Is it possible to stop drinking abruptly? Certainly, especially with the firm decision to stop consuming alcohol on a daily basis. Yes, it won't be easy, but the "benefits" of a healthy lifestyle will be seen much faster. Narcologists compare the gradual reduction in the amount of alcoholic beverages with cutting the cola into parts. At a certain stage, a person who drinks regularly may just let go. In order not to start over, it is advisable to endure a temporary deterioration in well-being.
Abrupt refusal of alcohol: interesting reactions of the body.
Alcoholism is both a physical and psychological dependence on ethyl alcohol. Therefore, when it abruptly stops entering the body, there is an immediate reaction from almost all vital systems. Not surprisingly, they now have to operate in a modified mode. But do not pay attention to the temporary deterioration of health, because "friendship" with ethanol is expensive for the body. These are the expected consequences of quitting alcohol in the first few days:
- weight loss due to appetite suppression;
- insomnia followed by drowsiness;
- dull migraine headaches;
- psycho-emotional instability: irritability, causeless anxiety, apathy;
- slight migratory joint pain, trembling of the fingers.
It sounds intimidating, but these withdrawal symptoms are more common in older alcoholics. If a person uses a little, but every day, then the physical condition practically does not deteriorate. There is only psychological discomfort without the usual bottle of beer, glass of wine or 50-100 grams of vodka.
What are the reasons for such a violent reaction of the body to a strong refusal to drink? The fact is that ethanol is incorporated into biochemical reactions, becoming their equal participant. When you try to remove it from there, a temporary failure occurs in the body. Now you will have to establish nervous regulation, cope with the production of the optimal amount of digestive enzymes, and restore the damaged liver and urinary organs. He copes with these tasks in about 1-1, 5 months.
Typical signs of alcohol withdrawal
How to give up alcohol for good - full mobilization of willpower is required only with systematic domestic drunkenness. In such cases, a person drinks heavily, often constantly experiencing all the "pleasures" of a hangover. Later, during the next binge, he has problems with his psyche, heart and liver, and firmly decides to "quit. "What awaits the alcoholic:
- 1 day. Withdrawal symptoms are immediately manifested by nausea and vomiting, headaches, severe tremors, and, of course, an intolerable hangover craving. In reality, the first day of sobriety becomes an alcoholic's test of strength. If he can handle it without alcohol, then his chances of beating the addiction skyrocket;
- 2-7 days. During this period, the alcoholic feels bad: the body requires the usual amount of alcohol, punishing the "owner" with a headache, visual and auditory hallucinations, tremors of arms and legs. Digestion and peristalsis are impaired, and the prospects for a healthy lifestyle do not seem so encouraging for the alcoholic. Don't give up at this stage, medications and sleep will help you get to the end;
- Day 8. To be a little easier, the improvements are visible to the naked eye. The severity of the withdrawal syndrome decreases, the body adapts well to the changing conditions of existence. Now he is busy with the restoration of organs and tissues, learning to work completely without ethanol. Headaches, nausea, and irritability subside because ethyl alcohol and its toxic metabolites no longer circulate in the blood;
- 30-40 days. That's it: now a person can give advice on how to quit alcohol. Lightness appears in the body, physical and mental performance improves, seemingly lost professional skills return. All vital systems work perfectly, the body works like a clock. But you should not relax, even a sip of beer during this period can cause a breakout.
And now a little fly in the ointment. If a person drank heavily and frequently, his internal organs were constantly exposed to ethanol. In a state of intoxication, the cells were destroyed without further recovery. Chronic diseases developed, of which the alcoholic did not even suspect. After all, he suppressed all the alarming symptoms with another serving of alcohol. But outside of the state of euphoria, it will not be possible not to notice them. It's time for a full medical exam. After diagnosis, the doctor will work out a competent therapeutic regimen and prescribe drugs.
The sad consequences of a long alcoholic experience are fatty degeneration of the liver, hepatitis, nephrosis, atrophic gastritis or high acidity. All pathologies are serious, but completely curable, so the prognosis is favorable. So an outright refusal to alcohol sometimes prevents disability and even death. After all, while the alcoholic tries to "quit smoking" by reducing the dose, dangerous diseases develop, progress, and reappear in his body.
We will help you in any way we can: advice for those who decide to "tie" quickly
The decision to stop drinking is often made spontaneously when a person suddenly realizes that a stroke, heart attack, or cirrhosis is just around the corner. So you don't have time to prepare for the next alcohol withdrawal after a binge. Unlike family members, family members can quickly find all the information they need. A person needs help to stop drinking, to support, to replace a shoulder in a difficult life period for him.
A breakdown is more than real in the first two weeks, so it makes sense to seek professional medical attention. The transition to a sober lifestyle will be easier with pharmacological support. Parenteral administration of saline solutions, B vitamins, sedatives and anticonvulsants, respiratory analeptics, antiarrhythmic and nootropic drugs will help. The results of the medical intervention are obvious:
- heart activity and respiration normalize;
- sleep and appetite will be restored;
- nausea and vomiting will stop after the next meal.
How to stop drinking abruptly, only combining willpower, the use of medication and psychological support. The latter is very important, since the state of the central nervous system changes dramatically. As long as they adjust to working without ethanol, the person who overcomes the addiction suffers from hallucinations. He argues with imaginary interlocutors, withdraws himself for several hours and even sings. It is not worth focusing attention on this - the psyche will recover after the evacuation of harmful substances from the body.
Correct rehabilitation: learning to live again
How to quit alcohol completely is a burning question. Narcologists note that the likelihood of a long-term remission increases significantly with a person's active desire to refuse alcohol. Therefore, when making an important decision to stop drinking, an alcoholic must understand that now anything that contains ethanol is strictly prohibited.
It is difficult to part with alcohol forever without preparation. Having gotten over the first difficult days of withdrawal symptoms, you should seek additional resources to alleviate the physical and psychological condition:
- Eliminate fatty and fried foods, foods saturated with salt and spices from the usual diet.
- Walk outside for 1-2 hours at least once a day.
- They will return to their old hobbies, to what was interested in immersion in rampant intoxication.
The transition to a sober lifestyle occurs gradually. A person often falls into discouragement, sees the future only in black. And then he recovers, persuades not to give up, again participates in solving family problems. Narcologists advise speeding recovery through physical activity. You don't have to go straight to the gym or run long distances. A great way to recover quickly is gentle physical therapy.