| Medications
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| | Alcoholics Anonymous is the best-known
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| The classical use of medications for
| |
| | example of this movement. Various
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| alcoholism is to encourage abstinence.
| |
| | branches are available for family members
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| Antabuse (also known as disulfiram), for
| |
| | of the alcoholic or commonly referred to
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| instance, prevents the elimination of
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| | as the co-dependents. Other groups
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| chemicals which cause severe discomfort
| |
| | include LifeRing Secular Recovery and
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| when alcohol is ingested, effectively
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| | SMART Recovery.
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| preventing the alcoholic from drinking in
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| | Prevention
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| significant amounts while they take the
| |
| | Some programs attempt to help problem
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| medicine. Heavy drinking while on
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| | drinkers before they become dependents.
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| antabuse can result in severe illness and
| |
| | These programs focus on harm-reduction
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| death.
| |
| | and reducing alcohol intake as opposed to
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| Naltrexone has also been used because it
| |
| | cold-turkey approaches. One such program
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| helps curb cravings for alcohol while the
| |
| | is called Moderation Management.
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| person is on it. Both of these, however,
| |
| | Nutritional therapy
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| have been demonstrated to cause a rebound
| |
| | Another treatment program is based on
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| effect when the user stops taking them.
| |
| | nutritional therapy. Many alcohol
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| These do allow a person to overcome
| |
| | dependents have insulin resistance
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| psychological addictions to alcohol, but
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| | syndrome, a metabolic disorder where the
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| they do not treat the neurochemical
| |
| | body's difficulty in processing sugars
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| addiction.
| |
| | causes an unsteady supply to the blood
|
| In more recent studies it has been
| |
| | stream. While the disorder can be treated
|
| demonstrated that the use of naltrexone
| |
| | by a hypoglycemic diet, this can affect
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| while the alcoholic continues to drink
| |
| | behavior and emotions, side-effects often
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| can result in extinction of the
| |
| | seen among alcohol dependents in
|
| neurochemical addiction. Referred to as
| |
| | treatment. The metabolic aspects of such
|
| the "Sinclair Method", this technique is
| |
| | dependence are often overlooked,
|
| used with good results some US states and
| |
| | resulting in poor results.
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| in Finland but has failed to penetrate
| |
| | Return to normal drinking
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| much of the world because of the
| |
| | Although it has long been argued that
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| long-standing bias against any treatment
| |
| | alcoholic dependents cannot learn to
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| that doesn't involve detoxification and
| |
| | drink in moderation, research by the U.S.
|
| abstinence.
| |
| | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and
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| Rationing
| |
| | Alcoholism (NIAAA) indicates a small
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| Rationing or other attempts to control
| |
| | percentage of individuals in the US whose
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| use are increasingly ineffective as
| |
| | dependence began more than one year
|
| pathological attachment to the drug
| |
| | earlier are now drinking in moderation.
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| develops. Use often continues despite
| |
| | In contrast, a high percentage who
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| serious adverse health, personal, legal,
| |
| | undergo naltrexone use-reduction therapy
|
| work-related, and financial consequences.
| |
| | are capable of normal drinking habits.
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| Detoxification
| |
| | Use of Naltrexone involves taking the
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| Detoxification programs run by medical
| |
| | medication an hour before any drinking
|
| institutions often involve stays for a
| |
| | occurs in order to maintain this.
|
| number of weeks in specialized hospital
| |
| | Societal Impact
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| wards, where drugs may be used to avoid
| |
| | Today, alcohol abuse and alcohol
|
| withdrawal symptoms. In severe cases,
| |
| | dependence are major public health
|
| detoxification may lead to death. To that
| |
| | problems in North America, costing the
|
| point, even a simple "de-tox" can involve
| |
| | region's inhabitants, by some estimates,
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| seizures, if not properly monitored.
| |
| | as much as US$170 billion annually.
|
| Post Detox Therapy
| |
| | Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence
|
| After detoxification, various forms of
| |
| | sometimes cause death, particularly
|
| group therapy or psychotherapy are
| |
| | through liver, pancreatic, or kidney
|
| recommended to deal with underlying
| |
| | disease, internal bleeding, brain
|
| psychological issues leading to alcohol
| |
| | deterioration, alcohol poisoning, and
|
| dependence. It is also used to provide
| |
| | suicide. Heavy alcohol consumption by a
|
| the recovering addict with relapse
| |
| | pregnant mother can also lead to fetal
|
| prevention skills.
| |
| | alcohol syndrome, an incurable and
|
| Aversion therapies may be supported by
| |
| | damaging condition.
|
| drugs like Disulfiram, which causes a
| |
| | Additionally, alcohol abuse and alcohol
|
| strong and prompt sensitivity reaction
| |
| | dependence are major contributing factors
|
| whenever alcohol is consumed. Naltrexone
| |
| | for head injuries, motor vehicle
|
| or Acamprosate may improve compliance
| |
| | accidents, violence and assaults,
|
| with abstinence planning by treating the
| |
| | neurological, and other medical problems.
|
| physical aspects of cravings to drink.
| |
| | Alcohol addiction is a treatable disease.
|
| The standard pharmocopoeia of
| |
| | If you are an alcoholic or are a family
|
| antidepressants, anxiolytics, and other
| |
| | member of an alcoholic, contact your
|
| psychotropic drugs treat underlying mood
| |
| | physician for the most current treatments
|
| disorders, neuroses, and psychoses
| |
| | available.
|
| associated with alcoholic symptoms.
| |
| | This article is Copyright © 2006,
|
| Group Counseling
| |
| | Heather Colman. Permission is granted to
|
| In the mid-1930s, the mutual-help
| |
| | reprint this article as long as no
|
| group-counseling approach to treatment
| |
| | changes are made, and the entire resource
|
| began and has become very popular.
| |
| | box is included.
|
