Alcohol dependence is a problem familiar to many families. Some people do not realize the danger of alcohol cravings, they consider it a common bad habit that can be eliminated with a simple will effort. In fact, with the development of psychological and physical dependence on alcohol, only professional drug therapists who can stop the patient can help.
Alcoholism is a dangerous chronic disease. When not treated in time, the risk of pathological disorders of internal organs and systems, personality degradation and premature death increases.
How to persuade a person to stop drinking
One of the main problems faced by drug addicts is how to persuade a person to stop drinking. The problem is that after the formation of its dependence, a person loses the ability to objectively assess the surrounding reality. For this reason, he can be sure that everything is in order for him, and if necessary, he will give up alcohol at any time.
In fact, there is still time for physical dependence to develop. Ethanol toxins penetrate into tissues and internal organs, are actively involved in metabolism. Alcohol is necessary for the normal functioning of the body, and as its level drops, a person begins to experience unbearable withdrawal symptoms. The easiest way to deal with them is to take another dose of alcohol. This leads to prolonged drinking, the development of addiction, the appearance of accompanying chronic diseases.
It is not easy to give up alcohol and compulsory therapy is prohibited. Such a decision can only be made in court. However, medical care without the patient's consent is ineffective. As long as a person does not want to stop drinking, the probability of relapse will remain very high.
Alternatives to compulsory treatment
It is recommended to intervene with relatives to obtain the consent of the alcoholic. To do this, all family members must unite and act together:
- Avoid ultimatums, threats and scandals. This will not help to convince the alcoholic to get rid of the addiction. On the contrary, a person may become even more withdrawn.
- Any help in resolving the problems caused by alcoholism should be given up until the patient agrees to take medication.
- The use of folk methods and techniques should be abandoned. They can only help in the early stages of addiction, and not always after that. Often, the patient's condition can only worsen, and alcoholism will progress to the next stage.
- Instead, you should choose a drug treatment clinic in advance.
- Use the situation when the patient suffers from withdrawal symptoms. They are so intolerant that most of them agree to see a doctor to stop the suffering.
Another way is to contact the psychologist-motivators of the drug clinic. They have secret conversations at home and are well aware of the characteristics of the psychology of alcoholics in order to get results.
Motivation to get rid of addiction
A sincere conversation will help the alcoholic to make an important choice and agree to go through all stages of complex therapy. During this time, relatives will be able to come up with difficult arguments and motives that will convince a person to make this responsible decision. These motives may include:
- Children and Family - Expecting or planning a child is not compatible with alcoholism, such as raising young children. For some, the decisive factor is the real and perceived danger of losing a family.
- The state of health, when new diseases begin to be discovered in a person, the internal organs gradually fail, systemic failures occur in the body, which is clear evidence that it is necessary to stop.
- Career begins to suffer a lot due to addiction. The prospect of losing your job is a good stimulus for anything that will be achieved earlier in the professional field. Over time, alcohol consumption inevitably affects labor success: decreased brain activity, weakened sense of responsibility, and lack of discipline.
- Reputation is not often the main reason for giving up alcohol, but it does exist. At the very least, this argument should be used in conjunction with other motives for the alcoholic to give up alcohol. If the patient has a chronic addiction, he loses self-esteem due to severe psychological changes and degradation of personality.
- Mental or physical fatigue from the systematic use of alcohol. In some cases, it is possible for a person to look at himself objectively from the outside, to realize the futility and hopelessness of such a situation. The main thing is that the patient stops enjoying alcohol, leaving no trace of previous satisfaction.
- Significant changes in life. In this case, a clear understanding of the dullness of the existing reality and the desire to radically change everything must play a role.
After obtaining voluntary and informed consent to the complex treatment of alcoholism, you should proceed to the stages of therapy. The program is developed on an individual basis, taking into account the psychological and physiological characteristics of the patient. If necessary, regular meetings with a psychotherapist are held to maintain the required level of motivation.
How to start treatment for addiction?
Patients and their relatives must be prepared for the fact that the fight against alcoholism will take a long time - on average about a year. To begin with, doctors do everything possible to rid the body of alcohol residues and ethanol toxins.
To do this, if the patient can not tolerate alcohol alone for a week, the drug is detoxified. They do the same thing when they stop drinking.
The patient is given a drop of strong medication in the form of solutions. Even if you read a lot of articles on the Internet, there are two reasons why independent organization of diffuse therapy is not possible:
- Only an experienced doctor, based on the results of rapid diagnostics, can determine what drugs will be included in the drops, what is the dose.
- Basically, when removing a person from heavy drinks and cleansing the body of toxins, powerful drugs that can be bought in pharmacies only with a doctor's prescription are used.
The drops are put on for about two hours. During all this time, the narcologist is with the alcohol, monitoring the vital signs. He puts out the medicine for the next few days and gives advice on what to do when the patient regains consciousness.
Diagnostics
You need to undergo a thorough examination to decide which methods to use in the treatment of alcohol dependence. This allows you to accurately diagnose the patient and identify all available risk factors.
Diagnosis includes examination of the patient and questioning, appointment of laboratory tests. This set of measures allows you to build the following:
- addiction phase;
- physiological and psychological features;
- how long a person has been drinking and how often, what alcohol he prefers;
- if treatment is not performed for the first time, past experience is indicated as to what caused the recurrence;
- accompanying chronic diseases and dangerous disorders;
- allergic reactions;
- intolerance to individual components of drugs;
- the patient's level of motivation, how much he wants to get rid of the addiction.
After evaluating the results, the narcologist discusses a comprehensive treatment program with the patient and his relatives during the consultation, gives recommendations on the most effective therapy.
Coding
The next step in the fight against alcoholism is coding. Doctors use both medicinal and non-medicinal methods. Diagnosis only helps determine which of the options will be effective and safe.
Alcohol coding can be done at home or in a hospital setting. It all depends on the patient's condition and the recommendations of the attending physician. Common coding methods for drinking alcohol include:
- Implant application or other methods of injecting drugs based on disulfira. The active ingredient blocks liver enzymes that are responsible for breaking down ethanol toxins into water and carbon dioxide, which are completely harmless to humans. When this does not happen, the accident patient experiences unbearable symptoms of severe intoxication. The patient's condition worsens within minutes, even with small doses of alcohol. This is an effective method of inhibitory therapy because it creates a stable psychological barrier for a person. He always remembers that if he dares to drink, he can die. If an effective antidote is not given in time, the risk of death is high.
- Use of naltrexone-based drugs. This is another drug coding technique, but not as dramatic as before. In this case, the active substance blocks the receptors in the brain that are responsible for enjoying drinking. As a result, if the patient still dares to drink after coding, he will simply not feel anything. Therefore, he will decide to give up alcohol, because it is meaningless, at least during the coding process.
- Psychotherapeutic technique based on immersing the patient in a deep trance. In this position, the patient's ability to propose significantly increases, he knows exactly where he is and what happened to him. An experienced doctor will give you clear guidelines for abstaining from alcohol and living a healthy lifestyle in the future.
The coding period is from a few months to five years. Often they choose a coding for a year, this time enough to stop drinking, the patient was able to realize the benefits of a sober life, was able to go through the remaining stages of complex therapy.
Psychological rehabilitation
To enhance the effect obtained after coding, it is necessary to take a course of psychological rehabilitation in the inpatient department of a drug clinic. If it was possible to arrange the earlier stages of treatment at home, now hospitalization is required. This is the only way to rule out the possibility of relapse, which protects a person from negative external social influences.
During psychological rehabilitation, it is finally possible to eliminate the physical and psychological urge to drink alcohol. The following techniques are used for this:
- Individual and group psychological sessions that help the patient to understand their problems, learn to solve life's problems and have fun without drinking alcohol.
- The 12-step rehabilitation program is an effective technique originally from the United States. Recognition of helplessness in the face of a problem is based on accepting help from the Almighty (be it a religion or a mentor - a former alcoholic who has successfully recovered through this program).
- Day Top rehabilitation program is based on the possibility of self-healing, the doctor takes an observer position.
- Family psychotherapy helps not only alcoholics, but also their relatives to restore family relationships when they develop a communal addiction.
To prevent relapse, each patient receives post-rehabilitation psychological support after discharge from the hospital.