Alcoholic Treatment
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Not unlike other diseases, chronic alcoholic
behavior can be overcome with quality alcoholic treatment, prevention, and increased research efforts.
In spite of the dangers associated with excessive and abusive alcoholic behavior, however, the good news is that alcoholic
treatment is available and effective.
The critical point in this conversation, nonetheless, is the following: in order for alcoholism treatment to be
successful, the alcoholic needs to want to stop drinking and start the recovery process.
A Basic But Significant Question: What is Alcoholism?
Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence and alcohol addiction, is a
disease that includes the following four symptoms.
- Craving: having a strong urge or need to drink.
- Loss of control: an inability to stop drinking after the first drink.
- Tolerance: the need to drink greater amounts of alcohol in order to get "high" or to get a "buzz."
- Physical dependence: withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, perspiration, headaches, "the shakes" and nausea when
refraining from alcohol.
Alcoholic Treatment: An Overview
Similar to other medical conditions, alcoholic behavior can be prevented and treated.
By providing more people with access to quality alcoholic treatment, however,
the costly drain on society and the physical, psychological, financial burdens this disease places on families can be significantly
minimized.
Indeed, researchers have uncovered
strong evidence that successful prevention and quality alcoholic treatment programs result in significant reductions in crime, child abuse,
unwanted pregnancy, HIV, traffic fatalities, heart disease, cancer, and strokes.
In addition, effective drug and alcohol treatment improves job performance, quality of life, and heath while at the same time
reducing drug use, family dysfunction, and involvement with the criminal justice system.
Alcoholic treatment programs usually employ a combination of medications and counseling to help an individual refrain from drinking. Even
though most alcoholics need professional help to recover from their disease, research has shown that with support and alcoholic treatment, many
people are able to abstain from drinking and reclaim their lives.
| In the earlier stages of alcohol addiction, the alcoholic had a choice whether he or she would take the first
drink. Once the alcoholic had the first drink, he or she usually lost all control and would then continue to drink.
In the last stage of alcoholism, however, alcoholics no longer have a choice: they must drink. |
Alcoholic Treatment: Withdrawal Symptoms
A number of various techniques exist for
treating alcoholic withdrawal symptoms. Even though many of these treatment approaches use medications, a number of alcoholic
therapies, however, do not. Indeed, according to recent research findings, the safest way to treat mild withdrawal symptoms is without
drugs.
Such non-drug detox approaches use screening and comprehensive social support throughout the entire withdrawal process.
Other non-drug detox approaches, moreover, use vitamin therapy (especially thiamin) and proper nutrition when treating mild withdrawal
symptoms.
| As far as the validity of blood alcohol tests is concerned, they are the most accurate method in use today for
testing a person's blood alcohol content. Blood alcohol tests have the following characteristics: they are the most
intrusive method for testing blood alcohol concentration (BAC); they are the most accurate method for testing a person's BAC;
they are the most expensive method to testing a person's BAC; and due mainly to their high cost and to their intrusiveness, blood
tests are the least common method for testing a person’s blood alcohol concentration level. |
Mild to Moderate Withdrawal Symptoms
The following represents mild to moderate
physical withdrawal symptoms that typically occur within 6 to 48 hours after the last alcoholic drink:
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Enlarged or dilated pupils
- Involuntary movements of the eyelids
- Nausea
- Rapid heart rate
- Clammy skin
- Pulsating headaches
- Sweating (especially on the palms of the hands or on the face)
- Sleeping difficulties
- Abnormal movements
- Looking pale
- Tremor of the hands
| More than 2 million Americans suffer from alcohol-related liver disease. Some drinkers, moreover, develop
alcoholic hepatitis (that is, an inflammation of the liver) as a result of long-term excessive drinking. |
Severe Withdrawal Symptoms
The following is a list of severe symptoms that usually occur within 48 to 96 hours after the last alcoholic drink:
- Visual hallucinations
- Severe autonomic nervous system overactivity
- Muscle tremors
- Delirium tremens (DTs)
- Fever
- Seizures
- Black outs
- Convulsions
| Research has demonstrated that American young people are over-represented in driving accidents involving
alcohol. For instance, in a recent year, people from the age of 16 to 24 were involved in 28% of all alcohol-related
driving accidents, even though they make up only 14% of the U.S. population. Young people are also over-represented in
drinking driver injuries and deaths. |
Traditional Forms of Alcoholic Treatment
There are a number of traditionally-based alcoholic treatment programs that are relatively well established and
available. The following alcoholic treatment programs, all of which are considered "traditional" therapies, will be discussed:
Detoxification, Behavioral Treatment, Therapeutic Medications, Outpatient Alcoholism Treatment and Counseling, Residential Alcoholism Treatment
Programs and Inpatient Alcohol Rehab, and Family and Marital Counseling.
| In the strictest sense of the word, people cannot buy alcoholic beverage licenses. Certainly there are many fees
associated with obtaining a liquor license, but the more accurate description for obtaining such a license focuses more on the
many requirements of the application process. |
Detoxification. Alcohol detoxification is a process that helps the body rid itself of alcohol while
managing the withdrawal symptoms in a harm-free atmosphere. Alcoholic detox treatment is usually done under the supervision of a
doctor and is frequently employed as the first step in an alcoholic treatment program. Due to the length of time needed, detoxification
programs are usually part of an inpatient alcoholic rehab program.
| In some situations, even social or moderate drinking can be hazardous. Examples include the following:
drinking during pregnancy, drinking when taking various medications, or drinking while driving. |
Behavioral Treatments such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivation Enhancement Therapy, and Alcoholics
Anonymous. Interestingly, a fairly recent study performed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism discovered that each of
these behavioral treatment approaches significantly reduced drinking in patients the year after treatment. Even though all of these
programs were considered "successful," however, none of them was classified as "the best" alcoholic treatment program.
| Research has demonstrated that individuals who start drinking at an early age, for instance at 13 years old or
younger, significantly increases the likelihood that they will experience alcohol-related problems later in life. |
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Alcoholics Anonymous is a mutual support program for recovering alcoholics that is
based on the 12-step recovery process that is used to stay sober. Help and support are provided by the regularly scheduled
meetings. Is Alcoholics Anonymous the best form of alcoholic treatment? While Alcoholics Anonymous is an effective therapeutic
approach, most practitioners outside of Alcoholics Anonymous, as well as many AA members, feel that Alcoholics Anonymous works best when combined
with other forms of treatment such as psychotherapy and medical care.
| A number of family-oriented interventions have been used to help prevent alcohol abuse and alcoholism. These
interventions include the following: family preservation programs, family services, family therapy, family skills training
programs, in-home family crisis services, and family education programs. |
Motivation Enhancement Therapy (MET) is a systematic therapeutic approach that is almost 180 degrees different from
Alcoholics Anonymous in that it uses motivational strategies to activate the client's own change processes. Some of important
characteristics of MET are the following:
- Emphasis on taking personal responsibility for positive change.
- Providing the client with a number of alternative change options.
- Providing feedback regarding the personal risks or damage associated with the abuse.
- Receiving clear advice to make healthy changes.
- Therapist empathy.
- Helping the client achieve self-efficacy or a sense of optimism.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). There are several forms of cognitive behavior therapy. Most of them,
however, have the following characteristics:
Therapeutic Medications. This treatment approach is based on the client taking doctor-prescribed
medications such as naltrexone (ReViaT) or disulfiram (Antabuse) in an effort to help prevent the person from returning to drinking after he or
she has consumed alcohol. In short, in this therapeutic approach, medical doctors prescribe drugs to treat alcohol dependency. For
instance, antabuse is a drug given to alcoholics that triggers unpleasant effects such as vomiting, nausea, dizziness, and flushing if alcohol is
ingested. Because it is a strong deterrent, it comes as no surprise that Antabuse is effective. Naltrexone (ReViaT), on the
other hand, targets the brain's reward circuits and is effective because it reduces the craving the alcoholic has for alcohol.
| Currently, approximately 14 million Americans, 1 in every 13 adults, abuse alcohol or are alcoholic. |
Outpatient Alcoholism Treatment and Counseling. There are various approaches to counseling that teach
alcoholics how to become aware of the psychological and situational "triggers" of their problem drinking. Armed with this information,
alcoholics can then learn about different ways in which they can cope with situations that do not include the use of alcohol. These types of
alcohol treatment methodologies, unlike detoxification programs, are usually offered on an outpatient basis.
| In the United States during 2004, 16,694 deaths occurred as a result of alcohol-related motor-vehicle
accidents. This amount was roughly 39% of all traffic fatalities. This amounts to one alcohol-related death every 31
minutes. |
Residential Alcohol Treatment Programs and Inpatient Alcohol Rehab. If an individual needs alcohol
poisoning treatment, if there's a need for alcohol AND drug abuse treatment, if the individual's withdrawal symptoms are excessive, of if
outpatient and support-oriented programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous are ineffective, the person typically needs to enroll into a hospital or a
residential alcohol treatment facility and receive inpatient alcoholic rehab treatment. Such programs are usually geared for alcoholic
inpatients and usually include doctor-prescribed drugs to help the alcoholic get through detoxification and alcoholic withdrawal treatment
process in a harm free manner.
Family and Marital Counseling. Due to the fact that the recovery process is so intimately associated
to the support the person receives from his or her family, numerous alcoholic addiction programs include marital and family counseling as
essential components in the treatment process. Such therapeutic approaches, moreover, may also provide alcoholics with essential community
resources such as legal assistance, childcare courses, financial management classes, job training, and parenting classes.
Alternative Alcoholic Treatment Therapies
Although the research findings are not definitive, some of the alternative treatment approaches for alcohol abuse and
alcoholism that are becoming more widely employed and available. The following therapies are seen as "natural" forms of alcohol
abuse treatment and include "Drumming out Drugs" (a form of therapy that employs the use of drumming by clients), the naturalistic and holistic
approaches used by Traditional Chinese Medicine, and various vitamin and supplement therapies. As promising as these alternative alcoholic
treatment approaches are, additional research is needed in order to establish their effectiveness and to evaluate whether they
provide long-term alcoholic treatment success.
| In many instances characterized by dysfunctional living conditions, the result is that the codependent person or
persons develop habitual self-defeating ways of coping in order to survive. If this vicious cycle is not broken, the
codependents eventually become out-of-touch with their own emotions. |
Alcoholic Treatment: Conclusion
In spite of the fact that a cure for
alcoholic dependency has not been discovered, a number of alcoholic treatment approaches however, have been developed that
help individuals recover from problem drinking. In short, there is a multitude of alcoholic treatment information that is
available, both online and offline.
Some individuals ask the following question regarding treating alcoholic behavior: "What is the most effective
type of alcoholic treatment?" Not unlike most medical conditions, there are different levels of success related to alcoholic
treatment.
For example, some alcoholics experience relatively long periods of sobriety after receiving treatment, and then experience a
drinking relapse. Other alcoholics, cannot abstain from drinking for any sustainable period of time, regardless of the form of treatment
they have received. And still other alcoholics, after treatment, refrain from drinking and remain
sober. Interestingly, ALL of these treatment outcomes take place with every known type of alcoholic treatment.
After all has been said and done, however, one thing remains certain: the longer an individual abstains from
drinking alcohol, the more likely he or she will be able to remain sober and possibly avoid further alcoholic treatment.
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| Each year in the United States, roughly 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage
drinking. This includes approximately 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle accidents. |
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