Alcoholism is one of the most devastating public health issues that affect individuals and their loved ones. The physical, emotional, and psychological damage from alcoholism can be powerful and help is needed to medically, mentally, and spiritually overcome the addiction to alcohol. Since alcoholism is seen as a public health issue, more approaches to successfully treat alcoholism have arisen. Here are some of the most successful treatments for alcoholism.
Self-Driven Rehab
After the patient detoxes, entering into some sort of rehabilitation center is seen as a conventional treatment for alcoholism. Inpatient or outpatient options are usually provided for patients. Probably the most popular form of rehabilitation is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). With AA, the patient accepts they are an alcoholic and makes a commitment to stay sober with the help and support of other members. Rehab is, in many ways, self-driven since no one forces the patient to be part of the rehabilitation process (unless there is a court order because the patient is a threat to public safety due to their alcoholism).
Direct Medicines
Several medicines have been developed or have been found to reduce the cravings of alcohol enough to supplement therapy sessions. Disulfram disrupts alcohol metabolism, making a drinker sick after they drink even a little alcohol. Naltroxene can reduce some cravings for alcohol while anti-seizure medications can help a patient who is detoxing from feeling anxiety. Again, it’s important to know that the motivation to drink is not disrupted by medications. Instead, these medicines help to supplement therapy in overcoming alcoholism.
Filling Known Voids
If the reasons for why a person drinks are clear, it is necessary to cut off what drives the cravings for alcoholism. Alcoholics tend to have their cravings satisfied if certain friends, activities, and emotional associations are attached to drinking. Although it may be hard, it’s very important and often successful to have that person disconnect from those friends and try to fill their lives with other activities and interests. Again, this can be a supplement to therapy.
Holistic Approach
Holistic approaches try to use multiple emotional and medical techniques to control a person’s alcoholism. Many holistic centers will treat the physical dependence on alcohol as well as the underlying psychological and emotional issues. One-on-one therapy sessions and group therapy sessions try to bring out what caused the person to turn to and become dependent on alcohol to meet emotional and psychological needs. Often the centers will focus on the person’s personal and spiritual needs and cater the therapies around such wants, and some will even design their plans to assist specific sexes, such as alcohol rehab centers for women. Along with the necessary medical needs of a patient, therapies like acupuncture, diet plans, exercise routines, life skills training, family counseling, and relapse prevention coaching are provided at holistic centers.
Overcoming alcoholism might seem like an uphill battle, but there are strategies to help a patient fight their urges, control medical dependencies, and find the underlying reasons why drinking was sought in the first place.
The post The Most Successful Treatments for Alcoholism appeared first on .