Child alcoholism (by children we mean persons under 18 years of age) is an acute problem in almost all modern developed countries. It has long been no secret that alcohol abuse is much more dangerous for a child’s body than for an adult, since it is not yet strong and is at an active stage of development. Moreover, a child, compared to older ones, gets used to strong drinks much faster. Alcoholism can cause irreparable harm to a growing body, which is expressed in both physical and mental disability. In children who regularly drink alcohol, and it is enough for a child to get drunk 3-4 times a month, growth function is impaired, personality degradation occurs, a severe form of alcohol dependence occurs, mental disorders are observed, resolution of internal organs occurs, sexual development is delayed, and all this happens much faster than an adult. Children get drunk much faster than adults. We must never forget that alcoholism is a type of substance abuse.

There is an opinion that in small doses alcohol can have a beneficial effect on the human body. Perhaps this is so, but the trouble is that it is sometimes very difficult for us to establish the line when benefit turns into harm, and “can” into “should”.

Why do children become alcoholics?

Psychologists identify the main causes of childhood addiction:

lack of parental attention;
excessive parental care;
escape from problems in the family, school, team;
example of abusive parents;
the desire to assert oneself, to feel like an adult;
the influence of bad company;
plenty of free time.

This is what teenagers are all about. But, no matter how terrible it may seem to us, narcologists sometimes have to observe infant alcoholism. It occurs in very young children. Most of them develop the habit of alcohol while they were in the womb - drinking women, being “pregnant,” “share” the alcohol they drink with their unborn babies. Alcohol can penetrate the placenta into the blood of the fetus, resulting in the so-called fetal alcohol syndrome.

1. anomalies in the development of the maxillofacial region: elongated face; underdevelopment (hypoplasia) of the zygomatic arch, underdevelopment of the chin, lower jaw; low forehead; strabismus, narrow palpebral fissures, drooping of the upper eyelid as a result of muscle paralysis; small nose, saddle-shaped, shortened bridge of the nose; shortened upper lip, “cleft lip”, irregular structure of the palate - “cleft palate”;

2. possible flattened nape, small head;

3. low baby weight at birth;

4. violations of the child’s physical development: disproportionate physique, growth retardation or, conversely, height too high in accordance with weight;

5. irregular, deformed shape of the chest, shortened feet, incomplete extension of the arms in the elbow joints, abnormal placement of the fingers and toes, underdevelopment of the hip joints;

6. pathologies of the nervous system, in particular: microcephaly - underdevelopment of the newborn’s brain or its individual parts, which can cause neurological and intellectual disorders; “spina bifida” - translated as “open back”, in other words, incomplete closure or non-closure of the spinal canal;

7. various anomalies in the development of internal and external organs, most often - about half of the children - cardiac malformations, genital-anal disorders, anomalies of the genital organs and joints.

Nannies working in orphanages notice that even in the absence of pronounced alcohol syndrome, children from drinking mothers are more restless than from non-drinking ones, while the smell of alcohol alone has a calming effect on them, they stop crying. Babies can be born already dependent on alcohol! Naturally, such children are at risk for developing alcoholism at an older age.

In Russia, children's alcoholism has already become commonplace. Very often in Russia, alcoholic drinks are used as remedies when a child gets a cold. Until recently, with the help of alcohol, weak, exhausted children suffering from rickets were restored to appetite, restful sleep and strengthened the body. In addition, port wine was used to increase appetite, bird cherry liqueur and Cahors were used for diarrhea, raspberry tincture for colds, and mountain ash was used to protect against helminthic infestations. Vodka is considered a universal cure for all diseases. In remote villages, where the population’s only way of entertainment is drinking, 10-year-old children are already drinking moonshine to the fullest, and in quantities that cause intoxication, and teenagers are already drinking on par with adults.

In cities the picture is somewhat different. Here, teenagers from 16 to 18 years old often get hooked on beer. The ritual of beer consumption is intensively promoted as an obligatory attribute of “coolness,” advancement, and modernity. Beer, presented by manufacturers as a completely innocent drink, in fact also belongs to alcohol. 0.44 grams of beer is the same as 50 grams of vodka in terms of ethyl alcohol, and teenagers are able to drink 5-6 bottles of beer in an evening, that is, actually a glass of vodka. At the same time, without attaching all seriousness to the “youth” drink, they can drink it every day, but what’s wrong, beer is not vodka! Doctors warn that beer alcoholism is more dangerous than vodka alcoholism precisely because its victims take beer lightly, not realizing all its properties.

The number of children diagnosed with childhood alcoholism is growing every year.

To establish a diagnosis of alcoholism in Russia, the patient is determined to have the following symptoms:

there is no vomiting reaction to drinking large amounts of alcohol
loss of control over how much you drink
partial retrograde amnesia
presence of withdrawal syndrome
binge drinking

At the same time, the average age of minors who abuse alcoholic beverages is also decreasing – from 14 to 11 years. These are mostly beer alcoholics.

The society in which a child grows up is also very important. After all, the causes of childhood alcoholism are often caused by socializing in the wrong company, where minors end up who are not under strict parental control. It is these “street children” who spread childhood alcoholism.

Improper upbringing in the family is another cause of childhood alcoholism. Among them it is worth highlighting neglect and overprotection. If there is no attention and control on the part of the parents, the child is left to his own devices, ends up in a hooligan environment and becomes an alcoholic because of the numerous problems that surround him, abandoned, from early childhood. The overprotection of compassionate parents, who satisfy all the whims of their beloved child and indulge him, does not allow a minor raised in greenhouse conditions to independently cope with stress and adversity. Throughout his childhood and youth, he was deprived of the need to struggle with any difficulties. And when he himself is faced with them, he is completely unprepared for such life trials and therefore uses alcohol as a means that creates the appearance of well-being.

In recent years, the causes of childhood alcoholism have been supplemented by the harmful influence of television and cinema. In addition, advertising of alcoholic beverages is not prohibited today. Skillfully filmed videos encourage you to try alcohol and experience unprecedented sensations, get incredible pleasure, and plunge into a pleasant atmosphere. Such propaganda has a strong impact on the fragile child and adolescent psyche, which in turn develops child alcoholism.

Prevention of childhood alcoholism lies in the fact that it must begin with the formation of a full-fledged, healthy family, in which everyone leads a sober lifestyle and is completely happy. Prevention of childhood alcoholism should also be carried out in educational institutions. After all, it is at school age that children love to try everything new and unknown. Formation of a complete, healthy family.

Prevention of childhood alcoholism includes the following protective factors:

- wealthy family;
- wealth;
— constant medical supervision;
- living in a prosperous area;
— adoption of social norms;
- high self-esteem and the predominance of positive character traits over negative ones.

Prevention of childhood alcoholism involves eliminating risk factors and strengthening protective factors.

The prospects for overcoming alcoholism, which a child suffers from, are very comforting if the disease is diagnosed early or early and comprehensive prevention is carried out. Children must be busy with studies and different sections, under the strict supervision of their parents. And on the part of the authorities it is necessary to strengthen control over the sale of alcohol to minors and ban alcohol advertising. Awareness of the global nature and danger of the problem will help overcome childhood alcoholism

ABC of education

Introduction........................................................ .................................... 3

Concept and features of childhood alcoholism.................................... 5

1.1 The concept of “Children’s alcoholism”................................................. . 5

1.2 Results of the study of the problem of childhood alcoholism

in different countries of the world......................................................... .................. 10

Pathways of childhood alcoholism,

the effect of alcohol on the child’s body and psychotherapy,

as a method of treatment for childhood alcohol addiction........... 14

2.1 Alcohol poisoning in children.................................................... 14

2.2 Alcohol and the developing body.............................................. 19

2.3 Psychology of addiction to alcohol

among minors........................................................ ......... 24

2.4 Features of psychotherapy during treatment

alcohol addiction in adolescence and childhood. 33

Conclusion................................................. .................................. 37

Bibliography

Introduction

Alcoholism is one of the most serious problems of our time. According to a study conducted by the Public Opinion Foundation, alcoholism is one of the three main problems in Russia. This indicator is only surpassed by high tariffs for housing and communal services and rising prices. Every third Russian (32%) identified alcoholism as a problem that worries and interferes with life.

And a completely new phenomenon for Russia today is child alcoholism. Childhood alcoholism is a very relative concept. You most likely will not find a description of what it is in medical reference books published before 1991; What can I say - even in new medical reference books there is practically no information on the topic of childhood alcoholism. However, despite this, the problem continues to exist and sadly, it begins to progress and develop as a chronic disease. The lack of awareness of adults and medical specialists and the lack of knowledge in this area prepare fertile ground for the development of this problem.

The age of minors drinking alcoholic beverages in Russia is rapidly declining. The problem of childhood alcoholism is especially acute in dysfunctional families.

As soon as a teenager learned to hold toys in his hands, he learned to hold a spoon, a mug, and then he is taught to hold a bottle. As a rule, parents in such families suffer from alcoholism. Children quickly develop alcoholism. There are cases where, within six months of systematic use, the first stage was formed. The child no longer cares when they tell him: “We’ll kick him out of the house, we won’t give him money,” and so on. He is ready to leave home. Because the main dominant thing in his head is already drinking.

To poison a child, it is enough to drink a can of beer or gin. If the necessary assistance is not provided in time, death is possible.

Often, minors who are intoxicated become perpetrators of the most serious crimes; or even end up in a hospital bed in serious condition.

Of course, according to the laws of the Russian Federation, parents must bear full responsibility for their children, but in cases where these same children end up in the hospital or the police, it is very difficult for the parents to get there because they are on a drinking binge. If they come, they often come drunk. They demand that the child be given to them immediately. Give a drunk child to drunk parents. Another category of parents are more prosperous people. They are simply shocked by what happened to their child. They never thought this could happen. They said: “Well, I went for a walk with the company. All the guys seem to be good, but they just got drunk.”

In my work I will try to answer the following questions: what is childhood alcoholism, how to deal with it, what are the causes and consequences of childhood alcoholism.

Chapter I. Concept and features of childhood alcoholism

1.1 The concept of “Children’s alcoholism”

Childhood alcoholism is said to occur when signs first appear before the child reaches the age of 18. In children, alcoholism, unlike in adults, has a number of characteristic features:

Quick addiction to alcoholic beverages (this is explained by the anatomical and physiological structure of the child’s body);

Malignant course of the disease (in adolescence, the body is in the stage of formation and the resistance of the central nervous system to the effects of alcohol is reduced, as a result of which deep and irreversible processes of its destruction occur);

Taking large doses of alcohol by a child (drinking alcohol in children is not approved by society, so teenagers, as a rule, drink secretly, usually without a snack, taking the entire dose at once);

The rapid development of binge drinking (it becomes the norm for teenagers to drink for any reason, while in a state of mild intoxication they begin to feel insecure);

Low effectiveness of treatment.

Drunkenness among minors is closely related to their deviant behavior. This connection is based on the most important danger of alcoholism for adolescents - it sharply weakens self-control.

Violent crimes are most often committed while intoxicated. The introduction to alcoholic beverages of children and adolescents most intensively occurs in three age periods: early childhood, preschool and primary school age, childhood and adolescence.

The first period is early childhood, in which the alcoholization of children is unconscious, involuntary. The following main reasons contribute to this: drunken conception, alcohol consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding, which leads to abnormalities in the physical and mental development of the child.

The second period is preschool and primary school age. During this period, the most significant reasons are two - pedagogical illiteracy of parents, which leads to alcohol poisoning of the body, and family alcoholic traditions, leading to the formation of interest in alcohol.

The pedagogical illiteracy of parents is manifested in existing prejudices and misconceptions about the healing effects of alcohol: alcohol increases appetite, cures anemia, improves sleep, and facilitates teething. Parents pay for their illiteracy through alcohol poisoning of their children, which can even lead to death.

Alcoholization of children and adolescents is facilitated by an alcoholic environment, which consists of close relatives who drink.

Biological studies have proven that alcoholism itself is not genetically transmitted, only the tendency towards it is transmitted, resulting from the characteristics of the character received from the parents. In the development of drunkenness in children, the bad examples of parents and the environment of drunkenness in the family play a decisive role.

The third period is adolescence and youth. The following seven can be named as the main reasons: family dysfunction; positive advertising in the media; lack of free time; lack of knowledge about the consequences of alcoholism; avoiding problems; psychological characteristics of the individual; self-affirmation. During this period, an attraction to alcohol develops, which develops into a habit, leading in most cases to alcohol dependence in the child.

Alcoholism that develops in adolescence and young adulthood (from 13 to 18 years old) is usually called early alcoholism. It is believed that at this age, the clinical manifestations of alcoholism develop faster than in adults, and the disease is more malignant.

The anatomical and physiological characteristics of the body during age-related crises and puberty are a kind of fertile ground on which alcohol can cause the rapid development of the disease. The degree of alcoholization and forms of drinking alcoholic beverages are of great importance, in particular, the frequency, dose, concentration of alcohol, and the body’s reaction to its intake [Babayan E. A., Gonopolsky M. Kh., 1987].

In the body of a child or teenager, alcohol primarily penetrates into the blood, liver, and brain. Due to the immaturity of the central nervous system, it is most vulnerable to the effects of ethanol. The result of this action is a violation of the differentiation and maturation of neurons, as a result of which the teenager’s personality suffers, logical abstract thinking, intelligence, memory, and emotional response are impaired. When exposed to alcohol, almost all systems of a teenager’s body are affected. According to statistics, 5-7% of poisonings in children are due to alcohol intoxication. The phenomena of intoxication in children and adolescents develop quickly and can result in stupor and even coma. Blood pressure and body temperature rise, blood glucose levels, and white blood cell counts fall. Short-term excitement caused by drinking alcohol quickly turns into deep intoxicating sleep, convulsions and even death are common. Sometimes mental disorders with delusions and hallucinations are recorded.

The main psychological mechanisms of alcohol consumption in childhood, adolescence and youth are considered to be psychological imitation, reduction or elimination of asthenic manifestations (conditions) and personality deformation with a tendency to drink alcohol.

There are several stages in the development of alcoholism in these age groups.

At the first, initial stage, a kind of adaptation (addiction) to alcohol occurs. The microsocial environment, especially family, school, and peers, is of great importance. The duration of this period is up to 3-6 months.

The second stage is characterized by relatively regular drinking of alcoholic beverages. The dose and frequency of alcohol intake increase. The teenager's behavior changes. This period lasts up to 1 year. It is believed that stopping alcohol consumption during this period can give a good therapeutic result.

At the third stage, mental dependence develops, which can last for several months or years. The teenager himself is an active promoter of drinking alcoholic beverages at any time, in any quantity and of any quality. Quantitative and situational control is lost. Tolerance to ethanol increases 3-4 times. Many days, weeks, sometimes constant consumption of alcoholic beverages appears; this is the initial stage of chronic alcoholism.

The fourth stage is defined as the chronic stage of the disease. An abstinence syndrome has formed, predominantly with a predominance of the mental component. Sometimes withdrawal syndrome is mildly expressed in the form of vegetative-somatic disorders. Withdrawal is shorter than in adults and occurs after taking large doses of alcohol.

Further, at the fifth stage, the development of alcoholism corresponds to the patterns described for adults. A significant difference is the rapid formation of dementia. Children suffering from alcoholism quickly decline, become asocial, rude, dysphoric, sexually disinhibited, intellectually degraded, with severe memory and emotional impairments.

Alcoholism in adolescents develops on average within 3-4 years. Withdrawal syndrome appears 1-3 years after the start of constant alcohol consumption. A distinctive feature of early alcoholism is its great dependence on premorbid characteristics, in particular on the type of character accentuation [Lichko A. E., 1988]. With the epileptoid type, explosiveness, malice, and a tendency to combine alcohol with other intoxicating drugs (acetone, glue) and use surrogates quickly increase. Hashishism and barbituromania are often associated.

Alcoholism often develops in adolescents and young men after brain injury, organic damage to the central nervous system, or neuroinfections that cause personality changes. In these cases, the disease develops more intensely, progresses more malignantly, quickly leads to loss of quantitative control, the emergence of a pathological craving for alcohol, and the development of withdrawal syndrome. The pathological character traits of a teenager become more severe. A particularly unfavorable background for the development of early alcoholism is psychopathy, which is facilitated by such traumatic factors as the early loss of a mother, parental alcoholism, neglect, conflicts in the family, pedagogical and social neglect. In excitable psychopaths, alcohol use is most often associated with the desire to get rid of a bad mood. Inhibited psychopaths drink alcohol to improve adaptation to the environment. Hysterical psychopaths correct their excitability and instability with alcohol. Psychasthenic psychopaths often experience depressive states with suicidal attempts. Alcoholism in young psychopathic individuals develops early, is more severe, often progressive, and leads early to primary psychotic phenomena and dementia. Clinically, alcoholism is characterized by states of severe intoxication with amnesia, a significant decrease in tolerance, the rapid formation of withdrawal syndrome, a change in the pattern of intoxication, and the early appearance of true binge drinking. In this case, social degradation quickly develops.

1.2 Results of a study of the problem of childhood alcoholism in

different countries of the world.

Here I would like to present some results of research conducted in different countries of the world and republics of the former USSR.

Back in 1931, the Ukrainian Psychoneurological Institute, using a special questionnaire, conducted a correspondence survey of doctors and teachers in a number of countries in Europe and America about the use of alcohol by children. According to the responses received, a bleak picture of the spread of teenage drunkenness in a number of capitalist countries emerged. For example, in France there were even cases of drunken children coming to school. In many families here, children are not prohibited from drinking champagne, wine, and liqueurs.

In Italy, in a number of provinces, up to 70% of schoolchildren were familiar with the taste of wine. A completely different situation existed then in our country, where schoolchildren, as a rule, had no idea about drinking. Unfortunately, a lot has changed for the worse since then...

What causes the widespread use of alcoholic beverages in the modern world? They say that a lot of bars and restaurants, cafes and discos “introduce” drunkenness among young people. The West German magazine Der Spiegel recently published an article with the remarkable headline: "Alcoholism among young people - a new disease."

In the editor's preface, the problem of alcoholism in Germany is characterized as follows: at least 100,000 West German boys and girls, often children aged 10-12 years, are alcoholics. The bottle “goes around in schools and on the streets”; a generation of alcoholics is growing up, which will cause many more troubles for the nation. The health of many children and young people is at serious risk. For example, the first teenagers with delirium tremens are already being admitted to the psychiatric clinic at Frankfurt University.

According to data for Germany, alcoholic beverages in this country are consumed daily by 8% of 12-14 year olds, 20% of 15-17 year olds, 31% of 18-20 year olds and 41% of 21-24 year olds.

Statistical studies in the USA show that early introduction to intoxicating drinks is observed in 63% of boys and 30% of girls who study in the seventh grade. For 10th grade the corresponding numbers are even higher; 95 and 90%. On this occasion, the director of the US National Institute on Alcoholism, M. Chefeto, said: “Worrying that our children may be among the 250 thousand drug addicts considered hopeless, we turn a blind eye to the more real danger that they will be among the 9 million registered alcoholics. Of this number, 5% are teenagers aged 10 to 16 years.”

Both abroad and in our country, the vast majority of minors, until recent years, did not have a proper understanding of the dangerous consequences of drinking alcohol, and indeed about the properties of alcohol. Thus, among the adolescents and young men surveyed by Professor B. M. Levin who ended up in a sobering-up center, only 10% more or less clearly understood the properties of alcohol, and 90% knew nothing at all about the harmful consequences of its use.

When examining a large group of people suffering from alcoholism, it was found that about 95% of them first started drinking alcohol before the age of 15. By the age of 19, almost 90% of those examined independently and systematically drank alcohol. By the age of 20-25.

Alcohol consumption, which began in adolescence and adolescence, became a habit among them.

L. Nikolaev tells how doctors in one of the Moscow districts, together with teachers, examined several schools. The students were given a questionnaire that contained several questions: when was the first time you drank alcohol? What exactly: beer, wine, vodka? At your own request or at the insistence or request of others? Who exactly? etc.

The results of the examination were disappointing. In particular, it turned out that in 67% of cases, children were introduced to alcohol at home, in the family.

Usually this happens, so to speak, an “innocent” drink in honor of a birthday or other celebration. And although this happens with the consent of the parents, in the family circle, such introduction of children to wine cannot in any case be justified. After all, once you touch alcohol, the psychological barrier is removed and the teenager feels entitled to drink with friends, if such an opportunity arises.

No wonder people say: “Rivers begin with a stream, and drunkenness begins with a glass.” In many cases, introduction to alcohol begins with beer, the use of which by students was written about by psychologists B. S. Bratsev and P. I. Sidorov in the book “Psychology, Clinic and Prevention of Early Alcoholism,” published in 1984 by the Moscow State University Publishing House (Table 1 ).

Early introduction to alcohol then leads to the systematic use of alcoholic beverages in adolescence and young adulthood and the development of alcohol abuse in young people.

Among the circumstances contributing to this, the leading role belongs to a number of social and socio-psychological factors: alcoholic traditions in the family, low cultural level of parents and unsuccessful family upbringing, negative attitude towards learning, lack of social activity and socially significant attitudes, uncertainty in matters of professional guidance etc. Thus, statistics show that 75% of students in grades 8-10 drink alcoholic beverages in the family on holidays and family celebrations. The first introduction to alcohol in 78% of cases occurs under the influence of parents and relatives of adolescents. In families where teenagers frequently drank alcohol, 68% of fathers and 64% of mothers had only primary or eight years of education.

The vast majority of these teenagers (75%) had low academic performance; they were characterized by meaningless spending of their free time: idle walks along the streets in the company of friends, gambling, visiting bars, etc.

The above facts indicate the need for the formation of teetotal attitudes among the younger generation to carry out an extremely wide range of activities in many areas.

Chapter II. Pathways of childhood alcoholism, the effect of alcohol on the child’s body and psychotherapy as a method of treatment for childhood alcohol addiction.

2.1 Alcohol poisoning in children.

Children are driven to drink intoxicating drinks by curiosity. But adults “provide” opportunities for this. Jack London writes psychologically precisely about this in his novel “John Barleycorn”:

“The first time I got drunk was when I was five years old. It was a hot day, and my father drove to a field half a mile from the house. I was sent to take him beer. “Make sure you don’t spill it on the road!” - they punished me goodbye. The beer, I remember, was in a wooden bucket, with a wide top and no lid. I carried it and splashed it on my feet.

I walked and thought: why is beer considered such a treasure? I bet it's delicious! Otherwise, why aren’t they telling me to drink it? After all, everything that parents prohibit is always very tasty. That means beer too. I stuck my nose into the bucket and began to lap up the thick liquid. What rubbish!

Still, I drank. It can't be that adults are so wrong. It’s hard to say how much I drank then: I was a toddler, the bucket seemed huge, and I drank everything without stopping, plunging my face up to my ears in the foam. But, I must admit, I swallowed it like medicine: I felt sick, and I wanted to end this torment as soon as possible.

I slept under the trees until evening. At sunset my father woke me up, and, with difficulty getting up, I followed him. I was barely alive: my legs felt like lead, my stomach was burning, nausea was rising in my throat. I felt poisoned. As a matter of fact, this was real poisoning.”

And here are modern stories.

On the holiday, the adults set up a table in a separate room for five children from four to eight years old and, as a joke, gave them glasses into which they offered to pour lemonade. However, the older boy managed to pour port wine into the children's glasses without the adults noticing. The kids didn’t understand and drank the first glass in one gulp. Some people choked, but after a while the wine revived the children's company, and they drank two more glasses. The adults only discovered this when the younger girl began to convulse, screaming, and began vomiting. The children had to be urgently sent to the hospital...

When alcohol enters a child’s body, it is quickly carried by the blood and concentrated in the brain. Even small doses of alcohol cause a violent reaction in children and severe symptoms of poisoning. With the systematic intake of alcohol into a child’s body, not only the nervous system suffers, but also the digestive tract, vision, and heart. The liver cannot cope with the alcohol load, and its degeneration occurs.

The internal secretion organs also suffer, primarily the thyroid gland, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands. As a result, against the background of alcohol intoxication, adolescents addicted to alcoholic beverages may develop diabetes mellitus, sexual dysfunction, etc.

Particular mention should be made of acute alcohol poisoning in children. It poses a great danger to children, whose bodies are highly sensitive to toxic substances. Their nervous system and brain are especially vulnerable. Intoxication in children of preschool and early school age develops so rapidly that it can be difficult to save the child. He could die from just one glass of vodka. A dose of 250 grams of vodka can be fatal for a teenager.

It must be said that cases of children dying from alcoholic beverages are not so rare. According to Bulgarian doctors, alcohol poisoning in children accounts for about 7% of all types of poisoning in childhood.

As you know, alcohol has the ability to evaporate, so its use in children's practice requires a certain amount of caution. There is a case in the literature when a mother applied alcohol compresses to the stomach of a four-month-old child to calm colic! The child dozed off, but after an hour and a half he suddenly became very pale and lost consciousness. There was a strong smell of alcohol coming from his mouth. The child, poisoned by alcohol fumes, was barely saved.

A similar story happened with a six-month-old girl who suffered from pneumonia, who was given wine compresses on her chest three times a day, which were kept for three to five hours. On the third day of “treatment,” the child lost consciousness, broke out in a cold sweat, and had a fever. For a long time the girl was in a state of unconsciousness and only on the third day she regained consciousness.

Here is a case that ended tragically. A nine-year-old boy was fishing with adults. During lunch, he was given three glasses of vodka, which he drank in two doses to the approving exclamations of the adults. After the fish soup was eaten and the vodka was drunk, the adults again went to the river, and the boy remained by the fire. Soon he lost consciousness and in this condition he was taken to the nearest hospital. He experienced depression of vital functions: cardiac activity, respiration, metabolism. Without regaining consciousness, the child died two hours later.

Parental drunkenness during breastfeeding causes irreparable damage to the child. Many cases of alcohol poisoning in infants due to mothers drinking wine and beer have been described. Why did they do this? In most cases, mothers of affected children answered this question: to have more milk.

This “stimulation” of milk production ended very badly: the children had convulsive seizures, and sometimes even developed real attacks of epilepsy. This happened, for example, in Normandy, where nursing women did not refuse wine. Such children were called “baby alcoholics.”

One Swiss pediatrician described an illustrative case from his practice. He was invited to see a six-month-old child who, on certain days of the week - Mondays and Thursdays - developed seizures after each feeding. There were no seizures on the remaining days. He was fed by a nurse, a completely healthy woman. It turned out that the nurse had days off twice a week (Wednesdays and Sundays). These days she drank a large portion of alcohol, and the next day the alcohol, along with breast milk, entered the baby’s body. The seizures stopped as soon as the baby was no longer fed this kind of milk.

If a nursing mother drinks alcohol, then she causes her child to develop a kind of alcohol addiction in infancy, since the alcohol taken enters the child’s body with mother’s milk and poisons it. As a result, he begins to experience disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and nervous system. Children are restless, scream, sleep poorly, and experience convulsive twitching and then seizures.

As children continue to become alcoholic, signs of alcoholism appear in infancy, addiction appears, and then cravings for alcoholic beverages appear. A nursing mother, drinking alcoholic drinks, gets her child drunk literally from the first day of his birth.

But even before birth, a child, if his parents drink frequently, may be exposed to harmful effects. It should be noted that in these cases, alcohol can cause serious consequences not only by itself, but also by facilitating the action of any other pathogenic factors. For example, many inherited diseases may not occur under favorable conditions for fetal development and, on the contrary, manifest themselves in the presence of additional harmful factors, among which alcohol occupies one of the first places.

Once in the blood of the fetus, alcohol causes characteristic malformations of its development, which are called fetal alcohol syndrome in the medical literature. It is characterized by a delay in the development of the child, a reduced head size, mental underdevelopment, a typical face with a short upturned nose, a small chin, a narrow red border of the lips, there may be congenital clefts of the upper lip and palate and other developmental defects.

Numerous studies have shown that alcohol consumption is most dangerous in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, according to a survey of 1,529 mothers and their children conducted at the state university.

Washington, deviations from the norm (extra fingers, folds of skin on the palms, abnormal eye shape, congenital heart defects, etc.) were observed in 74% of children born to mothers suffering from alcoholism.

If the expectant mother does not drink alcohol, but the father abuses it, the normal development of the fetus may also be at risk. This is due in particular; with those experiences and mental traumas that befall the wife of an alcoholic.

Mental trauma and stress in a pregnant woman can have undesirable consequences. The negative emotional stress of a pregnant woman changes the biochemical composition of her liquid environment, which adversely affects the development of the child’s nervous system.

In the following sections of the second chapter of my work, I will talk about the characteristics of the effects of alcohol on a child’s body and try to analyze the motives for drinking alcoholic beverages in adolescence. I will try to pay special attention to family and behavioral factors that contribute to underage drinking.

2.2 Alcohol and the developing body.

The transition from childhood to adulthood is characterized by rapid growth of both individual organs and the entire organism as a whole, improvement of their functions, and the beginning and end of puberty.

During adolescence, internal organs rapidly develop. The mass of the heart almost doubles, in the lungs it manifests itself in an increase in external respiration, and the respiratory rate decreases.

At the very beginning of adolescence, morphological and functional changes in the digestive organs are completed, the replacement of baby teeth, the development of the esophagus, salivary glands and stomach are completed.

The development of the psyche in adolescence deserves special attention. Perspective thinking is formed, which, in particular, manifests itself in philosophizing, typical for a growing person, about the meaning of life, a person’s place in the world, etc. This period is also characterized by reactions of emancipation, grouping with peers, various hobbies with frequent changes and etc.

In general, the activity of organs and systems of the body during puberty is characterized by functional instability, and in connection with this, an increase in tissue reactivity to many environmental factors, especially harmful ones. It is no coincidence that the child’s body is easily vulnerable to the effects of alcohol.

Absorption of alcohol into the blood mainly occurs in the stomach (20%) and small intestine (80%). Alcohol penetrates the mucous membrane of the stomach and small intestines by diffusion, and most of it enters the bloodstream unchanged.

The rate of alcohol absorption is largely determined by the filling of the stomach and intestines. At. When drinking alcohol on an empty stomach, its maximum content in the blood can be established within 30-40 minutes, and in some cases even earlier. The absorption of alcohol slows down if the stomach is full of food, and intoxication develops more slowly.

Immediately after alcohol enters the bloodstream, its oxidation and release begins. According to numerous data, about 90-95% of alcohol absorbed into the blood is oxidized in the body under the action of enzymes to carbon dioxide and water, and 5-10% is excreted unchanged by the kidneys, lungs and skin.

It is generally accepted that the oxidation and release of alcohol always occur at the same rate, regardless of the concentration of alcohol in the body. In addition, the volume of blood ejected by the heart per contraction increases. Changes in the structure of the average, according to many researchers, the rate of alcohol oxidation is 6-10 grams per hour. For example, after drinking 100 milliliters of vodka, which is approximately 40 grams of pure alcohol, the latter is detected in human tissues within four to seven hours.

After drinking alcoholic beverages in large quantities, the release of alcohol from the body can last up to two to three days.

Alcohol in the blood, along with it, washes all organs and tissues of the body and penetrates them. The concentration of alcohol in organs and tissues is largely determined by the fluid content in them: the richer the tissue or organ in water, the more alcohol it contains. Large amounts of alcohol, in particular, are retained in the tissues of the human brain.

Modern research allows us to reasonably assert that there are no structural elements in the body that are not affected by the toxic effects of alcohol. Alcohol “interferes” with the synthesis of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, disrupts enzymatic metabolism, it affects mitochondria, disrupts membrane permeability, changes the conductivity of nerve impulses, etc.

The toxic effects of alcohol primarily affect the functioning of the nervous system. If the blood alcohol content is taken as 1, then in the liver it will be 1.45, and in the brain it will be 1.75. Even small doses of alcohol disrupt metabolism in nervous tissue and the transmission of nerve impulses. Small doses of alcohol pathologically accelerate the process of transferring excitation, while moderate doses make it more difficult. At the same time, the functioning of the cerebral vessels is disrupted: their expansion, increased permeability, and hemorrhages into the brain tissue are observed. All this increases the flow of alcohol to nerve cells and leads to even greater disruption of their activity.

The prominent German psychiatrist E. Kraepelin (1856-1926) established that mental performance from small doses can cause noticeable disturbances in subtle mental functions: under its influence, clarity of thinking and critical assessment of one’s activities decrease.

Modern psychiatrists have discovered that the alcohol contained in one glass of vodka is often enough to reduce the ability of the body's basic functional systems, which ensure accurate orientation in space, the performance of precise movements, and work operations.

Needless to say, a tipsy teenager driving a bicycle, moped or motorcycle is the most dangerous enemy both for himself and for everyone who may meet on his way; French scientists Chardon, Bautin and Bogard, having conducted a number of experiments on volunteers, convincingly showed that with mild intoxication with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15-0.25 grams per 1 kilogram of body weight, visual and auditory reactions are observed. In every fifth of the subjects, this reaction was delayed, and in every sixth, deep vision was impaired, that is, the ability to distinguish distant objects and determine at what distance this or that object was located suffered. At the same time, light perception and the ability to distinguish colors (especially red) deteriorated.

The effect of alcohol on other organs and systems is no less pronounced.

When alcohol enters the liver, it acts as a solvent for the biological membranes of liver cells, causing structural changes with the accumulation of fat and the subsequent replacement of liver cells with connective tissue. In adolescence, alcohol has a particularly destructive effect on the liver, since this organ is in the process of formation in a teenager. Toxic damage to liver cells leads to disruption of protein and carbohydrate metabolism, synthesis of vitamins and enzymes.

Alcohol has a pronounced effect on the epithelium lining the esophagus and stomach, disrupts the secretion and composition of gastric juice, which, in turn, leads to a disorder in the digestive ability of the stomach and various dyspeptic phenomena.

They are not indifferent to alcohol consumption and grow rapidly at puberty - lungs. After all, about 10% of alcohol taken is removed from the body through the lungs, and, passing through them, it leaves behind pathologically altered cells.

Sensitively reacts to the presence of alcohol and the heart of a growing person. The rhythm, heart rate, and metabolic processes in the heart muscle change. Naturally, in such conditions there cannot be correct and complete formation of both the muscular and nervous apparatus of the adolescent’s heart.

Finally, the toxic effects of alcohol also affect the blood. The activity of leukocytes, which play an important role in protecting the body, decreases, the movement of red blood cells that carry oxygen to tissues slows down, and the function of platelets, which are of great importance for blood clotting, changes pathologically.

Thus, alcohol has a profoundly detrimental effect on the growing body during adolescence. It weakens, inhibits and inhibits the proper development and maturation of literally all organs and systems.

And at the same time, the younger the body, the more destructive the effect of alcohol on it. This is due to the anatomical, physiological and socio-psychological characteristics of childhood and adolescence. In particular, rapidly occurring changes in the central nervous system, internal organs, endocrine system, associated with the growth and maturation of the body, contribute to an increase in its reactivity, due to. how alcohol can lead to the rapid development of one or another pathological process.

Speaking about the characteristics of adolescence, one cannot help but touch upon such an important social and hygienic problem as acceleration, which is sometimes reduced to the acceleration of physical and sexual development. However, the essence of the phenomenon is not only this. Modern living conditions have a more intense impact on the child’s nervous system than half a century ago.

At the same time, adolescents retain childish interests, emotional instability, immaturity of civic ideas, etc. A disproportion arises between physical development and social status. And in the presence of such a disproportion, the use of alcoholic beverages in adolescence often contributes to the sharpening of character traits such as irritability, aggressiveness, isolation, and alienation.

So, the anatomical, physiological and psychological characteristics of childhood and adolescence, which consist in increased development of the body, endocrine changes, puberty, formation of personality and psyche, increase the susceptibility of a young person to various negative influences, including alcoholic beverages.

2.3 Psychology of initiation into alcohol among

minors.

The first drink is almost always accompanied by unpleasant subjective sensations.

However, over time, with increasing “experience” of drinking alcohol, the subjective assessment of intoxication changes dramatically. More than 90% of teenagers with two or more years of “alcohol experience” believe that intoxication gives them a feeling of increased energy, a sense of contentment, comfort, improved mood, etc.

Where does the gradually emerging and growing attractiveness of alcohol intoxication come from? It lies mainly in the - mostly unconscious - psychological motivation for turning to wine, in those desires and needs that a person tries to satisfy with its help. The first and most common here is the desire to have fun, to create an uplifting mood at a wedding, birthday, meeting of friends, that is, in cases in which the traditions of wine drinking are especially strong.

Usually they look forward to the holiday, prepare for it in advance, set themselves up in a certain way, dress up, which in itself creates that special atmosphere that makes a person excited, elated, and joyful even without wine. Subsequent consumption of alcohol, changing the state of the body and nervous system, creates only a special, unusual psychophysiological background onto which psychological expectations and all previous psychological preparation for this event are powerfully projected. For the person himself, this mechanism remains unconscious, hidden, which gives rise to the generally accepted idea of ​​​​the special properties of alcohol.

Ideas also arise about other “irreplaceable” properties and functions of alcoholic beverages. Thus, alcohol is consumed not only in connection with joyful, but also sad events, for example at funerals. Moreover, it is characteristic that in the latter case, no matter how severe the intoxication, people for whom the loss is really hard are sad, not laughing; the euphoria of a drunk at a wake is assessed as disrespect for the deceased and references to intoxication are not taken into account. Over time, the range of subjective reasons for drinking alcohol becomes wider - they drink “for courage”, and “out of resentment”, and in order to “have a heart-to-heart talk”, and in order to “relax” or “cheer up”, etc.

All this can be called illusory-compensatory alcoholic activity, aimed at creating and maintaining the desired emotional state, a special “alcoholic”, that is, illusory, satisfaction of one or another actual need.

In order to understand the specifics of this activity, it is enough to compare it (especially in people already suffering from alcoholism) with the activity of a healthy person. Take, for example, the need for self-esteem that is so important for everyone. A healthy person usually tries to set goals and objectives for himself, the achievement of which will be highly appreciated by others and by himself, which will lead to the maintenance and increase of his self-esteem.

A completely different way of organizing activities aimed at maintaining self-esteem and self-esteem is typical for people who abuse alcohol and suffer from alcoholism. As noted by the Soviet scientist K. G. Surnov, who specifically studied this issue in 1982, the most important feature of the alcoholic method of satisfying needs is the replacement of the objective results of actually carried out actions with subjective experiences.

It should also be noted that the desired subjective states are usually not achieved by a drinking person alone. Illusory-compensatory activity requires a fairly detailed “acting out” of these states, for which company, an interlocutor, a listener, and a spectator are needed.

A person looks for much more in wine than a state of simple euphoria. The psychological reasons here are deeper: they lie in those illusory opportunities for satisfying desires and resolving conflicts that a state of intoxication provides.

Why not all, but only a small part of minors who are familiar with the taste of alcohol and are somehow involved in drinking, take the path of regular drunkenness? Why not everyone, but only some, quickly and firmly master the simple “psychotechnics” of illusory-compensatory alcoholic activity? Why do they, and not others, become early alcoholics?

It is known that already a senior student reveals himself as a person. However, this personality is still deeply immature, largely disharmonious. Consciousness is still largely divorced from reality; ideas about human relationships, assessments of one’s own and others’ actions are disproportionate to the actual relationships of people. Children often judge according to the “all or nothing” principle; their inner vision is of a contrasting nature, not yet distinguishing the complexity of the world, its halftones. With all the desire for independence and adulthood, with all the outward stubbornness, the teenager himself often does not know exactly what he wants, what specific life and moral goals he would like to achieve.

The greater or lesser severity of all of these psychological features can, to some extent, affect a teenager’s tendency to assimilate an illusory-compensatory alcoholic orientation.

The subsequent adolescence largely levels out the manifestations of traits characteristic of a teenager - both external (the angularity of movements, sharpness of manners, brittleness of voice disappears) and internal. The time has come to choose a profession.

If a child is easily captivated by external splendor, ostentatious bravado, by the act itself without taking into account its consequences, then the young man already sees the weaknesses of many heroes attractive to adolescence and can easily debunk them. He no longer cuts from the shoulder: good - bad, coward - brave, but first thinks, compares and only then places this or that action in a much more complex system of moral coordinates than that of a teenager.

In almost all cases of youth alcoholism, we encounter a dysfunctional environment: an incomplete family, a drunken father, neglect, etc. A characteristic feature in most cases is “drunk life,” a child’s clear perception from an early age of the traditions of drunkenness, the appearance and behavior of drunken people. a familiar, everyday attribute.

The second thing that psychologists (B.S. Bratus and others) pay attention to is a very common brain failure, often expressed in an erased form and caused by head injuries, unfavorable pregnancy, complicated childbirth, etc.

These two points constitute the most important prerequisites for youth alcoholism: the first determines the content and early assimilation of alcoholic customs and microenvironmental settings, the second is those special, aggravated circumstances compared to the norm in which mental processes unfold and are formed.

However, there are teenage alcoholics who do not have even mild brain impairment and do not have a “family burden.” But in all these cases, as a rule, there is what is called pedagogical neglect, there is a lack of parental supervision and assistance, education is replaced by punishment, etc.

It would be a mistake to think that a teenager, due to his mental development burdened for one reason or another, chooses alcohol as his primary need. As a rule, it is not alcohol that is chosen, but a company in which drinking is an obligatory element of communication and pastime. This company, which is called “street”, “yard”, can be homogeneous in age or, more often, heterogeneous, with two or three older “ringleaders”. What attracts teenagers to these companies?

The main thing is that in the “street” microenvironment, a child with the background discussed above finds a group of similar “outcasts.” It is in these groups that future alcoholics find a real field of self-affirmation, can finally gain “high status” and gain self-respect, which they were not able to do either at school or in their family.

The group, especially at first; It seems to a newcomer full of democracy, warmth, cohesion. And drinking alcohol occupies a special position here. It is drinking that often plays the role of a kind of initiation into group members. The ability to drink symbolizes adulthood in the group and is perceived as a sign of special strength and masculinity.

Soviet psychologists B. S. Bratus and P. I. Sidorov describe the process of introducing young people to drunkenness. It all sometimes begins with attempts to “cultivate” the euphoria of intoxication, which is achieved through special emotional contagion, anticipation, excitement during the period of preparation and anticipation of drinking, and collective mutual induction in the process of drinking alcohol. For these purposes, loud rhythmic music and sometimes even medications that enhance stunning are used.

The style of alcoholization adopted in the “alcohol company” begins to gradually be perceived as natural and normal, finally forming a psychological readiness for an uncritical perception of the alcoholic customs existing here. Alcohol abuse is becoming more common. Drinking alcohol becomes a common, self-evident norm of behavior before dancing, on weekends, when meeting with friends, etc.

In many of these groups, a fairly rigid internal structure is found with the presence of group leaders, among whom there are often persons registered with the police, with the juvenile affairs inspectorate, and with previous convictions. A newly hired group member is often “doomed” to undergo a “mandatory program” that begins with disorderly conduct while intoxicated and ends with serious offenses.

With the onset of alcohol abuse among minors, conflicts immediately arise at school, at work, and in the family. However, as a rule, this opposition is limited either to repressive measures (teenagers are reprimanded, reprimanded), or they are “scared” by the consequences of alcoholism, the harmful prospects of association with “bad company.”

Such measures, being negative, cannot protect a teenager from the “alcohol company”, since they are unable to satisfy emotional demands and expectations, the need for intimate and personal communication, a sense of self-worth, strength, etc.

The “alcohol” company, albeit in a perverted form, offers him all this. In such a situation, resistance, and even more so repression, only increases the internal cohesion of the company, cutting off or at least making it extremely difficult for its members to return to a prosperous childhood.

The deepening of conflict situations leads to the fact that adolescents most often easily and without regret interrupt their studies at school, vocational school, or technical school. They do not stay in one place of work for long, motivating their departure (usually scandalous) by the fact that they do not like the specialty they previously attracted. However, when you get another job, history repeats itself.

Not only is certainty about issues lost.

Professional orientation, but the attitude towards work itself. Work begins to be seen only as a means of getting money for alcohol, and the circle of active social life is limited to the problems and interests of the “alcohol company.”

With the development of alcoholization, “external” habits of alcohol consumption seem to become “internal” alcohol attitudes, which, in turn, actively affirm the customs that were once accepted and contribute to their transmission to subsequent generations - the vicious circle closes. And the younger the age of onset of abuse, the faster this circle closes.

Due to the complexity of the issues being discussed, it makes sense to briefly talk about the psychology of bad habits in general.

Why do people go to theaters, stadiums, cinemas, clubs, restaurants? “To relax, to have fun,” you answer. What is pleasure? Anything you like that evokes positive emotions. However, for the sake of pleasure, some people are ready to sacrifice their health, work, and family status.

Belarusian psychologist Yu.A. Merzlyakov proposes to conditionally divide all pleasures into the pleasures of making up for a deficiency and the pleasures of excess.

Imagine that you are very hungry or thirsty. If you are offered food or spring water at this moment, will you experience pleasure? Of course yes. But until when? Until you're full or drunk. After this, you are in a physiological comfort zone, but you need more. You want to meet with friends, go to the stadium or just listen to your favorite record, in a word, relax in comfort. This is already an excess of pleasure.

Among the latter there are many useful ones (visiting museums, communicating with nature, collecting, etc.), but there are also harmful ones. The most common of them and the most detrimental to health are smoking and drinking alcohol.

In confirmation of this, Yu.A. Merzlyakov gives this example.

Imagine that two friends - a smoker and a non-smoker - went fishing. A non-smoker, admiring nature, fishes, inhaling clean air with pleasure. The smoker forgot his cigarettes at home. A sucking, unpleasant feeling prevents him from enjoying nature; he is no longer interested in biting. He will suffer all day until he returns home to his treasured pack of cigarettes. So he lit a cigarette, took a drag of the smoke and... came to the state of a non-smoker, that is, at that moment he could already admire nature and enjoy the bite.

What happened? What did he get compared to a non-smoking person? Pleasure associated with enormous harm to health. So is it worth inventing artificial torments and worries for yourself?

And is it fun? Think about who smokes, where did it start? Was there a desire similar to the feeling of hunger, thirst? Did your body require a cigarette? This need arose later, when the body got used to it, when something in it began to be disturbed. Read the list of diseases associated with smoking: lung cancer, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, hypertension, obliterating endarteritis, gastritis and stomach ulcers, impotence in men and menstrual irregularities in women, emphysema, bronchial asthma. This is by no means a complete list.

Often a doctor is consulted with complaints of necrosis of the toes and hands. But this happens from vasoconstriction, which often leads to gangrene. The blood vessels narrow at the first puff. Remember how dizzy you felt when you started smoking? This was also associated with vasoconstriction. But smoking has a particularly dangerous effect on the psyche and the entire nervous system as a whole. The person becomes irritable, his sleep is disturbed, and his appetite worsens.

Or another case. You are walking around the city. There is a person you like nearby. You got thirsty, went into a cafe, took some juice. It is cold, pleasant, you get the pleasure of making up for the lack. “Should I grab a cocktail?” - asks your friend. “Really, let’s try it,” you answer. And now there’s a straw in your mouth: the pleasure of excess!

Did you really need this cocktail? Have you been feeling thirsty? Did your body feel the need for alcohol? You didn't even think about it, although the taste of juice is much more pleasant.

Next time I again wanted to see myself from the outside looking like a movie star - with a straw in my mouth. Then - a glass of champagne, then a glass of cognac, and later, when there is not enough money for good drinks, they agree to... “muttering”... You didn’t notice when the body got used to receiving a certain dose of alcohol. How scary this is especially for teenagers and young people. At this age, addiction occurs very quickly. Addiction and at the same time gradual poisoning.

And now a seemingly intelligent, even pleasant young man sits in the office, and so far only the doctor notices the restless melancholy in his eyes, the fussiness of his movements, the slight trembling of his fingers. Later, others will notice this too. But the trouble is not in external manifestations. The tragedy is different: the personality is destroyed, and this destruction occurs at the age when the process of formation should take place: the search for oneself in life, the creation of a family, the joy of a child’s first steps, the joy of his first words. The drinker will have none of this, because on any occasion that is solemn and joyful for others, he only needs a glass...

Intoxication is a surrogate for natural joys, natural pleasures.

So, drinking alcohol initially has the character of a pleasure of excess. As you get used to it, a period of chronic everyday drunkenness begins, and drinking alcohol becomes a pleasure to make up for the deficiency, in which the comfort zone is never reached.

But when a bad habit has been developed, then it is the body itself that prevents you from overcoming bad addictions.

Observing the work of the brain using implanted electrodes and analyzing the role of biological rhythms helped to understand the problem.

Using microelectrodes, scientists discovered areas of the brain with opposite properties. When current was applied to one of them, the animals experienced pain and suffering. When the current was applied to others, they immediately calmed down and received great pleasure. Such areas were respectively called the “hell” and “heaven” zones. Similar zones have been found in the human brain.

“Say, a person experiences hunger or physical suffering, then he strengthens his “hell” signals. If he receives pleasure from something, the signals are already strengthened by the “heaven” zone. The zones are connected by negative feedback. When, for example, pleasure begins to exceed the permissible limits, a danger signal arrives in the “hell” zone, and pleasure becomes displeasure, the process stops (say, a child, has had enough of playing, is tired).

When smoking and drinking alcohol, rhythms and connections are disrupted. Nicotine and alcohol, showing their narcotic properties, saturate “paradise” and extinguish displeasure. There is temporary relief. But “paradise” begins to require constant feeding.

Having become accustomed to smoking or drinking wine, we swing the pendulum towards “heaven”.

The more a person smokes, the more the pendulum of “heaven” deviates. When you try to quit smoking, “hell” starts to signal... The same thing with alcohol.

Yes, you can’t joke with the body; any attempt to spur it on, due to the rhythmic nature of biological processes, can lead to irreversible consequences. Thus, the desire to temporarily alleviate well-being (a state of discomfort) results in a disruption of vital processes in the body.

2.4 Features of psychotherapy in the treatment of alcoholism

addictions in adolescence and childhood.

In adults, psychotherapy has now come to be considered as the main method of treating alcoholism, without which drug therapy in most cases has a very unstable effect. The action of the medicinal substances themselves (apomorphine, teturam, etc.) is rightly seen as the leading psychotherapeutic (conditioned reflex, behavioral) component.

Although no one disputes the need for psychotherapy for alcohol dependence in adolescence, there are nevertheless some indications of the low effectiveness of both individual rational and group psychotherapy. When a teenager is forcibly forced to undergo treatment, then the treatment itself, including communication with a psychotherapist, is considered by him as a form of punishment and only causes

protest. Under these conditions, it is difficult to count on the success of psychotherapy, as well as all treatment.

Individual rational psychotherapy, according to our observations, is indeed ineffective for chronic alcoholism if it has developed against the background of unstable psychopathy and character accentuation. The main way of influence of a doctor - explaining the harm of alcohol to health and social status in the present and future - leaves an unstable teenager indifferent. However, for a teenager of the epileptoid type, concern for one’s own health, one’s future, the danger of getting hurt or being persecuted in a helpless state of “disconnection” can turn out to be quite exciting problems. But this requires not only an “approach” to the teenager, his “trust in the doctor,” but also the confidence of the teenager himself in the high competence and special attention of the doctor to him. Information about the dangers of alcohol “in general,” presented in a form that does not personally affect him, is of little significance for such a patient. It may be useful for an epileptoid teenager to show the results of his examinations - for example, an electroencephalogram, electrocardiogram, blood tests, gastric juice, etc. and compare them with the standards given in the manuals, with similar studies among his peers, so that pronounced deviations in his indicators become obvious. (an electroencephalogram is especially convenient for these purposes). Sometimes stories about the grave consequences of actions committed in a state of “switching off” also make an impression.

The goal of individual psychotherapy is to ensure that the teenager himself makes the decision to undergo treatment and stop alcoholism.

For adolescents of the hyperthymic and hysterical type, the task of psychotherapy is different - to try to find a field of activity that is more attractive than drinking, and capable of satisfying the thirst for communication with friends, opening up the possibility of a prestigious position in their environment. When the traits of instability are layered on the hyperthymic, hysterical or other core ( including enileptoid) psychotherapy becomes as ineffective as in adolescents of the unstable type.

With labile and schizoid accentuation, psychotherapy should not be so much “anti-alcohol” in nature, but rather be aimed at overcoming those difficulties and life problems that prompted alcoholism. An emotionally labile teenager often suffers from emotional rejection in the family (which, for example, is of little concern to an unstable one); he is looking for emotional contacts in the company of alcohol, he needs a “friend-psychotherapist”, “friend-guardian”.

If alcohol serves as a “communicative dope” for a schizoid teenager, then we must try to persuade him to take part in group psychotherapy, the task of which is to teach verbal and non-verbal methods of contact with peers.

Group psychotherapy can be not only useless, but also harmful if the group is made up of teenagers who abuse alcohol and do not have a sincere intention to stop drinking. Such a group only unites the assembled teenagers into an alcoholic company, and they will treat group discussions of the dangers of alcohol with indifference or irony.

Group psychotherapy may make sense for adolescents of hyperthymic, hysterical and labile types if they are included in a non-alcoholic group (but not one that does not boast of its sobriety); where the process of group communication itself turns out to be attractive to them due to common interests, the opportunity to express themselves, find emotional attachments, etc. In general, group psychotherapy is usually successful if it does not set direct anti-alcohol goals, but serves as a way to distract from alcohol.

All other psychotherapeutic methods (suggestive therapy, emotional stress therapy, etc.) in adolescents can be effective only under one preliminary condition - the desire to be treated.

Conclusion

Today in Russia, after the collapse of the USSR, the problem of children's alcoholism has noticeably worsened, the reason for this was: the emergence of commercial outlets selling alcoholic beverages even to minors, the desire to imitate adults and try to look like them, and in the end, imitation of their peers who already drink alcohol or they smoke so as not to seem like a “black sheep” among them. Another important factor is the media and mass media of Western culture (music, cinema). For example, seeing in a film a pumped-up hero who saves the world from a terrible disaster and, moreover, drinking a glass of whiskey in one gulp, modern youth tries to be like those they see on the screen . As for music, the trends of punk, metal and rock music are of great importance here; for example, songs of such musical styles directly promote alcoholism, drunkenness and drug addiction.

The task of comprehensive and harmonious development of the younger generation is inextricably linked with instilling in them positive moral attitudes, including a negative attitude towards manifestations of drunkenness.

The need to strengthen anti-alcohol work with adolescents is primarily due to the prevalence of alcohol use among the population. It is known that parental drunkenness creates extremely unfavorable conditions for the moral education and intellectual development of children and contributes to their early introduction to alcoholic beverages.

Particularly fraught with consequences is the use of alcoholic beverages during the transitional age of ten to sixteen year olds, when differentiation and improvement of functions and systems occur in the developing body, and puberty occurs. Drinking alcohol at this age can delay or completely stop physical and mental development, the formation of ethical and moral categories, higher forms of thinking, and aesthetic concepts.

The comparative novelty of the problem creates certain difficulties in solving it. The main ways to solve this problem are: preventive methods: anti-alcohol campaigning, training, conducting classes dedicated to the problem of alcoholism; emergency methods: psychotherapy, chemotherapy (drug), shock therapy.

Bibliography

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6. Sosin I.K., Mysko G.K., Gurevich Ya.L. Non-drug methods of treating alcoholism. - Kyiv: Publishing House "Health", 1986. - 152 p.

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Newspaper “Evening Yekaterinburg” No. 4 1999 Art. Children are alcoholics.

• Quick addiction to alcohol. If in an adult the transition to the chronic stage of alcoholism takes 5–10 years, in children it happens 3–4 times faster. This is due to the anatomical and physiological structure of the body. A child's brain tissue contains more water and less protein. In such an environment, alcohol quickly dissolves and is absorbed by the body, and only 7% is excreted by the kidneys and lungs. The remaining 93%, like poison, have a destructive effect on all internal organs and systems.
• Malignant course of alcoholism in children. This is due to the fact that in adolescence and adolescence the body is not yet fully formed, and the resistance to the effects of alcoholic beverages in the central nervous system is reduced. As a result, the process of its destruction begins (irreversible!).
• Alcoholism in children develops due to the consumption of large doses of alcohol. This is due to the fact that drinking alcohol is not approved by society, so teenagers usually do it secretly from everyone, without thinking about the snack, taking the entire dose at once.
• Rapid development of binge alcoholism in children. It is becoming the norm for teenagers to drink for any reason. They always strive for strong intoxication. Only in this case the drinking is regarded as complete and successful.
• Low effectiveness of treatment of childhood alcoholism. For addicted adolescents, drinking alcoholic beverages is included in the structure of needs. Often, even after a course of therapy and rehabilitation, they start drinking again.

Causes of alcoholism in children

The main problem of childhood alcoholism is that the formation of addiction occurs four times faster than in an adult. This is explained by anatomical and physical features.

Complete addiction can occur within a few months. In an adult, there is more protein in the brain tissue than water, but in children it is the opposite. As a result, alcohol dissolves better and is absorbed by a still fragile body.

Scientists say that the baby’s kidneys and liver remove only 7% of alcohol, and the remaining 93% act as poison and poison the internal organs.

Effective prevention of alcoholism involves replacing risk factors with enhanced protective factors. Among them, psychologists and sociologists have identified: · a prosperous family; · financial wealth; · medical supervision; · living in a good area; · the formation of high self-esteem. Social and psychological prevention of childhood alcoholism should concern all areas of a teenager’s life. Parents are obligated to convey to the teenager that sobriety is the choice of strong, independent people who are responsible for their future and reinforce this with their own example.

In cases of “classic” adult alcoholism, the problem is limited to the destruction of the formed psyche and physical health of the patient. At the age of underage, additional complications arise. These include:

• Violation of physical development.
• Pronounced phenomena of mental infantilism (underdevelopment).
• Early aging and destruction (by ethanol) of vital internal organs.
• Obvious psychoabnormalities.
• Social pathology (aggression, tendency to violence, sadism, sexual perversion).

The disease develops much faster and in a more malignant form than in adults. Very often, alcohol consumption in pre-adolescence is combined with the use of psychoactive substances (surfactants) contained in household liquids (paints, varnishes, adhesives).

Most young alcohol consumers smoke tobacco, use club drugs (spice, nasvay), and sometimes drugs. The doctor has to deal with polysubstance abuse.

Therefore, narcologists face the extremely difficult task of eradicating these vices. The maximum number of government and other organizations should participate in this process.

Among the reasons leading to the development of early-age alcohol addiction, two main groups can be distinguished: social and medical. Social:

• Centuries-old family drinking traditions, in which drinking alcohol is treated as a normal phenomenon. Against this background, the child begins very early to join in drinking with adults, parodying their customs.
• Mental underdevelopment of parents who are not aware of the moral and ethical standards of a civilized society.
• Excessive care of their children by adults, which often gives rise to rejection and the desire to get rid of it, to oppose oneself to the forcibly imposed rules. One form of family protest is drinking alcohol.
• The influence of adolescent informal groups. Children often end up in uncontrolled street formations, where it is customary to drink alcoholic beverages in large quantities.

Medical:

• Heredity. The presence in the family of one or more persons suffering from chronic alcoholism significantly increases the risk of developing this disease in descendants. Especially if pathological lines can be traced on both the mother’s and father’s sides.
• Mental illnesses. Mental retardation (mindlessness), a number of genetic ailments form certain pathophysiological gaps in the child’s body, which make him especially vulnerable to the effects of drinks containing alcohol.

When exposed to the above reasons, drinking children very soon develop a pronounced primary attraction that is situational in nature. After some more time, which can be weeks or months, they develop a compulsive craving, similar to withdrawal syndrome, physical craving in alcohol addiction in adults.

This pathological condition is defined as early childhood alcoholism. Diagnostic criteria and manifestations are as follows:

• Large doses of alcohol taken in the very initial stages of painful changes.
• Rapid extinction of reflexive, protective vomiting.
• Severe psychotic disorders with emotional instability, aggressive behavior, suppression of mnestic (mental) abilities, especially memory.
• Frequent deep forms of intoxication, up to a stuporous state.
• Accelerated and complete loss of situational, quantitative control over drinking.
• Rapid formation of mental attraction and compulsive cravings (uncontrollable desires).
• Accelerated development of complications from internal organs - polyneuropathy, malignant hepatitis, severe myocardiopathy, epileptic seizures.

In children, forms of drunkenness can be either constant or binge drinking. The prognosis of advanced cases is unfavorable. It is possible to save young patients only at the very initial manifestations of ethanol addiction.

According to WHO information, Ukraine ranks first in alcohol addiction among children. There, alcoholism among teenagers from fourteen to eighteen years old reaches 40%. Doctors are very concerned about these indicators, since the frequency of alcohol consumption increases every year, and the disease becomes chronic.

Russia is also in the first positions in this ranking. There are 11.5 thousand children suffering from alcoholism in the country. The real picture is even worse than the official data. The measures and laws taken have not yet been able to solve this acute problem.

According to doctors, more than 40% of poisonings among children occur from drinking alcoholic beverages. About 12 thousand teenagers are registered with the police as suffering from alcohol addiction. There are also cases of child mortality from alcohol abuse.

In remote areas in rural areas, girls and boys from disadvantaged families often drink moonshine from the age of ten on an equal basis with adults. Neither the children themselves nor their parents count the amount they drink.

Beer alcoholism is more common among teenagers in cities. Young people relax after school with a bottle of beer, without thinking about its detrimental effect on a fragile body.

In more prosperous countries, childhood dependence on alcohol is observed less frequently, but is not completely excluded. It is extremely important to pay close attention to children so as not to miss the initial signs of the disease and begin treatment in a timely manner.

One of the features of alcoholism in children is rapid addiction to alcoholic beverages. The disease progresses rapidly and within a few months can completely destroy a child’s body and lead to death.

Therefore, parents should be aware of the signs of this disease in order to take timely action. You should think about and suspect the onset of alcoholism if your child has the following symptoms:

• Decreased academic performance and intelligence, weakened memory and problems with learning new material.
• Deterioration of the process of abstract and logical thinking.
• Increase in temperature and pressure surges.
• Sudden changes in mood, indifference to the environment, isolation.

Signs of alcohol dependence may not appear immediately, so reasonable and unobtrusive control over the child should always be. If you notice any alarming symptoms, you should immediately consult a narcologist and begin treatment.

Often, when children abuse alcohol, poisoning occurs, causing intoxication of the body and convulsions. Frequent symptoms include mental disorders, which may be accompanied by delusions.

Parents bear full responsibility for the health and behavior of their minor son or daughter. Therefore, they must understand how to properly deal with alcoholism in children. First of all, you need to not ignore changes in the teenager’s behavior and promptly contact a psychotherapist.

Alcohol addiction is treated with psychotherapy. Such an effective method as coding gives good results.

But its abuse sometimes leads to nervous and mental disorders. Adequate treatment can be obtained in specialized hospitals with the consent of parents and with their active participation.

It consists in creating favorable conditions for the child’s recovery.

At this stage, it is important to prevent breakdowns when the child starts drinking again. The support of parents and teachers is of great importance.

It is necessary to fully understand the cause of addiction to alcohol and prevent relapse. At this time, children especially need the attention, participation and care of loved ones.

Sports, prolonged exposure to the air, and healthy hobbies will help you break away from a dangerous habit and start a new life.

A distinctive feature of the treatment of alcoholism in children is considered to be early identification of the problem. Not all medications used for adults are suitable for teenagers. Doctors often advise using traditional medicine that restores immunity and has a general strengthening effect.

This disease is equivalent to drug addiction, as it causes similar harm. As a result of alcohol abuse, health noticeably deteriorates and irreversible changes occur. There are many pathogenic consequences. But it is easier to prevent their onset than to try to cure them later.

Prevention of childhood alcoholism includes the following child protection factors:

• prosperous family;
• material wealth;
• regular medical examination;
• learning to accept social norms;
• sufficient level of self-esteem;
• development of positive qualities.

Also, prevention of childhood alcoholism consists of eliminating risk factors. Parents should devote time to their child, talk with him about his problems, experiences, and instill a love for extracurricular activities (sports, developmental clubs).

In educational institutions it is necessary to conduct seminars on the topic of childhood alcoholism. The child should be aware that drinking alcohol leads to illness and death.

In addition, this is a step into the criminal world. It is especially important to reinforce in children the idea that drinking alcohol does not make them more independent and cool.

This deprives them of physical health, harms their mental abilities and external attractiveness.

The state is also fighting child alcoholism. The measures taken include the cancellation of commercials promoting alcoholic beverages, an age limit and a ban on their sale after 22:00, and the punishment of citizens who drink in a public place.

The disease can be eradicated if adults consciously refuse this harmful habit. Childhood alcoholism will decline and cease to pose a danger. But if a child begins to drink alcohol, it is necessary to immediately take measures aimed at removing toxins from his body, restoring his functions, and rehabilitation.

Timely medical intervention increases your child’s chances of recovery. You should contact a child psychologist or pediatrician if you find several signs from the list:

• teenager returns home late
• he smells like alcohol;
• irritability and aggressiveness are observed in behavior;
• money disappears from the house;
• cases of deception on the part of a child have become more frequent;
• the teenager is secretive and withdrawn, withdraws from adults, and is not interested in family life;
• achievement levels are falling.

Do not miss the chance to return your child to normal life, contact specialists. Narcologists have developed a set of measures for the treatment of alcoholism in children, aimed at eliminating physical dependence on alcohol. In addition, the child should receive help from a psychotherapist, whose task is to help get rid of cravings.

Treatment of childhood alcoholism is most effective in a hospital. While under strict medical supervision, the child will undergo several procedures to cleanse the body of toxins and restore the functions of damaged vital systems.

Symptoms of childhood alcohol addiction

Thirty years ago, the problem of alcohol addiction in children was solved at the state level. Modern realities are such that young people are left to their own devices, so drunkenness among children becomes a symbol of liberation from the oppression of adults. In pursuit of financial well-being, parents often do not notice the symptoms of the disease.

How does childhood alcoholism manifest? There are a number of signs by which you can determine whether a child has an addiction:

• causeless aggression;
• nervous disorders, psychoses;
• memory impairment;
• inability to think logically and abstractly;
• blood pressure surges;
• increase in body temperature;
• the number of leukocytes and glucose levels in the blood decrease.

Alcohol is a poison for the human body, and in a child’s body there are no hormones that break down ethanol into harmless components. Therefore, even a small dose of strong drink causes severe poisoning in a child with convulsions and alcoholic coma. The effect of alcohol on the child's psyche is destructive and is often accompanied by delirium.

Treatment

Help can be effective only with timely detection and a complete treatment and rehabilitation complex. Therapeutic measures include:

• Global cleansing of the body.
• Long-term and varied drug therapy, taking into account pathophysiological disorders.
• Special forms of child psychotherapy with the involvement of psychologists and rehabilitation specialists.

Specialists should collectively establish prospects and methods for further socialization of young patients. Curing children with alcoholism is a very difficult task facing doctors and other specialists.

Alcohol and children are a problem that is dealt with by narcologists and psychiatrists. The sooner therapy begins, the better the result will be.

It is not recommended to self-medicate, since a fragile body cannot be treated with adult medications. Therefore, they use the power of traditional medicine to strengthen the immune system and cleanse the entire body.

For professional therapy, the child is placed in a specialized hospital, where the child will be under the constant supervision of medical personnel. To eliminate cravings, a psychotherapeutic method is used, popularly known as coding.

Unlike methods for adults, treatment for children takes place at a more accelerated pace. Chad needs to be explained that a healthy lifestyle is better than alcoholic oblivion.

Childhood alcoholism cannot be overcome without psychological help. Group classes can reveal the true causes of problems. The guys and the doctor understand the accumulated stressful situations and learn from examples about the consequences of early drunkenness.

It is necessary to create conditions for the child’s development, to do everything to distract him from his usual activities and his usual social circle.

New hobbies and interests, as well as new acquaintances who will adhere to generally accepted norms of behavior, will help him get rid of addiction faster and easier.

Treatment of childhood alcoholism should include not only drug therapy, but also serious psychotherapeutic work.

The most effective treatment is in a hospital, where the child will be under the constant supervision of specialists. The procedures performed are aimed at cleansing the body of toxins and normalizing the functioning of all organs.

To place a child for inpatient treatment, the permission of the parents or those who perform their duties is required. The family should take an active part in the treatment: help and support, show that everyone believes in recovery.

To improve relationships and resolve conflict situations, you can seek the help of a family therapist.

When treating childhood alcoholism, the same drugs that are used to treat adult addiction cannot be used. In this case, it is necessary to select a complex of preparations from medicinal plants and immunomodulatory drugs. Treatment can be supplemented with physiotherapeutic procedures.

Consequences of drinking alcohol

• Gastrointestinal disorders, gastritis, inflammation of the esophagus, diseases of the pancreas and liver develop.
• The cardiovascular system suffers - adolescents are diagnosed with tachycardia, high blood pressure, varicose veins, arrhythmia, myocardial dystrophy, etc.
• Noticeable decrease in immunity.
• Avitaminosis.

The most dangerous, irreversible consequence of childhood alcoholism, according to doctors, is a dysfunction of the brain, damage to the central nervous system, leading to inhibition of the child’s overall development, his intellectual abilities, memory, logical and abstract thinking.

Personality deteriorates, mental disorders develop that cannot be treated. The child becomes aggressive, gets into fights, and is capable of petty theft and hooliganism.

Often these guys end up in a children's colony.

In addition, childhood alcoholism is accompanied by an early onset of sexual activity, which can result in infertility and sexually transmitted diseases.

The main danger of alcoholism in children is that the child may die. A young, fragile body is not able to resist toxins and severe poisoning occurs. There are cases when doctors did not have time to save a child’s life, and he died from an excessive amount of alcohol in the blood.

Prevention of childhood alcoholism

It is easier to prevent illness in children than to cure it. Prevention of childhood alcoholism should be actively carried out by the state, school and family.

Parents need to not leave their child unattended and be aware of his problems and experiences. Teenagers need interesting hobbies, one of them is sports.

For children from wealthy families, unlimited amounts of pocket money cannot replace the love and attention of their father and mother.

It is necessary to bring to the consciousness of all parents that alcohol addiction in children is a terrible and rapidly progressing disease. Therefore, you should not have fun trying to treat your kids to beer or wine, considering them harmless. This is a dangerous misconception; any low-alcohol drinks are dangerous for a child.

Schools need to educate about the deadly dangers of alcoholism. Children should be informed that alcohol addiction leads to crime and causes irreparable harm to health.

It is important to instill in young people that drinking does not make a person strong, free and independent. They must understand the harm and be aware of the severe consequences of alcoholism.

At the state level, it is necessary to carry out measures to prevent alcoholism among children. This is, firstly, the abolition of advertising of alcoholic beverages that promotes alcohol consumption.

Another important measure is to limit the sale of alcohol and punish the consumption of alcohol by minors and in public places. Propaganda on television in the media of a healthy lifestyle and family values ​​plays an important role.

The main goal of prevention is to prevent a child from becoming addicted to alcohol. In this regard, it is important to combat alcoholism among adults raising children and setting an example.

The child does not drink alcohol in portions, but in large quantities and gulps, which, most often, is dictated by the company and the competitive effect. If we look at statistical data, we can see that adult alcoholism develops within 5-10 years. While in children this process happens at lightning speed . It takes from 1 year to 3 years. In this article we will find out everything you can know about the habit of drinking strong drinks by young people, we will find out what consequences this has for the body, how to identify the habit and what parents should do in such difficult situations.

This type of habit is usually diagnosed in children, who have reached the age of 10-14 years . However, there are many cases of earlier alcoholism. Some doctors record addiction even in children from 3 years old , but these are exclusively advanced cases of parental connivance. In any case, such facts paint a very sad picture of the future of our nation and make us think about the origins of this problem.

Most often, the cause of childhood alcoholism is the parents themselves, or rather their lifestyle and influence on the child. Imagine a picture: a festive table, family and friends celebrating some holiday together. There are bottles of champagne, wine, vodka, beer, etc. on the table. Your son or daughter notices that adults drink alcoholic beverages and then become cheerful. Alcohol appears in his mind as a kind of magic wand , eliminating all adversity. In addition to this, some adults themselves give children alcoholic drinks, believing that a small amount will not harm their health. However, even a small amount of drinking can cause addiction. Children begin to think that what adults drink is harmless and helps people become joyful and relaxed.

Deception of the child's psyche ! In addition, alcoholism is often accompanied by a desire to look “cool” in the eyes of one’s peers. Many people drink alcohol just to be on good terms with this or that group of teenagers, to join their community.

One of the most severe forms of the disease we are considering is childhood congenital alcoholism. This form appears due to the use of alcohol during the period of conception and pregnancy by the mother of the unborn child.

Children's alcohol addiction often develops due to with past illnesses , such as:

• Injuries brain
• Organic lesions CNS.
• Various neuroinfections.

In such cases, the habit can proceed at a more intense pace. There is a loss of control over the amount of alcohol consumed. Child gets used to alcohol and cannot abstain from using it. At the same time, psychological trauma such as:

• early loss of mother;
• complete lack of supervision from adults;
• conflicts arising in the family;
• social neglect.

The cause of childhood alcoholism can be either one or several, depending on the environment and the events occurring in it. Individual reasons overlap each other, forming a common serious problem. The child’s psyche is not always able to withstand the problems of the adult world; a child can see alcohol as a means of relaxation and escape from difficulties.

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As noted above, a child’s habit develops faster than an adult’s, and by an order of magnitude. But it is still worth noting the gradual (phased) development of the disease. Narcologists usually distinguish five stages in the development of childhood alcohol addiction.

In its formation they note the following basic steps :

1. addictive for beer, wine, vodka, etc.
2. Use with noticeable regularity.
3. Formation mental dependencies.
4. Withdrawal symptoms syndrome.
5. Formation dementia.

At the first stage, adaptation and addiction to alcohol occurs, which usually does not take much time. It is noted that a child’s addiction to alcoholic beverages occurs over a period of time from 3 months to six months . If the first stage is not interrupted by any of his relatives and friends, then he will begin to show interest in stronger drinks, and also increase the dose of alcohol taken. The use becomes regular and systematic.

Psychologist's advice! Parents need to be extremely attentive to their child. You should keep an eye on his new hobbies and circle of friends. It is important not just to listen to the child, but also to hear him. Sometimes many of his psychological problems can be solved with the right words and advice. This way, your child will understand that many problems can be solved in another way, and alcohol is not the best way to cope with stress and problems.

An obvious sign in the second stage is behavior change child. Parents will most likely notice negative changes in their child. The disease can still be overcome if the dangers of alcohol are reasonably explained, and further attempts to drink alcohol are excluded. The formation of mental dependence begins after about a year of drinking alcohol. There is an increase in the tolerance of ethanol by the body of your son or daughter by 3-4 times, as well as uncontrollability of behavior.

Speaking about the transition of this disease to the chronic stage, withdrawal syndrome should be mentioned. This syndrome is characterized by vegetative-somatic disorders in the body of children. The child loses control over his actions, is indiscriminate in the choice of drinks, as well as the doses taken. It is noted that children at this stage often go on binges , and a chance to wean off beer, wine, vodka, etc. simple instructions are reduced to zero. The most rational behavior on the part of parents would be to contact a drug addiction specialist.

Children can be very secretive , this is especially true for teenagers. In some cases, even parents find it difficult to recognize their child’s alcohol addiction, although they are the ones who know their child best. It is important to note that there are a number of signs that indicate the presence of alcoholic beverages in the life of a small person. They can be guided by those who still begins to suspect change in the behavior and appearance of your child.

These signs include the following:

1. Deviations in child behavior . The son or daughter becomes more secretive and nervous. There may be a sharp deterioration in grades, hooliganism, complaints from teaching staff, and absenteeism from school.
2. Physical signs alcoholism. Such signs are: frequent nausea, unclear speech, slowness, deterioration of coordination, the smell of alcohol, as well as fumes.
3. Cognitive decline . There is a deterioration in memory and concentration. It is because of these signs that he cannot master the school curriculum, and his academic performance and interest in studies and hobbies decline.

If your child exhibits the signs indicated in the first paragraph, you should not immediately sound the alarm. Perhaps he does not suffer from the habit of drinking, but simply undergoing a psychological change due to adolescence. Children between the ages of 12 and 16 often become more hot-tempered and unbalanced, which psychologists say is quite natural. Having identified deviations in a child’s behavior, it is important to observe him, spend more time with him and not make hasty conclusions.

Psychologist's advice ! Parents often “judge the child” if they notice that their child is smoking or drinking, without thinking at all about how hard harsh punishments can hit the psyche. Man, in himself, is a very subtle and vulnerable nature, and children, moreover, are not yet fully formed personalities. Be careful in your actions and punishments.

By the way, we have special functionality that will help you find out the stage of childhood alcoholism, provided that you know a few key parameters. After calculation, the functionality will show how serious the problem is and give several recommendations in the form of medications that can be used to overcome addiction.

Addiction calculator

M F

Your addiction

Dependency type:

There is no danger to the body, the habit of drinking is typical for many people, but in the specified quantities and with the specified parameters of the patient, it does not cause any harm to the body. Many people relieve stress with alcohol on holidays and after work, but are not addicted to it.

The patient sees alcohol as a way out of difficult situations and resorts to hard drinks more and more often. This stage is dangerous because in any difficult situation in life, this stage can smoothly transition into the next one, which is much more dangerous to health.

At this stage, an addicted person can no longer do without alcohol, but is firmly convinced that he is capable of quitting at any time, but not today. Already here complications with the liver and other difficulties with organs and well-being may begin.

Special treatment and a short course of rehabilitation, plus the support of relatives, can bring you out of this stage. This stage can provoke very serious problems with the liver and other organs, which will lead to illness for the rest of life.

This stage is not hopeless, but it requires an extremely serious approach to treatment and a long period of rehabilitation, with regular medical procedures, many medications and, often, expensive treatment.

Treatment period for addiction:

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Treatment or how to get rid of the problem?

According to a number of doctors, alcohol dependence observed in children not treatable . They believe that it is possible to isolate a child from alcohol, but it is simply impossible to cure the somatic changes in the body that alcohol caused. Of course, this opinion is controversial and raises many doubts, especially since there is numerous evidence to the contrary.

Often with proper treatment the child nevertheless refuses alcohol and returns to the usual course of life. For example, at the first stage of alcohol addiction, it is enough for parents to communicate with their son or daughter, who reveals all the negative consequences of alcohol. There is no need to put pressure on the child, he I have to realize it myself your mistake and make the right decision.

Advice from a narcologist. Parents cannot always keep an eye on their children. If, after all, your child has been exposed to a bad habit, you cannot hesitate. It is important to immediately take measures such as: conversations on relevant topics, control of the environment, eliminating alcohol from his life, contacting a specialist, and using special medications.

If alcohol dependence has already formed, it is very It is important not to delay and consult a doctor . Typically, the child is prescribed inpatient treatment, which is carried out only with the permission of the parents or legal guardians. Held detox therapy, allowing you to restore the course of life-supporting body functions.

About bad habits

1367 2018-12-20

Alcoholism is a serious problem not only for adults, but also for young people, and the disease is “getting younger and younger.” Who among us has not met a group of very young guys with bottles of beer and cigarettes in their hands? This picture has become familiar and evokes nothing but the desire to quickly pass by. It is not customary to talk about the problem of childhood alcoholism; rather, more often you can only find condemnation, but not a solution to this problem.

The lack of awareness of adults and medical specialists and their lack of knowledge in this area prepare fertile ground for the development of this problem.

Alcoholism develops gradually over a fairly long period of time and is always accompanied by a variety of social consequences that are unfavorable both for the patient and for society. Initially, small doses of alcoholic beverages are consumed, but if there is no alcohol at all, then severe degrees of intoxication and an increase in doses from time to time may be observed.

Alcoholism in adolescents is a fairly common phenomenon, especially in those families where parents pay little attention to the behavior of children, as well as in families of alcoholics, although such tragedies cannot be ruled out in prosperous families.

Children dependent on alcohol may develop diabetes mellitus, and in adolescence, problems with sexual function. Important: The danger of alcohol poisoning increases, the development of severe, in severe cases An alcoholic coma may develop. Intoxication in children of preschool and early school age develops so rapidly that it can be difficult to save the child. He could die from just one glass of vodka. A dose of 250 grams of vodka can be fatal for a teenager.

Against the background of short-term excitement, there is an increase in blood pressure and body temperature, a decrease in blood glucose levels and the number of leukocytes, which can cause intoxicating, convulsions, serious mental disorders (delirium), possible death.

Stages of development of alcohol dependence in children:

• In the first 3-6 months, a gradual and often imperceptible addiction to alcohol-containing drinks occurs. In this case, the social environment in which the child is located plays a significant role.
• If alcohol is regularly consumed for a year, then during this period a change in the adolescent’s behavioral reactions occurs, however, timely cessation of alcohol intake during this period gives a fairly stable positive therapeutic effect.
• Further, if nothing is done, a stable mental dependence develops. During this period, the teenager loses control over the amount of alcohol consumed, its quality, and tolerance to ethanol increases 3-4 times, which leads to the formation of the first stage of chronic alcoholism.
• Then the chronic stage of alcohol dependence begins with a fairly pronounced withdrawal syndrome. Moreover, unlike adults, abstinence in children occurs when consuming large doses of alcohol, and in time it lasts less.
• As a consequence of the previous stages - stable alcohol dependence sets in, children become angry (especially if there are neurophysiological prerequisites), asocial, and intellectually degrade. Very often at this stage, against the background of increased tolerance to alcohol, the use of other intoxicating, toxic substances occurs - acetone, glue, drugs.

Treatment

To treat childhood alcoholism, it is necessary to understand the problem, see it and admit that the child needs mandatory help from specialists, such assistance can be provided in specialized centers with the consent of parents or guardians, and with their active participation, which is to provide the child with optimal conditions for development in a positive way. direction.

Treatment methods include psychotherapy, medication, and similar measures. As an auxiliary therapy, doctors usually recommend traditional medicine (only under the supervision of specialists) - and preparations that have an immune-restorative, calming nervous system and general strengthening effect.

Active social actions help a lot: classes,

The main role in preventing such a problem falls on parents, who are obliged to pay attention to their child and take an active part in his development, without replacing the parent-child role.

To prevent such a situation, relatives and, first of all, parents need to:

• Treat your child's personality with respect. Relationships need to be built on a note of trust, and not on control and subordination.
• Take an interest in your children’s hobbies and help them find new ones, unobtrusively revealing the child’s potential, without humiliating him or comparing him with other children. This way you can become closer and spend more time together. Remember, lack of attention on your part or strong control only breeds his distrust.
• Be an example of behavior. Remember the last time you drank in front of your son or daughter? Think about your role in shaping your child's personality.
• When educating, it is very important to sometimes touch on the topic of alcoholic beverages from a negative side. Show your children with examples what people with such addictions end up with.
• Develop a healthy life in your child.

Often the problem is the inability to implement many programs that help adult patients. A child with an unstable psyche can be extremely inadequate and aggressive. Any attempts by relatives to simply talk will be met with hostility, and narcologists also meet with the same negativism. Parents, noticing signs of alcoholism in children, or catching them smoking, often react extremely negatively and aggressively; this is strictly prohibited! Otherwise, you risk making the situation worse. Talk to specialists, they will give you individual advice, analyze the situation, and tell you how to help your child.

Carrying out conditioned reflex therapy, as well as sensitizing therapy, seems dangerous due to the immaturity of the child’s body. If a young alcoholic has considerable “experience” of taking alcohol-containing drinks and drinks them constantly, then it is possible to carry out detoxification therapy, which will ensure the removal of toxins, excess fluid, and restore the normal functioning of the kidneys and liver. The introduction of group B (B1, B6), vitamin C, and various nootropic drugs will restore vitality and relieve excessive emotional arousal.

It should be clearly understood that childhood alcoholism is a very serious and fairly rapidly developing disease. And you should not try to give your child beer or other low-alcohol drinks, claiming that this will not cause harm. Any alcohol is contraindicated for a child’s body, just like for an adult, but you are able to make your own informed choice, unlike children.

Important! When treating children for alcohol addiction, therapy is carried out only by experienced doctors in a specialized closed hospital, but with an atmosphere as close as possible to home, under the careful supervision of medical staff for the patient, treatment at home is unacceptable here!

Treatment of childhood alcoholism is a complex and lengthy process, which is made difficult by the impossibility of using certain effective methods due to age restrictions. Treatment is possible if you seek help in time. The task of comprehensive and harmonious development of the younger generation is inextricably linked with the formation of a negative attitude towards manifestations of drunkenness.

Parents should remember that love, attention and care, no matter how trivial it may seem, are the best prevention of early alcoholism, and often, as practice shows, the most difficult prevention, and what is so important and necessary for our children!

The growth of alcoholism in society occurs primarily for psychological reasons: adults grab a glass due to their underdevelopment and unfulfillment, children - due to improper upbringing, suppression of creativity and dislike, destructive parental attitudes, often breaking their psyche.

It is also important that the state strictly monitors “Violations of the rules for the sale of ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and alcohol-containing products.” So that children do not have free access to alcohol or drugs.