children consists in the use of herbs and preparations with a restorative effect.

Experts in narcological diseases believe that women's alcoholism has a more unfavorable course and accelerated development compared to men's. The female body, due to its physiological and anatomical abilities, has a reduced tolerance (tolerance) to alcoholic beverages, and signs of alcoholism in women become apparent in a shorter period.

Congenital instability of women to alcohol is low for the reason that their liver and blood contain fewer enzymes responsible for the breakdown of ethanol. Also, women have less fluid in the body that can dissolve the incoming alcohol.

From the initial to the acute stage of the disease, which is characterized by the appearance of withdrawal symptoms (hangover) in women, it can take from 2 to 4 years. Men acquire physical dependence on alcohol much later - after 5 or more years. Of course, we are talking about averaged data: in practice, there are also reverse cases, depending on the individual characteristics of the organism.

The first symptoms of female alcoholism

Most women try to hide their addiction to alcohol, and drink alone much more often than men. Relatives and close women can sometimes for a long time not be aware that she has an addiction. Frequent causes of female alcoholism are psycho-emotional shock - the betrayal of a husband, the death of a loved one.

At the beginning of the disease, the external signs of the effects of alcohol on the body of a woman can skillfully hide with the help of cosmetics. However, this disguise is only effective for a short period. Violations in the psychological and physical spheres soon lead women to such a state that it is no longer possible to hide the signs of alcoholism from others.

External symptoms of the development of alcohol dependence in women include:

swollen face with swollen under-eye bags;
hyperemia (reddening of the skin: appears as spots or red streaks on the face);
poor condition of the skin, hair and nails;
tremor (trembling) of the hands;
running glance;

Indirect signs include external untidiness, bruising and slovenliness - all those signs that distinguish a drinker, even if he tries to maintain a respectable appearance, from a teetotaler.

There are also signs of a psychological plan by which a drinking woman can be identified:

she becomes irritable, tearful;
her circle of interests changes;
she ceases to meet with former girlfriends and seeks solitude;
her memory and intellect are deteriorating;

At this stage, a woman develops a strong emotional attraction to alcohol - more precisely, to those deceptive feelings of calm and euphoria that alcohol gives. Gradually, the satisfaction from drinking alcohol fades away, and only the desire to lose sobriety remains from the former joy.

Signs of the second stage of alcoholism

The second stage of alcoholism, which is also called acute, is characterized by the appearance of physical dependence on alcohol. This is expressed in the appearance of an abstinence syndrome in the morning - a serious condition of the body, which can be temporarily improved by taking another dose of alcohol. This is how binges develop - the systematic everyday use of alcohol against the background of an increase in the severity of a hangover.

Physical state

At this stage, the woman's body undergoes serious physical damage to internal organs and systems:

First of all, the liver suffers - in women, the development of alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis can occur much faster than in men.
Reproductive functions also suffer - in alcoholics, the menstrual cycle is disturbed, the resistance of the reproductive system to infections worsens, and pregnancy often leads to miscarriage or the development of an inferior child. Statistics show that only 10% of alcoholic women have normal gonadal function.
The heart and blood vessels of a woman wear out quickly due to increased load, which leads to tachycardia, high blood pressure, heart failure, and cerebrovascular accidents.
The stomach and intestines respond to constant intoxication with disorders and the formation of ulcers on the mucous membrane.

The appearance of a woman continues to change for the worse - all signs of the first stage increase, the drinker may become too thin or too fat (this is due to metabolic disorders), her skin may acquire a yellowish-gray tint, signs of premature aging become more pronounced. The voice becomes hoarse and masculine.

In a state of withdrawal syndrome (abstinence), women may experience exacerbations of any existing internal diseases. Binge puts the body in a state of extreme vitality, at the cellular level depending on the intake of alcohol. It is very important to stop the binge in time - the best way to do this is by calling drug treatment. Alcohol detoxification of the body, especially carried out in a hospital, is the first step towards a cure for this dangerous disease.

Psychological condition

Pathological transformations also occur in the psychological sphere:

Control over the amount of alcohol consumed is reduced or absent altogether, which leads to constant intoxication of the body.
The products of alcoholic decay adversely affect brain cells, causing their necrosis. This is manifested in the development of alcoholic psychoses - hallucinations, delirium tremens, delusions of a different nature, paranoia and alcoholic dementia (dementia). Violations in the activity of the brain are also manifested by memory lapses, aggressiveness and loss of life values. The family for alcoholic women is no longer a priority value. The drinker very quickly becomes indifferent to her children, parents, husband.
In drinking women, the control of sexual desire is weakened, which leads to an increase in the number of sexual partners and, as a result, to an infectious sexually transmitted disease.

The social consequences of alcohol dependence in women are much more pronounced than in men. A rapid decline in intelligence and a change in personal qualities (a tendency to hysteria, viciousness and aggressiveness) of drinking women contribute to the loss of work, the loss of professional skills or the transition to unskilled work. Alcohol degradation rapidly and catastrophically destroys a woman's life and places her on the social bottom.

It is very important for relatives and friends who have discovered the first signs of alcohol addiction in their mother, daughter or wife to talk with the patient and convince her of the need for urgent therapeutic measures. There is an opinion that female alcoholism is almost impossible to cure, but medicine claims that with timely access to a specialized clinic, a woman can be returned to normal life.

Today, a rather serious social problem in Russia is female alcoholism. According to statistics, for every one hundred male alcoholics, there are about fifty women with such an addiction. Mostly young girls and middle-aged women (30-40 years old) are subject to alcoholism. As people say: “If a man drinks, it’s scary, but if a woman drinks, it’s doubly scary.”

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Our mentality is such that the weaker sex is assigned the role of patient housewives, who bear the sins of their husbands, their rudeness and drunkenness. In this light, female alcoholism is an unforgivable and unacceptable way of life for a woman. Consequently, often the representatives of the weaker sex are left only to themselves in solving this problem.

In this article, we will find out what are the signs of an emerging alcohol addiction, what are the reasons why women are addicted to alcohol, and how to cure the beautiful half of humanity from alcoholism.

Is there a cure for female alcoholism?

Many of us believe that female alcoholism is incurable. Such a statement from some point of view can be considered quite justified, but if you look at it from the social side, then the weaker sex tends to hide such dependence, because society has a negative attitude towards this problem.

If a drunk man - no one is surprised, but if a drunk woman - a reason for condemnation and gossip. On the part of family relationships, the weaker sex is also more vulnerable to alcohol than men. If they drink, women try to kick the habit by being caring and often co-dependent (adjusting their lifestyle and empathizing with the alcoholic). In most cases, men do not tend to empathize with the problems of women, so many people consider the simplest solution to simply leave the alcoholic. This is not at all why alcoholism is incurable, but there are very real reasons why in women the course of alcoholism is often irreversible.

What are the causes of female alcoholism?

Today, despite the endurance and stability of the weaker sex in the face of various life problems, the mental and emotional health of a woman is often on the verge. Physical and psychological violence, poor quality of life, lack of personal life and self-realization in a career, material situation - all this can indirectly affect women. Loneliness is another common cause of female alcoholism. Giving themselves completely to their careers, many women often experience a lack of attention from the male side. Devoting herself to the family, a woman counts on the care and support of her husband. And when he grows cold towards her over the years, children grow up and live their own lives, then she feels loneliness and does not know what to do with herself.

The male body is the most resistant to the influence of alcohol. Various alcoholic drinks are always drunk openly as relaxation after a hard day, while the fair sex tends to hide such relaxation, trying to keep a reputation with their spouse, their environment and children. Thus, alcoholism in women is transformed much faster. And if the very first signs of alcoholism can still be hidden, but over time, the symptoms of alcoholism appear on the face.

Video about the problem of "Alcoholism" from Oleg Boldyrev

Treatment of alcoholism. Candidate of Medical Sciences, psychiatrist-narcologist, psychotherapist - Oleg Boldyrev, about whether it is possible to cure forever drug addicts and people suffering from alcoholism or not.

Does your wife have an alcohol addiction? Help cure alcoholism in our clinic!

Symptoms of alcoholism

And yet, which women are most susceptible to alcoholism? Most often, women who are unsure of themselves, timid and focused only on their own problems fall into alcohol addiction. Busy and strong-willed women rarely experience this problem. So, what are the first signs of female alcoholism:

A woman stops caring for herself;
coarsening of character and voice;
Positive attitude towards fairly frequent feasts, great joy from the opportunity to drink with friends;
The ability to drink alcoholic beverages without getting drunk;
Frequent memory impairment with alcohol intoxication.

Alcoholism in women has a gradual, but rather rapid development. Its stages are the same, however, as in male alcoholism. To date, there are three stages of female alcoholism.

1 stage. A woman cannot stop, does not feel the measure, a few hours after drinking alcohol, memory lapses and a hangover are possible. Here, the signs of alcoholism are not yet significant, but the frequent appearance of alcoholic beverages next to her should alert all family members. Treatment of alcoholism in women at this stage can be without the use of narcotic drugs.

2 stage. Sleep is disturbed and appetite is lost. There is a persistent craving for alcoholic beverages, that is, withdrawal syndrome or withdrawal. Such alcoholism modifies the behavior of a woman: she can commit immoral acts. Without alcohol, a woman feels aggressive and irritable. There is a violation in thinking, she "slows down" with the answer, slowly completing the tasks. External signs of alcoholism also appear: the hair becomes dull, dry, the skin condition worsens, in turn, the face takes on a moon-shaped appearance, the nose is flattened, sharp features are lost, and bags under the eyes appear. At this stage of alcoholism, women tend to hide their shortcomings with cosmetics and neglect hygiene. The treatment of alcoholism requires special attention from the psychotherapist and treatment with the help of medications.

3 stage. Symptoms, photos of which can be found on the Internet, show that the woman's face is losing its attractiveness, and the woman's internal organs acquire pathological changes. There are serious problems with the gastrointestinal tract and liver - constant companions of this stage of female alcoholism. Alcohol is taken several times a day, replacing meals. Is there a cure for alcoholism in women in stage 3? As with alcoholism in men, the prognosis is poor. Even if you refuse to use alcoholic beverages, the body is already poisoned, and health is undermined.

Beer alcoholism in women

Keep in mind that beer is just as much an alcoholic beverage as other spirits. From such alcoholism, young people often become an inveterate drunkard, since it is inexpensive and more accessible. The state of beer intoxication is not the most dangerous problem of those pursued by the weaker sex. After all, beer is a source of natural hormones that adversely affect both women and men. But how does beer affect the female body?

The first thing a woman should take care of is her childbearing function. Beer suppresses the production of estrogens - female hormones, which can be the main cause of infertility and hormonal imbalance. Beer alcoholism in women disrupts the nutrition of nerves and soft tissues in the limbs. A striking symptom of such alcoholism is the disproportionate thinness of the lower extremities.

Anna Mironova

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We all have seen. Women alcoholics are rarer. In any case, they do not come across so often in our field of vision. Because they hide their addiction to the last, in order to protect themselves from censure and not become an outcast in society. What are the causes and consequences of female alcoholism? Why is he scary? Are there any ways to treat it?

Causes of female alcoholism

Increasingly, in recent years, diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis and hypertension . For the most part, this is due to the excessive consumption of well-known drinks, which eventually develops into chronic alcoholism. According to statistics, the development of female alcoholism is taking place at a rapid pace, and the country will face a demographic catastrophe if this situation does not change. What pushes a woman to a bottle?

Beer, gin and tonics, alcoholic cocktails and other strong drinks have become very popular in our time.. They are considered absolutely harmless, very pleasant, an excellent tool for relaxation and ease of communication. Of course, few people think about the dangers of such drinks. Because everything is ahead, and life is beautiful. However, the systematic use of these drinks in the company or while watching TV after work (alone) creates that attachment, which over time flows into alcoholism.
Loneliness, feeling of absolute uselessness, mental trauma, depression, hopelessness . Reasons that become a springboard to where there may be no way back. Status in society does not matter. About half of women who suffer from alcoholism are single or have serious psychological problems.
Husband is an alcoholic. Unfortunately, this situation often becomes the cause of female alcoholism. Either a man is treated, or a divorce occurs, or a spouse falls into an alcoholic abyss following her husband.
Climax. The physical and psychological discomfort that comes with menopause is something that not all women can bear. Some relieve stress with alcohol. That gradually turns into a habit, which is no longer possible to control.

According to doctors, even drinking one hundred grams of strong drink twice a month is alcohol addiction. But the "culture of drinking" in Russia has always been peculiar. If in Europe one glass can be stretched into several toasts, then in our country they drink “To the bottom!” and "Between the first and second one more." Again, in the West it is customary to dilute strong drinks, and if during our feast someone offers to dilute vodka ... there is no need to even say. Worse yet, many people simply don’t know about other ways to relax.

Why is female alcoholism worse than male alcoholism?

What is terrible female alcoholism. Consequences

The "Green Serpent" and its consequences change a woman beyond recognition. Both psychologically and externally. What exactly happens to an alcoholic woman? What is fraught with alcoholism?

Appearance is changing. An unhealthy shine of the eyes, redness of the face and cyanotic spots appear. Hair is dull, tangled, greasy. Such a woman speaks in a raised tone, gesticulates nervously, and perceives ignoring as a personal insult.
Subcutaneous fatty tissue disappears. Arms, legs and shoulders lose their smooth lines, acquire an overly pronounced muscle relief.
The body of a woman with alcoholism begins to age early. The teeth crumble and darken, the hair turns gray and falls out, the skin wrinkles and becomes decrepit.
All systems and internal organs are affected - cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, endocrine, etc.
Thyroid malfunctions begin , which leads to arrhythmias, to excessive fullness or thinness.
Destruction of adrenal tissue , the production of hormones is reduced under the influence of toxic substances of alcohol.
Toxic alcoholic nephropathy - one of the possible consequences of alcoholism. The main symptoms are high blood pressure, facial swelling, protein and blood in the urine. With this disease, the kidney tissue begins to die. The result is acute renal failure and death.
Diseases of the reproductive and genitourinary systems. Cystitis, pyelonephritis and other female ailments haunt women alcoholics all the time. And given that alcohol leads to swagger in behavior, promiscuity and a complete lack of hygiene become the norm for such a woman. Which, in turn, leads to sexually transmitted diseases, frigidity, and AIDS.
Mutations occur in the eggs of an alcoholic woman. The result is miscarriage, the birth of handicapped children and stillbirth.
Ovarian function weakens which changes the general hormonal background. The production of female hormones decreases, the production of male hormones increases. As a result - the growth of mustaches and beards, hair growth on the chest, back, legs, thinness, etc. Further - uterine bleeding, early menopause.
- it often ends criminal and medical abortions, provoking miscarriage, death from complications ectopic pregnancy or (this is the best case) abandonment of a born child .
Personality change , damage to the nervous system. Hysteria, isolation, instability of mood, depression, hopelessness. Often it ends in suicide.
Dulling the instinct of self-preservation , reduction of habitual reactions.
Loss of trust in loved ones divorce, job loss, social rejection, etc.

Can female alcoholism be cured?

They say female alcoholism is not treatable. But this is not true. It can be cured , albeit with a reservation for certain female characteristics. Moreover, more than eighty percent of success depends on the willpower of a woman and her desire to "tie up". Alcoholism is mostly a psychological addiction. And at the initial stage, you can still cope with psychotherapeutic methods. With the formed, stable need for alcohol, without an integrated approach, as well as specialists, it will not work.

Treatment methods for female alcoholism

The fight against alcoholism is, first of all, a set of measures, united by one big desire of the patient to stop drinking. But the hardest thing is woman's adaptation to life that no longer contains alcohol. What methods are used today to combat the "green serpent"?

Psychotherapy.
Pharmacotherapy.
The use of drugs that cause aversion to alcohol.
The use of drugs that block the breakdown of alcohol and, thereby, causing his rejection.
coding techniques.
Taking drugs to normalize the work of internal systems and organs.
Phytotherapy.
Acupuncture.
Laser exposure as part of complex therapy.
Hypnosis.

Folk methods of treatment of alcoholism

Usually, self-treatment of alcoholism at home does not bring success. Given the severity of the disease and its consequences, of course, all methods can be tried, if only to achieve a result. But according to statistics, the most effective are Dovzhenko method, hypnosis and coding. The main thing is to remember that without the awareness and sincere desire of the woman, the treatment will not be successful.