Alcohol addiction and abuse can be complex problems to solve. Many interventions have been tried over the years, but there has been no consistent success. Alcohol is so often socially acceptable that it is challenging to talk about giving up alcohol as a society, alone as an individual.
Thousands of people give up alcohol each year or curb their drinking with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous. These interventions attempt to bring about a change in society’s attitude regarding alcohol use. Still, they are only effective when individuals are ready to recover from their addiction.
Keep reading to learn of the six ways to curb alcohol addiction and abuse:
- Medication
The Food and Drug Administration has approved two types of medications for the treatment of alcoholism: disulfiram and naltrexone. These medications work by inhibiting the enzymes that metabolize alcohol. In doing this, a person who drinks while taking these medications is made very ill or sick. It makes drinking while on these medications difficult.
- Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is a popular treatment for alcohol addiction and abuse, even though the program itself does not give medical advice or participate in any form of therapy. The program requires members to be ready to make changes in their lives, making it successful with some who are not prepared to commit to medication or therapy.
- Therapy
Therapy is another popular treatment for alcohol addiction and abuse, though it can be difficult to find therapists specializing in treating alcoholism. Talk therapy with a therapist specializing in addictions has been shown to help some people curb their drinking habits when used with antidepressant medication.
- Rehab Centre
A rehab centre is a residential setting where alcoholics can detox, receive treatment for their addiction, and live in an environment free of alcohol. Since staying in rehab is expensive, many addicts return home after completing the program.
It’s often difficult for people who have returned home to avoid drinking again if they have not developed new ways of coping with life stressors. Rehab centers offer different types of therapy designed to help people deal with stress in healthy ways to have a better chance of living sober lives when they return home.
- Social Support
Most alcoholics who can quit drinking do so with the support of their family and friends. These social support groups play an important role so that when people experience cravings to drink, they have people in their lives who can help them with these urges.
- Personalized Treatment Plan
One of the problems with most treatments for alcoholism is that they are not tailored to each individual’s specific needs. Talk therapy and medication work well for some individuals, while Alcoholics Anonymous may be more effective for others. Some people respond well to a combination of treatments, but this is difficult to determine without personalized trials based on the individual’s needs.
Individuals must have access to all of these treatment methods to find what works best for them in helping curb their alcohol addiction and abuse. They can then transfer what they’ve learned through treatment into society, where they can help others who are struggling with the same addiction they once had.
