Author: Alex Thompson

Common myths and misconceptions about alcohol use

Hosted by Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares strategies for coping with alcohol cravings and other addictions, featuring addiction specialist John Umhau, MD. This is an example of a mental obsession – a thought process over which you have no control. Jones, R., and Helrich, A. Treatment of alcoholism by physicians.

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You might not recognize how much you drink or how many problems in your life are related to alcohol use. Listen to relatives, friends or co-workers when they ask you to examine your drinking habits or to seek help. Consider talking with someone who has had a problem with drinking but has stopped. Undergoing treatment for AUD can be challenging, and there’s always a risk of relapse.

  1. It is difficult to over-emphasize the powerful influence of AA and its disease theory on the alcoholism field.
  2. Symptoms from alcohol withdrawal can become very uncomfortable or painful.
  3. In fact, alcohol can make sleep worse and menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats more pronounced.
  4. In this disorder, people can’t stop drinking, even when drinking affects their health, puts their safety at risk and damages their personal relationships.

Someone with an alcohol addiction who has remained sober for months or years may find themselves drinking again. They may binge drink once or drink for a period of time before getting sober again. It’s important that the person get back on track and resume treatment. Regardless of the type of support system, it’s helpful to get involved in at least one when getting sober. Sober communities can help someone struggling with alcohol addiction deal with the challenges of sobriety in day-to-day life.

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Sober communities can also share relatable experiences and offer new, healthy friendships. And these communities make the person with an alcohol addiction accountable and provide a place to turn to if there is a relapse. This explains why individuals who chronically abuse drugs or alcohol begin to appear lethargic, unmotivated and depressed, and report a lack of pleasure in things that were once pleasurable. To counter this, they increase their substance use in an attempt to feel the same pleasure they used to.

AUD, once known as alcoholism, is a medical diagnosis and mental health condition. Research from 2019 suggests social support as well as building self-efficacy and a sense of meaning can help reduce rates of AUD recurrence, and mental health care often fills this role. In many cases, AUD increases the chances of having a co-occurring mental health condition.

The role of mental health in treating AUD

Not only does AUD affect the health of the person with the disease, but it also impacts the lives of those around them. Medications, behavioral therapies, and social support groups are among the strategies to combat this disorder. Under the direction of licensed therapists or counselors, behavioral therapies involve psychological strategies to modify drinking behaviors. The therapy goals are to develop the skills needed to manage your habits, build social support, set and work toward realistic goals, and deal with or avoid things that trigger drinking. “Alcoholism” and “alcohol abuse” are terms people use when referring to alcohol use disorder (AUD), a widespread issue in the United States.

Is there a cure for alcohol use disorder?

Analysis of a survey conducted by the official organ of Alcoholics Anonymous, Q J Stud Alco, 7, 1-88. We may try to explain why people drink too much by saying that they are alcoholic. It’s useless as saying that a person is alcoholic because the person drinks too much. Solving that problem became the top priority of the treatment industry.

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It affects 12.1% of males 12 and older and 9.1% of females in the same age group. With continued use of alcohol or drugs, nerve cells in the basal ganglia “scale back” their sensitivity to dopamine, reducing alcohol’s ability to produce the same “high” it once produced. This is how one builds a tolerance to alcohol, which causes people to consume larger amounts to feel the same euphoria they once did.

How do I take care of myself?

More importantly, this is why treatment depends on the type of drug and the individual characteristics of the patient. When healthcare providers screen for AUD, they look at drinking behavior patterns within the last year to determine a diagnosis. They use 11 criteria established by the DSM-5 to assess alcohol use severity. There are effective ways to treat this disease and steps you can take to help a loved one enter recovery.