What are the available treatments and medications for alcoholism?
Posted on April 6, 2009
Filed Under Alcoholism Remedies, Treatment |
For most people with alcoholism or who abuse alcohol, they can be reluctant to avail of treatment or medication because they often deny that there is a problem. However, when health problems start to become apparent and other complications surface, they may be forced to seek treatment.
Alcoholism intervention’s role is to help people to see and admit that there is a problem and it would help them to seek treatment. If you know someone, a friend or a family member who is an alcoholic or abuses alcohol without seeming to acknowledge the problem, you can ask the help of a professional.
There are many options available to help fix the problem of alcoholism. Below are just some of the possible steps to helping an alcohol abuser or an alcoholic.
- evaluation
- intervention
- counseling
- residential inpatient stay
- outpatient program
The Many Levels of Alcohol Dependence
Before any treatment can begin, you must be sure that the patient is alcohol dependent. Reducing alcohol consumption can be effective if the patient haven’t really become alcohol dependent. However, for patients who have crossed the border, so to speak, simply reducing alcohol intake will not be effective. Total alcohol avoidance is necessary to treat the problem.
There are cases when the patient is not really alcohol dependent but may experience the bed effects of drinking too much. For such cases, the reason for treatment is to reduce, if not totally eliminate the effects. Treatment for these cases could include counseling and intervention. These often will require the help of alcohol abuse professionals. Treatment could include the following:
-goal setting
-behavior modification
-self help manuals
-counseling
-follow up care
There are many form of counseling One is called cognitive behavior therapy. In this form of counseling, a therapist helps the patient pinpoint thoughts and beliefs that are distorted often causing psychological stress. The therapist helps the patient to learn new ways to see traumatic events and eventually cope with them. The patient learns to master to control thoughts and feelings.
Another interesting method is called aversion therapy. This method associates drinking alcohol with an aversive response like nausea and vomiting. These aversive responses are induced with the use of medication. After some time, the patient will automatically feel the aversive responses when taking in alcohol even without the use of medication. This significantly reduces the occurrence of relapse among patients.
Residential Treatment Programs
Below are just some of the treatment programs available in the US:
-abstinence
-individual and group therapy
-participation in alcoholism support groups (such as Alcoholics Anonymous)
-education lectures
-family involvement
-work assignments
-activity therapy
-counselors and professional staff
In a residential treatment program, there are steps followed to help the alcohol abuser or alcohol dependent.
1) Detoxification and Withdrawal — Treatment usually begins with detox. This could take four days to a full week. In this stage, the patient may experience withdrawal symptoms and medication if often administered to avoid delirium and seizures.
2) Assessment and Treatment — Alcoholics and alcohol abusers are often susceptible to medical conditions such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and liver and heart disease.
3) Psychological Support and Psychiatric Treatment — Counseling, either done in groups or with an individual, together with therapy can greatly help alcoholics and alcohol abusers in term of the psychological side of alcoholism. The support of family and friends can also contribute to the fast recovery of the patient. This is the reason why treatment programs often include couples training, and family therapy.
4) Acceptance and Abstinence — Alcohol abusers and alcohol dependents must first realize and accept the fact that they are addicted to alcohol. Only then can they make the positive move to abstain from alcohol.
Drug Treatments
Disulfiram is a drug that sentizises alcohol. Note that this drug does not cure alcoholism or cure the compulsion. This drug is used to cause averse reactions such as flushing, nausea, vomiting and headaches when the patient drinks alcohol. This helps in negative conditioning.
Naltrexone, on the other hand, reduces the effects of alcohol and also reduces the urge.
Acamprosate also reduces the urge and helps the patient to abstain from drinking alcohol. Both naltrexone and acamprosate do not induce averse reactions.
Vivitrol is an injectable form of naltrexone. It is injected in the butt once a month by a professional. The injectable form appears to easier to use consistently by recovering alcohol abusers and alcohol dependents.
Continuing Support
Recovering from alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence is not easy. But with the help of family, aftercare programs and support groups, the patient can successfully avoid alcohol, relapses and deal with the changes that comes with recovery.
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