That is why the recommended drinking limit for women is lower than for men. You may want to take a family member or friend along, if possible. Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. At Georgia Addiction Treatment Center, we understand that every person struggling with addiction is unique.
Can You Reverse the Damage Caused by Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease?
A “cure” for a disease is defined as a treatment that, once given, does not allow the disease to come back or affect a person anymore. However, cures do not exist for many chronic diseases, including addiction. Because addiction can affect so many aspects of a person’s life, treatment should address the needs of the whole person to be successful. Counselors may select from a menu of services that meet the specific medical, mental, social, occupational, family, and legal needs of their patients to help in their recovery.
Advice for Friends & Family Members
If you or someone you love is struggling with alcohol addiction, know that help is available. Treatment, whether it be inpatient or outpatient rehab, can help you take back your life and move towards a healthier, alcohol-free future. Intentionally staying involved with addiction recovery support, also known as aftercare, can help minimize relapse. Recovery support could include formal aftercare programs facilitated by professional addiction services, informal relationships built in the community, and much in between.
Can Alcohol Addiction Be Cured, or Is It a Lifelong Struggle?
- That means that every person’s path to recovery must be unique as well.
- For individuals with alcohol addiction, the first step toward recovery is often detoxification, or detox.
- Below is a list of some of the providers who are typically involved in alcohol treatment and the type of care they may offer.
However, it is important to remember that individuals with no factors can become addicted to alcohol, and individuals with all three factors can live a sober life. As there is no “cure” with addiction treatment, success in recovery from alcohol addiction is not usually measured by a complete absence of the desire to drink. Instead, successful alcohol recovery involves a complete rebuilding and reshaping of your life. It encompasses improved physical and mental health, mending relationships, and making positive, lasting lifestyle changes. However, the path of addiction recovery is heroin addiction also highly individual, and some people find achieving sobriety easier than others.
While many consider alcoholism, or any addiction for that matter, to simply be a lifestyle choice, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ researchers and addiction specialists classify alcoholism as a chronic brain disease. There is no set amount of time for a person to stick with an aftercare program. Rather than see relapse as a setback, it can be helpful to view it as an essential part of the recovery journey. Still, it can take five or more years before the risk of relapse drops below 15% — the level of risk that an average person has of developing a SUD in their lifetime. Many people with AUD have co-occurring disorders like PTSD, depression, or anxiety. In fact, a 2021 study in JAMA Psychiatry found that nearly 50% of people with AUD have at least one additional mental health diagnosis.
How Do I Avoid Substituting Addiction?
It’s important to note, however, that the most effective treatment for alcoholism will vary for each individual. A comprehensive rehab program with a medical detox component can help alcoholics get sober and stay that way. Many programs will help manage co-occurring disorders like alcoholic neuropathy, so the recovering patient can live a more comfortable and sober life. It is important to gauge whether the facility provides all the currently available, evidence-based methods or relies on one approach. You may want to learn if the program or provider offers medication and whether mental health issues are addressed together with alcohol treatment.
- The greatest effectiveness of alcohol addiction treatment is given by the development of an individual program.
- Stay close to family and friends while getting the support you need.
- If we maintain a commitment to do what is necessary to treat our condition, we essentially are cured.
- For most rehab centers, the focus will be on treating behaviors through counseling.
- In the United States, 17.6 million people — about one in every 12 adults — abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent.
Many others substantially reduce their drinking and report fewer alcohol-related problems. If you or someone you know is living with AUD, many treatment options are available. They may recommend detoxification, medication, relapse prevention training, or a combination of these approaches. Well, alcohol stimulates the production of certain chemicals in the brain, and these make us feel good. We drink a bit more and it eventually produces a sedative-like effect.
Coping and support
- Alcoholism affects over 17 million people in the United States, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.
- A qualified therapist will work with individuals on a one-to-one and group basis; teaching them how to change their alcohol-seeking behaviors.
- This will result in an assessment that will take in to consideration the individual’s age, as well as the person’s family and medical history.
- There is no pill you can take, no magic spell to clear your system and no surgery that will render you impervious to the effects of alcohol.
- We usually experience setbacks along the way, learn from them, and then keep going.
Unlike other medications, disulfiram does not treat symptoms or prevent cravings. Years of excessive drinking affect the appearance and function of the brain. This program involves daily medication, therapy, counseling, and group sessions.
Is Alcoholism a Treatable Disease?
It’s not like curing a cold, where it goes away and you never think about it again. Instead, it’s about learning how to live without alcohol and managing the cravings and triggers that may cause someone to drink again. Just like any other drug abuse case, can alcoholism be cured addiction recovery is an ongoing treatment process. After treatment, keep up with other aftercare programs to help avoid a relapse.
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Different medications may be used to reduce unpleasant withdrawal symptoms during alcohol detox. Living at a rehab program facility helps you escape the temptations and influences that lead to alcohol abuse in your regular life. When suffering from alcoholism, you’re unable to stop despite the social, occupational, and health effects that come with this chronic condition.
Many people with alcohol addiction can achieve long-term sobriety and maintain it with the right tools and support. In essence, alcohol addiction is manageable with proper treatment and lifestyle changes, but it’s not something that can be completely “cured” without the possibility of relapse. Alcohol addiction cannot be “cured” in the traditional sense, but it can be effectively managed.
During detox, you’ll be assisted in overcoming physical and psychological alcohol dependence. Find rehab for yourself or a loved one by speaking with a treatment provider. Sunnyside Med offers access to compounded naltrexone (50mg + B6 5mg), paired with behavioral tools to help you reduce your drinking over time. Addiction may be a chronic condition, but it doesn’t have to define you. With the right tools, support, and mindset, recovery can become your new normal—filled with clarity, connection, and freedom. The first step in any recovery journey is recognizing the problem.
