Is it possible to somehow recognize an alcoholic by external signs? Changes in figure, posture and gait. According to the type of constant drunkenness against the background of high tolerance

It is very important to understand who is in front of you now, whether he is an alcoholic. This is true when hiring a new person, meeting the opposite sex, or communicating with friends. It is not difficult to determine whether the person standing in front of you abuses alcoholic beverages: the appearance of an alcoholic will give him away.

The longer and in large quantities alcoholic beverages are consumed, the more difficult it is to hide the external manifestations and changes in the appearance of an alcoholic. You can determine that in front of you there is a person suffering from alcohol addiction by a number of external signs. From this article you will learn how to recognize an alcoholic by his appearance:

Alcoholic face

Constant consumption of alcoholic beverages causes changes in the structure of the drinker's skin. This leads to visible changes in his appearance. If you compare what an alcoholic looks like, before and after photos, the following changes in his appearance become noticeable.

Facial redness

The symptom develops due to the fact that when alcohol enters the body, the amount of ethanol in the patient’s blood increases. This leads to increased heart rate, increased pressure in blood vessels and capillaries, and their expansion. This is why a drunk person sometimes has a slight blush on his cheeks.

With regular consumption of alcohol in large quantities, elasticity blood vessels and capillaries decreases. This may also damage their integrity. As a result, a network of noticeably dilated capillaries and vessels appears on the face of alcoholics. Where their integrity is compromised, red and blue bruises appear.

If some vessels are damaged, blood flow to certain areas on the patient’s face stops. Some alcoholics may experience a bluish nose or unnaturally pale lips.

Puffy face

The breakdown product of alcohol is excreted from the body through sweat, feces and urine. For recycling large quantity ethanol, it needs to accumulate a lot of water.

When dehydration occurs due to alcohol poisoning, a person for a long time feels dry mouth and intense thirst. These symptoms do not go away immediately after the lack of water is completely replenished; it accumulates and swelling appears. In a healthy person, the process of getting rid of excess water is not impaired, so the swelling quickly goes away.

In alcoholics, water-salt metabolism is impaired, and the rate of excretion of excess water is underestimated. At some point, remembering the constant deficit, the trigger breaks, water is removed from the body very slowly, accumulating in the alcoholic’s body. This leads to constant swelling of the patient's face, arms and legs, regardless of whether he is currently experiencing a hangover.
In women suffering from alcoholism, this symptom is more pronounced. Due to the physiological characteristics of humans, the supply of water in a woman’s body is much less than that of men. Dehydration occurs faster, and water is absorbed more slowly.

Constant tension of the frontalis muscle on a relaxed face

Constant tension of the frontal muscle causes some pathological changes, which are popularly called “the face of an alcoholic.”

As a result, the face appears elongated and drooping. Deep folds appear in the corners of the eyes, they begin to appear sunken. As a result, wrinkles begin to cover the entire bridge of the nose and radiate from it in an oblique direction. Over time, the alcoholic's nose begins to deform - the nostrils widen, the nose swells, and its size increases.

Due to the change in the shape of the nose, the nasolabial fold deepens in the upper part and begins to smooth out in the lower part. As a result, the outline of the mouth changes: its orbicularis muscle relaxes, the lips become fuller. Gradually the effect reaches the neck muscles and they hypertrophy.

Yellow eyes

Yellowing of the whites of the eyes in alcoholics is associated with an increase in the concentration of bilirubin in their blood. It is formed during the breakdown of hemoglobin. A high concentration of bilirubin indicates problems with blood circulation, as well as disturbances in the functioning of the liver, which removes it. This is very toxic substance, which tends to accumulate in the body of alcoholics.

Yellow eyes can be both a cause and a consequence of acute liver damage - hepatitis or cirrhosis. If this symptom occurs, it is highly advisable to immediately consult a doctor.

Bags under the eyes and weakened eyelids

These signs of a heavy drinker appear due to a decrease in skin elasticity. Due to regular dehydration and alcohol intoxication, the skin becomes loose, pores expand, and signs of premature aging appear. Dark circles under the eyes appear on the face of an alcoholic. Most often they are caused by regular swelling and the accumulation of toxic substances in the body.

Relaxes under the influence of alcohol orbicularis muscles around eyes. This also contributes to the appearance of swelling.

Gray or greenish skin

The food of an alcoholic is often quite meager and undiversified, lacking a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals. Under the influence of alcohol, the patient’s metabolic processes are disrupted, and even those crumbs that come with food are no longer absorbed from food.

Gradually, the body develops severe vitamin deficiency, which cannot but affect the face of an alcoholic. The skin takes on a grayish color and sometimes an earthy or greenish tint. As addiction grows and alcoholism progresses from one stage to another, changes in skin color become more noticeable.

External manifestations of alcoholism

As the disease progresses, not only the face of the alcoholic changes. Almost everything about him changes: appearance, gait, voice, clothing style, behavior. Let's dwell a little on what external manifestations can be used to identify an alcoholic.

Changes in voice and speech

The first changes in the voice of an alcoholic are heard already at the first stage of the disease. They begin to talk very loudly, the voice becomes harsher and rougher. Soft intonations gradually disappear. Later, the voice becomes hoarse and low. This occurs due to regular irritation of the vocal cords. The person begins to speak fluently and indistinctly. An alcoholic often repeats himself and starts talking.

Changes in figure, posture and gait

It is very difficult to bring all the changes that can occur in the figure of an alcoholic to a single meaning. It all depends on the stage of the disease, the gender of the person and the characteristics of his body constitution. Some people, until the third stage, the disease remains “in one pore”, others sharply lose weight, and still others gain it.

For men at the first stage of alcoholism, female-type weight gain is typical - the hips expand, “breasts” appear, and thickness decreases. hairline on the body. Women closer to the second stage gradually turn into men - hair begins to grow on their face and chest, and their belly grows.

Gradually, as the addiction grows, the alcoholic’s coordination of movements is impaired. His gait becomes shaky and uncertain, he begins to move more slowly and, even in a sober state, “drag” his legs. Lack of coordination, regardless of the degree of intoxication, becomes the cause of traumatic marks on the patient’s body - abrasions, bruises, bruises, scratches. Injuries occur due to frequent falls; they take a long time to heal and become inflamed.

Sloppiness and disregard for hygiene

The most striking sign of an alcoholic is the smell of fumes emanating from him. It is very difficult to disguise it with something or come up with a successful excuse for everyone interested. Sometimes a putrid or ammonia-like odor may emanate from the patient’s mouth, which indicates the emergence of pathological processes in the body.

Personality degradation causes sloppiness, sloppiness in clothing and hairstyle. An alcoholic doesn’t care whether his hair is clean, whether it’s neatly styled, or what he’s wearing. However, he is not interested in what the people around him think about this.

Brittle nails and dull hair

Even if an alcoholic continues to take care of his appearance, he will not be able to hide brittle nails, falling out and dull hair from strangers. The reason for the terrible condition of hair and nails is vitamin deficiency and poor absorption minerals and vitamins from food.

By the way, the accumulation of a large amount of ethanol in a woman’s body can cause her to have poor adherence to any coating on her nails.

How to improve your appearance after quitting alcohol

There is an opinion among people that as soon as you stop drinking, you will immediately return to your previous shape and be young and beautiful again. This is wrong. The “face of an alcoholic” often haunts a person who has recovered from addiction. long years, and sometimes even stays with him forever. It all depends on what stage of development the disease has reached, how long it lasted, how much the person has genetic data and his age. Some people struggle with beer belly and gray complexion for the rest of their lives, while others acquire an attractive appearance six months after treatment.

In unadvanced cases, for high-quality and relatively quick restoration of the face of an alcoholic and his appearance necessary:

• Completely stop taking any alcohol and all its derivatives;
• Take special vitamin and mineral complexes;
• Provide constant balanced nutrition;
• Exercise regularly;
• Be in the fresh air more often;
• Undergo a full medical examination and begin treating all identified diseases.

Provided that all of the above recommendations are followed, the recovery process of a person who has overcome the first or second stage of alcoholism will be significantly accelerated. For more advanced cases, blood cleansing and drug therapy may be necessary.

All of the listed symptoms and signs of a drinking person may be manifestations of diseases that are in no way related to alcoholism. Be extremely attentive to the people you care about, but do not rush to hang social labels on them because of your suspicion. Only a qualified doctor can determine the exact cause of any symptom or their combination and prescribe treatment.

Interesting question. But we immediately need to focus on the following point. Do you want to recognize an alcoholic in a person, that is, does he drink heavily, or is it important for you to know whether he is prone to alcohol abuse in general? But these things are different.

What is the difference? Just immoderate drinking man more manageable. Let's say if we're talking about about an employee, then if he appears drunk at work, you can say: “Kolya, I see that you buried another relative yesterday, you are probably very tired, hurry home. I'll wait for you tomorrow sober. If you come back drunk, we’ll say goodbye.” With a very high degree of probability, the next day he will be relatively normal.

If there is an alcoholic in his place, then with the same percentage of guarantee you will see him in the same condition the next day. And the point is not that he is a scoundrel and has not an ounce of conscience. But because he is more afraid of his “unhungover” state than of you. His conscience may be all right. By the way, alcoholics are often very decent people. Quite often.

Usually, before writing an article, I look at what they think about this on other resources. I often come across nonsense, facts taken from nowhere, copying complete nonsense from each other. Only a few percent of what is written deserves attention.

So I entered the search again: “How to recognize an alcoholic,” and came across this gem: “An alcoholic can be recognized by the fact that he constantly lies.” What the hell is this? Everyone lies. Don't schoolchildren lie about why they were late for school? What, a wife doesn’t lie to her husband about where she was when she comes from her lover? We are all time. Or at least we hide the truth. We do not want negative consequences. This is natural, although a little sad.

How do I identify people who are on short terms with the green serpent. By appearance. Almost unmistakable. You can definitely tell the difference between a resident big city from an inhabitant of a remote, God-forgotten village. Well, at least with a high degree of probability. You should not try to determine by clothing, this can only be an addition to existing conclusions.

I remembered a moment from the film “The Master and Margarita”. Koroviev says to the doorman at the entrance to the foreign exchange store: “Dear, do you judge by the suit? Never do this. You may be wrong." Maybe a person has a big family, and he takes it all on himself. I've seen this before. There are also good, efficient workers, but they are terribly untidy.

As for alcoholics specifically, you can shrug your shoulders. I declare with responsibility that there are simply no ways to visually recognize this contingent. Moreover, people who get drunk can be seen quite clearly, because they drink constantly. An alcoholic may abstain for months, and then go into a break, after which he may not drink again for a year.

The only reliable way to determine how a person feels about alcohol is to drink with him, or give him the opportunity to express himself in some other way. Sometimes it's difficult, but it's sure. It all depends on how important it is to you..

33 comments on “ How to recognize an alcoholic”

A drunkard sees a drunkard from afar =) like drug addicts, recognition occurs on many points... the main thing is to remain a person and not turn into a bitch, which is the sin of many who actively abuse something..

Almost everything is correct. Day 16 on a binge, it’s impossible to sober up because everything hurts. Every day I go to work. Photo point for documents. The main thing is to earn money for booze and whiskey. And then go straight home. Two bubbles were previously missing. Now it's over one and a half. I haven't eaten for three days now. Only apples. If I could describe what I'm dreaming about. Although these are dreams. These dreams can even be ordered.

Iryna Reply:
December 13th, 2015 at 07:17

@Alk2, are you still alive? Write to me by e-male [email protected], beg! My friend has been drinking shamelessly for a long time. But he lives far away and I can only guess what’s happening to him! I beg you, write. About everything about dreams, emotions, desires, feelings! I want to help him, at least try! Clever doctors only give information from a scientific point of view, but it is important for me to know how consciousness works in this and before that state. It’s scary and painful, I cry all the time when I imagine what’s really happening.

Alik Reply:
December 13th, 2015 at 11:32

It's a good question whether I'm still alive or not. Thank you for your kind words.. :) What should I write? What I knew, I already wrote here. What I remember or learn as new, I write down. Describe how consciousness works? This is a long time... How to save your loved one? If he doesn’t want to be saved in any way. First you need to do it so that you want it. Then drag him to a psychotherapist. Then there is hope that the ice will break...

If a person uses drugs on weekends and when meeting with friends, do you think he is a drug addict or not? (It has been repeatedly proven and recognized by leading scientists around the world that alcohol is a potent drug).

I agree, Alik. Expressed incorrectly. “RECOGNIZED” would be more correct. Thanks for the correction. And, by the way, the same scientists actually classified marijuana as a much weaker drug than alcohol. However, this seems logical to me, because... I have not heard of anyone dying or ending up in intensive care from an overdose of marijuana. I once had experience communicating with weed lovers. It seemed to me then that some of them still had a slight addiction, although of course it couldn’t be compared with alcohol addiction. I was also addicted to coffee, drinking 8 to 12 cups of it a day. But we are not dying from coffee or marijuana. Therefore, I have a stricter criterion for the use of alcohol and heroin. I think we should look at things straight, even though it is not always pleasant. The majority of the adult population of our country does not know how to relax, fully rest and have fun without alcohol, we cannot even celebrate anything without it - WE ARE IN THE MOST ALCOHOLICS AT DIFFERENT STAGES!!! Set an example for children and put wine on festive table, knowing that it is precisely this that is killing our country is already a sign of illness, no matter how much you drink. I wish everyone good health. Regards, Yuri.

Alik Reply:
February 28th, 2014 at 17:38

Yuri, I don’t like categoricalness in such matters. After all, if kitchen knives sometimes they kill, this does not mean that knives must be removed from all kitchens, just like absolute evil. Alcohol has positive sides, but you just need to know what a passion for alcohol can lead to. And convincing a person who doesn’t get anything negative from it that vodka is an utter evil is a thankless task.

Positive in alcohol (?) - hmm, perhaps I was unlucky, there was no way to verify the truth of this axiom. More than once I had to sit sober in “warm” company. The three drinkers, having received a positive charge of three glasses each, laughed quite sincerely at their own jokes. Many people call me a ‘laugher’, but it was difficult for me to even pretend that I was funny. I was rather scared that I was absolutely normal people suddenly went crazy. Perhaps you find the alcohol that we naturally produce positive? Just like it is a hormone of joy! :-) 🙂 🙂 And hormones from the outside introduce an imbalance into our body; Well, don't go to grandma's.

Yes, Alik, I must admit, perhaps I am defiantly categorical on the issue of alcohol. The fact is that it was he who took the lives of people close to me, and is currently destroying the families of my relatives. They are suffering a lot now. And I myself, based on my many years of experience in “cultural” and “moderate” drinking, came to the conclusion that our great scientists were right: Sechenov, Pavlov and others that drinking alcohol even in small doses is harmful, although the people themselves this may not be noticed. I suppose in such cases it is a time bomb. About 25-30 years ago I drank with friends from time to time, mostly without any noticeable negative consequences (I got carried away much later), but now that I don’t drink at all, I’m much happier and my life is incomparably more interesting than then. In my opinion, alcohol, like other heavy drugs not only happiness, but even real pleasure does not bring. It only gives the illusion of pleasure at an exorbitant price high price. I don't claim to have the truth. I’m just expressing my personal opinion, which does not coincide with the opinion of the majority of our society, but coincides with the opinion of August Forel, which this outstanding scientist once outlined in his article on alcohol, entitled “The Poison of Humanity.” Sincerely. Yuri.

I saw alcoholics in hospitals who had not drunk for 1.5-2 months (after a heart attack), who told us, freaking out students: I drink 2 vodkas a day, I’ll go out and drink. Why? I like it... apparently someone gets more positive from vodka than negative...

“To prove that an alcoholic is undetectable by appearance, I suggest you click on the “About Blog” tab at the top of my website and look at my photo. Do you see an alcoholic there? I think no."

Chronic alcoholism does not go unnoticed, but recognizing alcohol dependence at the initial stage is quite difficult. A person behaves as usual, but pathological processes are already in full swing in his body. Timely diagnosis of the disease increases the chances of recovery, but it is almost impossible to cope with advanced alcoholism, and even more difficult to return a person to the starting point of health.

Each stage of addiction has its own unique characteristics. They determine the further treatment program and make it possible to predict what will happen to the alcoholic in the future.

Symptoms by stage

And one more, which precedes the development of the disease. A person who abuses alcohol quickly goes through all the stages and becomes a chronic alcoholic. Some behave with restraint and manage to balance on the edge.

Let's try to figure out how addiction develops:

• pre-alcoholic stage - those who are prone to domestic alcoholism most often stay in it. There is no pronounced dependence, but friendly and family gatherings are no longer complete without alcohol. It is impossible to externally identify the pre-alcoholic stage, but the behavior of people at risk already has its own characteristics. For them, drinking alcohol is associated with pleasant emotions, and the absence of alcohol on the table causes irritation;
• stage zero - at this stage a person can no longer do without alcohol. Gatherings with friends and drunken parties become regular. Already during this period, memory loss may occur due to too much alcohol. Dependence on alcohol is mild, but if a person maintains the dosage, then within six months he will have to face serious health problems. At the zero stage, there are no signs of withdrawal, and if you drink too much alcohol, the gag reflex remains;

• the first stage – alcoholism continues to develop rapidly. Lack of alcohol causes nervous tension. A person ceases to control the amount of alcohol he drinks and may go on a drinking binge. , the alcoholic demonstrates aggressiveness, conflicts with friends and work colleagues. Serious problems begin in the family .

If a person drinks alcohol with a hangover and feels better, then there is evidence of addiction.

An addict in a sober state can behave decently, take care of himself, dress well, but it is increasingly difficult for him to control his behavior;

• second stage – against the background of developing alcoholism, health problems are troubling. To escape from pain, a person begins to drink more, and the pain threshold decreases. At this stage it arises. An alcoholic can no longer hide his addiction, and does not consider it necessary. During this period, the patient begins to steal things or resell what is at home for the sake of another portion of alcohol. Anything that doesn't involve drinking no longer interests him. The person looks edematous, puffy, his gaze wanders, and his limbs twitch. Men have problems in the sexual sphere;
• third stage - identifying a chronic alcoholic is not difficult. By this period, complete. All organs are working hard. The patient develops irreversible processes that are incompatible with life. Alcoholics die either from surrogate poisoning, or from liver cirrhosis or myocardial infarction. Serious mental problems are observed, and withdrawal syndrome is accompanied by hallucinations, neuroses, and asthenia. The skin color is yellowish, the stomach is enlarged due to a diseased liver. The man is exhausted and looks extremely sick.

Diagnosis and treatment

How to recognize an alcoholic using medical diagnostic methods? Traditionally, doctors highlight five key points:

• perception of alcohol as an anesthetic - if a person drinks alcohol not only for the feeling of euphoria, but also to eliminate physical or psycho-emotional stress, then we can already talk about dependence;
• increased resistance to alcohol – absence of a gag reflex, nausea, malaise;
• the formation of withdrawal syndrome – implies the emergence of real physical dependence;
• the occurrence of psychoses – causes further degradation of personality;
• general intoxication – leads to damage internal organs and nervous system dysfunction.

Treatment involves comprehensive cleansing of the body, vitamin therapy and addiction recovery. To implement the last point, various methods are used: from psychological suggestion to drug coding.

Treatment will be effective only if the patient himself expresses a desire to be cured, otherwise the risk of relapse into alcoholism remains.

Knowing how to recognize alcoholism, you can sound the alarm in time and begin treatment. If the patient does not want to seek help from specialists, anti-inflammatory drugs will help him. alcohol addiction, which are available on the Internet today. They are sold without a doctor's prescription and allow you to get rid of the main withdrawal symptoms. In addition, they help build lasting resistance to alcohol.

Help for the patient will be necessary not only during the treatment period, but also during rehabilitation. You should refrain from criticizing the patient’s lifestyle and strive to involve him in active leisure activities. Your doctor may recommend a special diet physical therapy and supportive care.

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Alcoholism is a serious disease that affects people of different genders, ages and social status. As with other diseases, if detected early, alcohol addiction is easier to treat. However, many alcoholics are not inclined to admit that they are sick and consult a doctor. The task of loved ones is to promptly identify addiction and convince the person of the need for treatment. Most patients carefully hide their addictions, but there are some signs by which one can guess the development of alcoholism.

It takes months to get into a habit and years to get rid of it, and not everyone succeeds.

It is important to pay attention to alarm bells as early as possible, draw conclusions and take measures against the development of alcohol dependence.

If a person has at least two of the symptoms listed below, it is time to think about treatment:

• Alcohol is consumed more and more often, at first it happens from time to time, once or twice a month, then every weekend, then during the week. Tendency to drink alcohol more frequently – a clear sign development of addiction.
• Increasing the dose: small volumes of alcohol no longer have the expected effect; everything is required to get pleasure large quantity.
• Quality requirements, on the contrary, are decreasing. If, for example, there is not enough money for good alcohol or it is impossible to get it, the alcoholic agrees to drink cheaper drinks.
• When a person does not need company and a reason to drink, this clearly indicates alcoholism. In addition, many addicted people resort to drinking alcohol alone to hide their illness.
• Willingness to spend on alcohol funds intended for other purposes, set aside in reserve. The desire to drink overcomes common sense.
• Depressed mood, irritability, nervousness in the absence of the opportunity to drink. A person experiences irresistible desire feel the effects of alcohol, and if this does not happen, begins to get nervous. And vice versa, when it is known that drinking will soon appear, the alcoholic experiences joyful excitement and is in high spirits.
• Increased tolerance to alcohol. As the drinker becomes more addicted to the habit, the healthy response to the toxic effects of ethanol disappears. The gag reflex is absent even after significant amounts of alcohol.

Women's alcoholism is considered to be less of a problem than men's. However, in Lately There is a clear trend towards an increase in alcoholism among women. This is facilitated by the equalization of social roles: they work no less, and sometimes more, than men, they bear greater responsibility, but no one has canceled their old responsibilities (giving birth and raising children, maintaining a home). At the same time, they are more emotional and experience stress more difficult, which forces them to look for ways to relieve stress.

One of these ways is drinking alcohol. At first, alcohol really helps you relax and forget about your problems for a while.

However, in women, drinking alcohol leads to the development of addiction faster, and the disease progresses more severely. This is due to the characteristics of the body. The activity of enzymes responsible for ethanol utilization is lower. The moisture content is also less than in a man's body, so the concentration of alcohol when consumed is higher.

At the same time, women have a harder time recognizing themselves as sick; it is very difficult to convince them of the need for treatment. Even if an understanding of the disease comes, most categorically refuse to see a doctor, convincing loved ones that they are able to overcome addiction on their own.

While undergoing therapy with a narcologist, they are more prone to breakdowns, even after a long remission.

Signs and manifestations of alcohol dependence in women

The first signs of alcohol addiction:

• negative changes in appearance;
• manifestation of previously unusual traits: hot temper, irritability, impulsiveness (or their worsening);
• deterioration of cognitive functions (ability to concentrate, memory, assimilation of new information);
• change in health status (problems with teeth, hair, skin, digestive organs, blood vessels appear).

External manifestations

Alcohol is a toxic substance that, when it enters the body, decomposes into an even more toxic compound.

Ethanol has a toxic effect on all organs and systems, leading to a deterioration in their condition and performance. The changes are reflected in the appearance of the drinking woman.

External signs:

• unhealthy complexion, dull, sagging skin;
• decreased elasticity of the skin, “sagging” of the oval of the face;
• yellowish tint of the skin, mucous membranes, eye sclera, which indicates liver problems;
• a pale, blue complexion indicates problems with blood vessels and blood circulation in general;
• dark circles under the eyes;
• swelling of the face, limbs, bags under the eyes;
• the appearance of rosacea - bursting small vessels on the nose, near it, on the cheeks;
• rapid skin aging.

Women are more likely than men to care about appearance, however, among alcoholics, the desire for beauty disappears over time. On early stages Depending on the situation, they may try to mask problems with their face with makeup and pay attention to skin care.

As alcoholism progresses, appearance ceases to be of interest, so it is easy to distinguish a drinker from a healthy woman.

Clothes, hairstyle

It is a rare woman who will allow herself to appear on the street in an inappropriate manner. Most even go to take out the trash while doing their makeup and hair. Alcohol addiction frees you from worries about appearance.

A woman who drinks or is in a state of withdrawal may leave the house with a disheveled head and clothes that are dirty or in need of repair. Sometimes an alcoholic can be identified by an outfit that does not match the weather or even the season. Dirty clothes, unclean shoes, greasy hair that has not been cut for a long time, an unpleasant odor of an unwashed body - these are clear signs of alcoholism.

Looking at herself in the mirror, an alcohol-dependent person may be horrified and remember her gender identity. In such cases, sagging skin of an unhealthy color is covered with a thick layer of foundation and blush.

However, in the later stages, when pronounced changes occur on the face, cosmetic tricks cannot hide anything, but only aggravate the ugliness of the appearance.

Skin and hair

In alcoholics, the body is dehydrated due to improper distribution of fluid under the influence of ethanol. The kidneys, in order to carry out their filtration function, remove large volumes of moisture. Due to constant dehydration, the skin ages many times faster and wrinkles appear. Hair becomes dry, brittle, and loses pigmentation early.

Voice, figure

Ethanol negatively affects the liver and organs of the endocrine system. As a result of systematic alcohol consumption, their functionality decreases. As a result, hormonal imbalance appears.

Due to alcoholic liver damage, the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates slows down. This contributes to their deposition, so a drinking woman’s waist becomes sagging, her stomach appears flabby, and she gains weight. At the same time, the muscle fibers become increasingly weaker and thinner. Flaw nutrients and essential minerals leads to osteoporosis and disorders of the musculoskeletal system. As a result, the gait changes and the smoothness of movements disappears.

Changes in behavior

An alcoholic does not need to look for a reason to drink, but at first he still tries to find excuses for drinking alcohol. The reason for the “holiday” can be anything. This might even be the end working week, and in advanced cases - the end of the working day.

Anticipating drinking alcohol, alcoholics become excited, experience joy, and try to finish things as quickly as possible.

In the early stages of addiction, a woman gets drunk quite quickly, due to physiological characteristics. In the second stage, tolerance to alcohol is developed. Small doses do not bring the desired effect, so she begins to drink more and more alcohol or switches to strong drinks. At the same time, the gastrointestinal tract no longer reacts to an overdose by vomiting, as happens in healthy people. Therefore, an alcoholic can drink much more than some men.

Alcohol affects the central nervous system and mental condition: cognitive functions deteriorate, intellectual level decreases, moral principles change. Women dependent on alcohol find it easier to engage in sexual relationships, often with people they don’t know well.

Behavior can be cheeky, sometimes aggressive. Some alcoholics experience irritation towards family members. When drunk, they provoke or aggravate conflicts and show verbal or physical aggression towards children. It can also happen to adults, it depends on the character. Some, on the contrary, become whiny and demand indulgence and self-pity.

These manifestations may alternate, with mood changes occurring rapidly, sometimes in the absence of external factors.

Signs and manifestations of alcohol dependence in men

Alcoholism usually develops more slowly in men than in women. However, they are more susceptible to it, due to physiological characteristics, they can drink more and feel better. Male body copes with incoming ethanol faster, since the liver more actively produces the enzymes necessary for its utilization.

Modern life, with its speed, endless and huge flow of information, leads people into a state of permanent stress. Problems in the family and the search for one’s social role make matters worse.

There are many reasons why a man starts drinking bottles, but they all lead to the same result: a pathological addiction is formed.

External signs of alcoholism in men

Almost every person has some image of an alcoholic in their mind: a dirty, unshaven man in sweatpants, with a corresponding specific smell, and a swollen face. However, not all of them look exactly like this. Many people dependent on alcohol are able to control themselves for some time, go to work, exercise social functions. The further the disease progresses, the more a man turns into that same man, but this does not happen immediately.

You can identify an alcoholic by the way he looks.

Externally, addiction manifests itself in a person’s inadequacy for his age: alcoholics age faster and show signs of various diseases.

Taking a closer look at a man, you can tell by his appearance how often he drinks alcohol:

• the skin becomes flabby, unclean, and acquires an unhealthy color (reddish, bluish, or, at an advanced stage, purple);
• swelling appears on the face and body, bags under the eyes, eyelids become swollen;
• if problems with the liver begin, the skin and sclera of the eyes may be yellowish;
• due to damage to the peripheral nervous system, intention tremor is observed - a disorder fine motor skills limbs, expressed in trembling, involuntary small movements.

As the disease progresses, symptoms become more noticeable. Men, like women, over time stop paying attention to the condition of their clothes, do not visit the hairdresser, and may not shave or shower.

How to identify an alcoholic by behavior?

Even in the early stages of development, alcohol dependence can be identified by certain signs. The patient begins to look for a reason to drink, justifying his drunkenness. The impetus for drinking alcohol can be any minor event, which a healthy person would not even think of celebrating with alcohol.

When addiction is formed, alcoholism moves into the second stage, men devote less and less intellectual effort to finding a reason.

In the absence of company, already formed alcoholics drink. This happens in cases where there is no one to drink with or you don’t want to communicate. Also, the reason for drinking alcohol alone is often the desire to hide your problems with alcohol from others.

Another alarming sign is an increase in dose. Gradually, alcoholism leads to the fact that small volumes of alcohol cease to have an effect; in order to feel euphoria and relaxation, a man needs more and more alcohol. For this reason, another symptom of alcohol addiction appears - anxiety that “there won’t be enough”, the desire to buy more booze.

The inability to drink alcohol (lack of money, late time of day, need to work) leads a man to despair, he becomes irritable and nervous. And vice versa, the anticipation of drinking makes him joyfully excited and cheerful.

Another sign of alcoholism is the desire to make “nest eggs.” The discovery of caches of alcohol should alert relatives to the need for treatment.

Talking about addiction is most often unpleasant for alcoholics, and they avoid it by all available means.

Dependent people are extremely rarely able to admit that they are sick, they believe that they drink “like everyone else,” or they are confident that they are able to stop drinking alcohol on their own.

If a man has at least one of the listed signs, this is an alarming sign. Relatives and friends need to take action: convince the person to undergo treatment.

The point is that it takes years to develop, and it goes unnoticed. The thin line between the main stages of the development of drunkenness is erased in familiar companies, collective parties and birthdays, which are an obligatory part of our lives. How to recognize an alcoholic if the situation has not yet become dangerous, and ensure up-to-date support to a person?

What are the individual characteristics of alcoholics?

Ethanol compounds can penetrate the body and cause physical dependence. However, drunkenness has a psycho-emotional background.

Psychologists believe that there are types of people who are more prone to addiction:

• emotionally unstable people with nervous hysterical reactions to what is happening and having difficulties with motivation;
• people with infantile ways of responding to emerging difficulties, striving to avoid problems rather than resolve them;
• people with low self-esteem, who do not understand how to express their own emotions, and experience difficulties with socialization.

Who are they - alcoholics?

In the minds of many people, a drunkard is a dejected individual with trembling hands, who is ready for anything to get a new dose. However, this is not always true. How to recognize an alcoholic?

There are alcoholics who, at first glance, are not much different from ordinary people:

1. Active alcoholics. In a company, these are the people who worry the most if they don't have enough alcohol. They enjoy convincing others to drink and are very assertive.
2. Domestic alcoholics. For the most part, there are quite a lot of lonely people who are predisposed to depressed states. They carefully hide their own addiction, preferring to drink only at home.
3. Beer alcoholics. These are people who cannot imagine their own life without an evening bottle of beer. Over time, the volume of the foamy elixir increases, but the individual categorically does not want to accept the presence of harmful attachment.
4. Secret alcoholics. They are difficult to identify if you do not communicate with them for a long time. They may basically not drink alcohol at all for several months, and then go on a long drinking binge for a couple of weeks.

Effect of alcohol

Usually has 3 stages of formation. Due to personal characteristics, changes in appearance and actions may be slightly different. It has been confirmed that among representatives of the stronger sex with a thick build and without difficulties with well-being, drunkenness progresses more slowly. Representatives of the fairer sex and teenagers can reach stage 3 of alcohol addiction within 2 years.

Euphoria stage

This is the initial period of becoming addicted, which lasts from 1 to 5 years. The individual evaluates alcohol as a pleasant addition to dinner or as a means to relieve stress. Mental dependence is created. After a portion, a pleasant warmth spreads throughout the body, and thoughts seem to clear up. The individual ceases to feel tired and is in a state of mild euphoria. However, this does not last long. After a certain time, the body develops immunity to small portions of alcohol. In order to feel a surge of energy again, you need to increase the share and increase the degree of the drink.

Changes occur in the nervous system. A feeling of guilt is formed, and the patient seeks to suppress it with new doses of alcohol. The individual becomes irritable, especially if it is a woman, and systematically looks for a reason to drink. Medical practice demonstrates that if a person is removed from his family, drunkenness progresses more quickly.

Despair stage

The second stage of alcoholism is running in circles, which lasts up to 10 years. The individual still does not feel threatened, but is unable to live without daily infusions. A physiological dependence is formed, similar to drug addiction. Characteristic feature The second stage of drunkenness is a withdrawal syndrome, which differs from a hangover by a pathological desire to take a dose. The individual begins to drink in the morning, without concentrating on the quality of the alcohol. The alcoholic's apartment is untidy, and he is messy.

Apathy stage

The final stage of the disease. Changes in the central nervous system are irreversible. The individual is in no way capable of solving simple difficulties. How to recognize an alcoholic by their behavior? Often patients cannot care for themselves. There is a stable physiological and mental dependence on alcohol. The main indicator is rapid intoxication after taking a small dose of alcohol. Only complex inpatient treatment can return an alcoholic to life at the 3rd stage of addiction.

Ways that can help recognize an alcoholic by external signs

Drunkards are those people who are very dependent on alcohol. How to recognize an alcoholic and distinguish him from an ordinary person? If an individual has shown at least three factors of dependence, it is time to consult a doctor.

Here are the key signs:

• A person constantly drinks alcohol and trembles in his hands.
• A person drinks for a long time.
• A person needs a continuous increase in dose.

How to recognize an alcoholic by external signs? As a rule, such a person is sloppily dressed and dirty. The face is swollen and the complexion becomes normal after the individual drinks again. Often alcoholics can be found among the fairer sex.

How to recognize an alcoholic when meeting someone? The first sign is that the person is sloppy and looks bad.

How to recognize an alcoholic? If you compare an addicted person and a normal person, you can immediately notice one thing: interesting difference. On the morning after the celebration, a normal person, having felt the hangover syndrome on himself, strives with all his strength to put himself in order and for a long time is still not able to look at strong drinks. And an alcoholic will immediately want to get over his hangover. The horror is that addicted people use alcohol not only on holidays, but also for no reason. The desire to accept immediately comes out of nowhere.

If such an individual decides to quickly give up drinking strong drinks, he will have serious difficulties with nervous system, as well as with well-being. A normal person will be aware that even small and harmless doses can provoke an addictive state. If people start drinking, they risk losing their invaluable health.

How to identify an alcoholic from a photograph?

Sometimes it is impossible to fairly assess a person’s condition from a photo. But there are a number of signs that allow you to accurately identify an addict.

In accordance with the following characteristics, in 90% of cases you can identify an alcoholic from a photo:

1. The skin is red.
2. Frozen facial expression.
3. Swollen eyelids and bags under the eyes.
4. Blue-purple spots on the face and body.
5. Downcast eyes.
6. Widened nostrils.

Signs of female alcoholism

Alcoholism that long time considered only a male misfortune, acquires female characteristics. If a woman does not consider alcoholism to be evil and is inclined to drink at every celebration, she can quietly degrade. It is important to understand the characteristics of female drunkenness. Understanding the problem is the first step to overcoming it.

Signs can be seen 3-4 years after the onset of addiction. A puffy face is the main one. In old age, problems not only increase more quickly, they often have more profound consequences. The initial features of drunkenness among representatives of the fairer sex have their own character traits, however they are basically similar to distinctive features alcohol abuse among representatives of the stronger sex.

Signs of beer alcoholism

With everyday use of beer to relax and have fun, drunkenness develops and tremors appear in the hands. The feeling of a joyful high mood from intoxication leads to the desire to continuously experience a similar situation. Dependence develops secretly, and these are the initial signs of beer alcoholism. They are the same as from taking others alcoholic drinks.

How to recognize and save alcoholics?

Science does not know the situation when an individual suddenly became an alcoholic. The disease develops over time, robbing the consumer of vitality. After just a year of constant drinking, brain neurons die irrevocably. This is why alcoholics are distinguishable bad memory and incoherent speech, even when sober. In rare cases, an alcoholic admits his addiction, so it is important to learn to identify the disease by external signs. A patient with alcoholism often dies from a cerebral hemorrhage, cirrhosis of the liver, or a heart attack. Only timely treatment can save a person’s life.