Overcoming Alcohol Addiction | How to Stop Drinking
Alcoholism, on the other hand. alcohol dependency is a severely addictive condition that can create significant stress for those affected as well as their surroundings. If you observe signs of alcoholism, you should consult your primary care physician. There are numerous therapeutic alternatives accessible.
What characterizes an alcohol addiction?
Alcoholism or alcohol dependency are medical names describing a disease characterized by the regular consumption of alcoholic or alcoholic beverages. One feature of this is that persons affected can no longer control or dosage their alcohol consumption on purpose. It is an addictive condition that manifests itself in numerous ways and has a variety of health implications. Those affected frequently do not recognize their addictive behavior, despite the fact that the urge for alcohol dominates their daily lives and their surroundings.
The following are diagnostically significant alcohol dependence symptoms:
- Craving or addiction pressure (permanent need for alcohol)
- Development of Tolerance
- Consumption that continues despite harmful physical, psychological, or social repercussions
- Control failure
- Physical withdrawal syndrome following a prolonged break in consumption
- Personal and professional interests are neglected.
- Organizing daily life around addiction
- Personal hygiene neglect till neglect
Diagnosis of alcohol addiction
The degree and length of dependency, any existing comorbidities, and lastly personal criteria such as age, gender, and psychological and social factors all influence alcohol addiction treatment. As a result, the doctor should question at the time of diagnosis whether there have been previous attempts to quit drinking and how they went. This provides useful information for developing an efficient weaning treatment.
Patients should ask the following diagnostic questions:
- Have you ever attempted to abstain from alcohol on your own?
- How long could you go without consuming alcohol?
- Have you ever considered if you drink for business or pleasure?
- Do you feel guilty or ashamed of your drinking habits?
- Have you ever tried alcohol withdrawal in a rehab facility?
- Did you experience withdrawal symptoms like sweating, shaking, rapid heartbeat, diarrhea, nausea, anxiousness, and/or decreased attention and thus discontinue withdrawal?
- What, in your perspective, failed the withdrawal attempt? Is there anything that has prevented you from implementing withdrawal measures or made them more difficult to implement?
Therapy of alcohol addiction
Once the unique criteria for alcohol withdrawal have been determined, the doctors, in collaboration with the patients, devise a therapy method that would provide the patients with the most assistance while remaining realistically practicable for them. In many situations, inpatient withdrawal treatment ("detoxification") in a specialist clinic or, less frequently, medically supported outpatient withdrawal treatment is recommended first.
The therapeutic intervention is divided into four stages in both cases:
- The contact and motivation phase begins with the withdrawal-willing being medically supported in their decision.
- This is followed by a detoxification phase, during which the actual withdrawal occurs, aided in part by medicine and under medical supervision.
- This is followed by a first psychotherapy phase in which patients progressively adjust to a life free of alcohol. Various psychotherapy strategies are employed to foster and support long-term behavioral and experiential transformation.
- As a last step, an aftercare phase should be implemented to aid in physical and, most importantly, psychological stabilization following withdrawal and to limit the probability of relapse.
The duration of alcohol detoxification is determined by individual characteristics, and physical withdrawal is usually accomplished within a few days. However, in the majority of situations, the treatment for a dependency disease is not yet complete.
Forms of alcohol withdrawal/detoxification
There is a contrast between "cold withdrawal," in which no chemical support is provided, and medically aided withdrawal, in which the doctor relieves withdrawal symptoms using medicine. Both versions are devoid of alcohol, which imposes a certain weight on the body. A withdrawal supported by drugs, which often carry the danger of addiction, should always be supervised by a specialist. These medications can only be used for a short time and not on the patient's own initiative. They offer antispasmodic, relaxing, or anxiety-relieving properties and are hence appropriate for lessening withdrawal symptoms.
Another approach to overcoming alcoholism is a gradual "fasting" outpatient withdrawal. Patients gradually minimize their drinking and keep a drinking diary. Doctors and addiction therapists watch and control the patients.
Addiction counselling and treatment centers, which are available in every large city, are frequently the first sensible points of contact for addiction disorders. They can assist with questions regarding a necessary withdrawal as well as the application for a weaning treatment.
Alcohol Rehabilitation
Following detoxification, it is frequently recommended to complete a weaning program ("long-term treatment"). The doctor and the person in question decide which type is preferable in each circumstance. The following are the benefits of inpatient weaning:
- the constant availability of medical and psychological treatment.
- the protected setting.
The protected setting, in particular, should make it simpler for patients to abstain from alcohol and acquire inner distance. So you can get away from the stresses of ordinary life for a bit and commit yourself totally to your own health. An inpatient alcohol withdrawal treatment lasts between 8 and 16 weeks. Various therapeutic fields can be mixed and used selectively:
- Individual and group psychotherapy
- Sports and physical activity treatment
- Art Therapy and Creative Expression
- Procedure for relaxation
- social work and medical assistance
For certain alcohol addicts, outpatient cessation treatment at an addiction counseling facility may be a more practical option, for example, if the vocational activity cannot be abandoned during therapy or if children must be cared for. An outpatient weaning treatment can extend for 1 to 2 years.
Last but not least, self-help groups can be quite beneficial in the fight against addiction. Here, folks affected share information and offer assistance to one another.
Following effective alcohol rehabilitation, doctors and/or psychotherapists should be consulted. Above all, the additional treatment or. Follow-up care at an addiction counseling center and regular visits to a self-help group are recommended to ensure long-term abstinence.
How often can treatments be performed?
The frequency of stationary alcohol detoxification treatment is not limited in any way. Following a renewed application, the responsible cost unit will assess the usefulness of additional weaning treatment. If you require repeat treatment here, the search advice center is the appropriate point of contact for the application.
Conclusion
To summarize, extremely good therapy choices are available for alcohol-dependent individuals in as soon as the person involved makes the decision to abstain. Inpatient and outpatient alcohol detoxification and cessation are both options. In addition to pharmacological support, numerous psychological therapy fields are provided to ensure long-term therapy success and protect newly achieved quality of life from relapses.
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