Have you recently developed the habit of drinking a foamy drink every day? And you can't deny yourself a glass of delicious, refreshing beer? Well, in that case, you should know about the disadvantages of this drink and what its consumption on a regular basis can lead to.

What happens if you drink beer every day: consequences

It is not surprising that this drink is so popular - after all, it is refreshing, pleasing with its intoxicating taste and practically does not intoxicate. IN hot weather many even replace water with it and drink 2-3 liters of the drink per day. But is it really safe?

At moderate consumption beer will relieve stress, lift your spirits and enrich the body with B vitamins. But as we already said, only if you drink beer in small quantity and not too often. The disadvantages of an intoxicating drink significantly outweigh the advantages and you may experience many health problems, starting overweight and ending with liver and kidney diseases.

Check out our article The benefits and harms of non-alcoholic beer

What happens if you drink beer every day - is it so harmful? Below we have presented to you possible consequences alcohol abuse:

Oncology. People who drink beer almost every day are much more likely to develop cancer than those who drink moderately or not at all. Most often it is cancer of the mouth, throat or neck, and in women - breast cancer.

Problems with hormones. Beer in large quantities causes weight gain and decreased libido. In men, this manifests itself in the form of a belly, sagging breasts, and a decrease in body hair. The drink negatively affects hormone levels and reduces testosterone in men.

Kidneys. Surely you have noticed that after several bottles of beer your face and limbs swell? This is due to the fact that beer negatively affects the functioning of the kidneys, which leads to swelling and a feeling of heaviness in the back.

Memory problems. The drink affects the brain and its functioning. If you drink beer every day for many years, you will notice a significant deterioration in your memory and will not be able to remember even the simplest data. In addition, you have a good chance of suffering from Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia.

Spoils your figure. If you have a tendency to excess weight, give up beer. It will ruin your figure, make your body flabby, and there is every chance of “growing” a decent belly. Despite the low alcohol content of the drink, it contains a lot of calories that will not be good for you.

Liver diseases. It is not surprising that when drinking beer you will develop problems with your liver, it will become damaged and ultimately it can end in a diagnosis of cirrhosis. At first, the liver filters beer at a normal rate, but over time its functionality decreases and the organ's cells become damaged.

Alcohol addiction- a very obvious consequence. A person who does not have an alcohol addiction will never drink beer every day. If you notice that you drink much more often and in large quantities, you are developing beer alcoholism.

Heartburn, increased acidity is one of the most important reasons why you should avoid drinking this drink. It contains powerful stimulants that accelerate the secretion of stomach acid and can lead not only to heartburn, but also to stomach ulcers.

Increased pressure. Beer really increases the level blood pressure, for this reason your overall health may worsen. In addition, pressure negatively affects blood vessels and the heart.

Dehydration, tiredness and fatigue. Don't be surprised if you notice a worsening of your health. Beer contains alcohol, which is a powerful dehydrating agent that removes fluid from the body and thus causes dehydration. In addition, the drink inhibits activity nervous system, as a result, you feel much worse and weakness appears in your body. This happens because after beer, blood sugar levels drop very quickly, which leads to decreased energy levels and dizziness.

Thus, in order to be in good shape and not fear for your health, we advise you to drink a foamy drink no more than 1-3 times a week, with a maximum of 2-3 bottles. Try to limit your drink consumption and you will notice improvements in your well-being.

In this article I will present a concrete plan. Let's avoid common phrases. I will give step by step instructions– what exactly needs to be done to stop drinking beer once and for all.

Let me make a reservation right away, the article gives it personally my opinion, and personally my beliefs on this topic. And they may disagree with the opinion of the majority, but this does not mean at all that these beliefs are not true.

On the contrary, thanks to these principles, I myself stopped drinking beer every day. And on this moment I haven’t drunk for more than 3 years, although I’ve been pouring beer with a bang for more than 10 years almost every day.

I think this fact deserves you to read the article to the end and try to glean valuable information for yourself.

I also wrote about how to stop drinking beer in my other articles:

So, let's get straight to the point.

Is beer a weak alcohol?

Many people justify their drinking by thinking that beer is a weak drink.

The fact that you drink beer and not vodka, for example, or cognac, does not in any way justify or protect you.

If beer - low alcohol drink, does not mean that you cannot develop a strong one!

And the main reason why it is difficult to stop drinking beer every day is precisely because beer is considered to be a light drink. There is a false assumption that we cannot become dependent on beer.

Guys, beer really destroys the psyche. And your denial of this fact only makes it easier for this destruction to continue.

I discussed this issue in detail in another article. I recommend reading it at your leisure.

Volume of beer consumed

Answer honestly: Personally, can you drink a glass of beer and stop?

Can you limit yourself to one bottle of beer and tell yourself “stop”?

I think the answer is no. I couldn't either.

It's all about quantity. We drink much more beer than other drinks: we drink liters of it. Therefore, beer can compete with any alcoholic drink in terms of developing addiction.

A person who sees 4% in beer and 40% in vodka forgets to multiply this by the volume of drink. I won’t do the arithmetic, do the math yourself, but I think the meaning is clear. The final figures will be comparable.

And 5 bottles of beer or 5 glasses of wine will be equivalent to half a bottle of vodka.

Awareness of this fact will make you think that it’s time to stop drinking beer every day.

Master of excuses. Why do I drink beer?

There are many other excuses that prevent us from quitting beer every day.

If at one time there was a nomination “ Master of Beer Excuses 2016“, I would definitely take first place on it.

How do you justify drinking beer every day?

Make your list of excuses " why do I drink beer” and kill every excuse in your own head.

As long as there is at least one false benefit in your brain that you think you are getting from pouring a foamy drink, you will not be able to stop drinking beer every day.

This is what my list of excuses looked like.

TOP excuses. Why do I drink beer?

1. Beer helps me relax
2. Beer relaxes me and makes me happier
3. Beer helps relieve stress after a working day,
4. Have a fun time with friends with beer,
5. The beer is delicious
6. Beer is a very weak alcohol and cannot become addictive,
7. I drink beer, not vodka, so I can’t have any problems,
8. Beer makes me happy.

I gradually destroyed these excuses. This was not easy to do because they seem so righteous that it seems absurd to question them.

They seem bold pluses, giving up which, it seems that your life may become meaningless. But this is a mirage that creates fear in which we continue to believe.

Your own excuses for why you can't stop drinking beer every day serve as a powerful weapon that alcohol uses against you.

While you're saying " It's not about me. I have no problem with beer", alcohol continues to successfully take over your psyche abroad, cooler than Hitler with his Barbarossa plan. You and only you voluntarily open the doors to your fortress for him.

If you have moved at least one brick in your own beliefs, then continue reading. Then even more discoveries will come.

If not, it’s better to close the site; in your case, self-deception turned out to be much stronger than I expected.

1. The addiction control center is within us

Now you don’t choose how much and when you drink beer.

Addiction itself chooses when and in what quantity you drink beer. The psyche has long been controlled not by you, but by addiction.

I know it sounds crazy, but it's true.

The longer you deny your underlying problems caused by drinking beer, the harder it is to stop drinking beer.

You notice that in sobriety:

• the colors of life are darkening,
  
• an inexplicable constant fear appears,
• feeling of anxiety,
• it hinders your life activity.

The truth is not always pleasant, but it resonates with your soul. You understand that this is the fucking way it is. And maybe this is what made you look for the answer to the question, what’s going on with me? And how can you finally stop drinking beer every day?

The surprise that awaits you after you stop drinking beer every day

The second step is to learn to recognize the symptoms that drinking beer causes. They make you drink again and again.

These symptoms begin to act with particular force only after 4-7 days after you stop drinking beer. This delayed effect prevents you from seeing a direct connection between your bad mood and the fact that you drank beer 7 days ago.

The existence of such explains why a person who drinks beer cannot abstain for more than one or two weeks.

Even if, with incredible difficulty, you manage to hold out longer than this period, your psyche will still sooner or later force you to go to the store and buy beer again.

I wrote more in a separate article about. This is a kind of instruction on how to remove withdrawal symptoms.

Experiment

1. Try not drinking beer for a while;
2. Soon you will see how your own psyche will force you to drink beer;
3. You will be overtaken by a negative state of incredible strength;
4. Drinking beer seems like the best solution;
5. You will find a good reason to justify yourself and drink.

Only then, having convinced yourself of this, be sure to come back to find out what to do.

Recognizing the problem is an important step to stop drinking beer every day

Admit it, comrade, that you have lost control. Admit to yourself that addiction is controlling you. This is a necessary step towards further cleansing.

This is the only option that will help you stop drinking beer every day.

Having done this, you will see the enemy in the face.

• Distinguish and recognize how addiction causes you to drink beer,
• Recognize the inappropriate feelings that lead to drinking beer.

It sounds simple, but 96% of people attribute symptoms caused by addiction to external causes and circumstances. By making a fatal mistake, they continually return to their addiction again and again.

1. Arm yourself with knowledge.

The next step to stop drinking beer every day is that you need to arm yourself with knowledge.

Don't downplay the enemy.

You need to gain a whole arsenal of knowledge that will be your weapon in the fight against alcohol.

You must understand how alcohol addiction deceives you and does not allow you to stop drinking beer.

You must have your own effective techniques and know how to fight.

1. Quitting drinking beer every day is the easiest thing to do

And in general the very formulation of the question “ How to stop drinking beer every day" is a little incorrect.

Because anyone can stop drinking beer.

But what's the point if, for example, you stop drinking beer for 1-2 weeks, and then relapse again? Why such ostentatious heroism without results?

The focus should be shifted to the goal “How not to start drinking beer after you quit?”

And for this you need:

• learn to avoid relapse, ( )
• learn to stay sober ( )

1. How much beer can you drink per day? Is there a norm?

No - there is no acceptable norm for drinking beer. If there is, then it is equal to zero.

• zero liters of beer a day,
• zero liters per month,
• zero liters of beer in my entire life.

Mythbuster

I don’t want to destroy now fictitious legends like “ Doctors say a glass of beer a day is good for you" If you are accustomed to believing the prejudices of society, fables and gossip, driven like a granite stone into the opinions of the majority, we are not on the same path. I still hope your IQ level is high enough to independently distinguish folk fiction from the truth.

Therefore, you need to understand that you need to stop drinking beer every day completely and irrevocably.

Brief abstract of the article

How to stop drinking beer every day

For those who have forgotten 90% of the information you just read, here is a short list of the main points of the article:

1. Get rid of the main excuse that beer is low alcohol drink. Understand that beer can be more addictive than vodka.
2. Destroy your other excuses and reasons why you drink beer every day. They are the ones who prevent you from taking even a step in the direction of sobriety.
3. You need to distinguish between the inappropriate feelings that make you drink again and again. If a person does not recognize the symptoms caused by withdrawal from beer, he is doomed to relapse.
4. Understand that you cannot drink beer in moderation. The only norm is zero!
5. Before you stop drinking beer, prepare yourself and educate yourself about your addiction. Don't downplay the enemy's strength.
6. Find out the mechanism for maintaining sobriety for life in the video training Arsenal of Sobriety ( 32 votes, rating: 4,25 out of 5)
   Arseny Kaisarov

Beer is the most favorite drink containing alcohol all over the world. But if it is so popular, is it possible to drink beer in unlimited quantities and, moreover, every day?

Everyone knows the answer to this question, because beer alcoholism and a beer belly (in fact, an immense belly) immediately come to mind.

According to doctors who conducted research on a global scale, drinking beer in large quantities, especially daily, is a direct path to health problems, premature illness and death. This is a frightening conclusion. The foam one hits especially hard:

• in the liver, up to cirrhosis. This is explained by the presence of fusel oils in the product;

Reference. Fusel oils- These are extremely harmful products that arise when. They have learned to get rid of them in alcohol, vodka and moonshine, but they remain in beer and cannot be removed.

• violated hormonal balance, the amount of testosterone (male hormone) in men decreases, but the amount of female hormone estradiol increases. The result is a growing belly, baldness and difficulties in the intimate sphere. Moreover, it’s not only “impossible,” but I also don’t want to, since the attraction to the opposite sex decreases, and to the foamy sex it increases (see:);
• and for women, excessive production of estradiol is fraught with trouble. Addiction to beer among young girls is especially dangerous, since the phytoestrogens contained in hops are already converted into estradiol in the body and increase sexual desire, which leads to early intimate relationships. But the same hormone leads to enlargement of the gonads, which in the future threatens female infertility. Therefore, while giving a lot of money to infertility treatment, some do not even realize that the reason for this is past daily teenage parties with a can (bottle) of beer in hand;
• the kidneys suffer, which have to work hard;
• alcohol kills brain cells, personality degradation occurs;
• heart attack with stroke, ischemic heart disease can also be a consequence of excessive beer libations.

This is such a sad picture. But you shouldn’t immediately and forever give up a glass of cold, intoxicating drink; it also contains useful components. These are vitamins B, P, D, minerals. So how much beer can you have?

Medical standards daily consumption are:

• For men– up to 0.5 liters (large glass, bottle/jar). No more than 5 times a week.
• For women– up to 330 ml (small glass or bottle/can) per day. At the same time, not every day, but no more than 3 times a week!

Important! These data do not mean that a man can consume 3.5 and a woman 1.650 liters of beer per week (plus the amount allowed per day).

On the day when you allow yourself a beer, please stick to daily value, only then you will not harm the body.

Naturally, there are situations in life when you really want to relax, looking at the sea splashing at your feet, or “unwind” at the end of the week. So if you break the “beer commandments” several times a year, nothing bad will happen. Occasionally a man can afford 1 liter of drink, a woman - 750 ml. Constant abuse brings harm.

Admission under special conditions

You can hear “kind” recommendations that beer can disinfect a wound, relieve stress, heal the throat, and breast milk increase...

But should you listen to such advice? Let's look at specific examples.

After tooth extraction

There are no arguments “for” here. And that's why:

• When removing a tooth, anesthesia is used, which is incompatible with alcohol.
• Doctors do not allow you to eat or drink for at least 2 hours not because you might get an infection. The body is designed in such a way that during swallowing for a short period of time in oral cavity a vacuum is formed, which can easily tear out a lump of caked blood from the torn gum, protecting against bleeding. And if you “suck” beer from the bottle, the vacuum intensifies.
• As for “disinfection,” the matter is even more complicated. Beer is not strong enough to be disinfected, but it contains great amount yeast fungi, which will cause infection of a fresh wound. The consequences can be dire.

In the bath

Counts business as usual drink beer in the bathhouse. The argument is that it stimulates sweating, which means it helps remove toxins. In fact, any alcohol causes dehydration. Foam is no exception. And if young healthy body can cope with this, then for older people it can be disastrous.

Blood vessels dilated by alcohol dilate even more in the heat. As a result, the worn-out wall may not withstand it and burst. Well, if it’s on your shin, you’ll get away with a bruise. What if it's an artery near the heart or in the brain?

So beer should not be consumed internally, either before, in the steam room, or after the bath. Restore first water balance tea, and then drink foam.

But splashing a drink diluted with water on the heater is even useful. This steam has a beneficial effect on the lungs and skin.

Overdue

Sometimes there is a temptation to buy a “promotional” drink at a cheaper price, even though there is a day or two left before the end of the sale. Or even the expiration date has already expired, even though it looks and tastes like nothing. It is believed that when proper storage(which you can’t be sure of) you can still use it for a couple of weeks after the expiration date.

But there is definitely nothing useful left in it. But you can get poisoned, since harmful microorganisms easily develop in a yeast environment.

Milk after beer

If tolerated, milk will not cause harm. This “mixture” is even recommended for physical exhaustion - it helps recover and gain weight. Only they take “live” unfiltered beer, and the milk is not packaged, but natural goat or cow milk with high fat content.

After freezing

It happens that you put beer in the freezer to cool and forgot about it. Is it possible to defrost and drink? If this happens once, you can drink it, but the pleasure from it is questionable.

It changes the taste dramatically, and the gas bubbles almost completely disappear. All the “living” that was in it dies, as evidenced by the yeast sediment at the bottom. Therefore, it is better to pour it out.

Is it possible to have sour?

If we're talking about Belgian lambic or cherry beer is supposed to have a sour taste. But another thing is the one that has gone sour.

Do you want intestinal disorders? best case scenario or poisoning with all the consequences - at worst? Then drink. But anyone who cares about their health will not do this, even though they “feel sorry for the product.”

After beer kefir

If the body tolerates such mixtures, why not. Moreover, kefir is compatible with alcohol (it also contains, although in miniscule quantities). This lactic acid product helps you quickly return to normal if you have had too much.

Beer after cognac

There are cocktails in which beer and cognac are mixed. One of the most famous is called “The Devil’s Drink,” with the implication that only an enemy of the human race could suggest such a combination.

Don’t forget that you can’t lower the “degree”, and after drinking beer after cognac, that’s what we do, so wait severe hangover and a “square” head. Although everyone has their own tolerance...

After an abortion

If everything went well and no additional medications were prescribed, then a couple of days after the abortion you can drink beer, especially since it helps relieve the stress that is inevitable with such a life decision.

If we are talking about a miscarriage and further prescription of antibiotics, then there is no question of any alcohol for another week after the end of the course of treatment.

After Botox

The fact is that Botox is poison, just like alcohol. When a “meeting” occurs, intoxication and even hallucinations occur in the body.

If your throat hurts

A popular recipe suggests gargling with hot beer and even drinking a heated drink orally for a sore throat. It helps many, although intoxication comes much faster. The main thing is not to overdo it and not to heat it to the point of burning!

Beer after wine

Strongly not recommended. If you drink wine, then drink it. And by “adding” beer, you’ll be doing yourself a disservice.

Beer is rich in carbon dioxide (gas bubbles), therefore it greatly enhances the effects of alcohol on the body. You will quickly get drunk, and the next morning you will feel the “delights” of a hangover.

For children

Children love the taste of beer. Surely many parents remember how they gave beer to children’s little hands reaching for a glass of “water.” Hoping that the child will try and not want to, and then they cannot take the glass away without screaming.

But they laughed and forgot about it. It’s another matter if you give your child beer “a little at a time” to improve appetite. Such irresponsible behavior of adults becomes the start for the development of alcoholism in the future.

After a stroke

If you managed to survive a stroke and were lucky enough to recover from it, remember: forget about alcohol forever. Alcohol sharply dilates blood vessels and then sharply constricts them.

Beer can be beneficial if consumed in reasonable portions ( daily norm is 500 ml for women and 700 ml for men) and not every day. Under these conditions, a foamy drink based on biologically saturated hops active ingredients, is able to have a calming and analgesic effect on the body. But beneficial benefits of this type of alcohol ends when the sad consequences of its abuse begin, among which one of the most dangerous is the so-called beer alcoholism, so the main question is not whether you can drink beer, but whether it is harmful to drink it too often and too much.

A few words about the positive

A person who prefers beer to other alcoholic drinks partially justifies his actions: “I drink beer because it is healthy.” We must immediately make a reservation: statements about the benefits are true only in relation to a natural, unfiltered product, in which vitamins (B1, B2, B6, PP and more), microelements (iron, magnesium, copper, phosphorus) and amino acids are concentrated as much as possible. All these components contribute to:

• activation of metabolism;
• support of the heart and blood vessels;
• provoking the secretion of gastric juice and improving digestion;
• filling the body with the optimal amount of nutrients;
• prevention of atherosclerosis, heart attack, tuberculosis, cancer and a host of other diseases.

To achieve all these goals, you can drink beer, but only within the permitted limits - a maximum of 1 liter of drink with 3-5% ethanol content per day, which approximately corresponds to 40 grams. clean ethyl alcohol dose or 1 glass of vodka. Experts call this portion the maximum permissible, but if possible, you should not reach it, limiting yourself to half the dose, since if you drink beer in the maximum amount every day, beer alcoholism may develop.

Let's move on to the sad

Beer, in comparison with other alcoholic drinks, is less harmful - they talk about this a lot and often, motivating this statement by the fact that it contains a smaller amount of ethyl alcohol. Thanks to this explanation, a person says to himself: “I don’t drink vodka, so it’s impossible to say that I have alcoholism.” The consequences of this misconception are dangerous, since people, reassured by information about minimal “alcohol content,” forget about the need to clarify whether they can drink a lot of beer, more than 500-700 ml per day. The answer to this question is no, since excessive consumption of this drink will be harmful to everyone without exception internal organs and body systems:

• liver;

• hearts;
• brain;
• vascular, respiratory, urinary, reproductive, nervous, endocrine systems;

Far from it full list those problems that can develop if you drink beer every day for a long time (and even more so if a person drinks it excessively):

• “beer belly” – abdominal (in the abdomen and waist) obesity, in its advanced form leading to heart failure, heart attacks and strokes;
• hypertension - increased arterial pressure“, developing against the background of excessive load on the urinary system, which is caused by beer abuse”;
• "beer" or "bull" heart is a disease in which the heart muscle expands and thickens, which occurs due to dilatation blood vessels, a copious flow of blood that overwhelms the bloodstream and wears out the heart;
• problems with digestive system– the components in beer themselves corrode the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract and, what is even more harmful, stimulate increased production of hydrochloric acid, due to which the stomach will digest itself in the absence of food;
• allergic reactions – there are so many different additives and preservatives in store-bought beer that the health of a person susceptible to food allergies can be seriously endangered;
• violations hormonal levels in men, beer stimulates an increase in the volume of the female hormone estrogen in the blood, which results in the formation of a “female” body type with voluminous hips, a rounded belly, enlarged and sagging breasts, as well as a decrease in libido and impaired reproductive function;
• “poisoning” with estrogen in women - exceeding the normal volume of the hormone in the female body leads to an increased likelihood of developing oncological diseases, failures of reproductive function and teratogenic abnormalities in the development of unborn children.

The worst thing is beer alcoholism

No matter how beneficial beer is in small doses, its consequences overuse can be catastrophic. And a person will not be able to say: “I don’t drink strong alcohol, I drink a low-alcohol drink, so I’m not an alcoholic.” The development of a disease called alcoholism is provoked by the actual consumption of alcohol, and not by the consumption of any particular type of drink, so beer alcoholism is also such a disease.

Take a short survey and receive a free brochure “Drinking Culture”.

What alcoholic drinks do you drink most often?

How often do you drink alcohol?

The next day after drinking alcohol, do you feel like you have a hangover?

Which system do you think alcohol has the greatest negative impact on?

Do you think the measures taken by the government to restrict the sale of alcohol are sufficient?

This type of disease is dangerous not because beer contains a high percentage of alcohol, which negatively affects the health of a person in general and his internal organs individually. Beer alcoholism is more harmful than other types of similar diseases, as it develops almost imperceptibly, gradually, but rapidly. A person may tell himself, “I drink, but not so much that I can’t stop,” while at the same time sinking further into addiction.

Being interested in how often you can drink beer, and receiving in response a recommendation to limit yourself to 500-700 ml per day, people still act in their own way, which is why, after a certain time, beer alcoholism enters their lives. There are several reasons for this:

• advertising – the media have been positioning beer for several years now as an element of friendly “get-togethers”, without which no party would be truly fun;
• ignorance - this has already been said: modern people think that due to the minimal content of ethyl alcohol in foamy drink you can drink it without restrictions;
• tempting - various additives make beer pleasant to the taste, other components produce a sufficient relaxing effect on the drinker without full-blown intoxication, which is why you can drink as much of it as you like;
• poor awareness - a person does not consider his boundless attraction to beer to be a real addiction, therefore he does not seek help until alcoholism reaches serious stages;
• invisibility – even for a specialist it is not easy to determine in the early stages whether a patient suffers from beer and alcohol addiction.

Alcoholism, which is based on a painful craving for beer, is very difficult to treat, since the attraction to it, according to many narcologists, is partly of a narcotic nature. It is necessary to fight this form of the disease not only on a medical, but also on a psychological level.

If you drink beer every day, even the legal limit, you can be preparing for long-term health problems. Of course, this drink is less dangerous than vodka, more accessible than other distilled and rectified alcohol, and more “democratic” than wine. However, the harm it causes is truly great and multifaceted. This should be remembered by every person sipping a glass of beer in front of the TV and calming himself with the thought: “As long as I don’t drink vodka, I’m not an alcoholic.”

3. ALCOHOLISM IN WOMEN

The process of increasing the number of patients with alcoholism in recent decades has not spared women, who have received greater economic, moral and psychological independence. The prevalence of alcoholism among women has increased dramatically.

Determining the prevalence of alcoholism among women seems to be a difficult task due to the lack of objective criteria for identifying patients.

In Russia in 1995, was registered in drug treatment clinics for the end of the year 328,967 women, which amounted to 419.3 per 100 thousand women. The proportion of women among the entire population of patients with alcoholism is 13.6% (in 1991 - 12.8%), and the ratio of men to women is 6: 1 (in 1991 - 9: 1). The largest number of sick women registered at the end of the year was noted in 1987, and amounted to 491.3 per 100 thousand. Until 1991, this figure tended to decrease, and then began to grow, and this trend continues in 1995 . (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. Number of patients alcoholism in women registered at the end of the year in Russia

(per 100 thousand women)

395,0 427,1 445,6 491,3 458,7 433,0 410,7 403,9 394,4 400,5 411,5 419,3

It should be noted that the change in the above indicator is primarily due to a change in the number of women with alcoholism diagnosed for the first time in their lives. The highest level of this indicator was detected in 1985, i.e. in the year the famous anti-alcohol regulations were adopted. However, by 1992, the prevalence of registered alcoholism among women had decreased by half. As studies in recent years have shown, this does not mean that there are fewer patients, it simply had an effect on the abolition of forced identification and referral for treatment. In 1993, the figure increased 1.5 times and the growth trend continues.

The incidence rate in 1995 was 50.0 per 100 thousand female population (Fig. 2).
Rice. 2. Number of women with alcoholism diagnosed for the first time in their lives in Russia (per 100 thousand women)
57,9 64,2 60,0 54,0 46,4 41,7 37,1 29,9 28,5 42,3 49,3 50,0

Year 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 The prevalence of alcoholism among women has significant regional differences, 20 times or more (Chukotka Autonomous Okrug - 1297.0; Kamchatka region - 1025.9; Magadan region - 964.2; Republic of Dagestan - 32.9; North Ossetia - 79.0 per 100 thousand women). The analysis carried out indicates high level alcoholism among women. In 43 subjects of the Federation

number of women

registered in narcological dispensaries, exceeds the Russian average level (419.3 per 100 thousand women), and in 10 regions - 1.5 times.

Similar trends are revealed when analyzing indicators characterizing patients who first sought help. In 37 subjects of the Federation this indicator is higher than the average (50.0), and in 13 of them it is more than 1.5 times. The maximum and minimum values ​​differ by more than 50 times (Chukchi Autonomous District 149.6; Magadan Region - 121.8; Republic of Dagestan - 2.5; North Ossetia - 6.6 per 100 thousand women). Thus, out of 11 economic regions of Russia, 6 show a higher prevalence of alcoholism among women compared to the average level in Russia (Northern, Northwestern, Central, Volga-Vyatka, West Siberian and Far Eastern).

It appears that objective evidence of alcohol abuse should be recorded. One of them is ending up in a sobering-up center. According to selective data, among Moscow residents the ratio of women and men delivered there is 1:32, and those served by ambulance medical care"in a state of intoxication - 1:6.

One of the most important individual psychological factors determining alcohol consumption is the attitude towards the possibility of alcoholism. According to the survey (4241 men and women), 16% of men and 6% of women considered drinking small doses of alcoholic beverages harmless, and 42% of men and 65% of women considered it harmful. 23% of women and 12.4% of men considered it advisable to stop the sale of alcoholic beverages; 80.8% of women and 54.9% of men were in favor of limiting it. 5.6% of men and 3% of women considered it possible to give alcoholic beverages to children. Family conflicts after episodes of alcoholism arose in women much more often than in men (46% and 28%, respectively); 31% of women and 8.6% of men constantly experience remorse because of this. Smoking and alcoholism mutually reinforce each other - smokers consume alcohol more often and in larger quantities. Women are more likely to drink alcohol in socially sanctioned settings. Currently, both family and society sanction alcohol consumption already in adolescence. The alcoholization of women was prevented by social and psychological norms of women's behavior that had been formed over centuries. They are neglected primarily by women with attitudes toward “equality,” or those who have serious emotional disorders and (or) antisocial behavioral tendencies. It is these categories of women who are more susceptible to alcoholism.

20 years ago there was an idea that women developed the disease later than in men (by 8 years). Currently, the age distribution is practically no different from that of men, but women have “short” or “ultra-short” periods of development of the most important symptoms of alcoholism.

In recent decades, an increase in the number of young women in the total number of patients with alcoholism has been revealed, as well as an earlier age in girls’ initiation into alcohol consumption from 12-15 years. Along with this, the role of violations of intrafamily relationships and family burden of alcoholism (mainly on the maternal side) is emphasized. With the early onset of alcoholism, social degradation rapidly progresses, manifested in various forms social decline.

Alcoholism in women is characterized, as already noted, by the predominance of a malignant course, early personality changes, greater inducibility by partners, and the predominance of situational dependence of alcoholism. The prospects for developing the disease and treatment are considered to be worse than for men. At the same time, “public opinion” is less lenient towards women.

Even in the case of alcoholism in married couples, “public opinion” is harsher towards women. In these situations, women themselves evaluate their “defect” more difficultly.

The consequence of this is the active concealment of one’s condition, late seeking help, and distortion of the real picture of the disease. In other words, “social stigma” is a factor contributing to the aggravation of an individual alcohol situation. With a hereditary burden of alcoholism, sick women are more likely to experience psychosis, depression, early organic brain damage, and such a variant of premorbid development as an unstable personality type. Patients develop more often and more quickly the moral and ethical components of “alcoholic degradation” (dulling of the sense of maternal duty, professional duty, frivolity, sloppiness, emotional coarsening), i.e. the factor of hereditary burden influences both the rate of formation of alcoholism and the characteristics of its manifestations. Determining the proportion of biological, psychological and social factors as the leading causes of the development of alcoholism in women is difficult, although it is obvious that

social component

Of the 450 examined, a group of women was identified who did not drink alcohol regularly (group 1). Moderate drinkers made up the 2nd group. This group included people who did not have a clear frequency of drinking alcoholic beverages, and the frequency of their consumption ranged from 3 times a year to 1 time a month, and the volume of alcohol consumed did not exceed 150 g. Persons who drank alcohol 2-3 times a month or more often , made up the 3rd group, a single dose of alcoholic beverages in this group exceeded 200 g. The women included in this group were conditionally called the “risk group”. The control group (4th) consisted of individuals who were diagnosed with alcoholism.

Determining the influence of intensity of use alcoholic drinks The health status of women was assessed based on visits to a doctor during the year, the presence of chronic diseases and injuries over the past 3 years. The rate of visiting a doctor during the last year in groups 2, 3 and 4 was approximately the same (74.1%, 75.0% and 72.8%, respectively). Somewhat lower specific gravity

those who consulted a doctor in group 1 – 56.8%.

Analysis of morbidity indicates an increase in the proportion of people suffering from chronic diseases with increasing intensity of alcohol consumption. Thus, people with chronic diseases in the 2nd group amounted to 31.7%, in the 3rd - 40.9%, in the 4th - 77.9%.

The presence of injuries, according to medical documentation, is also associated with the intensity of alcohol consumption. The proportion of people with a history of trauma increases from group 2 to group 4 and amounts to 8.4%, respectively; 9.0% and 29.4%, while in group 1 – only 5.5%. A significant connection has been established between visits to a doctor and the intensity of alcohol consumption in the “risk group”. From

bad habits

associated with alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking stands out. Thus, in groups 2, 3 and 4, the proportion of smokers is 23.6%, respectively; 72.7% and 78%, while in group 1 only 9.2% were smokers. The intensity of alcohol consumption is influenced by the family environment. The study found that the fact of drinking alcohol at least 2-3 times a month by at least one family member is associated with the intensity of alcohol consumption in women. Women have proven difficult to associate with the intensity of their drinking. At the same time, the relationship between belonging to a particular group of those surveyed and the number of conflicts in the social sphere looks convincing. The severity of moderate conflict in the social sphere in the 2nd (34.1%) and 3rd (61.4%) groups indicates the particular importance and sensitivity of this symptom.

Thus, it was revealed that the more intensely women drink alcohol, the more often they have a chronic disease, a history of trauma, smoking, the presence of people in the family who regularly drink alcohol, and the presence of conflicts in the social sphere.

The authors of this study express a point of view that is somewhat contrary to the generally accepted view that the driving force behind alcoholism in women is “life adversity.” Rather, it is a general decrease in “teetotaling attitudes” and, in accordance with this, a response to difficulties by consuming alcohol.

Hereditary burden of alcoholism, a biological predisposition to it, combined with microsocial influences that provoke alcoholism and personal characteristics that contribute to it, seem to be the most typical set of reasons for the formation of alcoholism in women.

At present, it can be considered proven by both genetic and sociological studies that sons and daughters of alcoholic parents in adulthood develop alcoholism with a frequency that significantly exceeds both the general population value and the frequency of alcoholism in comparison groups consisting of individuals whose parents were in this regard healthy. The proportion of sons of alcoholic parents affected by alcoholism, according to various authors, ranges from 17.0% to 86.7%, the proportion of daughters affected by alcoholism – from 2 to 25%. Thus, adult sons and daughters of alcoholic parents constitute a high-risk group for alcoholism.