Alcoholism can cause human health problems, especially long-term alcoholism. Currently, there is no cure for alcoholism or alcohol abuse. Being able to treat alcohol addiction is a long process that requires both individual efforts from the addict and different treatment methods or therapies.
1. Face the problem
The first step to begin the process of treating alcoholism is for the patient to prepare psychologically and accept that he or she is addicted to alcohol or abuses alcohol. Facing them and accepting that drinking has a negative impact on your life is not easy but it is a necessary step on the road to recovery.
Alcoholism can damage your health, causing many complications such as increasing the risk of heart disease, various types of cancer, cirrhosis, gastritis, dementia and mental disorders. Menstruation, erectile dysfunction…
Addiction is often accompanied by certain mental or psychological disorders, such as depression or anxiety. When you lose control over your alcohol use, you have alcoholism or alcohol abuse. Initially, you can cut down on alcohol, but it’s important to be able to quit drinking alcohol completely.
To achieve this goal, your doctor may recommend detox, counseling, medication, or other treatment options. The optimal treatment plan for patients with alcoholism will depend on their personal circumstances, such as: history of alcoholism, level of support from family and friends, personal commitments and financial situation .
If you are ready to face your addiction and want to get rid of the health problems caused by alcohol, see your doctor.
2. Alcohol detoxification
Detoxification is usually performed at an inpatient treatment center or hospital. It usually takes a week to complete, as withdrawal symptoms can be very severe, you may also be given medication to help prevent symptoms: tremors, paranoia, hallucinations, seizures.
3. Behavior modification
People who abuse alcohol often drink alcohol, so you need to learn skills and coping mechanisms to help you avoid drinking when you leave the treatment center or return to social settings. Your doctor may refer you to a counselor or other treatment program to help you learn coping skills and strategies to stay away from alcohol.
4. Consulting
Consulting is a method where a doctor refers a patient to one-on-one or group consultation. Support groups can be especially helpful when you are being treated for alcohol addiction. Additionally, a support group can help you connect with others who are facing similar challenges. From there, people in the same situation can motivate, encourage and support each other to treat alcoholism more effectively.
5. Using medicine
Medications to treat alcohol addiction work well for patients who want to stop drinking or drink less. Three medications are approved by the FDA for alcohol use disorder, and each has different effects.
Disulfiram
Disulfiram was the first drug approved by the FDA to treat alcohol use disorder. Disulfiram (Antabuse) changes the way your body breaks down alcohol. Disulfiram is an alcohol-sensitizing drug that can reduce your desire to drink alcohol by making you sick when you drink alcohol. When combined with alcohol, it can cause flushing, nausea, vomiting and headaches.
Acamprosate
Acamprosate (Campral) reduces withdrawal symptoms — such as insomnia, anxiety, and restlessness that last for months after you stop drinking alcohol. It may help fight alcohol cravings by restoring the balance of certain chemicals in your brain. Like Naltrexone, Acamprosate seems to work best for people who can stop drinking alcohol before starting treatment. Patients need to take two pills 3 times a day.
Naltrexone
When drinking alcohol while taking Naltrexone, the drinker may feel drunk, but will not experience the pleasure that usually accompanies drinking alcohol. This means that Naltrexone helps block the good feelings that alcohol brings to the drinker’s brain. When the good feelings are lost, the drinker will drink less.
Naltrexone is available in oral tablet or injection form. Vivitrol is an injectable medication that your doctor may give you once a month. This medication is safer and more convenient than oral medications. Research shows that Naltrexone works best for people who have stopped drinking alcohol for at least 4 days when they start treatment.
However, just taking medication is not enough. The most important thing in the process of alcohol addiction is the patient’s attitude. If the patient does not change his attitude towards alcohol, even taking medicine will not be effective. Medicines act as a driving force to help patients quit addiction.
6. Long-term hope
Alcohol addiction recovery is a lifelong journey. Patients may face relapses and temptations from alcohol after detoxification, so you need ongoing treatment. Some people can resist the temptation of alcohol and after many times they can overcome the addiction easily, some other patients relapse immediately after quitting alcohol. Thus, the more you try to quit, the higher your chances of success.
