Addiction, alcoholism and withdrawal

Much faster than you think

According to the WHO, dependence or pharmacodependence is defined as "a psychic and sometimes also physical state resulting from the interaction between a living organism and a drug, characterized by behavioral changes and other reactions, which always include a compulsion to take the drug continuously or periodically in order to regain its psychic effects and sometimes to avoid the discomfort of its deprivation". This state may or may not be accompanied by tolerance (the body's adaptation to a substance, requiring higher doses to obtain the same effect).

There are generally three successive phases in the alcoholic's trajectory:

1. An asymptomatic phase that can last several years and is marked by an insidious onset. Some people enter alcoholism through repeated experiences of drunkenness, while others gradually increase their alcohol consumption in a context where drunkenness remains rare or even absent. Subjects retain their professional, social and family activities. Character disorders are generally absent.
2. This is followed by a relatively short phase of loss of control over alcohol consumption. The person abuses alcohol on a regular basis, but is not yet dependent.
3. Finally comes the phase of alcoholism itself, when signs of chronic alcoholism appear (cramps, hand tremors, loss of appetite...), along with behavioral and character disorders (jealousy, sexual problems, aggressiveness, depression, anxiety...). Intellectual disorders also worsen, and the person is marginalized both professionally and emotionally. Complications (cirrhosis, cancer, etc.) often arise during this phase

Weaning Alcohol withdrawal is the voluntary or accidental cessation of alcohol intake by an alcoholic. The withdrawal syndrome, generally known as "craving", is made up of physical and psychological manifestations linked to the cessation of alcohol consumption. It is the corollary of the body's adaptation to the effects of alcohol. The question of withdrawal is often a difficult one for addicts. Weaning is often seen as even more difficult than the period of dependence. Physical withdrawal can take place in a hospital or at the alcoholic's home. Withdrawal is generally rapid (around one week), but sometimes entails the risk of convulsions and confusion. That's why it's preferable to carry it out in hospital, but complete weaning of an alcohol-dependent person is an important and lengthy stage in the course of his or her illness. For abstinence to be permanent, support (medical, psychological and family) must be long-term. As a result, the work that follows withdrawal generally extends over several years.

Psychological dependence

When an alcoholic is deprived of alcohol, he or she experiences a feeling of unease and anxiety that can sometimes lead to depression. Once they've stopped drinking, it can take time to adapt to their "new" alcohol-free life. This changes habits, often leaving a void and allowing the reappearance of a malaise that drinking was intended to suppress. This upheaval makes relapses possible, and even frequent.

Physical dependence

Some products, including alcohol, are physically addictive: the body craves the product through physical symptoms (pain, tremors, convulsions, etc.) that reflect a state of craving and may be accompanied by behavioral and/or mood disorders such as anxiety, irascibility, anguish or restlessness.