How to Treat Alcoholism?

Again, you are boozing up. Something is really attracting you like a strong magnet. Is it the bottle of alcohol? Are you not able to concentrate? Feeling more and more addicted? Well, all such situations are common for a boozer. They are habitual of partying hard and boozing up. Their alcohol intoxication levels are extremely high, which ultimately leads them to alcoholism. The biggest factor that doesn’t let an alcoholic stay in peace is the mental sickness. It is something that keeps on buzzing them to consume more and more alcohol. Well, if you are suffering from all such problems then don’t worry. You still have several ways to treat alcoholism.

Signs of Alcoholism (Alcohol Dependence):

If we talk about the term alcoholism, then it simply signifies the dependency on alcohol. You may even find the situations of addiction at a certain level of intoxication. This includes:

• Inability to control oneself.
• Significant hangovers.
• Drinking alone.
• Bad diet.
• Continuing to drink in any problem.
• Making lame excuses to drink alcohol.
• Reduced attention to personal and professional life.
• Unsuccessful efforts to decrease the consumption.
• Complete dependency on an alcohol.

Ways to Treat Alcoholism:

Well, before we discuss several ways to treat alcoholism. First, we need to focus on bringing the personal changes in oneself. It plays a major role in treating alcoholism. It is believed that the alcoholics have their own mental state, which is very difficult to change. But once they put their own efforts, then they can treat alcoholism easily. Here are some of the ways to treat alcoholism:

1.) Bringing the Behavioral Changes:

• Alcoholics need the motivation in their life.
• They need to bring the changes in their mental state.
• The urge of drinking comes from the thoughts in our mind.
• It depends on the way we frame our mental level.
• So, to treat this problem, we need to change the attitude of a boozer.
• We must give the mental support to alcoholics.
• This process includes motivation and personal attention given to alcoholics.
• Behavioral changes may only come in an individual if he/she is mentally stable.

2.) Detoxification to Treat Alcoholism:

• This stage is very difficult for a boozer.
• It involves strict discipline to follow the routine.
• They are first treated with the alcohol withdrawal medications mainly with benzodiazepines.
• In detoxification, medication is first measured.
• It gradually becomes narrower until the withdrawal symptoms are clearly revealed.
• Though, this process took a few weeks, but it is a great way to treat alcoholism.

3.) Rehabilitation to Treat Alcoholism:

• It is a short or long term program that helps in preventing the alcoholic to drink.
• Firstly, their tolerance level is put into the consideration.
• It is basically a residential program where they use the methods to prevent relapsing.
• The recovery support system includes the act of abstaining.
• This program can be short term for less than four weeks.
• It may be long term as well, as it can last for a month or a year.
• It simply depends on the keenness of the alcoholic that how much time they took to treat alcoholism.
• This program even includes therapy, training, and education.
• It helps in surrounding an alcoholic to the sober living environment.
• They are first treated by building a mental support system for them.

4.) Medications to Treat Alcoholism:

• Three medications are recommended in the United States to treat alcoholism.
• It includes Naltrexone that is useful in treating a heavy drinker.
• Acamprosate that helps in abstaining.
• Disulfiram that builds the disruption in the metabolism of the body.
• Disulfiram even causes the breakdown in the body. It builds the unlikable symptoms like nausea, changes in the color of the skin etc.
• All this affects the boozer not to consume alcohol.

Note: It is highly recommended to consult a primary care physician and health adviser before consuming these medicines.

5.) Becoming a Part of Mutual Support Groups:

• They are various mutual support groups that provide support to the people.
• It aids in quitting the alcohol with the help of combined treatment conducted by the health professionals.
• The mutual support group plays the key role in treating alcoholism.
• Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) and other 12-step programs are helpful in treating alcoholism.

6.) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy:

• This therapy major focus on finding out the cues that turn a person into an alcoholic.
• It contributes in changing the thinking process of an individual.
• The basic aim is to identify the feelings of an individual that made them an alcoholic.
• The therapist basically provides the ways to cope up with difficult problems of life.
• They tell the reasons of the trigger in the mental state of a person.
• They tell the several solutions to the problems of an alcoholic.
• They help in building the power to handle the difficult situations.
• It is one of the best ways to treat alcoholism by providing the moral support to the boozers.

7.) Counselling to Treat Alcoholism:

• More than an individual counselling, family and marital counselling works better.
• It constructs a strong support for a boozer.
• The family environment can trigger the mental state of a boozer if it is not stable.
• If the family environment is not peaceful, then it creates more urgency in the alcoholic to consume alcohol.
• To abstain, it is important to build a strong relationship and peaceful environment at home.
• It is something that creates a large impact on the person.
• It even builds the mental stability and higher confidence in a boozer.

8.) Motivational Enhancement:

• Lack of confidence and inability to focus leads to various types of problems.
• Motivation plays a key role in framing the behavior.
• There are various motivational enhancement therapies that treat alcoholism.
• It focuses on finding out the pros and cons that cause alcoholism.
• It includes framing the plans that can bring changes in the drinking habit of an individual.
• The therapists focus on building the habits in the alcoholics, which can keep them stick to the plan.
• This therapy helps in bringing a huge change in the habit of drinking.
• It is one of the best ways to treat alcoholism.

9.) Brief Interventions to Treat Alcoholism:

• It is basically a small group counselling sessions or one-on-one interactions.
• It focuses on the drinking pattern of an individual.
• The counselor provides the details about the drinking habits of a boozer
• They even tell the potential risks involved in consuming alcohol.
• After getting the personalized feedback from the client, the counselor focuses on providing different ways to treat alcoholism.
• They basically concentrate on finding out the plans, according to the situations of an individual.

10.) Visiting a Primary Care Doctor:

Who can treat alcoholism better than a primary care doctor? They will give you the better treatment by diagnosing your problem. He will first focus on the drinking pattern of an individual. He will also tell the proper solution according to the problem. So, consult a primary care doctor before treating alcoholism.

No problem is permanent in this world. Anything has a treatment if you have the willpower. The same concept applies to the problem of alcohol dependence ie alcoholism. But, it is easy to treat alcoholism by opting the following ways to cure this problem.