Alcoholism, sometimes referred to as alcohol use disorder, is a medical condition that results from frequent and heavy alcohol consumption. Here the patients continue to take alcohol despite the physical harm or emotional distress it causes.
However, a combination of behavioral therapy and medication offered at an alcohol addiction treatment center can help your loved one recover from the condition. There is no single laboratory test to diagnose alcoholism. The diagnosis process also involves continuous conversations with drug treatment professionals. This article looks at the ins and outs of alcohol addiction treatment.
Signs of Alcohol Use Disorder
A time you may have the intention to take just a little alcohol; however, you end up consuming even more, or you may have tried to cut down the amount of alcohol you take but can’t accomplish that. Also, you may have found yourself spending more time taking alcohol or even treating the aftereffects of taking alcohol.
Also, you may miss classes or jobs or lack time to take care of your family. When these conditions worsen to the extent that you start experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms, you should seek an alcohol addiction treatment before it’s too late.
Options and Types of Treatment Available
In choosing an alcohol addiction treatment option, there is no one size fits all treatment option. So a treatment option that works best for you may not work better for another patient. Some may fully recover by going through a 28 days inpatient treatment option, while to others, outpatient treatment options may just work best. The various types of treatments available are;
Behavioral Treatment
As the name suggests, behavioral treatment is just aimed at changing behavior. Here addiction treatment professionals use various methods, including counseling to help the patient drop the drinking behavior. The counseling is mainly aimed at helping the patient develop strong social support, develop skills to help the patient stop drinking, and set some goals to reach along the addiction treatment process.
Medical Assisted Treatment
Currently, only three types of medication are approved by the united states food and drug administration to treat addiction. However, several other medications are being tested to prove their effectiveness in treating alcohol dependency.
The approved medications include Acamprosate, which helps the patient to maintain abstinence, and Naltrexone which helps the patient to cut down their drinking habits. There is also Disulfiram which blocks the metabolism of alcohol in the patient’s body.
Mutual Support Groups
Mutual support groups are 12 steps programs that support peers trying to cut back or quit alcohol. When drug treatment professionals back mutual support groups, it becomes a compelling additional layer of support for alcohol addiction treatment.
Summary
There are various signs of alcohol use disorder that you should be worried about. A notable indication of alcoholism is when a patient tries to stop taking alcohol due to its harmful social and health effects but cannot resist the craving. However, if you or your loved one is drawn to alcoholism, various treatment options are available at a rehab center to help you overcome addiction.