Regular consumption of any alcoholic beverages cannot last long without consequences. The so-called beer alcoholism develops much more slowly than strong alcohol dependence, and this is its particular danger.
What is the danger of beer
For the development of alcoholism, the type of alcohol does not matter. The disease is formed when drinking wine, vodka, moonshine, alcoholic cocktails and beer. The only thing that low-alcohol drinks affect is the rate of addiction formation. In this regard, beer is considered one of the most dangerous drinks. And that's why.
- Alcohol in it contains from 4 to 14%, which does not cause concern for the majority. Indeed, in such harmless drinks as kvass or kefir, there is also alcohol.
- The beer is delicious. Unlike vodka or moonshine, which need to be "pushed" inside, the intoxicating liquid can be savored as much as you like and you often want to repeat the pleasure.
- In terms of popularity, beer ranks first in almost all segments of the population: men, women, and teenagers drink it. In obsessive advertising, it is presented as an ordinary soft drink.
- In addition to alcohol, most varieties contain a number of substances that negatively affect the endocrine and cardiovascular systems.
If we consider the above facts in more detail, it becomes clear that there is nothing safe in this drink. Frequent drinking of beer is not condemned by society. On the contrary, there are arguments in favor of it. It is recommended to compensate for vitamin deficiencies or to improve digestion. For this reason, many do not have a psychological stop signal, which is, for example, at the beginning of the abuse of strong alcohol. Drinking vodka is considered shameful and unhealthy, and drinking beer every day is just a form of relaxation. Some do not consider it dangerous to give it even to children "to promote health. "
Signs and characteristics of beer addiction
The usual arithmetic calculation allows you to determine what threatens a beer binge with regular libations. In 1 liter of weak beer, 40 ml of pure ethanol, in strong varieties - 120-140 ml. In the latter case, the allowable daily dose of alcohol for men was doubled. And if you consider that 1 liter is drunk only "for overclocking", and then the amount is not counted, it becomes clear that the consequences of drinking beer cannot be avoided.
From an ordinary hobby, addiction smoothly flows into psychological dependence, while the abuser is quite confident in his own well-being and does not put himself on the same level as alcoholics, but continues to drink beer every day. You can understand that the disease is developing when the following situations appear:
- upcoming gatherings with beer cause impatience and joyful expectation, for the sake of them you can postpone less important things;
- drunkenness comes on quickly and lasts a long time;
- at least 1. 5 liters are drunk per day, the maximum is not exactly known;
- days on which the usual beer is impossible for some reason, are experienced with irritation, the mood deteriorates, only a few new cans or bottles can return it;
- weak beer seems like water, you want to take the strongest;
- those around and the mirror begin to notice changes in appearance: puffiness of the face, swollen body, bags under the eyes, pale earthy skin;
- more often than usual there is shortness of breath, chest pain, pulse quickens;
- the next morning after beer, my head hurts, I want to drink a little more to "get better".
The appearance of even one of the signs against the background of a daily "hobby" indicates beer addiction, the symptoms of which will be felt more strongly in the future.
Narcologists do not recognize any specificity of alcohol disease depending on the type of drinks they prefer, but they agree that beer addiction is very insidious. It is very difficult to identify it at the first stage, since there are no pronounced changes in the lifestyle and human health. For example, a wife in a situation where her husband drinks beer every day may not notice any signs of dependence from the outside at all.
Beer alcoholism in men is often disguised as somatic disorders. Often, heart problems, headaches and irritability are mistaken for accumulated fatigue.
Health effects of beer abuse
The consequences of beer alcoholism affect intellectual, moral and personal aspects to a lesser extent. People who are addicted to the drink lose their professional skills less often, maintain the adequacy of behavior and judgments, unlike those who drink strong alcohol every day. This is a feature of weak alcoholic beverages: the degradation of the personality develops, but very slowly.
Another danger that awaits beer lovers is the destruction of physical health. As a result of daily heavy drinking, severe chronic diseases develop:
- myocardial dystrophy;
- angina;
- coronary artery disease;
- gastritis;
- jade;
- fatty hepatosis;
- cirrhosis of the liver;
- neurological disorders.
A foamy drink puts a lot of stress on the kidneys, binds and removes minerals and vitamins necessary for the body: potassium, calcium, ascorbic acid, riboflavin. As a result, the work of all internal organs is disrupted. The constant presence of acetaldehyde in the blood causes swelling, combined with dehydration, and poisons the liver and brain.
It is important that beer contains a lot of so-called phytoestrogens. Taken uncontrollably, these substances contribute to hormonal imbalance in both men and women, leading to malfunctions of the reproductive system, increased risk of blood clots and increased cholesterol levels.
But the main thing that beer alcoholism is dangerous for is uncontrolled intoxication. The pleasure from the taste of the drink overshadows the effects of ethanol, the emerging feeling of euphoria disinhibits, retouches problems, prompting to take a few more mugs or bottles. When drinking beer, it rarely occurs to someone that he went through too much. In addition, addicts often switch from weak alcohol to the abuse of vodka or other "fuel".
The fight against beer alcoholism
How to deal with beer alcoholism depends on the degree of the disease and the situation as a whole. Given that such abuse is not always accompanied by a loss of volitional qualities and mental disorders, it makes sense for the addict to do all the work on his own. Coding from beer alcoholism as a separate specific pathology does not exist. Sewing drug torpedoes under the skin or hypnosis may not work.
As in cases with other types of addiction, the patient needs to recognize the existing situation and the need to change it. Some can do it themselves, others will need a sign from the outside. If there is no physical dependence on ethanol - the absence of beer does not lead to a deterioration in well-being, heart attacks - you can do without the help of a narcologist.
Approximate program of action.
- Medicine does not recognize "small dose" methods of treating alcoholism. It is pointless to recommend to people who have a painful addiction to beer to drink 1 bottle a day. This is self-deception, after a while the problem will return. Only complete denial can help. You need to act according to the principle "the last time was yesterday. "This is the most difficult step, but it is necessary.
- After the rejection, you should analyze what annoys you the most. Boredom, a lot of free time, uninteresting TV, stress at work, a quarrel with a friend. Usually, problems that were smoothed out by drinking beer immediately climb out. They need to be identified and started to be addressed without delay: instead of watching TV, repair something, go for a walk, start communicating with a forgotten friend, devote more time to work, children, help around the house.
- Boredom and irritability can be relieved by finding something you love that you can do with pleasure. Hobbies, a new pet, playing sports, music, learning a foreign language, mastering a new profession. Anything that arouses genuine interest, requires effort, but does not leave a feeling of internal compulsion, will do. This is the most powerful way to deal with psychological addiction.
- With an irresistible desire to drink beer, you can give the body a replacement: prepare juice, green tea, lemonade. At first, a non-alcoholic version of beer is suitable. At the same time, after drinking 2-3 glasses of the drink, it is urgent to switch attention to some urgent matter. The brain will receive the necessary discharge, psychological stress will go away. If we are not talking about alcoholism, but only about a bad habit, you can drastically reduce the amount of beer - drink no more than 0. 5 liters 1-2 times a week, ideally even less.
The lack of a good mood and interest in life and the presence of frequent dizziness, weakness in the self-treatment of beer alcoholism is a reason to visit a neurologist or endocrinologist, as there is a possibility of developing metabolic disorders or damage to the central nervous system. In this case, the doctor may prescribe a laboratory blood test, dopplerography, MRI of the brain. If signs of diseases are detected, it will be necessary to undergo a course of therapy with hormonal or nootropic drugs.
Prevention of beer alcoholism is to exclude the substitution of entertainment with a drink, fight boredom, relax and solve problems. Like other alcoholic drinks, beer is acceptable on the festive table, but you can’t make it a constant companion of life or quench your thirst with it.