Alcohol Use Disorder: What It Is, Risks & Treatment

Further, it is a Can Alcoholism Be Cured that can be managed but not cured. Management can take many forms, but the focus is on maintaining a sober life and preventing relapse. To avoid relapsing, there are many treatment options for alcoholics to find a personalized path toward a healthier and brighter future. Although there is no guarantee against relapse, people can overcome alcohol addiction and manage long-term recovery. There are many people with chronic illnesses like diabetes and asthma that live normal, healthy lives by managing their disease. The same can be accomplished by those with an alcohol use disorder. If you or someone you care about is struggling with an alcohol use disorder, there are treatment options available.

• People often wonder whether it’s better to go to inpatient or outpatient rehab for alcohol.
• Our specialists utilize a range of medication and behavioral methods with demonstrated efficacy for helping individuals change their drinking habits and maintain these changes long-term.
• These include 12-step facilitation therapy programs like Alcoholics Anonymous in which participants actively help and support one another in their recovery from alcohol use disorder.
• You sought out help for your alcoholism, and now you have control over your life back.

Relapse is common, and you will want to know how it is addressed. For more information on relapse, seeRelapse Is Part of the Process. You will want to understand what will be asked of you in order to decide what treatment best suits your needs. When you’ve reached out for help and decided to begin treatment, here is what you can expect.

Partial Hospitalization Programs

Offer your support along each step of the recovery journey. Express your concerns in a caring way and encourage your friend or family member to get help. Try to remain neutral and don’t argue, lecture, accuse, or threaten. Repeat on each part of your body that’s experiencing the craving. You’ll likely notice that after a few minutes the craving has gone.

• You may benefit from couples or family therapy — family support can be an important part of the recovery process.
• Motivational Enhancement Therapyis conducted over a short period of time to build and strengthen motivation to change drinking behavior.
• With the use of appropriate medications and behavioral therapies, people can recover from AUD.
• There are many people with chronic illnesses like diabetes and asthma that live normal, healthy lives by managing their disease.
• IOPs usually meet for three or more days during the week for only a few hours at a time.

However, alcohol abuse can be controlled with medication for alcoholism. It is important to remember that AUD is not due to an individual’s lack of self-discipline or resolve.

Addiction and Recovery Educational Blog

However, if you participate in an alcohol rehab program or a group like AA, make lifestyle changes and potentially take certain medicines, you can keep it under control. Alcoholism’s progressive nature is another reason it’s considered a chronic disease. Alcoholism moves through stages, and certain symptoms and behaviors mark each stage. For example, during early-stage alcoholism, the person is usually drinking larger amounts and becoming more secretive or elusive about what they’re doing. As alcoholism progresses, behaviors become more out of control and more health symptoms begin to appear. The above symptoms not only make many people with AUD want to return to using alcohol but can be dangerous without medical supervision. According to a 2015 study, 50% of people with AUD will suffer from alcohol withdrawal during their detox.

The medication works with the brain to block alcohol’s “reward” signal, significantly reducing the urge to drink over time. Treatments such as Alcoholics Anonymous , ask you to stop drinking as soon as you start the program.

Not one drop: the problem with total abstinence

What’s more, according to the https://ecosoberhouse.com/s for Disease Control and Prevention , excessive alcohol use leads to over 95,000 deaths in the U.S. every year. A friend of hers quickly became alarmed and forced her to check into a psychiatric hospital, where she stayed for four hellish weeks. Soon, however, she stopped sleeping and lost her appetite . She had hallucinations, paced her bedroom endlessly, and found herself talking to saints and dead scholars.