Defense mechanisms of Alcoholics

Patients mosty develop defense mechanism that we can see easily nearly all alcoholic people. These causes of the mechanism are a way of protecting the individual and for some, it is precisely caused by need for their rigidity , which, lead to the using of a psycho active substances (alcohol, drugs,
medication etc ...)



Defense mechanisms have been admirably demonstrated by Freud, in
early 20th century, through the psychoanalytic method he has
developed to better understand the unconscious, the ego, people from
all cultures.

Of all the defense mechanisms that exist, here are 12 that
met more frequently and are particularly
risk.


12 defense mechanisms fairly common arround alcoholics:

The projection, transfer, idealisation, rationalization,
justification, the compulsion to repeat, compensation, denial,
denial, repression, the retroactive cancellation and
transformation in the opposite.

• The projection: Projection in another person that we are unable to see or accept ourselves.
Ex: to say that the other does not hear us, when in reality
we will sincerely Let's not listen to the words of another, say
the other is a thief when it is we who have stolen.
.
• Transfer:
Transfer to a person or the agreable or disagreable characteristics someone else that we have known, without having cionscience.
Ex: see our boss as our father, see our new as our former companion who is or who died, see our children as our brother or sister when we were children.
.
• The idealization:
To idealize a person, the more perfect it is in Actually, to avoid being confronted by too quickly to what we may dislike it, we do get away and we invite us alone.
Ex: out for the first time with someone and say that is the prince or princess as we expected, a first Project meeting with someone and think that the collaboration
will be barrier-free and perfect for eternity.
.
• Rationalization:
Streamline, logically explain irrational behavior that we had and we do not (sometimes it is a reactivation of a past trauma).
Ex: crying when a parent returns home after a it is because we just think of the sad film we have heard recently (the departure may unconsciously remind us
departure or the loss of a person who was very valuable for us); yelling at a child and say that because we are tired (although this has been a reminder unconsciously
behavior very disturbing or very frightening another person
we have known).
.
• The justification: Justify,
explained at length why we made something out of fear
to be rejected.
Ex arrive late for an appointment and explain 15 minutes for what happened; orgotten a commission that we had been requested and details of our activities responsible for day for half an hour.
.
• The compulsion to repeat:
Repeat a gesture apparently useless for fear of an accident or
future problem (usually compensates for this gesture unconscious thought
which is in line with our fear).
Ex: close to 4 times round the stove and the block 4 times
locks on doors before leaving (the unconscious thought can be:
at the bottom I would like this house burns or is robbed);
wash every day floors already own or take showers 3
per day (the unconscious thought might be: I am a person
sale, for example, because I had sexual behavior that I
finds unacceptable).
.
• Compensation: To compensate for a lack of satisfaction with a satisfaction that does not meet it.
Ex: wanting to change jobs and place to make every effort
necessary to redouble our hard work that we do not like
more; want a good massage or a union with tender
someone, and instead of making efforts to find
that person, eating a bag of cookies.
.
• Denial: Denying the reality of something to avoid feeling at the moment too difficult to live.
Ex: pass very close to having a car accident and that
we have not been afraid that this was even "trippant" insulting a friend and
sad see him go and tell another friend that we had
only say nice things.
.
• Denial: Denying the intellectual or emotional bond between 2 confrontational situations.
Ex: are quarreling with her lover (se), shortly after his overthrow
glass of juice and that there was no link between the stress of
previous situation and what has happened, be denied a
promotion, go get drunk in a bar and say that just because
we had the desire to celebrate.
.
• Refoulement: refouler unpleasant emotions, not to express, and sometimes come to be cut from one type of emotion or memory.
Ex: being beaten or abused by his father and as if nothing
had happened, come to forget the history, be
neglected by a (e) conjoint (e) and not to suffer in silence
(until sufficiently amplified emotion comes to explode
!).
.
• The retroactive cancellation: Cancel imagination unpleasant action that we made casts a nice gesture in the future.
Eg deceive their spouses and pay him a week's holiday
in southern thereafter; make a big crisis to another, and little
after being very, very soft by agreeing to do anything
or that the person requests.
.
• The opposite transformation : Transforming a feeling uncomfortable by masking real emotion.
Ex: being jealous of a colleague of study or work and say how we are all happy for him, be angry at a friend or family member and display the same time a large
fake smile.

ALcoholism cure on hospitals

Cure Hospital:

alcohol dependence as fears of a severe physical withdrawal symptoms,
failure of one or more previous outpatient detoxification,
associated diseases or risk of suicide,
history of epilepsy,
other appurtenances (excluding coffee and tobacco)
need for family or social isolation of the subject.

- Methods:


This is mainly to avoid the occurrence of a syndrome with tremor, anxiety, delirium tremens maximum or seizure.

Ambulatory stopping work, frequent, is not systematic. In the hospital length of hospitalization in France on average two to three weeks.

Ambulatory medical monitoring daily the first three days, then more space is needed. The patient and his entourage should be able to reach a doctor in the event of an adverse event.

A fluid intake oral ambulatory infusion in hospitals, will be undertaken, ranging from three to four liters per day.

Stopping alcohol is the most brutal, but a gradual over a period of three days, for example, is sometimes called ambulatory.

Psychological support: doctor, family, association of former alcoholics (Alcoholics Anonymous, Living Free, etc ...)
.
A vitamin B1, which are often attached vitamins B6 and B12, is typically recommended.

prescription of tranquilizers:
Benzodiazepines (eg diazepam, clorazépam, lorazepam, oxazepam ...), Tétrabamate (meprobamate), Fébarbamate / Phenobarbital are often prescribed for a limited duration with gradual reduction of doses from 10-15th day of treatment if possible, because of the risk of dependence and increase the effects of alcohol relapse if there were
Prescription sedatives is not necessary if the risk of physical withdrawal syndrome are low.

Getting started as soon as possible of a medication (acamprosate, naltrexone) for the maintenance of alcohol and will be continued several months post-weaning ..

-Some recommendations for weaning:

1. prohibiting alcohol can make you nervous, tense, sleepless, induce sweating and shivering. Vomiting and diarrhea may occur. Your doctor may prescribe drugs to make them disappear.

2. You can get thirsty and have to drink water or fruit juice without exceeding three liters of fluid per day. Not too much coffee or tea they contain stimulants that can disturb sleep and make you nervous.

3. Try to avoid stress and frustration. The important thing is not to yield to the sudden onset of a desire to alcohol: talk to a friend, you relax, go for a walk, listen to music, take a shower ... etc

4. Sleep. You'll find that even with sleeping pills, or when their dose is reduced by your doctor (which is necessary after a few weeks), lack of sleep (often overstated) night you do not, unlike the réalcoolisation. Do not worry, your sleep will return gradually to normal in a few weeks. Try going to bed later.

5. Even if you do not have an appetite, eat a balanced diet at mealtimes. Your appetite will return.

Alcoholism outpatient treatment

Outpatient treatment:
Much of withdrawal cures can be done without hospitalization, the patient. It allows you not to cut the patient's living environment, environment in which it could maintain his sobriety.
In which case:
refusal of a patient's hospitalization (fear, denial of the seriousness of the problem),
no formal indication of a cessation of hospital
clear motivation of the patient,
adherence foreseeable medical treatment,
physical condition (no signs of physical dependence) and psychological condition satisfactory
family and social quality and motivated
availability of a team of health care for close monitoring during the early days.

Alcoholism addiction Treatment ways

Stop drinking completely (withdrawal) is a required step toward healing. Many patients fear they have already tried, and often several times, alone or not, without success.
This withdrawal will not solve all, it is not a first, indispensable, but the aim should be to keep long-term abstinence from alcohol, a condition for improving the quality and duration of life. Indeed, lower doses of alcohol ingested, which can be justified in not drinking excessive alcohol-dependent, is completely ineffective in the medium and long term in alcohol-dependent (as with smoking).
The patient will be clearly informed of the conditions of treatment to think about it, if possible with his entourage. The patient should be reassured (cures disgust and bullying have disappeared), but also empowered: It must be prepared to stop and to make the effort otherwise it will fail. So no precipitation (such as: decision to make a cure for 2 h du mat, completely drunk!)

The effects of alcoholism on health:

They are very numerous, here is a non-exhaustive list:
- Chronic Fatigue
- Hypertension
- Sexual Problems
- Constant Gastritis
- Attainment of the nerves of the lower limbs (polynévrites) in terms of night cramps at the beginning
- Various cancers: mouth, larynx, esophagus, liver ...
- Fun and various psychiatric disorders
- Problems with memory of recent
- Violation of the optic nerve
- Pancreatic toxicity: chronic pancreatitis, or acute (very painful and dangerous), diabetes
- Fatty liver, leading to cirrhosis and esophageal varices in (fatal bleeding) even hepatic coma

The woman and alcoholism

The maternal alcohol is the leading cause of preventable mental retardation of newborns in Western countries.
Anxiety, depression and loneliness are in the majority of women alcoholics. Nearly 80% of women justify their alcoholism as a result of psycho-emotional problems
Vulnerability of women over alcohol
A same age and weight and the same quantity of alcohol, the alcohol level of women is higher than that of men. The explanation for this phenomenon comes from the enzyme involved in alcohol metabolism, which has a lower activity in women. On the other hand, the amount of water in the woman's body is lower, the concentration of alcohol in tissues and blood occurs more rapidly than in humans. Ovarian hormones affect the metabolism of alcohol and taking oral contraceptives and menopause increase the vulnerability of women over alcohol.
Cirrhosis is faster in women than in men. A chronic alcohol consumption increases the risk of breast cancer and chronic poisoning can cause infertility in women.

Some misconceptions about alcohol

Quench Alcohol: Alcohol dehydrates the contrary, including by urinating more it is the dehydration that causes the effect of "hangover" after excesses.

Alcohol gives forces. No, alcohol causes a feeling of euphoria that gives a feeling of strength. Exhaustion in the effort is very fast, even dangerous.

Alcohol warms. The sensation of heat is caused by dilated blood vessels under the skin. In fact, the body temperature drops by half a fraction of a degree per 50 grams of alcohol absorbed. The sensation of heat can hide a lower temperature and lead to serious problems in cold weather.

Diluted in water, alcohol is less toxic. The quantity of alcohol consumption is clearly the same.

The alcohol gives better reflexes: the opposite. With a blood alcohol concentration of 0.80 g / l the braking distance of a vehicle traveling at 100 km / h is increased by 14 meters. Moreover, inappropriate gestures, blurred vision and disregard of danger (with the anxiolytic effect of alcohol) can cause serious accidents.

Alcohol does not grow. Alcohol provides 7 calories per gram to about 100 calories in a glass of wine. Moreover, it is promoting calorie storage "bad fats".

Exercise accelerates the elimination of alcohol. No, nor cold, neither effort n'accélèrent the elimination of alcohol. However, the removal varies greatly depending on the individual.

Men bear more alcohol than women. This is partly true, but it depends on individuals (usually diseases, weight, food, etc. ..)


* The consequences of alcohol abuse affects the drinker himself, his immediate environment but also the rest of society. They cause problems with:
mental health and physical (drinker entourage)
work (absenteeism, lower productivity and quality, ...),
accidents, road, home, work
public disorder (delinquency, violence, ...)
Families (disharmony, abuse or negligence of others, economic and social difficulties, ...)

* Tobacco and alcohol often go hand in hand in many studies. It is estimated between 71 and 97% the proportion of alcoholics are smokers. Several authors have shown a positive correlation between alcohol and tobacco addiction. This co-dependency can be problematic in the detoxification of alcoholics smoke.