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Articles from the FAVOR clinic for people with addiction and their families: how to recognize the problem, what happens to the body, how to talk to a loved one and where to find help.

  • Молода жінка сидить у кріслі біля штатива для крапельниці

    Drug addiction

    Drug Detox: Stages and What to Expect

    Drug detox is medical care that helps a person get through withdrawal from a substance under a doctor’s supervision: assessment, stabilization, and relief of symptoms. The acute period lasts from a few days to two weeks. Detox does not cure addiction — it is the first step before treatment and rehabilitation.

    9 min read

  • Жінка лежить на дивані, закривши обличчя рукою, на столі порожні склянки

    Alcohol addiction

    Alcohol Withdrawal at Home or in a Clinic: Which Is Safer?

    Alcohol withdrawal can be managed at home under an addiction doctor’s supervision or in an inpatient unit. Home care is an option if the condition is stable, there have been no seizures or delirium, no serious illnesses, and an adult is nearby. Inpatient care is needed when the risk of complications is high. The doctor chooses the format after an examination; without a doctor, it is unsafe anywhere.

    11 min read

  • Чоловік лежить у лікарняному ліжку, поруч штатив для крапельниці

    Alcohol addiction

    Coming Off a Binge: What Happens to the Body During Alcohol Withdrawal

    During a drinking binge, alcohol wears down the liver, heart and nervous system and disrupts fluid and electrolyte balance and sleep. After stopping abruptly, tremor, anxiety and insomnia appear; seizures are possible as early as the first day (6–48 hours), delirium on days 2–4. That is why it is better to come off a binge under a doctor’s supervision.

    9 min read

  • Жінка з пляшкою вина тримається за голову під подушкою

    Alcohol addiction

    Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome: Symptoms and Treatment

    Withdrawal syndrome occurs when alcohol addiction is already established: 6–24 hours after the last drink, tremor, sweating, anxiety and nausea appear. Seizures are possible after 6–48 hours, delirium usually after 2–3 days. Whether withdrawal can be managed at home is decided by a doctor after an examination.

    8 min read

  • Жінка в ліжку тримається за голову і тягнеться по склянку води

    Alcohol addiction

    Stages of Alcoholism: From First to Third

    The three stages of alcoholism are a clinical tradition of Ukrainian addiction medicine; ICD-10 and ICD-11 do not use stages. At the first stage, tolerance grows and control weakens; at the second, withdrawal syndrome appears; at the third, tolerance drops and damage to organs and the mind becomes hard to reverse.

    8 min read

  • Хлопець п’є пиво зі склянки

    Alcohol addiction

    Social Drinking or Alcoholism: How to Tell the Difference

    The key difference between social drinking and addiction is control, not quantity. Addiction is diagnosed when a person systematically cannot stop, tolerance and withdrawal appear, and drinking continues despite harm. The WHO AUDIT test can help assess the risk, but the diagnosis is made by a doctor.

    9 min read

  • Жінка і чоловік розмовляють, сидячи на дивані

    Addiction medicine

    Anonymous Addiction Treatment: What It Really Means

    At a private clinic, your visit is confidential: the fact that you sought help, the diagnosis and the treatment are protected by medical confidentiality, and employers are prohibited from demanding this information. Confidentiality is not absolute: the law provides for exceptions. Medical records are always kept.

    6 min read

  • Жінка закрила обличчя руками за столом із пляшкою вина

    For families

    How to Help a Loved One Who Drinks: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Addiction is an illness, not a character flaw, and it is not the family’s fault. Name the problem out loud, take care of your own safety and boundaries, and get advice from an addiction doctor or psychotherapist, even without your loved one’s consent: you cannot decide for them, but you can make their path to help easier.

    9 min read

  • Жінка дивиться на чоловіка, який сидить на дивані

    For families

    Codependency: What It Is and How to Break Free

    Codependency is a persistent pattern in which a person’s mood, decisions and sense of self-worth are tied to the condition of a loved one with an addiction. It shows up as control, a need to rescue and guilt, and it can be worked on separately, even if the loved one is not yet in treatment.

    7 min read

  • Чоловік вивертає порожні кишені джинсів

    Gambling addiction

    Gambling Addiction: Symptoms and Causes

    Gambling addiction is a loss of control over gambling and betting: a person keeps playing despite debts, arguments and their own wish to stop. What sets it apart from a hobby is exactly this loss of control, not the amount of money or how often a person plays.

    8 min read

  • Двоє дорослих підтримують засмученого юнака за плечі

    Drug addiction

    Signs of Drug Addiction: How to Recognize Them

    Signs of drug addiction can be physical (pupils, weight, sleep, marks on the skin), behavioral (lying, missing money, new acquaintances) and psychological (mood swings, loss of interest). One sign proves nothing, but several that last for weeks are a reason to see a doctor.

    10 min read

  • Чоловік сидить за шторою, схилившись і обхопивши голову рукою

    Alcohol addiction

    Signs of Alcohol Addiction: How to Recognize the Problem

    Alcohol addiction is defined not by how much a person drinks but by loss of control: they cannot stop, keep drinking despite the consequences, and experience withdrawal without alcohol. Under ICD-10, the diagnosis is made if at least 3 of 6 signs are present within a year, but the list is a reason to see a doctor, not a self-diagnosis.

    12 min read

How we write our articles

We write in plain language, without scare tactics and without promises. An article explains what is happening, but it does not diagnose or prescribe treatment: a doctor does that after an examination.

  • Every article is written by a clinic specialist. Their name and position appear under the headline and at the end of the article.
  • Each article shows the date of publication and of the last update. If another doctor reviewed the text, we name them and give the review date.
  • We cite sources: orders and protocols of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the International Classification of Diseases, and materials from the WHO and specialized institutes. The list is at the end of the article.
  • We do not name medications or doses for self-treatment and do not advise treatment without a doctor.
  • When guidelines change or we find an error, we correct the text and update the date. How we prepare articles is described in our editorial policy.

TAKING CALLS NOW

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