Patients with chronic ailments sigh with relief when this period sets in. This "island" between attacks of the disease is called remission. People suffering from certain diseases strive for this condition to last as long as possible. Let's see what remission is, what happens when it occurs and how long does it last?
A bit from the encyclopedia
In medical language, remission is the reduction or complete disappearance of signs of the disease. There are ailments that cannot be completely cured. They last for years, exhausting a physically and mentally ill person. And, it would seem, there is no end to this edge. However, the body fights, and the disease subsides for a while. And then we can say that there was a remission of the disease - the disease "lowered its head."
There are three lull options:
- In the first case, there is no need to talk about full recovery, just a state of short “temporary respite” sets in.
- Another outcome - the disease can be blocked so that it ceases to bother for a long time.
- The third option of lull is incomplete recovery when the disease returns for one reason or another.
Partial and complete remission for cancer
When a patient takes treatment even in the absence of visible manifestations of the disease, improvement may occur. This is called drug remission. The disease exists, but it can be controlled.
For people with cancer or hematological diseases, two conditions are distinguished. Partial remission - when the symptoms of the disease persist in one way or another. There are happy cases in which the symptoms of the disease completely disappear, its signs, which are determined in the course of standard laboratory tests. Then we can talk about complete remission. The patient may be considered healthy or out of the risk zone.
Leukemia is characterized by such types of remissions:
- Clinical and hematological. The composition of the blood is normalized. There are no foci of the disease beyond the bone marrow and its borders.
- Cytogenetic. A condition when a specific analysis is done against the background of clinical and hematological remission, and tumor cells are not detected.
- Molecular This remission can be said when, using a rather sensitive study, it is not possible to fix the presence of tumor cells in the body.
Drug remission in alcoholism
In people who quit drinking strong drinks, one can distinguish several types of this condition:
- drug remission;
- motivational;
- spontaneous.
And between them there is a rather tangible difference. Although a person may not drink for various reasons, the future results are different.
Motivational remission is considered the most stable, often lifelong, and therefore complete. A person simply decides for himself not to drink alcohol. And this is his willful decision. In order not to break, the patient finds himself various activities, hobbies, immersed in the care of his neighbors. There may be plenty of options. A person sometimes does not fully understand what remission is, but as a result - a complete rejection of alcohol.
Drug treatment gives quite tangible and prolonged results. It should always be supplemented with psychotherapeutic help and psychological support from the patient’s relatives. With high patient motivation, the result is a stable remission. In the absence of patient support by loved ones, a breakdown may occur. This is characterized as unstable remission or no result at all.
In the third stage of alcoholism (with complete depletion of the body) , a period may come when the patient stops drinking alcohol. This period of remission is called spontaneous and, as a rule, lasts several months. The body during this time is restored and grows stronger. Then the craving for alcohol wakes up with a new, even greater force. And, compensating for the period of sobriety, a person begins to drink even more.
Another reason for refusal of strong drinks can be alcohol poisoning. In such cases, the addict may stop drinking himself to find out what remission is. He does it. But when the body is cleansed of toxins, everything will return, and the lover to sort out the excess with new strength will begin to compensate for what he “missed”.
Terms of remission
Periods of abstinence from alcohol can be long or very short. With a full course of treatment, high motivation for recovery, the chance of prolonged remission increases. If an alcohol-dependent person abstains and does not drink for five years, then we can talk about persistent remission.
But, for example, in the case of malaria, we are talking about cyclicality. Remission occurs between seizures, has a long period, although there is no need to talk about a full recovery.
Conclusion
As a rule, a cancer patient is considered recovered after five years with complete remission. This means that relapse can occur with the same probability as in a completely healthy, previously not sick person.
With a full understanding of what remission is, alcohol-dependent and his relatives need to know - this is a weakening of the symptoms of the disease for some, sometimes indefinite, time. It is understood that an ailment or addiction still exists. Even if the obvious signs and evidence of addiction have disappeared. Do not wait for a spontaneous remission, you should seek help from a narcologist. Indeed, drunkenness is a disease not only of the body, but also of the soul.