Second stage of alcoholism

Duration 5-15 years.

At this second stage all the symptoms of alcoholism become heavier. The pathological attraction to alcohol becomes more intense and arises not only in connection with "alcoholic situations", but also spontaneously. Patients are more likely to find motivation for alcoholization themselves than to use the appropriate situations.

Tolerance in the formation of the second stage continues to increase, reaches a maximum, and then, for a number of years, remains constant. Alcoholic amnesia becomes systematic, individual episodes of a significant part of the intoxication period are forgotten.

During this period of the disease, the form of alcohol abuse changes. This can be expressed in the tendency to periodic or constant abuse of alcohol throughout the disease. In the first case, frequent single drinks are replaced by drinking-bouts. Drinks are characterized by periods of daily drunkenness, the duration of which can range from a few days to several weeks.

There is a physical dependence on alcohol. A sharp break in drunkenness is accompanied by an abstinence syndrome: limb tremor, nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, insomnia, dizziness and headache, pain in the heart and liver.

Alcoholics have changes in the mental sphere. The level of personality decreases, creative possibilities are lost, intellect is weakened. There is psychopathy and delusions of jealousy. In the future, it can go into a persistent delirium, extremely dangerous for the patient and his loved ones.