The number of new cases of alcohol addiction at the Socola Institute of Psychiatry in Iasi increased by 50% in the last month compared to the same period last year. Experts in the field draw attention to the fact that things are getting more and more serious, but also that alcohol endangers the lives of those who consume it, especially those of young people.
3,000 people were treated for alcoholism in Socola last year – Photo Archive
Lately, more and more Romanians are becoming addicted to alcohol. Many show up in the emergency room in withdrawal, although the percentage of those who really want to quit drinking is tiny.
Specifically, in the first half of the year, at the Socola Institute of Psychiatry in Iași, approximately 1,600 people requested help due to alcohol consumption. Doctors report a more than 50% increase in new cases in the last month compared to the same period last year, and many of the patients are young, reports Euronews.
About 3,000 people arrived at the Socola Institute of Psychiatry in Iași last year, because of drinking.
“At this moment I can tell you that things are getting more and more complicated and serious. More and more younger patients are presented and more affected by massive alcohol consumption. They start drinking younger, from adolescence“, explained psychiatrist Ovidiu Alexinschi for “Adevărul”.
Poison for young minds
Considered the most accessible and cheapest drug, alcohol affects the internal organs and is associated with about 200 diseases.
Many young people mix alcoholic drinks, and this has both mental and physical effects.
“Consume many of them over six drinks at a time and they reach physical and mental damage much faster. So that when shows up at the hospital, in the guard room, some of them go directly into withdrawal, if not even into delirium tremens, which is life-threatening. It is not well enough known among the public: if there is any substance, among these life-threatening psychoactive substances, it is alcohol. Nothing compares to alcohol withdrawal and delirium, meaning they are really putting their lives at risk“, says the psychiatrist from Iași.
Withdrawal can culminate in visual hallucinations
Dr. Ovidiu Alexinschi detailed what happens when the person stops or when the amount of alcohol consumed drops sharply: “This abstinence, withdrawal syndrome intervenes, which means a generalized hyperexcitability, on the synaptic system, on the activating system, means: tremors, sweating, tachycardia, palpitations, restlessness, anxiety, which can culminate in perceptual disturbances, with visual hallucinations, I see all kinds of animals, rats, devils, I see snakes on the steering wheel and many more. Extreme anxiety, which actually leads to extreme agitation, and because of this, fluid and electrolyte disturbances also occur. It’s clear that they’re losing water, they’re losing fluids, and that’s when they’re putting their lives at risk. Rhythm disorders, delrium tremens, are very dangerous, especially in young people, something that is not understood and not known. Everyone wonders why young people died from alcohol. In the case of young people, the mechanisms react so violently, trying to defend themselves. They react very, very abruptly, they cause rhythm disturbances, electrolyte disturbances and unfortunately they can be life-threatening.”
In addition, the reasons why people choose to consume alcoholic beverages are many, but the brain registers the amounts, and this can lead to addiction over time.
“Alcohol can be consumed for joy or sorrow. What matters is that with the frequency of consumption and especially with its predictability, the brain registers. There are people who only drink on weekends, that doesn’t mean they can’t become addicted to alcohol. The brain registers that every weekend this thing happens. The predictability of consumption, the amounts and the time elapsed since they consume, practically increase the chances of entering this vicious circle, which means that they can no longer stop drinking alcohol, and in the final stages, that they can no longer stop when they started drinking. Then it is clear that the addiction is installed and that the defense and braking mechanisms of the prefrontal cortex that should normally protect the person from danger have been overcome”, explains the psychiatrist, specializing in addictions.
Adolescent alcohol use: a growing phenomenon
A recent study reveals that non-alcoholic beverages, such as non-alcoholic beer, are attracting more and more teenagers. These drinks, considered harmless by many parents, are a dangerous gateway to alcohol consumption.
More than a third (37%) of Australian teenagers aged 15 to 17 have consumed soft drinks, saying they familiarize them with the taste of alcohol.
“Our research shows that alcohol-free products and marketing are making young people more familiar with alcoholic beverages and further normalizing alcohol consumption. Alcohol-free products can act as a Trojan horse for the alcohol industry to reach young people, exposing them to additional alcohol marketing“, said Dr. Leon Both, one of the authors of the study.
“In Romania, young people aged 13, 14 and under consume non-alcoholic beverages, often with the consent of their parents “Yes, what’s wrong with alcohol, he also drinks to feel good”. Totally wrong!“, warns psychologist Mihai Copăceanu, on Facebook.
What is worse is that, in our country, 6 out of 10 high school students have drunk alcohol at least twice in the last 30 days, according to the data of the National Institute of Public Health.
Strategies to combat alcohol addiction
To address the problem of alcohol addiction, specialists recommend a combination of pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments, along with the support of family and support groups.
“Many things can be done. The most effective treatments, well, on the part of pharmacotherapy, of drugs that act on the appetite, on the desire to consume, on the part of psychotherapy, counseling, psychosocial interventions, because they can be groups, it can be individual counseling, they can be cognitive behavioral therapies. The best results are obtained by combining these two approaches. And of course with family and group support which are very, very important in the long run“, Dr. Alexinschi concluded.
The existence of soft drinks and their marketing contribute to the increase in alcohol consumption among teenagers. Tighter regulation of these products is needed to protect young people and prevent future alcohol-related harm. Especially since we are not aware of the danger. Parents need to be careful and avoid encouraging the consumption of soft drinks among young people and beyond.
In addition, we need health education. Children and adolescents need to be informed, to be shown the effects of substances that can lead to addiction, including alcohol, especially since we do not have a healthy alcohol culture.
In other countries, alcohol has a much higher price, to restrict access to this substance, and the age at which young people can buy alcohol is higher than in Romania. Although we have laws against the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors, they are not strictly enforced, so children can buy drinks on any street corner.
“Alcohol is part of our history, and access to drinks is very easy. We don’t have a healthy alcohol culture, a balance, like the Italians or the French have, for example. Furthermore, many Romanians drink at home, while in France and Italy this is an opportunity to socialize, to meet people. We don’t know how to stop, because we drink from anger, from happiness, from celebration and so on. And this is what we pass on from generation to generation. The profile of the alcoholic is pain. In men it goes back in time to a poor relationship with the mother.“, pointed out Mirela Husaru, consultant in emotional development, who follows the Professional Training program with Dr. Gabor Maté.
The data of a study carried out last year by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development show that 36% of Romanians interviewed consume alcohol in excess. Which places us in the top of the countries in Europe where the most alcohol is consumed, along with Great Britain. Moreover, 40% of Romanian men admitted that they have gone through episodes of excessive consumption, and for many, this is a source of pride in front of their friends.
