Many perceive alcohol as a means to relieve stress, anxiety, or fatigue. Such an approach is categorically unacceptable. Alcohol will never help get out of difficult situations. In addition, alcohol abuse often causes many problems, one of which is pathological intoxication. This is a change in consciousness when a person loses touch with reality. In this state, he is capable of committing not only ridiculous acts, but also cruel crimes. This article will discuss the main causes and methods of treating this disorder.
general information
From a medical point of view, pathological intoxication is a short-term psychotic disorder resulting from alcohol intake. It is characterized by twilight clouding of consciousness, pronounced changes in behavior. This is a kind of reaction of the body, resembling the state after consuming certain groups of drugs (barbiturates, benzodiazepines). Experts in the field of narcology believe that the basis of this pathology may be previous craniocerebral injuries. The danger of the condition lies in its sudden development. Severe aggression of a person can lead to harm to other people.
Causes of the phenomenon
The state of pathological intoxication does not always develop due to the abuse of alcohol. Sometimes it is preceded by alcohol intake in small quantities. According to psychiatrists and narcologists, the following factors can provoke a similar reaction of the body:
- excessive psycho-emotional stress;
- chronic lack of sleep ;
- head injuries;
- mental or physical exhaustion;
- panic attacks.
Of course, alcohol acts as a trigger for pathological intoxication. The disorder itself is not a variation of the traditional intoxicated state. This is an independent phenomenon, the development of which may be preceded by certain pathogenetic factors from the above list.
Manifestations of Psychotic Disorder
The pathological form of intoxication develops against the background of already existing signs of drinking alcohol (slurred speech, staggering gait). Relative adequacy is sharply replaced by motor and speech hyperactivity. The previous symptoms of intoxication disappear. A person conditionally sober, but at the same time loses responsibility for the actions performed.
His face expresses anxiety, fear or confusion. However, the ability to make logical and targeted actions remains. Also, the ability of verbal contact with others does not disappear. Despite the disorientation in space, a person can hide, run away from enemies or take aggressive actions against them.
The duration of the state of pathological intoxication cannot be precisely determined. It starts quickly and ends unexpectedly. After this, a person usually plunges into a deep sleep, and in the morning of the next day he already does not remember anything. He cannot restore the sequence of his actions and actions.
Varieties of disorder
Doctors distinguish two forms of pathological intoxication: epileptoid and paranoid. Forensic psychiatrists in their practice use another variant of the disorder - alcoholic catatonia. What are the symptoms of each of these forms?
Epileptoid pathological intoxication is accompanied by a sudden disorientation in space. Man completely loses contact with reality. He becomes suspicious and angry. Movements are made "on the machine", are sharp and rude. The patient in an attack of aggression is usually silent, sometimes mumbles something. Criticism and awareness of the actions committed are absent.
The paranoid form of the disorder is characterized by sudden impairment of consciousness. A person is in great excitement. His movements are impulsive, accompanied by affective reactions in the form of anger. This variant of pathological intoxication is characterized by a sudden onset and the same ending with a transition to deep sleep.
With alcoholic catatonia, a person “freezes” in some kind of action. He can constantly repeat words or sentences, not paying attention to others and their actions. Attempts to make contact with him are not productive.
Diagnostic Methods
There are other forms of alcohol intoxication, which in their symptoms resemble a pathological one. When committing illegal actions, their differential diagnosis comes to the fore. The sanity / insanity of the patient depends on the final decision of the forensic psychiatrists.
When making a diagnosis, signs of pathological intoxication play a paramount role. The use of a small amount of alcoholic beverages, a sharp change in consciousness, pronounced motor hyperactivity while maintaining normal coordination of movements - these distinctive criteria are characteristic of the disorder. Sometimes this condition is accompanied by delirium and hallucinations. In the study of the clinical picture, partial or complete amnesia is also taken into account.
Differential diagnosis is carried out with various forms of alcohol intoxication: depressive, impulsive, dysphoric and others. The specialist who is involved in the examination should be highly qualified and be able to distinguish between the symptoms of these pathologies. For example, single cries of obscene words can be mistaken for crazy ideas. If the patient responds to external stimuli, and a certain dynamics is traced in his behavior, such a clinical picture indicates the usual alcohol syndrome. Not all doctors can trace the fine line between the manifestations of violations.
It is especially difficult to differentiate the pathological form of the disorder and complicated intoxication in chronic alcoholism. In the latter case, the clinical picture often changes towards aggression. The final diagnosis is always difficult. Narcologists and forensic psychiatrists are not able to observe human behavior, usually their conclusions are based on the testimonies of other people.
What to do after diagnosis? Treatment options
A patient with a diagnosis of “pathological intoxication” should be hospitalized immediately. In this state, he poses a threat not only to others, but also to himself. Therefore, when signs indicating a disorder appear, a medical team should be called in.
The patient's treatment tactics are chosen by the doctor in the hospital. Usually, Promazin is immediately prescribed to prevent psychosis. This is a sleeping pill. After waking up, detoxification therapy is started . Typically, it involves the administration of fructose intravenously to speed up sobering. Vitamins of group B, Levozan and Benadon are added to the composition of the infusion solution. Nootropic drugs and hepatoprotectors are also a component of treatment for pathological intoxication.
Conducting therapy is possible only in a hospital in the appropriate direction. Usually it is a narcological clinic. The treatment program takes a lot of time, includes psychotherapeutic and drug effects. Subject to the recommendations of the doctor, the prognosis for recovery in most cases is positive.
Legal aspect
There is no responsibility for a person with this disorder for his actions, so it is difficult for him to be charged with committed acts. In this case, it is necessary to recall again the question of how difficult it is to differentiate pathological intoxication from usual.
In the first case, a person loses control over physical activity, psychological adequacy. Therefore, the responsibility for the committed actions is lost in full. Often the patient does not even try to hide the crime and does not remember his details at all. Forensic experts recognize the offenders intoxicated as insane. Criminal liability in relation to such patients does not apply.
What is dangerous pathological intoxication?
A person in this state cannot control and evaluate his actions. Therefore, it becomes dangerous for himself and loved ones. The sleep phase can occur at any time. It is this period after active wakefulness that often causes injuries or death. Many violent crimes were committed with minor doses of alcohol.
Preventive measures
The only effective option for the prevention of pathological intoxication is a complete rejection of alcohol. Only the exclusion of alcoholic beverages will help to avoid unpredictable consequences and a similar condition. Also, a sober lifestyle will save you from the unbearable shame that is often observed the day after the deed.
Brief Summary
Pathological intoxication is understood as an acute condition that develops in people who practically do not drink alcoholic beverages. For him, the appearance of a distorted perception of the surrounding reality is typical. A person becomes irritable. Everything around him seems hostile and menacing. The duration of pathological intoxication is difficult to determine. The logical conclusion to the disorder is the patient’s sleep. After waking up, he usually does not remember anything. Detoxification therapy is used as the main measure to combat the disorder.