Be careful when drinking alcohol outdoors in winter.🍺🍺🍺

In the news, people sometimes get drunk in the winter, fall asleep on the road, and then freeze to death. Some people who are still young and strong will freeze to death on the side of the road. What is going on here? Can people be frozen to death so easily? In fact, this situation is not uncommon. There will be similar news all over the world every winter, but many people may not know it.

What happened to make people drunk?

When people drink too much alcohol, they are easily paralyzed by feeling good about themselves at first. People are usually in a more excited state when they are just drunk. They will feel that they are not drunk and that all their states are normal. This is because the human body absorbs only a small dose of ethanol at this time. Small doses of ethanol can inhibit the cerebral cortex and cause the "disinhibitory excitement" of the subcortical center. Therefore, people who drink alcohol often exhibit high mood, excessive excitement and decreased control ability. 

However, as the absorbed dose of ethanol increases, the inhibitory effect will spread to the subcortical center. At this time, people turn from an excited state to a restrained state. At this time, in addition to the above symptoms will aggravate. The body will also experience symptoms such as impaired motor control ability and decreased clarity of consciousness, such as instability, confusion, lethargy and so on. 

If ethanol intake continues to increase, then it will inhibit the medulla oblongata life center. It can cause coma and even death. 

Why is it easy to freeze to death when sleeping outdoors after drinking?

In fact, This is usually caused by people underestimating the power of alcohol and lead to happen the accidents. In addition to the above, when drinking alcohol and for a short period of time after drinking, the human body will temporarily feel warm due to the effect of acetaldehyde. But in fact, the body is actually losing heat continuously at this time. As the body's heat continues to be lost, drunk people will feel colder and colder. In this case, if a person sleeps outside in the cold winter because of being drunk, it is easy to have an accident due to hypothermia.

Therefore, we must not underestimate the effects of alcohol on the human body. Never walk alone outside after excessive drinking, especially on cold winter nights.

What is alcohol dependence?

Alcohol dependence refers to the mental and physical dependence of people who drink alcohol for a long time. Mental dependence means that as long as you don't drink, you will feel restless, anxious, irritable, listless and will try everything to drink. Physical dependence refers to people who drink for a long time. Once they start to give up, the body will have a lot of discomfort, such as palpitation, headache, fatigue. Once they resume drinking, the symptoms will naturally disappear. Another feature of alcohol dependence is the continuous increase in alcohol consumption and increased tolerance. It generally takes several years to decades to reach alcohol dependence. Many people know that drinking too much is harmful to the body, but they are unable to control themselves. Occasionally reducing the amount or not drinking will cause discomfort and must drink alcohol to relieve their discomfort.

Some ways to Quit Drinking:

1. Reduce the amount of alcohol: If you drink too much, you must take it slowly to avoid withdrawal symptoms. You can choose a specific weekday to never drink and reduce the amount of alcohol you drink each time.
2. Reduce participation in drinking activities: Reduce contact with friends who drink with you and participate in their drinking activities.
3. Eat something before drinking: Eating before drinking can reduce your desire to drink, and it will also make it more difficult to get drunk.
4. Drink more water: This keeps you hydrated, and also helps your body expel toxins.
5. Self-feelings: Face your own feelings well. Explore your own inner thoughts, emotions and behaviors.
6. Refusal to drink: Bravely refuse people who invite you to drink.
7. Learn how to eliminate worries: try to understand your worries. Drinking is just an escape from the problem, and there are actually many ways to get rid of worries.
8. Consult a doctor: You should not start quitting alcohol alone. The process of quitting alcohol can be fatal. If you have withdrawal symptoms (panic, anxiety, trembling, rapid heartbeat), you should seek medical help immediately. This condition may worsen into delirium tremens, which can be fatal if not treated. 

In fact, as long as your will to quit drinking is strong enough, there are many ways to help you quit drinking. There are also some drugs that can reduce your desire for alcohol. Those drugs can make you feel discomfort when you drink alcohol.