Alcoholic insanity: Symptoms, causes, and how to get help

Like all addictions, alcohol use disorder is linked to a complex combination of biological, social, and psychological factors. Research highlights a genetic component to the disorder, as about half of one’s predisposition to alcoholism can be attributed to genetic makeup. commission paid meaning People may turn to alcohol as a way to cope with trauma or other, often unrecognized psychological disorders. Socially, alcoholism may be tied to family dysfunction or a culture of drinking. Alcohol use disorder is a problematic pattern of alcohol use that leads to distress in one’s daily life, according to the DSM-5.

Transitions in drinking: Alcohol Initiation and Quit Attempts

A recent review found that Alcoholics Anonymous led to higher rates of abstinence from alcohol long term compared to other treatments. One of the key reasons, according to the data, is that people continue to participate for years after they have completed the 12-step program. AA is not for everyone and there are plenty of different treatment options, but it can be successful and meaningful for those who choose it.

Alcoholism – A Unique Disease

This severe form of withdrawal is delirium tremens (DT), which people may also call alcohol-withdrawal delirium. If your pattern of drinking results in repeated significant distress and problems functioning in your daily life, you likely have alcohol use disorder. However, even a mild disorder can escalate and lead to serious problems, so early treatment is important. Psychotic symptoms in alcohol-induced psychosis are directly linked to alcohol use. They can’t be attributed to any other cause, like another underlying mental health condition. Go to an Al-Anon or Alateen meeting or set up an appointment with a mental health professional.

A personalized treatment plan, may include medication, lifestyle changes, and behavioral therapies. On an individual level, strategies include providing personalized feedback about alcohol use, training in self-monitoring and moderation skills, and developing stress management and alcohol refusal skills. Cognitive-behavioral approaches teach individuals to confront or avoid situations that may lead to drinking.

1. In particular, subjects in the alcohol group showed an increased utilitarian preference in sacrificial moral dilemmas, and donated more money to charity in a modified dictator-game task.
2. Addressing alcoholism and alcoholic thinking requires a multifaceted approach that involves both prevention and treatment strategies.
3. The very pathways that support self-monitoring, planning, judgment and reasoning are actually physically impaired by chronic misuse of alcohol.
4. The idea that altered forms of consciousness such as mania or alcohol can enhance creativity is a popular belief.
5. Integrated CBI, in particular, has demonstrated a modest but significant effect on alcohol studies, suggesting that tailored interventions may enhance treatment outcomes (source).

Professional development

The concept is rooted in the notion of the ‘insanity of alcoholism,’ as described by Alcoholics Anonymous, highlighting the irrational justifications that alcoholics may use to continue their drinking habits despite negative consequences. Preventing and treating alcoholic thinking is pivotal in addressing alcohol use disorder (AUD) and related cognitive patterns. Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions (CBI) have shown promise in managing alcohol and other drug use by fostering significant changes in thought and behavior. Integrated CBI, in particular, has demonstrated a modest but significant effect on alcohol studies, suggesting that tailored interventions may enhance treatment outcomes (source). Neuropsychological tests, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, have been employed to measure the impact of alcohol on global cognitive function and specific cognitive domains.

Comprehensive Treatment Strategies for Alcohol Use Disorder

The strongest genetic correlations have been found with genes that encode alcohol metabolizing enzymes, which can influence an individual’s response to alcohol and potentially their risk of addiction. Distinctions have been made between alcohol expectancies and drinking motives within the alcohol literature. Expectancy theory posits a process by which individuals come to anticipate certain outcomes for a particular behavior (Tolman, 1932). Positive alcohol expectancies, or anticipation of reinforcement from drinking, exist prior to drinking onset, predict early problem drinking and are seen as proximal predictors of drinking decisions (Smith, Goldman, Greenbaum, & Christiansen, 1995). Numerous types of positive alcohol expectancies have been examined, including anticipation of global positive outcomes, social and sexual facilitation, tension reduction, and cognitive or motor improvement (Brown, Christiansen & Goldman, 1987).

Speaking with a therapist can also help you connect to groups and local organizations that support your efforts of sobriety. Your doctor can prescribe medications to help with secondary symptoms like headaches, nausea, mood disturbance, or cravings. In some cases, emergency medical care or a stay in a care facility may be necessary to help with extreme discomfort or to treat delirium. Living with an AUD dual diagnosis can make the symptoms of schizophrenia more challenging to manage and can increase the likelihood of low treatment adherence, hospitalization, and mood instability. Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder featuring symptoms of hallucinations, delusions, and other experiences of reality distortion.

The spiraling alcoholic will often say that they don’t even want to drink but that circumstances like their horrible job/spouse/kids “force” them to. Putting blinders on a horse leaves it with no peripheral vision – such is the worldview of the alcoholic. They may attend to many things, but in order to do so they must turn their attention away from one thing and toward another. As one area of their life declines they will often focus their attention on it and take it to an extreme. As this happens, another part of their life declines and gradually their life becomes dictated by “firehouse management” – every course of action becomes based on the most pressing problem.