An Alcoholic: How To Treat Alcoholism

When you can’t control yourself from drinking alcohol, it results in alcoholism which is also known as alcohol use disorder(AUD). You also have trouble with your emotions while drinking. Although it is treatable, some people think that they can overcome it with their willpower instead of visiting the doctor. 

Additionally, since alcoholism is considered a brain disease, it is always better to seek help from a rehabilitation centre. It is essential to know how to treat alcoholism and not try to treat it on your own. 

Learn more about how to treat alcoholism symptoms, causes, and treatments below.

Symptoms

Some signs and symptoms of alcoholism include:

• A desire to stop drinking but unable to do so.
• Drinking in dangerous situations again and again.
• You are giving up on your daily life commitments due to alcohol.
• Craving and healthy urges to drink.
• Alcohol tolerance increases, and you keep on increasing it to reach a certain level of intoxication you desire.
• Some physical symptoms, such as nausea, tremors, or seizures seen when you stop drinking.

Causes

The causes of alcoholism are still unknown, but many factors involve in developing this type of brain disease. It is influenced by multiple factors, including genetic and environmental changes. Depression also links to AUD, and early childhood trauma is another factor that can increase the chances of developing alcoholism. Children who are brought up with alcoholic parents are more prone to develop this habit later because of easy access to alcohol and less parental supervision.

Diagnosis

Not every person who drinks alcohol has AUD. People with AUD usually binge on drinking alcohol increasing slowly and gradually. Some diagnoses help the doctors evaluate if the patient has alcoholism or is just an everyday alcohol abuser. If 2 of the symptoms mentioned below are diagnosed in a patient within 12 months, they may have AUD.

Here are some of the diagnosis:

• Cravings for alcohol.
• Drinking more alcohol than initially planned to drink.
• Not able to play the roles you usually do in your life. For example: going to school or work.
• Physical withdrawal when you can not drink alcohol.
• Not doing things you previously enjoyed doing.
• Increasing the amount of alcohol to satisfy yourself.
• Not able to stop yourself from drinking alcohol.
• Using alcohol in cases where you know, it might affect your loved ones or your mental health.
• Use of alcohol in dangerous situations.

Treatment

Alcohol treatment depends on the patient’s situation and goals. Only one type of therapy might not work for some people, and usually, many people go for multiple treatments at one time to get rid of it. Many people go through treatments at home or visit a rehabilitation centre to get themselves treated.

Some of the treatments are listed below:

Detox

Detox is the best method to take up if you are a severe alcohol user. Fortunately,  most patients go to rehabilitation centres for this treatment. The primary purpose is to cleanse your body from all kinds of alcohol by stopping the patients from consuming it. It is a slow process and might take some days or weeks. Some symptoms are experienced during detoxes, like seizures, tremors, and hallucinations.

Medications

No medicine can cure alcoholism, but it will help you in recovery. However, pharmaceutical drugs can make drinking less enjoyable for you, and you might even suffer from vomiting and feel fewer cravings for alcohol. Sometimes doctors suggest medicines for epilepsy, smoking, and pain in alcoholism. Make sure that you talk to your doctor about the type of medications you want. The Hader Clinic is equipped to help patients through all stages of alcohol addiction treatment.

Group Therapy

Joining in group therapy will help you in getting the support that you need. These groups are run by therapists who will support you, and also you will get support from the group members who also faced similar problems. You can also join a support group that is led by people who themselves met alcoholism. They share their changed lifestyle to encourage and motivate you to leave this habit.

Conclusion

Conclusively, recovery from alcoholism can take a long time, and people often face a relapse and start drinking again. After finding the right treatment, do not forget to seek help whenever necessary. Aftercare is an important aspect to avoid this habit. Although alcoholism is chronic, people have successfully recovered from it and are now leading a healthy lifestyle with their families. If you find yourself getting trapped in this disease, do not forget that help is available, and you can seek help today.