Also known as „alcohol counseling,“ behavioral treatments involve working with a health care provider to identify and help change the behaviors that lead to alcohol problems. When asked how alcohol problems are treated, people commonly think of 12-step programs or 28-day inpatient treatment centers but may have difficulty naming other options. In fact, there are many treatment options available thanks to significant advances in medical and behavioral research over the past decades.
NIAAA Labs
In fact, fear of withdrawal may be one of the foremost concerns you may have to help address in order to get them to accept help. Understanding withdrawal, how long it will last, and the best ways to get treatment can help you address this fear with your loved one. The three-step road map outlined in the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator offers expert guidance to focus and support your efforts. Learn how to find higher quality, science-backed alcohol treatment to raise your changes for success. If you have insurance coverage or other means to cover the costs, you can build your own care team. The Navigator can help you find therapists and doctors with addiction specialties to team with your primary care provider.
Support & Treatment
Also, be sure to look for the other types of treatment providers—therapists with addiction specialties and alcohol treatment programs. Before you do anything, it’s important to know whether your friend or loved one has an alcohol addiction. Alcohol use disorder, or alcoholism, is more than just drinking too much from time to time. Sometimes alcohol as coping mechanism or social habit may look like alcoholism, but it’s not the same. People https://ecosoberhouse.com/ with alcohol use disorder don’t drink in moderation, even if they say they’re only having one drink. To learn more, read about alcoholism and its symptoms.
Setbacks Are Part of the Process
See 10 recommended questions to ask therapists in Step 2. They will help you learn whether a therapist offers higher-quality care and is how to treat alcoholism a good fit for your situation. The Navigator can help you and your patients or clients to find quality telehealth alcohol treatment by healthcare professionals.
- These two options can be used in combination and tailored to individual needs.
- For more information about treatment options, see NIAAA’s Treatment for Alcohol Problems booklet.
- While it’s up to the person to willingly start their sobriety journey, you can also help.
- The above mentioned scenarios are referred to as triggers—the people, places, situations, and things that can increase an individual’s risk of relapse.
- Your teen should understand that drinking alcohol comes with specific consequences.
- History and current activities; sharing from groups, service committees, and individual A.A.
- Overcoming AUD is an ongoing process—one that can include setbacks.
- We share both what questions to ask and how to listen for quality in the answers.
- Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and what may work for one person may not be a good fit for someone else.
- Your loved one’s primary care doctor or GP can evaluate their drinking patterns, assess their overall health and any co-occurring disorders, and provide treatment referrals.
- Suggest social activities that don’t involve drinking.
Due to the risk of severe or complicated alcohol withdrawal in some individuals, it may be necessary for those seeking recovery to be evaluated by a mental health professional. Next, they may need to be closely monitored by a team of medical professionals at a medical detox and alcohol withdrawal management program. Today there are more options available for treating alcohol use disorder (AUD) than ever before.