Alcohol Abuse Treatment

Joke: How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb; one but it has to want to change. The most important factor in ALCOHOL ABUSE TREATMENT is that the person must want to change. Without this commitment, no therapy available will be effective.

There are several effective Alcohol Abuse Treatments:

• Psychotherapy and behaviour therapy: here the reason for seeking alcohol is looked for and other methods of coping are suggested and tried.
• Medication: sedatives like Valium can be given to prevent alcohol withdrawal symptoms while the individual weens themselves from drinking. Drugs like Antabuse are used to make drinking unpleasant by changing the break down of alcohol leading to nausea and vomiting on taking alcohol - this helps to associate drinking with negative rather than pleasant feelings.
• Support groups: Alcoholics Anonymous is the most popular of these and was formed in 1935 by a stockbroker and surgeon, both reformed alcoholics, to help others with this problem. It is a voluntary body of affected members who support each other in kicking this bad habit.

Total abstinence from alcohol is the best course after treatment as any drinking after therapy is associated with a high risk of relapse.

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