Frequent drinking is harmful to health. Be careful about alcohol abuse and addiction.

Author: Wang Changhong, Chief Physician, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College, Gao Chang, Associate Professor, Jining Medical College

Reviewer: Zhang Ruiling, Chief Physician, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College

After drinking, the anesthetic effect of alcohol can make people forget their troubles temporarily. Therefore, some people cannot do without drinking to liven up the atmosphere at dinners and parties. They also like to relieve tension or loneliness by drinking.

It should be pointed out that drinking must be moderate. Drinking large amounts of alcohol frequently is harmful to the body.

Figure 1 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

1. The effects of alcohol on people can be divided into three stages

After drinking a lot of alcohol, as the alcohol concentration in the blood increases, people will show symptoms of drunkenness. The effects of drunkenness on the human body are generally divided into three stages.

Stage 1 : When you first start drinking, the amount of alcohol you consume is small. At this time, the drinker's body becomes relaxed and his mood becomes cheerful. People who are usually taciturn begin to talk more, people who are usually cold and indifferent become enthusiastic, and people who are usually unsociable become good at socializing. However, their self-control and judgment begin to decline.

Stage 2 : If you continue to drink, the alcohol intake will reach a moderate level, and the drinker will become frivolous, speak unclearly, have blurred vision, walk unsteadily, and feel sleepy. At this time, the drinker dares to say things he dare not say and do things he dare not do.

Stage 3 : If you continue to drink, the alcohol intake will reach a very high level, and the central nervous system of the drinker will be severely suppressed. At this time, they will have disordered speech and behavior, slurred speech, difficulty walking, and uncontrolled behavior. If you continue to drink, you may encounter certain dangers, such as respiratory anesthesia, coma, etc., or even life-threatening.

Figure 2 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction

People who drink heavily for a long time may develop problems with alcohol abuse or addiction.

Alcohol abuse refers to the situation where long-term and repeated drinking causes damage to physical health. This damage can be physical or mental, and can lead to many adverse consequences, such as being unable to complete important work, being unable to complete school, and even committing illegal acts.

Alcohol addiction is a symptom of severe dependence on alcohol caused by long-term and repeated drinking. Alcohol addicts have a strong desire for alcohol. They cannot control themselves and regard drinking as the most important thing in their lives. They forget about work, family, friends, and life, and even turn a deaf ear to doctors' requests to stop drinking immediately.

How to deal with alcohol abuse and addiction

If alcohol abuse and addiction problems arise, the following methods are recommended for coping.

1. Strategies for dealing with alcohol abuse

First of all, we should adopt a more scientific way of drinking and control the time and frequency of drinking.

Before drinking, eat more staple foods, preferably with foods rich in high-quality protein such as cheese, tofu and fish.

Choose wine with low alcohol content, such as red wine, beer and rice wine, because the lower the alcohol content of the same volume of wine, the less harm it will cause to the human body.

When drinking, you should avoid drinking in one gulp or by drinking too much. When meeting friends, don't use the amount of alcohol you drink as a measure of friendship. Such meetings will not only lead to alcohol abuse, but also easily lead to acute alcohol poisoning.

Figure 3 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Secondly, you should relax and stay calm . People who abuse alcohol will use alcohol to numb themselves once negative emotions have a significant impact on their daily life and work, leading to alcohol abuse. Therefore, you should allow yourself to have sad emotions and not be too strict with yourself. You can use some relaxation methods to regulate and relieve negative emotions, and you can also seek help from professional psychologists.

Finally, it is best for people who abuse alcohol to develop some hobbies to divert their attention , such as reading some books, playing some small games, taking a hot bath frequently, spending time with family members, and doing housework.

2. Strategies for coping with alcohol addiction

Make a "Breaking the Drinking Habit Plan Record Sheet" based on your personal situation, and record the following alcohol abstinence activities in detail to serve as motivation for quitting drinking.

First, cultivate hobbies . People with alcohol addiction should try to find activities that interest them, such as becoming a community volunteer, participating in adult education courses, and exercising regularly, and record them in the "Breaking the Drinking Habit Plan Record Sheet."

Second, give yourself a list of the benefits of quitting drinking . If an alcoholic wants to drink, read the benefits of quitting drinking carefully and select a few of them. Record them in the "Breaking the Drinking Habit Plan Record Sheet" to relieve your craving for alcohol.

Third, establish harmonious family and social relationships . Alcohol addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disease, not a bad habit, nor is it a moral corruption or lack of responsibility. The understanding of friends and family members is an effective way to prevent alcohol addicts from relapsing. Alcohol addicts need encouragement from their families to resolve negative emotions, and they need their families to help them divert their attention and overcome difficulties by doing other activities when they have a strong desire to drink.

Fourth, stay away from alcoholic beverages . Family members should take care to properly store the alcohol at home, keep alcohol addicts away from alcoholic products, and reduce the appearance of alcohol-related clues in their lives. Family members can indirectly understand whether alcohol addicts have drinking behavior by observing their daily life rhythms, and promptly check for omissions and prevent occasional drinking from developing into relapse.

Fifth, adopt the correct way to quit drinking . Long-term alcoholics should avoid abruptly stopping drinking, as this can easily lead to serious withdrawal symptoms, such as panic, hand tremors, anxiety, etc. You can slowly reduce the amount of alcohol you drink or the number of times you drink to achieve the goal of quitting drinking.

Alcohol addicts must remember not to take the first sip of alcohol after quitting drinking, because once they take the first sip of alcohol, they will lose control and cause a relapse of alcohol addiction.

Alcohol has a unique position in our traditional culture. Drinking in moderation can add to the fun, but if alcohol abuse or addiction occurs, intervention must be made immediately, otherwise it will seriously affect physical and mental health.