In this section, learn more about AUD, the professional treatment options available, and why different people may take different routes to recovery. Though at-risk and binge drinking can result in a range of adverse consequences, not all people who engage in these kinds of unhealthy alcohol use have alcohol use disorder. By classifying alcoholism as a chronic disease, it means that alcoholism is viewed as a progressive, long-lasting illness where there is no cure. No cure, however, does not mean there is no hope for long-term recovery. Like other chronic diseases, such as diabetes or heart disease, alcoholism and its symptoms can be successfully managed with proper treatment.
Medications
- Couples and family counseling incorporates spouses and other family members in the treatment process and can play an important role in repairing and improving family relationships.
- Just as some people with diabetes or asthma may have flare-ups of their disease, a return to drinking can be seen as a temporary setback to full recovery and not as a failure.
- And medications and behavioral therapies can help people with AUD reduce alcohol intake or abstain from alcohol altogether.
- If you drink more alcohol than that, consider cutting back or quitting.
Recovery from AUD is marked by stages of abstinence, withdrawal, repair, and growth. While the process may take several years, the outcome is a happier, healthier life where you have the freedom to fulfill your full potential. Since withdrawal symptoms tend to ebb and flow, you may be tempted to feel like you’re not making progress ― even though in reality, you’ve come a long way.
Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. He said that two days earlier the women had joined more than 100 other guests for free shots of Lao vodka offered by the hostel as a gesture of hospitality. He said no other guest reported any issue, adding that the women had then gone for a night out, returning in the early hours of the morning. Cortical thickening happened more slowly in some parts of the brains of people with AUD who also had high blood pressure or high cholesterol. The same was true for people with AUD who were current smokers.
Learning Objectives
Learn how to find higher quality, science-backed alcohol treatment to raise your changes for success. Many others substantially reduce their drinking and report fewer alcohol-related problems. People with alcohol use disorder (AUD) tend to have thinning in regions of their cortex; the wrinkled outer layer to the brain critical to so many higher order cognitive functions. The US study found those who quit drinking gain cortical thickness over time, faster in the first month and continuing over 7.3 months, solution based treatment and detox at which point thickness is comparable to those without AUD. In general, alcohol consumption is considered too much—or unhealthy—when it causes health or social problems.
Why do different people need different options?
It can be life-threatening, causing serious medical issues like seizures and hallucinations that require immediate medical care. Healthcare providers diagnose the condition by doing a physical examination to look for symptoms of conditions that alcohol use disorder may cause. Couples and family counseling incorporates spouses and other family members in the treatment process and can play an important role in repairing and improving family relationships.
A hallmark of the disorder is that the person continues to drink despite the problems that alcohol causes. There is no absolute number of drinks per day or quantity of alcohol that defines an alcohol use disorder, but above a certain level, the risks of drinking increase significantly. Contact your primary care provider, health insurance plan, local health department, or employee assistance program for information about specialty treatment.
Also not approved by the FDA, there is limited evidence that baclofen, a drug used to treat muscle spasticity, could help people quit alcohol use. A doctor or substance abuse expert may be able to help a person look at the consequences of drinking. If an individual is beginning to think about alcohol as a problem worth trying to solve, educational groups may provide support for weighing the pros and cons of drinking. For most people who have an alcohol use disorder, the first alcohol-related life problems usually appear in the mid-20s to early 40s.
In 2019, an estimated 14.5 million people in the United States had an AUD. What’s more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), excessive alcohol use leads to over 95,000 deaths in the U.S. every year. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, we are here to help.
Primary care professionals can offer medications for AUD along with brief counseling (see Core article on brief intervention). Addiction physicians, clinical psychologists, and other licensed therapists also provide outpatient care in solo or group practices (see Core article on referral). These and other flexible, convenient options such as telehealth professional services and online or in-person mutual support groups may reduce stigma and other barriers to recovery. Here, we briefly describe options available to help patients with AUD. A number of health conditions can often go hand in hand with AUD. Common mental health conditions that co-occur with AUD are depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma- and stress-related disorders, other substance use disorders, and sleep disorders.