You doctor also can refer you to a treatment center or experts who can help. Alcohol causes changes in your brain that make can alcoholism be cured it hard to quit. Trying to tough it out on your own can be like trying to cure appendicitis with cheerful thoughts.
- You doctor also can refer you to a treatment center or experts who can help.
- These medicines are designed to help manage a chronic disease, just as someone might take drugs to keep their asthma or diabetes in check.
- However, like other chronic diseases, addiction can be managed successfully.
- If you know someone who has first-hand knowledge of the program, it may help to ask about his or her personal experience.
- All approved medications are non-addictive and can be used alone or in combination with other forms of treatment.
- In more severe cases, people may also have seizures or hallucinations.
Although we can rebalance the brain’s neurotransmitters over time, the neural pathways that were created while engaging in addictive behavior (or, in this case, alcohol abuse) will always be there. Like with all drugs, long-term alcohol abuse creates changes in the brain’s biochemistry. Understanding the available treatment options—from behavioral therapies and medications to mutual-support groups—is the first step.
Alcoholics anonymous and other support groups
Treatment for alcoholism often involves a combination of therapy, medication, and support. If you think you might have an alcohol use disorder or if you are worried that your alcohol consumption has become problematic, it is important to talk to your doctor to discuss your treatment options. No matter how hopeless alcohol use disorder may seem, treatment can help.
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Professionals in the alcohol treatment field offer advice on what to consider when choosing a treatment program. Scientists are working to develop a larger menu of pharmaceutical treatments that could be tailored to individual needs. As more medications become available, people may be able to try multiple medications to find which they respond to best. It is important to remember that not all people will respond to medications, but for a subset of individuals, they can be an important tool in overcoming alcohol dependence. Some are surprised to learn that there are medications on the market approved to treat alcohol dependence. The newer types of these medications work by offsetting changes in the brain caused by AUD.
What Happens After Treatment?
In general, alcohol consumption is considered too much—or unhealthy—when it causes health or social problems. This broad category of alcohol consumption comprises a continuum of drinking habits including at-risk drinking, binge drinking, and AUD. For many people, alcohol seems inextricably linked with a social life. Friends gather for after-work drinks, spouses have cocktails together for “date nights” or some may just be in the habit of ending the day with a beer or a glass of wine—or two—or more. It can be hard to identify the lines between casual and occasional drinking and unhealthy alcohol use including alcohol use disorder.
In fact, there are a variety of treatment methods currently available, thanks to significant advances in the field over the past 60 years. Alcoholism is a disease that is absolutely treatable if the person is willing to seek the appropriate help available. Non-the-less, people do overcome their addictions to alcohol by learning how to manage their alcoholism through therapies, support groups, and treatment medication. The one that’s right for you depends on your situation and your goals. Many people find that a combination of treatments works best, and you can get them together through a program.