Treating Alcoholism
__________________________________________________________________
Similar to other diseases, alcoholism can be overcome with quality treatment, prevention, and substantially more
research. As serious as alcoholism is, however, the good news it that it can be effectively treated. Treating alcoholism
typically includes a combination of counseling and prescribed medications to help an individual quit drinking.
In fact, this combination may be the current best treatment scenario. Stated differently, after treating people and
helping them overcome their addiction via medications, counseling can then teach them how to make the necessary lifestyle changes that will help
them avoid relapse without medications.
A Basic But Essential Question: What is Alcoholism?
Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence and alcohol addiction, is a debilitating
disease that increasingly gets worse as it advances.
Alcoholism has been studied extensively and includes the following four identifiable symptoms.
- Loss of control: an inability to stop drinking after the first drink
- Tolerance: the need to drink greater amounts of alcohol in order to feel a “buzz” or to get “high.”
- Physical dependence: withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, headaches, nausea, perspiration, and “the
shakes” when abstaining from alcohol.
- Craving: having a strong urge or need to drink.
| Recent United States statistics reveal that 79% of fatal crashes occurring from midnight to 3:00am involve
alcohol. |
Treating Alcoholism: A General Overview
Similar to other diseases, alcoholism can be overcome with prevention, professional treatment, and increased research efforts. By providing
more people with access to effective alcoholism treatment, the costly drain on society and the physical, financial, and the psychological
hardships that alcoholism places on families can be significantly minimized.
In fact, research demonstrates especially strong evidence that successful
prevention and alcoholism treatment programs result in substantial reductions in HIV, cancer, traffic fatalities, child abuse, strokes, unwanted pregnancy, crime, and heart
disease. Furthermore, quality alcoholism and drug treatment improves a person's job performance, quality of life, and health
while at the same time minimizing drug abuse, family dysfunction, and dealings with the criminal justice system.
As critical and damaging as alcoholism is, fortunately it can be treated. Treating alcoholism typically consists of a
combination of counseling and doctor prescribed medications to help a person stop drinking. Even though most alcoholics need
professional help to recover from their addiction, research has demonstrated that with support and quality alcoholism treatment, many
individuals are able to quit drinking and reclaim their lives.
| Research studies about alcoholism and its effects reveals that chronic, excessive, and abusive drinking increases
the risk of developing certain types of cancer, especially cancer of the voice box, colon, throat, esophagus, the rectum, and of
the mouth. |
Treating Alcoholism: Withdrawal Symptoms
There is a wide variety of different techniques that are available for treating alcoholism withdrawal. While many of these
treatment methodologies use medications, more than a few, however, do not. Indeed, according to the current research literature, in
many instances, the safest way to treat mild withdrawal symptoms is without medications.
Such non-drug detoxification approaches use screening and extensive social support throughout the entire withdrawal
procedure. Other non-drug detoxification programs, moreover, use proper nutrition and vitamin therapy (especially thiamin) when
treating mild withdrawal symptoms.
| The coping mechanisms typically used by codependents are denial (I deny, change, or minimize how I truly feel),
low self-esteem (I value others' approval of my feelings, actions, and thinking over my own), compliance (I am afraid to express
my own opinions and feelings, especially if they are different), and control (I become resentful when others refuse my
help). |
Mild to Moderate Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
The following list represents mild to moderate alcohol withdrawal symptoms that usually take place within 6 to 48 hours after the
last alcoholic drink:
- Sweating (especially on the palms of the hands or on the face)
- Nausea
- Clammy skin
- Sleeping difficulties
- Rapid heart rate
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Pulsating headaches
- Tremor of the hands
- Abnormal movements
- Looking pale
- Enlarged or dilated pupils
- Involuntary movements of the eyelids
Severe Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
The following is a list of severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms that typically occur within 48 to 96 hours after the last alcoholic drink:
- Visual hallucinations
- Severe autonomic nervous system overactivity
- Delirium tremens (DTs)
- Fever
- Black outs
- Convulsions
- Seizures
- Muscle tremors
| Do you drink and drive, operate machinery or mix alcohol with over-the-counter or prescription medicine? Are
you pregnant or are trying to become pregnant and drink? Do you drink alcohol while you are in charge of the lives of small
children? Do you fail to inform your doctor that you are a regular drinker? If you answered “yes” to any of these
questions, you are taking risks with alcohol. |
Traditional Forms of Treating Alcoholism
There are a number of traditional alcohol treatment options that are relatively well established, widely available, and currently
used. The following alcoholism remedies and programs will be discussed: Detoxification, Behavioral Treatment,
Therapeutic Medications, Outpatient Alcoholism Treatment and Counseling, Residential Alcoholism Treatment Programs and Inpatient Alcohol
Rehab, and Family and Marital Counseling.
Detoxification. Alcohol detoxification is the process of letting the body naturally rid itself of the
alcohol that has been ingested while managing the withdrawal symptoms in safe surroundings. Alcohol detox treatment is usually done under
the guidance of a medical doctor and is often the first step used in an alcoholism treatment program. Due mainly to the relatively long
time-frame for the detox process, these therapeutic protocols are usually part of an inpatient alcohol rehabilitation program.
Behavioral Treatments, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Motivation Enhancement Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy, focus on changing the behavior of the alcoholic. Interestingly, a study that was conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol
Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) showed that each of these behavioral treatment approaches substantially reduced drinking in patients the year after
treatment. In spite of the fact that all three of these programs were considered "successful," none of them could be classified as "the
best" way of treating alcoholism by the NIAAA.
| Individuals with drinking problems or alcoholism at any time in their lives suffer income reductions ranging from
1.5% to 18.7% depending on age and sex compared with those with no such diagnosis. |
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Alcoholics Anonymous is a mutual support program for recovering alcoholics that has its
foundation on the 12-step recovery program that is needed in order to stay sober. Help and support are supplied via the many meetings that
convene on a regular basis. Is Alcoholics Anonymous the best approach for treating alcoholism? While Alcoholics Anonymous has
demonstrated that it is an effective therapeutic method, most practitioners outside of Alcoholics Anonymous, as well as many members within
Alcoholics Anonymous think that Alcoholics Anonymous is most effective when it is combined with other types of treatment such as medical care and
psychotherapy.
| During the second stage of alcoholism, physical symptoms such as stomach problems, blackouts, hangovers, and hand
tremors increase. Rather than focusing on their drinking as the cause of the many problems they face, alcoholics, during
this stage start to blame others and things external to themselves. |
Motivation Enhancement Therapy(MET) is a systematic therapeutic approach that is almost the total opposite of Alcoholics
Anonymous, therapeutically speaking, because it uses motivational strategies to trigger the client's own change responses. Some of the
main features that typify MET are the following:
- Receiving clear advice to make healthy changes
- Helping the client achieve self-efficacy or a sense of optimism
- Providing feedback regarding the personal risks or damage associated with the abuse
- Therapist empathy
- Emphasis on taking personal responsibility for positive change
- Providing the client with a number of alternative change options
| Alcoholics spend four times the amount of time in a hospital as non-drinkers, mostly from drinking-related
injuries. |
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). There are several types of cognitive behavior therapy. Most of them,
however, have the following key features:
- Homework is a central feature of CBT.
- CBT is a mutually shared effort between the therapist and the client.
- CBT is structured and directive.
- CBT usually has therapeutic sessions that are briefer and fewer in number than most other forms of therapy.
- In CBT, a solid therapeutic relationship is necessary but not the primary focal point for effective therapy.
- CBT is based on an educational model that views most emotions and behavioral reactions as learned responses. Thus, the therapeutic
goal in to help the client unlearn undesirable reactions and emotions and replace them with new and more positive ways of feeling and
reacting.
- CBT uses the Socratic Method that is based on the asking of questions for insight.
- CBT approaches are based on the cognitive model of emotional response. That is, if we change the way we think, we can act and feel
better, even if the situation doesn't change.
- CBT theory and techniques rely on the Inductive Method. This method has clients look at their thoughts as hypotheses (or suggested
explanations) that can be tested and questioned. If clients discover that their hypotheses are incorrect, they can then change their
thoughts and feelings to be more in line with reality.
- CBT is based on stoic philosophy. CBT does not tell clients how they should feel. Rather, this form of therapy focuses on
helping clients learn how to think more logically and effectively.
| As much as 50 percent of police work is spent addressing alcohol-related problems in our nation. This would mean
that the annual cost to law enforcement agencies is at least $7.5 billion dollars. |
Therapeutic Medications. A number of research scientists and practitioners strongly feel that chronic
alcoholics who cannot maintain their sobriety should receive drug therapy to manage and control their withdrawal symptoms. It is important to
emphasize, by the way that by using medications, individuals who are addicted to alcohol are less likely to experience possible brain damage
and/or seizures.
Recent alcoholism research demonstrates that the medications that are most likely to elicit effective results when
treating alcoholism withdrawal symptoms are the benzodiazepines. Examples include the longer-acting benzodiazepines such as Librium and
Valium and the shorter-acting benzodiazepines such as Serax and Ativan. Traditionally, medical practitioners have used a progressive
decrease in doses during the entire withdrawal process when using benzodiazepines. Moreover, due to the fact that the shorter-acting
benzodiazepines do not stay in the person's system for an excessive amount of time and due to the fact that they allow for measurable and
observable dose reductions, a number of alcoholism practitioners and researchers have asserted that intermediate to short half-life
benzodiazepines should be used for treating alcoholism withdrawal symptoms.
| Individuals with alcoholism and drug abusers are at increased risk for HIV/AIDS, as well as other infectious
diseases like hepatitis and tuberculosis. |
Another major component of alcoholism treatment with therapeutic drugs centers on the employment of particular medications such
as naltrexone (ReViaT) or disulfiram (Antabuse) that are administered by a healthcare practitioner in an attempt to help prevent the person
from returning to drinking after he or she experiences a relapse. Stated simply, this type of alcoholism treatment is based on doctor
prescribe medications that are used to treat a person's alcoholism dependency. For instance, antabuse is a medication given to
alcoholics that elicits negative effects such as vomiting, flushing nausea, and dizziness if the person consumes alcohol. Not
surprisingly, antabuse "works" basically because it is a such a powerful deterrent. Naltrexone (ReViaT), from an entirely different
therapeutic perspective, is effective because it targets the brain's reward center and reduces the craving the alcoholic has for
alcohol.
Outpatient Alcoholism Treatment and Counseling. There are different counseling approaches that teach
alcoholics how to become aware of the situational and emotional "hot buttons" that trigger their negative drinking behavior. Armed with
this information, alcoholics can then learn about different ways in which they can deal with their feelings in circumstances that are
alcohol-free. Not surprisingly, these types of alcoholism treatment are mainly offered on an outpatient basis.
| Continual use of alcohol can lead to erosive gastritis, which can limit the absorption of nutrients and vitamins
associated with several serious neurological and mental disorders, including brain damage, memory loss, loss of sexual
responsiveness, sleep disturbances and psychosis such as Wernike’s Encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome. |
Residential Alcohol Treatment Programs and Inpatient Alcohol Rehab. If the person's withdrawal symptoms
are excessive, if there's a need for alcohol AND drug abuse treatment, if outpatient and support-oriented programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous
are not effective, or if a person needs alcohol poisoning treatment, the individual probably needs to enroll into a alcoholism hospital or a
residential alcohol treatment facility and receive inpatient alcohol rehab. Such programs are earmarked for alcoholics and typically
include doctor-prescribed medications to help the person get through the detoxification process and the alcoholism withdrawal treatment protocol
in a safe manner.
| According to a 1995 national survey of fourth through sixth graders who read the Weekly Reader, 30 percent of
students reported that they received "a lot" of pressure from their classmates to drink beer. |
Family and Marital Counseling. Since the recovery process is so thoroughly associated to the support the
patient receives from his or her family, many alcoholism programs include family therapy and marital counseling as essential components in the
treatment process. Such therapeutic approaches, furthermore, also provide clients with essential community resources, such as legal
assistance, childcare courses, job training, parenting classes, and financial management classes.
Treating Alcoholism: Alternative Approaches
Although the findings in the research literature are not conclusive, there are some alternative treatment approaches for
alcoholism and alcohol abuse that are becoming more acceptable and more available. Examples include "Drumming out Drugs" (a form
of therapy that employs the use of drumming by patients), various vitamin and supplement approaches, and the naturalistic and holistic
approaches employed by Traditional Chinese Medicine, all of which have been proposed as "natural" ways of treating
alcoholism.
As promising as these alternative methodologies are, substantially more research, however, is needed to determine their
effectiveness as well as their long term alcohol treatment success rates.
| According to a 1995 Weekly Reader survey, more than half (54%) of fourth through sixth graders reported learning
about the dangers of illicit drugs at school, but fewer than a third (30%) learned about the dangers of drinking and smoking at
school. |
Treating Alcoholism: Conclusion
Given the fact that a cure for alcoholism has not been developed, it is encouraging to note that different alcoholism treatment
programs and approaches have been effectively used to help people recover from alcohol dependency. In a word, there is a lot of "good"
information available both online and offline about treating alcoholism.
When it comes to a topic that is so critically important in the lives of numerous individuals, people are certain to ask the
following question regarding treating alcoholism: "What is the best alcoholism treatment when a person's life in on the
line"? Like any chronic disease or illness, there are different degrees of success regarding alcoholism treatment. For example,
some individuals cannot refrain from drinking for any sustainable period of time, regardless of the type of treatment they receive. On
the other hand, some alcoholics, after treatment, abstain from drinking and remain sober. And still others, moreover, experience relatively
long periods of sobriety after receiving treatment, and then suffer a drinking relapse.
One point that needs to be emphasized, however, is the fact that all of these treatment outcomes are common with every known type
of alcoholism treatment. The key, therefore, is to find a treatment program that you believe in and one that "works" for you.
Simply put, the best method of treating alcoholism in the world amounts to little if you don't want to quit drinking and you don't follow the
treatment protocol.
Please Add Our Website To Your Favorite Bookmarks!
| An individual who abuses alcohol may may start drinking alone, gulp drinks or sneak drinks before social
occasions, or may start drinking the first thing in the morning. The abusive drinker may also exhibit alcohol-related
employment, legal, financial, and relationship problems. For those of you who do not have a "drinking problem," please
review these alcohol-related issues and ask yourself the following question: is abusive drinking worth facing the damaging
consequences of alcohol abuse? |
________________________________________________
|