Epsilon Type Alcoholism: Symptoms, Causes, And How To Overcome It
Epsilon type alcoholism, also called dipsomania or periodic alcoholism is what occurs in those cases in which a person drinks alcohol sporadically but when they do consume compulsively, there is a loss of control and it can even trigger behavioral problems associated with the state of drunkenness.
In this article we will see what Epsilon type alcoholism consists of and what its main characteristics are.
Alcoholism is a disease caused by prolonged and excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages having created a psychological and/or physical dependence that causes health problems and usually affects various areas of the life of the person who suffers from it (work, families, etc.).
Alcohol, as we well know, is a socially accepted substance, so there is a high percentage of consumption among the population and, when this consumption occurs in excess, it can trigger alcoholism.
Those who suffer from it They develop dependence on this substance, so they often feel the need to consume this type of substance and have a hard time not relapsing into drinking ; For this reason, they suffer serious problems in terms of both physical and psychological health, something that often even affects their personal relationships. In addition, there are several types of alcoholism: Epsilon, Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta type alcoholism.
What is Epsilon type alcoholism?
Epsilon type alcoholism, according to Jellinek’s classification, is a type of alcoholism in which the person drinks excessively sporadically, periodically In other words, it is what people suffer from who are able to stay there for several days, or even weeks, but when they drink alcohol they are not able to stop, and can end up drinking uncontrollably and could even have serious behavioral problems.
People with Epsilon type alcoholism do not usually experience withdrawal symptoms in their daily lives so they do not need to resort to alcohol consumption to calm it down and that is why they normally do not try alcohol on a day-to-day basis.
These people usually lead full and satisfying lives without alcohol consumption; However, it is enough for them to try alcohol for one day, whether for a celebration or for any other social reason, for alcohol abuse to skyrocket, and it can last for long hours or even days without being able to stop drinking alcohol.
It should be noted that Epsilon type alcoholism is not that of a social drinker, as is the case with Beta type alcoholism, where alcohol abuse usually occurs exclusively in social situations and there is no alcohol dependence that causes lack of control; On the other hand, in the Epsilon type, there is a loss of control when trying alcohol that causes that person to drink quantities of alcohol much higher than what they had planned.
Symptoms of Epsilon type alcoholism
When a case of Epsilon type alcoholism occurs, there are a series of symptoms that tend to appear usually several of the following:
It should be noted that Epsilon type alcoholism presents similarities with the “alcoholic drinker”, according to the classification of Fernández Ballesteros, which refers to that drinker who consumes alcohol with a fairly irregular frequency, but when he drinks, he is not able to stop until he gets drunk; Therefore, we are faced with a person who is able to go a long time without drinking, but when he starts drinking, he is not able to stop until he is drunk.
It should be noted that when someone has developed Epsilon-type alcoholism, they are essentially an episodic drinker, but this nuance does not diminish the seriousness of the problem, since This way of abusing alcohol on certain occasions can lead to serious problems both at a health level, as well as at a social level and perhaps legal in those cases in which the person has behavioral problems every time they are intoxicated.
Furthermore, Epsilon type alcoholism, if it is not learned to control (whether as a result of the person’s learning and maturity, among other things, or thanks to the help of a specialized professional), could lead to chronic alcoholism Therefore, it is highly recommended that those people who find themselves in a similar situation seek professional help and support from family, trusted friends and/or their partner in order to try to solve the problems of lack of control when it comes to Try alcohol before the situation worsens.
It is also important to note that people who suffer from Epsilon type alcoholism many times they are not aware of the disease That is, they do not consider that they have problems with alcohol, since they can forget the mechanism by which they lose control when drinking, not being able to stop, because several episodes can pass between episodes. days by being a “sporadic drinker.”
Loss of control with alcohol consumption can happen to anyone, especially young people, but the problem occurs when this happens frequently and does not subside over the years.
