Treatment for Alcohol Problems: Finding and Getting Help National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism NIAAA
Instead, those seeking recovery must commit to a treatment and aftercare plan designed by professionals. Even if it has been decades since a person’s last drink, a person with AUD will often require vigilance and ongoing involvement with recovery groups or services to maintain abstinence. But, with engagement in addiction treatment services, a person can successfully https://yourhealthmagazine.net/article/addiction/sober-houses-rules-that-you-should-follow/ manage their AUD and live an otherwise fulfilling life despite their diagnosis. Therapy is useful to help teach someone how to manage the stress of recovery and the skills needed to prevent a relapse. Also, a healthy diet can help undo damage alcohol may have done to the person’s health, like weight gain or loss.
But measures can be taken to ease the dependence and make life as a recovering alcoholic enjoyable, and in this way an alcoholic may be ‘cured’. Alcoholism is a disease that is absolutely treatable if the person is willing to seek the appropriate help available. Non-the-less, people do overcome their addictions to alcohol by learning how to manage their alcoholism through therapies, support groups, and treatment medication. After withdrawal, doctors recommend that patients continue treatment to address the underlying alcohol use disorder and help them maintain abstinence from or achieve a reduction in alcohol consumption. After weaning from alcohol, medication in some cases can help reduce cravings.
An Ongoing Process
You can also check your health insurance benefits using the form below or contact free drug and alcohol hotline numbers. Alcoholism is a chronic condition, and there is no single cure for it. However, with treatment, individuals can learn to manage their condition and improve their overall health and well-being. Treatment can help individuals to reduce their alcohol consumption, maintain sobriety, and improve their quality of life.
Remember that your loved one is ultimately responsible for managing their own illness. After the inpatient portion of the treatment process is over, the outpatient program can begin. When it is finished, it is highly recommended that addicted individuals stay connected to an aftercare program. A person’s age, genetic predisposition to addiction, health status, and drinking history all have a role to play regarding the severity of the brain damage caused by alcohol.
Treatments Led by Health Care Providers
If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. Admissions can be arranged immediately and we offer 24/7 support. You might smell something you really don’t like and feel a sinking feeling. The well-known phenomenon of denial, which is a common part of the illness, often turns the illness into a chronic one. Unfortunately, the longer the illness persists, the harder it is to treat.
- Alcoholism can have serious physical and mental health consequences, including liver disease, pancreatitis, heart disease, depression, anxiety, and suicide.
- However, it can be managed with treatment, support, and lifestyle changes.
- We shadow our clients on their journey to recovery; understanding their addiction history and working in unison to create a new future – sustaining recovery and changing lives for all of our clients.
- Rehab is the next step for any recovering alcoholic, either running alongside your detox or possibly afterwards.
- But friends and family may feel unsure about how best to provide the support needed.
It’s important that the person get back on track and resume treatment. The way beginning rehab takes place will depend on the type of treatment program you choose. After detox, you’ll meet with a counselor who will help you determine which type of treatment and setting is best for you.
Of course, no one needs to wait for new guidelines or warning labels to curb their drinking. Many are exploring ways to cut back, including the Dry January Challenge or alcohol-free drinks. The definitions for a drink in the US are the common serving sizes for beer (12 ounces), wine (5 ounces), or distilled spirits/hard liquor (1.5 ounces). It’s worth noting that current guidelines advise against drinking alcohol as a way to improve health. There are various short- and long-term health issues that can result from alcohol use disorder.
Is Alcoholism a Disease?
- He is well-versed in traditional and innovative therapies, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness-based interventions.
- Some people are surprised to learn that there are medications on the market approved to treat AUD.
- In fact, while in recovery, an alcoholic’s brain will create new neural pathways to help them experience pleasure from activities other than drinking.
- It can be hard to identify the lines between casual and occasional drinking and unhealthy alcohol use including alcohol use disorder.
- To avoid relapsing, there are many treatment options for alcoholics to find a personalized path toward a healthier and brighter future.
- It is important to remember that AUD is not due to an individual’s lack of self-discipline or resolve.
It is important to gauge whether the facility provides all the currently available, evidence-based methods or relies on one approach. You may want to learn if the program or provider offers medication and whether mental health issues are addressed together with alcohol treatment. However, even with this great accomplishment, it’s also important to remember that this is just the beginning.
How to Treat and Manage Alcoholism
Like other chronic diseases, such as diabetes or heart disease, alcoholism and its symptoms can be successfully managed with proper treatment. Due to the withdrawal symptoms that occur from alcohol dependence, treatment for severe alcoholism should be done only on an inpatient basis at an alcohol rehabilitation center. Yet the condition can be effectively managed by teaching a person strategies that can help them cope with stress and environmental factors that contribute to their alcohol abuse. There is no quick fix or “cure” for alcohol addiction, but it can be overcome and effectively treated with the help of professional treatment programs. Preliminary research supports Dry January’s benefits, from helping reduce people’s blood pressure, weight and insulin resistance to prompting them to reconsider their long-term relationship with alcohol.
Allowing a person to safely detox and begin therapy during this portion of their stay will help get to the root of their addiction, which can ensure that they have a reduced risk of relapsing. However, if a person is willing to get the treatment they need at an alcohol rehabilitation center, they have a much greater chance of becoming sober than they would if they attempt the process alone. This vicious cycle is the reason that alcoholism is considered to be a disease—it changes the body’s response to it, the brain reactions and structure, and eventually, a person’s behavior. Effects of alcoholism can have a long-term impact on a person’s health, relationships, and overall quality of life. Still, it can take five or more years before the risk of relapse drops below 15% — the level of risk that an average person has of developing a SUD in their lifetime. Alcoholism, an informal term used to describe an alcohol use disorder (AUD), can be successfully treated, but using the term “cured” can lead to misunderstanding.
- You can expect to hear about more research, debate, and controversy in the near future regarding the potential risks and benefits of drinking, and how much — if any — is ideal.
- Medications can also deter drinking during times when individuals may be at greater risk for a return to drinking (e.g., divorce, death of a family member).
- This could push them away and make them more resistant to your help.
- There is no absolute number of drinks per day or quantity of alcohol that defines an alcohol use disorder, but above a certain level, the risks of drinking increase significantly.
- A doctor may order additional tests to find out whether alcohol-related damage to the liver, stomach or other organs has occurred.
While it is technically true that no level of alcohol is risk-free, neither are many daily activities, from driving to eating bacon. Still, there are some groups for whom going sober might be the best policy, such as those with a family history of addiction, liver disease or cancer, Anton says. Abstinence is also important for people who are pregnant, take medications that interact with alcohol or have certain genetic conditions. What people shouldn’t be doing is justifying their drinking because it’s supposed to be healthy, says Luis Seija, an internist and pediatrician at the University of Pennsylvania. That misconception is rooted in a 1992 paper that found that moderate wine consumption protected French people against heart disease—even though their diet included plenty of meat, oil and butter.
Tips to Help You Stay Sober
People who drink too much alcohol are at risk of developing a host of health conditions and disorders including certain types of cancer, liver disease, and heart disease. Excessive alcohol consumption can damage the brain and other organs, and it also increases the chances of developing sleep problems, depression, and other mental health problems. Alcohol can interfere with a person’s ability to care for their other medical conditions or make other medical conditions worse. Alcohol treatment center is a generic term for a facility that treats patients who are struggling with alcohol abuse or addiction.
This addresses the powerful psychological dependency a person has on alcohol. A qualified therapist will work with individuals on a one-to-one and group basis; teaching them how to change their alcohol-seeking behaviors. The therapist will concentrate on treating them new coping skills, meaning they will be better equipped to deal with life stresses and problems. People often use alcohol to escape problems in their life, psychotherapy will help them address this and give them the coping skills to prevent them doing this in the future.
Working to stop alcohol use to improve quality of life is the main treatment goal. You’re likely to start by seeing your Sober Houses Rules That You Should Follow primary health care provider. If your provider suspects that you have a problem with alcohol, you may be referred to a mental health provider.
