Which Alcoholism Treatment Is The Best?
Alcoholism treatment can be done in many different ways depending on what approach is used to view alcoholism. Most clinicians view it as a disease because it can last for several years, can be passed on through genes, and can lead to disability or death. For these people, alcohol addiction is treated differently than those who treat alcoholism as a social choice. However, regardless of these two opposing approaches, the goal of any alcoholism treatment is to stop the alcohol intake of the problem drinker.
One very popular alcoholism treatment is a combination of alcohol detoxification and psychosocial therapy. In this type of treatment, the detoxification process involves the sudden stoppage of alcohol intake at the same time, drinking certain medications that have the same effect as alcohol. During detoxification, the physical damage caused by excessive alcohol intake in the past is treated. However, if detoxification is not done in conjunction with group therapy, there is a big chance that the alcoholic will have a relapse. Psychotherapy sessions often dig up issues that may something to do with the need of the alcoholic to consume alcohol. This group counseling wa is the one practiced by national organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Rational Recovery and Smart Recovery. These organizations aim to achieve long-term sobriety for its clients.
Another alcoholism treatment is the use of certain medications as part of the recovery program of an alcoholic. Antabuse (disulfiram), in particular, is prescribed to an alcoholic to make him or her experience an extremely painful hangover whenever a significant amount of alcohol is consumed. Naltrexone, on the other hand, is prescribed to a problem drinker to stop him from feeling pleasure whenever he drinks alcoholic drinks. Since this is its effect, the alcoholic subsequently loses his desire for alcohol consumption. The use of the rationing and moderation approach is another alcoholism treatment that is available to alcoholics. In fact, some organizations like Moderation Management promote this instead of total alcohol abstinence.
Some alcoholics also choose less conventional alcoholism treatment programs like nutritional therapy, acupuncture and alcoholism phytotherapy. These less popular options are oftentimes used in conjunction with the more popular programs. Nutritional therapy, in particular, seeks to treat the physiological problems that have resulted after long-term alcohol use. Acupuncture, on the other hand, uses very thin needles that are inserted on some nerve points of the body through the skin to reduce alcohol cravings. Lastly, alcoholism phytotherapy is also practiced through the use of some herbs that have natural qualities that help curb appetite for alcohol. Aside from the adverse effects of alcoholism physically, it also has serious societal and economic implications. To address this, governments from various countries have implemented policies regulating alcohol use and availability. Also, the World Health Organization and European Union have already initiated action plans to address the alcoholism problem. Given this large-scale effect, it is imperative for any alcohol dependent to choose an alcoholism treatment that is most suitable for him in order to overcome his addiction.
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