Alcoholic delirium of persecution and how to fight it

Symptoms of the disease

As a rule, a mental disorder described in the literature as an alcohol paranoid occurs in people who are in the second stage of alcoholism, immediately on the first day after the end of long alcoholic libations. In place of the habitual after drinking alcohol hangover( withdrawal syndrome) one fine morning comes the paranoid. This way from a hangover to a mental disorder a person does not pass in one year, in order to reach this state, long years of excessive abuse of alcoholic beverages are required.

Many ask the question of whether it is possible to see changes in the human psyche before the onset of the paranoid. Physicians say that such an opportunity exists, but it is impossible to establish the exact time frame for aggravation. A hypothetically inclined person develops a dream, in the morning the person is in a depressed state, and the world around him causes irritation.

Delusional ideas arise in the patient spontaneously and very quickly. Time from suspicions to persistent beliefs in the psyche of the patient arise in just a few hours. From this point on, all around the patients are treated unequivocally as signs of a conspiracy against him. Most often the patient thinks that they want to kill him, to take revenge or rob him, to take away an apartment, car or dacha. The motive of the crime being prepared against him is obvious to the patient, he clearly knows why and how he will be killed.

All actions, gestures and phrases are perceived by the patient as obvious signs of conspiracy. Figures of delirium are politicians, doctors, policemen, soldiers, tram drivers and all those who are currently seeing a patient around them. Physicians noticed a feature that patients with alcoholic paranoids never associate alleged criminal acts against themselves with those people about whom the patient did not hear anything and did not see at the time of the formation of psychosis.

As it is impossible to predict the patient's behavior, his behavior is unsafe for others, and even his physical condition causes concern, with such symptoms the patient should be hospitalized regardless of his desire.

Treatment of the disease

Physicians on clinical grounds distinguish several forms of alcoholic paranoia, on the basis of which the therapy is prescribed.

Most often, delirium occurs - a condition accompanied by confusion and alcoholic hallucinosis. Statistics say that these forms of alcoholic delirium are most frequent, accounting for up to 90% of clinical cases.

As early as 1935 Popov proposed treatment of patients with paranoid syndrome with a mixture of ethyl alcohol and phenobarbital. The mixture is given to the patient, repeatedly introducing him into a state of prolonged sleep. Tranquilizers, and in particular diazepam or relanium, administered intramuscularly or intravenously, give very good effect for deducing a person from the state of delirium. Chromomethiazole can be used in medical practice. Usually it is injected slowly under a dropper in a volume of 500 milliliters. Recently, a combined treatment with diazepam is carried out, followed by a dropwise injection of sodium oxybutyrate. The thing is that sodium oxybutyrate helps the brain work in conditions of hypoxia caused by delirium.

To support the body, patients are assigned vitamins B1, C and B6, usually in higher dosages. Since there is an intensive loss of fluid by the body, it is important to assign the patient polyionic solutions in a volume of 1000-1500 milliliters per day. Also, a dropper of 400 milliliters of hemodyza will be very useful for the patient.

The hallucinosis that occurs when an alcoholic paranoid is treated with an intravenous injection of 50 milligrams of chlorpromazine. After this injection, the patient falls asleep, and after awakening, fears and hallucinations are expressed to a much lesser degree. Haloperidol and diazepam are also possible. Such treatment is performed until the patient ceases to treat the behavior of others with a delusional interpretation. As a rule, it occurs on the 2-10th day from the moment of the disease.

Severe form of alcoholic delirium is rare, about one case of severe form with ten mild and moderate severity. Initially, the disease develops according to the same scenario. In addition to mental manifestations, the patient has high blood pressure, seizures, vomiting, acute pain in the pit of the stomach. However, after a day it becomes apparent that treatment does not lead to an improvement in the patient's condition. Moreover, the symptoms of neuralgia and cerebral edema become visible.

In this case, the main task of physicians is to ensure the detoxification of the body, urgent correction of water-electrolyte metabolism, as well as acid-base balance, preventing the onset of cerebral edema and pulmonary edema. As the severe form of delirium is accompanied by disturbances in the cardiovascular system, it is extremely important to support the work of the heart muscle, as well as monitor the tone of the blood vessels. Therefore, the most effective treatment is the infusion( based on the introduction of drugs directly into the bloodstream) therapy. In case of severe delirium, it is very important to start the correct treatment as early as possible, in this case the time is spent on the clock. Delay in medical care can cause the death of the patient. Even in hospital conditions, mortality from severe forms of alcoholic delirium ranges from ten to fifteen percent.

Rehabilitation

This is a complicated and lengthy process that can take several weeks, but can last for years and. Patients with a history of mild and moderate form of the disease is quite able to return to normal life after undergoing a course of rehabilitation therapy, which takes approximately two to three months. The essence of treatment is medication and vitamins neotropami but not least, need psychological help professional psychologists, as well as the support of family members. As a rule, people who have undergone the disease become very sensitive to the effects of alcohol, which even in small doses can cause a second attack.

Among those who suffered a severe form of the disease, unfortunately, the percentage of people able to lead a full life is much less. They can develop heart disease and cardiovascular system, liver and kidney disease. But the most terrible thing is that they often have memory loss and dementia development. Such people can no longer fully service themselves. Most often they are recognized as incapacitated and establish a second group of disabilities.