Alcohol addiction is a medical condition that is characterized by the inability to stop or control unhealthy alcohol consumption, in spite of adverse consequences. Regardless of knowing their alcohol use is problematic, and perhaps even facing negative consequences like problems at home or work because of it, an individual struggling with alcohol addiction is unable to stop drinking. So, what is the treatment for alcohol addiction?
Addiction is a complex disease and the risk of getting addicted to alcohol depends on how much, how often, and how quickly someone consumes alcohol. Other risk factors include genetics, a family history of alcoholism, childhood stress, and trauma as well as early onset of drinking.
What Is The Treatment for Alcohol Addiction
Although alcohol addiction can’t be cured, it can be managed and treated. To beat it, you can opt for one of several options. These are outlined below:
- Detoxification
This is the first step when dealing with a drinking problem. Detox isn’t a treatment method on its own. This is just a way to get you to stop drinking and give your body time to flush the alcohol and toxins from your system. This can take anywhere from a few days to a week and is best done under medical supervision where doctors can keep an eye on you and give you medication to ease your withdrawal symptoms. This includes medicines such as Benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants, and antipsychotics. You can go through inpatient or outpatient detox and the goal is to stabilize you enough to transition to a proper alcohol addiction treatment program.
- Rehabilitation
The next step after detox is going to rehab. This can either be inpatient or outpatient treatment. Both of these employ different alcohol addiction treatment programs to help clients beat addiction.
- Inpatient or residential rehab. This means that you’ll reside at the rehab. The advantage is that residential rehab gets you away from the negative environment that contributed to your drinking and helps you focus on recovery.
- Outpatient rehab. This is ideal for those with mild or moderate alcohol addiction. You attend treatment for a certain number of hours on certain days of the week so you can keep up with other responsibilities. There are different types of outpatient treatment programs including partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient treatment as well as standard outpatient treatment.
- Medication
Medication is also available to help people deal with alcohol addiction. This form of treatment is effective when combined with rehab and therapy treatment, not on its own. The most common medication used includes Acamprosate, Naltrexone, and Disulfiram.
Start Your Recovery Today
As one of the leading addiction treatment centers in Indiana and beyond, we at Evolve Indy are focused on providing evidence-based treatment programs to anyone who needs it. Don’t allow alcohol addiction to take over and ruin your life. With our help, you can conquer that addiction and get your life back. Contact us today and let us help you get started on living a sober life.