As I commented previously, alcoholism is by far the addiction
with the highest prevalence and incidence in our country; only
in 2011 were detected around six million people with a harmful
consumption of alcohol, and that they developed some of the 52
diverse conditions already described. And it is not only the liver,
with its sequence of intoxication, congestion, hepatic steatosis
(some call it fatty liver), hepatitis, cirrhosis and some even liver
cancer; we also have alcoholic pancreatitis, heart disease (alcoholic
cardiomyopathy), mental problems such as Wernicke’s disease
or Korsakoff’s psychosis, chronic depression very resistant to
drugs, as well as less frequent Marchiafava-Bignami syndrome,
polyneuropathies (the second most frequent being alcoholic).
in our country), myopathies, haematological consequences
with lower production of leukocytes and greater propensity to
various infections such as tuberculosis or various pneumonias;
Gastrointestinal complications such as gastritis, irritable bowel
syndrome, esophagitis and a significant increase in the risk of
gastric cancer.
Tired, right? And the general hospitals are full of patients with
the afore mentioned illnesses, and with the family that suffers
the consequences of a fatal mental dynamic (who can tolerate
an alcoholic at home?) Or the catastrophic economic cost since
everything went in “ the suck “for years. And the worst is yet to
come, because now it is observed, according to the ENA (National
Survey of Addictions) that already 50% of students over 15 years of
age already tested it, and the liver cirrhosis line increased by 50 At
40 years of age, these are, every day we see more young people with
greater complications and who move to the extreme poverty line
because of the expense derived from their pocket in medical care.
How to realize a person who takes compulsively and harmfully?
We always think that the chronic alcoholic is that “teporochito”
of the street, pulled, smelly and rejected by society, but that is the
big lie, since these street characters only correspond to 3% of the
population that suffers from alcoholism or other addictions; our
large number of patients are weekend drinkers, many are “social
drinkers” or “I only drink every fortnight” but that regularity
worthy of a Swiss watch is the most distinctive characteristic of the
addict in process, “the belly “of the sick population, but accepted, or
socially denied. The following signs or behaviors are suspected of
having alcoholism:
a) We begin with the antecedent of a direct family member
who is or was a compulsive drinker, since this factor alone
increases to 4 times the risk of presenting a harmful behavior
with alcohol; It is difficult to think of another mental illness
with so much family dominance.
b) Uncontrollable desire to continue consuming alcohol,
with the loss associated with the control of it.
c) Need to drink alcohol “to feel good”
d) Increasing amounts of alcohol are increasingly needed.
f) Other pleasurable activities have been abandoned
because of alcohol consumption.
g) The individual loses consciousness of the harm of alcohol
on himself.
h) Experience frequent forgetting.
i) Be a lone drinker or do it in a hidden way.
j) Use many monetary resources to meet only the goal of
drinking, it affects the household economy and even if solid
situations such as the tuition of children, scheduled trips or
parties are lost, there is no change in behavior.
k) To be understood, it is more important to drink than
everything else, there is nothing else, the world can explode and
yet you can continue drinking.
l) This is why it is not necessary for someone to reach
very advanced stages to act, and we must remember that the
alcoholic is confronted, told things in advance, not spoiled, and
put in situations of final decision, such as “or the alcohol or
me. “Let’s avoid this disease, since as we say, both dying and
sucking, it is also gerund.