Alcohol Treatments

Knowing that somebody close to you has a drinking problem can be difficult. So what are alcohol treatments?

Individuals who have alcoholism but are not physically dependent on alcohol can be treated through interventions like education, counseling and a reduction in the amount consumed on a daily basis. However, for individuals, who are experiencing alcohol dependency, there are self-help groups, medication, and detoxification and rehabilitation centers for out patient or in-patient programs that alcohol dependent can go into for treatment.

There are also three medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for alcohol treatments. However, individuals who are still drinking alcohol should not take these medications. Individuals who have already stopped drinking and are trying to maintain abstinence only take these. There are still no medications available on the market that can stop an individual from drinking alcohol.

The three approved medication for alcoholism are disulfiram, naltrexone, acamprosate.  Disulfiram or antabuse cause a severe adverse reaction when an individual consumes alcohol while on medication.

Naltrexone, on the other hand, blocks in the brain the high that people experience when they drink alcohol or take opioids like heroin and cocaine. Lastly, acamprosatem reduces the physical distress and emotional discomfort people experience when they quit drinking.

Nevertheless, do alcohol treatments really work? Studies have shown that a minority of alcoholics remain sober one year after the treatment. In addition, others have periods of sobriety alternating with relapse. There are still others who are unable to stop drinking for any length of time.

Relapses can be common but this does not mean that a person has failed or cannot recover. An individual who has relapsed would just need to try to stop drinking again and to get whatever help is needed to abstain from alcohol. The longer an individual abstains, the more likely he/she will remain sober. Family members’ support is also crucial to recovery. Alcohol treatments can be difficult to an alcoholic thus family or loved one support is very important.

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