The specialist nodes of the Alcohol Network pertaining to the Ulss 3 area include the Alcologies present in the five SerD offices, hospital alcohol rehabilitation facilities, in particular the Fatebenefratelli in Venice, the private social with (Coges don Milani) Centro Soranzo; (Opera Santa Maria della Carità) Open Doors Day Center, Ctr Emmaus;
Cooperativa Olivotti - Centro Studi, residential and / or semi-residential community program; Ctr Comunità di Venezia, Mother-child program and the world of volunteering with the Territorial Alcological CAT-Clubs, AA, Al Anon.
This Network is enriched and integrated with many other nodes composed of stakeholders both intra-Ulss (hospital departments, Prevention Department, CSM, Districts, GPs and PLS, etc.) and extra Ulss (Conference of Mayors and Area Plans, School, UIEPE, law enforcement agencies, associations, driving schools, etc.).
Abuse and dependence on alcohol and mood disorders
Very often the use and abuse of alcohol is underestimated or commonly more justified than the use of narcotic substances. This happens, since alcohol represents an easily available substance (just go to a supermarket, a bar … ..) and above all “Alcohol is considered a legal substance”;
This authorizes even more those who begin to use alcohol to “drink”, initially small quantities and not every day, but gradually to increase doses and frequency of alcoholic intake. What I am often told in the clinic: “… but what will it be if I drink 3-4 beers a day, then 1-2 correct coffees … then a bitter … I don’t do anything wrong … “.
- Unfortunately, this unchecked use of alcohol almost inexorably leads to the establishment of a real addiction, which causes major problems, not only from a “mental” point of view, but also from a “physical” point of view.
- What is often underestimated is the damage that can be done to internal organs: LIVER, PANCREAS, DIGESTIVE SYSTEM; BRAIN……..
Physical damage can be serious, among the most important, a picture of “Liver Cirrhosis”, “Metabolic Alterations”, “Pancreatitis”, “Cerebral Deterioration”, all of which are often irreversible damage.
It would be difficult to go into the details of the complications to which alcoholism leads, but there are obvious physical symptoms, which when they become evident are synonymous.
The chronicity of the disease that can often lead to the death of the subject
For example, characteristic symptoms are represented by tremor in the upper limbs, especially the hands, in addition, there may also be a change in the color of the skin (skin) that becomes more reddish or dark, even the pupils may appear red.
- In the most serious cases, the patient may begin to have a sort of hallucinations, ie usually the subject tells of seeing “small animals”, and to have the characteristic “flapping tremor”, ie a generalized tremor.
- This chronic condition will be accompanied by serious organ damage and the subject will have a physical clinical picture characterized by Dehydration and Malnutrition.