Treatment of any form of alcoholism requires the patient to completely abstain from alcohol. The success of therapy is reduced to zero if the patient does not have the desire to live in a state of sobriety. On the contrary, a person’s awareness of his own illness is the first step towards achieving remission. Such awareness is the result of very difficult work on oneself and requires a lot of time and effort. Therefore, to stop drinking, it is best for a person to consult a doctor.
Reasons for stopping alcohol consumption
There are many reasons why a person stops drinking. Among the most significant are:
- desire to be healthy;
- deterioration of health and development of chronic diseases;
- more attractive appearance for people who do not have problems with alcohol;
- a sober, sharp and unblemished mind, the desire to adequately perceive the surrounding reality;
- high efficiency;
- good attitude at work and impeccable reputation;
- saving money (financial expenses on alcohol always take up a significant share in the budget of an alcohol addict);
- high sexuality, no problems with potency in men or the menstrual cycle in women;
- availability of strength and time (after all, the life of a person in an alcoholic web is guided by one desire - to drink);
- excellent state of mind, cheerfulness;
- healthy atmosphere at home;
- a full, bright and healthy life;
- healthy offspring.
The path to a sober life is very long and difficult. However, a person has a chance to get rid of the addiction by following the advice of doctors. The most important thing for this is to have a strong desire to recover and an iron will.
Selank 0.15%
"Selank" - an innovative drug for regulating brain functions
“Selank” is a medicine developed in the mid-2000s by scientists from the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the V.V. Research Institute of Pharmacology. Zakusova.
"Selank" - effective help with stress and mental stress
Initially, “Selank” was created as a drug for nerves and stress to support the emotional sphere and brain activity of people whose lives pass in a busy working rhythm. The product is based on a peptide obtained by synthesizing tuftsin. The ability of tuftsin to relieve states of fear and anxiety, as well as to support improved mental activity, was used by scientists who synthesized “Selank”.
"Selank" - a sedative for depression
Modern life is replete with reasons that force most people to live in a state of constant stress. Moral depression can result in long-term, intractable depression.
"Selank" acts as an effective remedy for depression , a cure for insomnia and low tone, normalizing extreme emotional states.
“Selank”, as a result of research and clinical use, has shown its effectiveness as a cure for fear, anxiety and restlessness . The drug helps to cope with neurasthenic symptoms of anxiety and fear, the regular presence of which further provokes depression, insomnia, headaches, fatigue, and mood swings. The effectiveness of its impact on the psycho-emotional sphere of a person allows it to be used in psychiatry and neurology and as a cure for depression .
"Selank" - indications for use
People susceptible to psycho-emotional lability are unable to get rid of overstrain even after a long rest. Both people with mental work (students, students, scientists, managers, office workers) and those actively engaged in physical work - athletes, military personnel - are subject to heavy loads. Also, everyday everyday stresses have a huge impact on a person’s condition: conflicts at work and in the family, financial difficulties, problems with loved ones, and so on.
Main indications for use of the drug "Selank"
- states of anxiety and restlessness;
- panic attacks;
- neurasthenic and asthenic syndrome;
- decreased will;
- indecision and uncertainty in communication;
- difficulty making decisions;
- adjustment disorders;
- treatment and prevention of post-stress disorders.
Advantages of Selank
Selank is one of the few medications for depression and stress that can be bought without a prescription. Most drugs with a similar mechanism of action are available in tablet form, but tablets are for nerves and stress . can be replaced by a more effective method of drug delivery - Selank nasal drops.
“Selank” does not cause addiction, drowsiness, or allergic reactions. The drug is combined with other drugs, can be used when driving cars and machinery, and is also compatible with alcohol, which expands the possibilities of its use as a medicine for anxiety and stress . Selank drops, instead of tablets or injections, are convenient, easy to use and 92.8% bioavailable. The effect of the drug begins a few minutes after administration and lasts for 24 hours.
Can a person stop drinking on his own?
Doctors warn: there are no former alcoholics. Alcoholism is an incurable disease. However, the patient always has a chance to achieve stable remission and stop drinking alcohol. The duration of the period of sobriety is variable and can range from several months to several decades.
To stop drinking alcohol, methods of psychological influence on the patient are effective. They allow you to instill in the patient a negative attitude towards alcohol and thereby prevent relapse. Subject to a positive outcome, a strong belief is formed that he can lead a healthy and fulfilling life without consuming a drop of alcohol.
Successful treatment of alcoholism depends on a large number of factors. The most significant is that the person himself makes the decision whether to drink alcohol or not.
Spontaneous remission
It rarely happens that a person stops drinking spontaneously. A certain factor pushes this forward: there is an acceptance of one’s own illness, and then a decision that something needs to be changed in one’s life.
The main disadvantage of spontaneous remission is its uncertain persistence and spontaneity.
Motivational remission
In this case, the person consciously refuses to drink alcohol. This happens more often if there is a threat to a person’s life. By consciously giving up alcohol, a person also raises a number of financial issues, and also solves the problem of preserving the family.
Gradually, a person comes to the conclusion that completely abstaining from alcohol will allow him to achieve his goals in life and consolidate success. In a state of remission, he is completely convinced that his choice is correct and is a priority, despite the presence of temptations. Moreover, every victory over alcohol and the approval of the people around him further strengthens his sober position.
Forced remission
It is not always the case that a person strives for a sober lifestyle voluntarily. Many people with alcohol addiction do not always understand how harmful their bad habit is. However, circumstances take over. For example, if a director at work or a spouse or child puts a person before a choice, he needs to obey. Otherwise, it will affect the entire life of the alcohol addict.
Forced remission is usually not durable. Moreover, a person is constantly in a tense state, because he experiences hardship and inconvenience from such coercion. A breakdown after such a remission usually has very serious consequences.
Somatogenic remission
If a person learns about a sharp deterioration in his health, he usually stops drinking alcohol. The most common situation is when a patient needs to give up alcohol due to delirium tremens.
Alcoholics are also afraid of the consequences of experiencing a serious illness (for example, a heart attack or stroke). Against the backdrop of negative emotions, their desire for alcohol completely disappears. Awareness of the harm of alcohol, albeit belated, forms a new attitude: survival is a higher priority than drinking alcohol and short-term intoxication.
Psychogenic remission
This option of quitting alcohol is associated with somatogenic remission. When a person finds out what he did while intoxicated, he experiences a huge shock. In a state of shame for his actions, he decides to quit drinking.
There can be a lot of such reasons. Most often this is:
- traffic accidents due to the fault of a drunk;
- attempt on the lives of one's own children;
- violence.
This remission is unstable and short-lived. Sometimes a strong trigger works in the opposite direction, and the person begins to drink even more. In a state of alcoholic oblivion, suicide is possible.
Post-toxication remission
The nature of this remission could not be fully established. It is typical for people who chronically abuse alcoholic beverages. One day they stop drinking, and they do not justify this decision in any way.
Doctors suggest that at a certain point, poisoning with ethyl alcohol and its breakdown products reaches a critical limit. At this moment, biochemical processes change in the brain, and an aversion to alcoholic beverages appears. It is noteworthy that the taste and smell of alcohol suddenly becomes unpleasant. Even small doses cause nausea and vomiting.
Post-toxication remission is relatively stable. However, relapses cannot be ruled out when, against the background of a sober lifestyle, a person’s health significantly improves.
Selank
Selank® is a synthetic analogue of the endogenous tuftsin peptide, has an original mechanism of neurospecific action on the central nervous system, binds to specific receptors on the membranes of nerve cells.
It affects the exchange of monoamines in the emotiogenic structures of the brain (hypothalamus, diencephalon, cerebral cortex) and the activity of the brain enzymes tyrosine and tryptophan hydroxylase. Shows tropism for the serotonergic system, normalizing the level of serotonin in the brain in conditions of its experimentally induced decrease.
Selank® stabilizes the processes of excitation and inhibition in the brain and increases the resistance of neurons in the cerebral cortex to high-intensity functional loads.
The spectrum of pharmacological action of the drug is dominated by an anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effect with a stimulating (activating) component. The drug does not have hypnosedative and muscle relaxant properties. It has a positive effect on the mnestic and cognitive functions of the brain, including when they are impaired. Activates the processes of learning, memory, analysis and reproduction of information, improves attention and short-term memory parameters. Increases motivational stability and adequacy of adaptive behavior.
Selank® has a vegetotropic effect, improves vegetative support of activity under conditions of emotional stress, and has an optimizing effect on the body's adaptive reserve. Selank® does not reveal any unwanted side effects or toxic effects at a 200-300-fold increase in dose compared to ED50.
It does not have embryotoxic, teratogenic, allergenic or locally irritating effects, and does not exhibit mutagenic properties.
The drug has no undesirable long-term effects. Selank® does not cause drug dependence.
Pharmacokinetics
The absolute bioavailability of Selank when administered intranasally is 92.8%. The drug is quickly absorbed from the nasal mucosa and is found in the blood plasma after 30 seconds. The concentration in blood plasma decreases progressively over 5-5.5 minutes. No metabolites are detected with the intranasal route of administration. Penetrates into brain tissue. The drug is quickly distributed throughout organs and tissues and is found unchanged in well-vascularized organs (liver, kidneys, heart). Neither unchanged drug nor metabolites are detected in daily urine, which is due to the rapid degradation of Selank under the influence of tissue peptidases.
Advice for people who want to quit drinking
Not every person who has previously abused alcoholic beverages finds it easy to maintain a sober state. Some people experience a painful craving for alcohol, a desire to immediately have a drink or two. For those who have firmly and confidently taken a sober path, such advice can help.
- You should contact a specialized clinic. Here, specialists will select an individual treatment plan and, if necessary, prescribe effective drug treatment. Psychologists and rehabilitation specialists will help you get out of binge drinking, cleanse your body, and develop a persistent negative attitude toward drinking ethanol.
- If you want to quit drinking, that's half the battle. The patient should recognize the presence of the disease. If possible, the problem with alcohol should be discussed with loved ones.
- The patient should cut off all ties with people with whom he drank and who were tolerant of his addiction.
- At home, you need to throw away all alcoholic drinks. This will make it much easier to avoid temptation. If there is a calm reaction to people drinking alcohol, this is already a success.
- You need to be prepared for the fact that withdrawal symptoms will develop while giving up alcohol. At the same time, various psychophysiological disorders will be tormented. The urge to remove them can be very strong. At this time, it is important not to give in to weakness. It is very difficult to combat the symptoms of withdrawal on your own, so you should trust the specialists.
- You should read literature on various aspects of alcoholism. It is important to avoid sources of dubious origin. Any questions can be discussed with your doctor.
- Your daily routine should include different types of physical activity. It is important to eat quality and nutritious food, as well as rest. It is ideal to learn to avoid stress or at least not react to it.
- For some, moving and being with other people can help.
- An interesting hobby will help improve your emotional background. Some people find it helpful to change careers, volunteer and be active.
- At meetings and holidays, you need to look for an alternative to alcoholic drinks, which, unfortunately, have become traditional. Even one cocktail can derail all previous efforts.
There is no universal method for stopping drinking. Every alcohol dependent person should look for the most suitable option. To avoid relapses and achieve a positive effect, it is important to contact specialists.
