The debate about how dangerous drinking alcohol is has been going on for centuries. The results of various scientific studies are very contradictory: some argue that small doses of alcohol can even be beneficial; according to other experts, alcohol is harmful in any form and in any quantity. American doctors rank alcohol among the twenty most dangerous drugs, where it occupies an honorable fifth place.
However, in modern society the tradition of “relaxing” after a hard day, stress, and emotional experiences with the help of alcoholic beverages is becoming increasingly popular. Most often this happens in the company of other people, but some people prefer to drink alone.
Solitary drinking
It is difficult to find a person who could admit that he is addicted to alcohol. Drinking alcohol in company, on holidays, as a way to relieve stress - this is all considered normal. And even when experiencing a craving for alcohol, a person thinks: “Yes, I want to drink, but I can quit at any moment!”
The traditional and most widespread form of alcohol consumption is group drinking. That is, drinking alcohol occurs in the company of like-minded people who like to relax in a similar way. However, the phenomenon of solitary drinking is also common.
For such people, casual communication in a cheerful company does not bring pleasure. A person avoids such pastimes and prefers to drink alone, for example, at home after a hard day at work, at the end of the work week, usually in secret from family members. And during a noisy feast, such people may refuse alcohol, preferring to indulge in libations alone.
Consequences of alcoholism
Drunkenness in women has the most harmful and often irreversible consequences. In a normal state, a woman should take care of her husband and children. An addict cannot do this for obvious reasons. Scandals and quarrels occur more and more often. The family is destroyed. My husband and children suffer from codependency. Violence occurs. Often, children of addicts themselves begin to show interest in drinking over time. It is important to start treatment on time, otherwise it will not result in results later.
Constant consumption of alcoholic beverages leads to pathological and sometimes irreversible changes in the nervous system and internal organs. Mental illnesses often appear. Alcoholic women often suffer from polyneuropathy , that is, damage to all peripheral nerves. Toxic encephalopathy is no less common. Typically, intelligence and the speed of thought processes and reactions are significantly reduced.
Due to the constant use of alcohol, the stomach and pancreas suffer, kidney failure, toxic hepatitis, and subsequently cirrhosis of the liver are observed. Blood circulation in the extremities may be impaired, which over time sometimes results in gangrene.
The most common symptom after quitting binge drinking is delirium tremens, accompanied by hallucinations. During attacks, an alcoholic woman does not control her actions. The heart suffers from heavy drinking. The risk of heart attacks and strokes increases.
Alcoholism affects the health of future offspring. Children of drinking mothers are increasingly being born with mental and physical pathologies and mental retardation. Chronic diseases and abnormalities are twice as common if the mother drank during pregnancy. Childbirth is difficult. Miscarriages are common.
What are people who prefer solitary drinking like?
According to research, a person who likes to drink alone is more likely to:
- has a high level of intelligence, is socially prosperous (most often he has a higher education, a well-paid position, and is married);
- self-sufficient, not prone to empathy;
- emotionally unstable, too sensitive and vulnerable, and therefore avoids people.
Creative people are prone to drinking alcohol alone because being intoxicated helps stimulate their imagination and helps them find fresh ideas and inspiration. According to scientific research, the desire to drink not with someone, but in solitude, may be a consequence of psychological disorders, such as neurosis, personality disorder, depression.
In addition, actively working people who have to get up early and go to bed late prefer to relax in this way. Problems at work are pretty exhausting, and when the weekend comes, a person wants to relax as much as possible with the help of a drink.
Often lonely people who have neither family nor friends become hostages of a dangerous habit. They don’t know what to do with themselves during long evenings and often find themselves in the company of an insidious friend – alcohol.
Clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of patients with solitary drinking
Clinical and socio-demographic information about patients, collected through interviews and assessment of medical records, includes information on the level of education, nature of employment, marital status, duration and nature of the disease, type of drunkenness, previous requests for drug treatment, duration of remissions in the anamnesis, behavior patients in the hospital during the current hospitalization, the nature of the therapy provided.
Patients with a predominance of solitary drunkenness, especially facultative solitary drunkenness, are older in age than patients with collective drunkenness. The level of education in the group of patients with solitary drunkenness, especially with its obligate variant, is higher than among patients with collective drunkenness. Patients with obligate solitary drinking are more likely to be married than patients of other groups, which indicates greater social well-being of patients in this group.
Patients in the study groups did not differ in age at the onset of alcohol dependence and duration of the disease. Among patients with solitary drunkenness, especially with its obligate variant, a constant or intermittent form of drunkenness is more common, whereas with collective drunkenness - binge drinking.
The most progressive course of alcohol dependence (assessed by the timing of the formation of the main symptoms of alcoholism) can be traced in the group of patients with obligate solitary drunkenness, and the least progressive - in the group of patients with facultative solitary drunkenness; in patients with collective drunkenness, the progression indicators of the course of alcohol dependence occupy an intermediate position.
Among patients with solitary drunkenness, and, in particular, among patients with the obligate variant, significantly more often than with collective drunkenness, there is a combination of alcohol dependence with other mental disorders (assessed according to ICD-10 criteria).
As for the structure of comorbidity, with obligate solitary drunkenness, especially in comparison with collective drunkenness, comorbidity of alcohol dependence with mental disorders of an endogenous-process nature often occurs.
Among the individual nosological units included in this group of mental disorders, with obligate solitary drunkenness, schizotypal disorder occurs more often than with facultative solitary drunkenness and much more often than with collective drunkenness. In patients with an obligate variant of solitary drunkenness, schizotypal disorder often occurs with a predominance of affective and behavioral symptoms: emotional coldness, conflict, eccentricity, a tendency to shock and to oppose oneself to others.
As alcoholism develops and progresses, these characteristics intensify, and often they find their greatest expression in a state of acute intoxication, which leads to the formation of an atypical picture of intoxication with manifestations, in addition to the indicated disorders, hypomania, aggressiveness, and paranoid mood. In the majority of patients with alcoholism with obligate solitary drinking, in the case of a combination of alcohol dependence with a schizotypal disorder, at the peak of intoxication or in the acute withdrawal period, transient psychotic phenomena or delineated psychotic episodes are noted, which are not typical for alcoholic psychoses.
The indicated psychopathological features of alcohol intoxication were often, according to patients with alcoholism, one of the reasons for the preference for solitary drinking. In the subacute abstinence period and during the period of spontaneous and therapeutic remissions on
Affective disorders of the astheno-apathetic range with the inclusion of depressive experiences, as well as apatho-abulsic disorders of varying degrees of intensity, begin to come to the fore in such patients.
In both types of drunkenness alone, more often than in collective drunkenness, there is a combination of alcoholism with a group of mental disorders, which includes
certain types of personality disorders. With obligate solitary drinking, a combination of alcoholism with schizoid personality disorder and a borderline variant of emotionally unstable personality disorder is more common.
With facultative solitary drunkenness, somewhat more often than with collective drunkenness, there is a combination of AD with an impulsive variant of emotionally unstable personality disorder, hysterical and schizoid personality disorders, but in this case the differences do not reach the level of statistical significance and exist only at the level of a trend.
Organic disorders are somewhat more common in both types of solitary drinking. In addition, with obligate solitary drunkenness, organic affective disorder occurs significantly more often than with collective drunkenness. The high level of comorbidity of alcoholism with other mental disorders among patients with obligate solitary drinking explains the shorter time frame for the formation of the main symptoms of alcoholism in patients in this group.
Cases of violation of the sobriety regime during inpatient treatment are most often found among patients with optional solitary drunkenness and least common among patients with collective drunkenness. The number of psychotropic drugs prescribed to patients during their hospital stay in both types of solitary drunkenness exceeds the corresponding number for patients with collective drunkenness. This difference is associated with the more frequent prescription of antipsychotics to patients with a predominance of solitary drunkenness, as well as antidepressants in the case of obligate and mood stabilizers in the case of facultative.
In patients with facultative solitary drunkenness, the average total duration of remission during the year is inferior to the corresponding indicator for patients with collective drunkenness, and among patients with obligate solitary drunkenness, this indicator, in relation to the above groups, occupies an intermediate position. The duration of remission from the moment of examination until the first full-blown abuse in the three study groups does not differ significantly. However, in the group of patients with obligate solitary drunkenness, this period is slightly longer than the corresponding figure in the group of patients with facultative solitary drunkenness. The average number of repeated requests for drug treatment during a year of observation among patients with obligate solitary drunkenness is significantly less than among patients with collective drunkenness.
Thus, patients with solitary drinking experience alcoholism more often and are less capable of long-term abstinence. They are also characterized by a combination of alcoholism with other mental disorders, and during the abstinence period they more often require the prescription of psychopharmacological drugs aimed at correcting anxiety, streamlining thinking and behavior, in particular, antipsychotics.
Patients with obligate solitary drinking are clinically characterized by shorter periods of development of the main symptoms of alcohol dependence, greater relevance of behavioral and affective (in half of the cases - depressive) disorders that complement the clinical picture of alcoholism. However, these characteristics of patients with the obligate variant of solitary drinking do not affect the level of social well-being and are combined with relatively longer periods of remission.
More frequent requests for counseling after discharge from hospital and a higher level of compliance with supportive psychopharmacotherapy, selected taking into account the nature of mental disorders comorbid with alcoholism, can increase the duration and quality of remissions of alcoholism in patients in this group. Patients with facultative solitary drinking are characterized by greater severity of manifestations of affective instability (as evidenced by the frequency of prescription of mood-timing drugs) and more frequent relapses of drunkenness, and, therefore, also require carefully selected anti-relapse pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy.
What are the dangers of drinking alcohol alone?
A person who drinks alone is likely to show signs of alcohol dependence more slowly. But such people are more likely to not adhere to doctor's recommendations. They will not deny themselves the pleasure of having a glass when the thought “I want to drink” arises in their brain, but they are often able to refuse to drink alcohol on their own when they consider it necessary.
Single drunks sharpen those character traits that contributed to this condition - emotional instability, impressionability, vulnerability, unsociability.
Impact on the psyche
Since the brain is practically not protected from ethyl alcohol, this substance freely penetrates the cells. Neural connections in the cortex are destroyed, resulting in personality disintegration and degradation. Characteristic features of this process include:
- sloppiness;
- deceit;
- selfishness;
- egocentrism;
- unjustifiably high self-esteem;
- consumer attitude towards people;
- decrease in intellectual abilities.
In addition, a person who has become an alcoholic always denies his illness; he believes that he has no addiction, and he can stop drinking alcohol at any time.
Important! Since there is no awareness of the problem, it can be quite difficult for loved ones to convince a drunkard to seek help from a specialist. As a result, treatment is delayed, alcoholism develops, and personality degradation becomes irreversible.
Dangerous consequences: how to avoid becoming an alcoholic?
If a person allows himself to drink vodka or wine in small quantities from time to time, then most likely nothing bad will happen. But if libations become more frequent, and the dose of alcohol increases, then sooner or later such a hobby will bear fruit.
The main danger is that the first manifestations of alcoholism go unnoticed by the person and the people around him. As a result, a glass of alcohol in the evening turns into attachment, which is very difficult to overcome. And the reason is not weak-willedness or moral laxity, but the fact that the body’s metabolism is disrupted, accustomed to alcohol, and it begins to urgently demand another dose, which is manifested by a deterioration in well-being.
How to get back to normal life
If an alcoholic understands his problem, then half the job is already done. The fact is that not all addicts admit alcoholism; they believe that they can give up at any time without harming their own psyche.
In reality, everything turns out to be more complicated - the craving for alcohol is incredibly strong, it can break anyone. If you cannot suppress this addiction on your own, then you should consult a psychologist. A good specialist will be able to:
- find out the cause of binge drinking;
- reveal the main life difficulties and psychological contradictions;
- highlight values for each specific person;
- smoothly lead the alcoholic to ideas about finding alternative ways to solve internal problems.
Such an alternative could be sports, literature, or collecting. Finding new friends is also a good way to take your mind off alcohol. The difficulty is that it is unlikely that you will be able to achieve this on your own - until several sessions with an experienced psychologist are held, alcohol will come first. And only after hard work with a specialist, intoxicating drinks will take second place in the alcoholic’s mind, and new values will take first place.
Signs of alcoholism
According to doctors, an alcoholic is a person whose body is dependent on the intake of alcoholic beverages. Not every person who drinks alone becomes one. You need to be wary if drinking alone with yourself begins to be associated with a certain beauty and pleasure.
An ordinary person needs good reasons to drink vodka, wine or cognac alone - for example, severe stress, fatigue, emotional shock. If you don’t need any reason or company to get drunk, then you should seriously think about it. In addition to the desire to drink alcohol alone, there are other signs of developing alcoholism.
Female alcoholism
Separately, it is worth highlighting women who drink alone. By nature, they are very sensitive creatures, whose brains are in constant analysis - they comprehend and think about events in life, the actions of people around them, as well as their own thoughts.
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This is a very complex process that often leads to stress and depression. Accordingly, a woman at a subconscious level tries to drown out these psychological problems.
Read also: How much does a bottle of vodka remove from the body?
The media and advice from girlfriends lead to the first bottle of wine at dinner. Gradually it becomes a habit, and much faster than with men. According to statistics, women become drunk almost instantly, and female alcohol addiction is very difficult to treat. This is why drinking alcohol alone is very dangerous for the fairer sex.
Irresistible urge to drink
People who drink alone usually deny this sign of addiction to alcohol, claiming that it is just a way to relieve stress and fatigue. Warning signs are:
- A feeling of joy and excitement in anticipation of drinking. A person tries to quickly get things done, finish work, and then relax with a glass of his favorite drink at home. A beginning alcoholic feels discomfort without alcohol, although he continues to go to work and do household chores, but at the same time he feels an inner emptiness. The only thing that revives him is the thought that he will soon be able to drink.
- Feeling of psychological and physical comfort while intoxicated.
- Trying to justify your behavior.
- Stubborn reluctance to admit the existence of addiction.
Causes of domestic drunkenness
The causes of domestic drunkenness can be:
- Important events in the family;
- Constant stress;
- Meeting of old friends;
- Buying an apartment or car;
- Divorce from my beloved husband;
- Death of someone close.
As a rule, during feasts the whole family gets together; of course, it is impossible not to celebrate such an event. It is not customary to refuse an offered glass of vodka in such cases. Sometimes people drink in groups. For example, they gather on certain days of the week. And, again, alcohol in such cases cannot be done without alcohol.
Moreover, refusal to drink is perceived negatively by company members, who may even show aggression. In this regard, advertising that creates stereotypes produces very negative results. After all, it turns out that the only reason for old friends to meet is to drink alcohol together.
Often the causes of everyday drunkenness are problems that arise in personal life or at work. In the event that a person does not know how to disconnect from them, then the only way to relax is, again, alcohol.
How much can you drink: safe doses
Alcohol is a strong psychoactive substance, so the concept of “safe dose” is relative. Even when drinking small doses of alcohol regularly, it is possible to develop alcohol dependence. However, scientists have established how much a person can drink in order not to lose control of himself and be able to stop.
For men, this dose is 50-150 grams of vodka; the fair sex can afford 25-100 grams.
In addition, it is important to consider the regularity of alcohol intake. The tradition of drinking a glass of vodka or a glass of beer alone on a Friday evening can lead to the development of alcohol addiction.
It is necessary to look after yourself and analyze your attitude towards alcohol. If you feel that alcoholic drinks are becoming an integral part of life, and the desire to drink alone is becoming less and less controllable, without wasting a minute, contact a specialist. Psychotherapy and mild psychocorrective medications will help solve this problem.
Types of domestic drunkenness
Depending on how often alcohol is consumed at home, there is a classification of drunkards:
- Those that are consumed on holidays;
- Occasional drinkers, no more than several times a month;
- Drink several times during the week.
Depending on gender, stage of domestic drunkenness
may proceed in different ways. Men are more resistant to alcohol, and their addiction develops slowly. This allows them to hide their addiction for a long time.
If at first the reason for drinking is, for example, meeting with friends, then over time, drinking continues in splendid isolation at home. Gradually, such a person develops an addiction. A man no longer needs close people and work.
Over time, a large dose of strong drink begins to be required to achieve the usual state. The man becomes depressed and aggressive. However, after the “latch”, his normal mood returns again.
Gradually, addiction begins to develop, which is associated with a decrease in immunity. Moreover, a psychological dependence on drinking develops. Women drink themselves a little differently.
The fact is that a woman’s body is weaker than a man’s. Immunity is lost much faster. Very often they have a desire to drink alone. Women have a desire to drink, they cannot admit their weakness. Therefore, very often female alcoholism occurs in a latent form and is recognized in the later stages.
