Among the huge number of alcoholic beverages, beer stands out in that it has a rather ambiguous attitude. On the network you can find many materials describing both the positive and extremely negative aspects of the use of this drink. Meanwhile, some beer lovers have such a problem – they cannot fall asleep unless they drink at least a bottle of “liquid bread” before going to bed. For some, this is not a problem, but still it’s worth thinking about it – and is it not a manifestation of alcoholism? Let’s try to figure this out.
The term ” beer alcoholism ” has arisen relatively recently, most narcologists do not recognize it as a separate type of dependence on alcohol (for example, this is reflected in the absence of beer alcoholism of the International Classification of Diseases of the 10th edition). However, a number of researchers cite data on a specific action of beer drinks, in addition, they argue that “beer alcoholism”, although it leads to similar disorders in the body as a simple dependence on alcohol, is much more difficult to treat, patients often suffer breakdowns.
Beer addiction research is still ongoing, but some results already exist. In particular, it was noticed that addicted people often experience sleep disturbances and insomnia, which are quickly removed by taking a drink. Some scientists went further in the study of this pathological condition and got a discouraging, in their opinion, result: prolonged insomnia with frequent beer consumption was only a harbinger of more severe mental disorders.
When refusing to drink beer , sleep disturbances in the first days were accompanied by depression, depressed mood, and increased irritability. On 3-4 days, in more than half of cases, a picture a bit similar to alcoholic psychosis arose – a person could begin to behave inappropriately, show aggression, even rave and experience hallucinations. It is still not known exactly what was the root cause of this condition – the effect of beer on the psyche or the consequences after prolonged insomnia. However, one thing is certain – the frequent, constant use of beer leads to sleep disturbances in the form of insomnia and superficial sleep, which practically does not allow the brain to rest.
But you can’t immediately say that a person is a beer alcoholic only on the basis of the fact that he drinks beer before bedtime. Like any alcoholic beverage, beer in small doses calms the nervous system and promotes the onset of sleep. Perhaps this insomnia has nothing to do with drinking beer, but is caused by other factors, but in this case it acts as a sleeping pill that helps a person fall asleep. But one cannot get carried away with this method – nevertheless, it is a direct path to beer alcoholism. It is better to try to take valerian, sleeping pills before bedtime , or consult a specialist for advice about sleep disorders.
But what about those who nevertheless are already so dependent on this golden drink that they cannot fall asleep without it? If refusal of beer causes severe insomnia, which is accompanied by depression, the same intake of sedative and sleeping pills can help (you can use Corvalol, tinctures of motherwort and valerian, Barboval and Valocordin preparations). In some cases, you just need to endure the period from 5 to 10 days, after which the sleep, as a rule, normalizes.
With the development of severe (more than three days) insomnia and the development of psychosis, it is necessary to consult a narcologist (for the appointment of drugs that relieve withdrawal symptoms) and a psychotherapist (for recommendations aimed at normalizing sleep).