Before we go into explaining whether there is a cure for alcoholism or not, it’s important to distinguish alcoholism from alcohol abuse and binge drinking.

Those who suffer from alcoholism have a high-tolerance for alcohol, meaning they need to consume more to get drunk.

Every so often, they have an over-powering urge to drink and when they do drink, they have difficulty in stopping. Lastly, when they do not have access to alcohol, they experience symptoms similar to those of withdrawal.

Alcoholism is not a lost cause. It can be treated with therapy and medication.

Medication used to treat alcoholism:

• Acamprosate:Acamprosate suppresses the cravings patients have for alcohol. It’s prescribed to patients that are likely to relapse.
• Disulfiram:This makes the patients feel nauseas when they consume alcohol so they begin to repel it.
• Naltrexone:This reduces cravings and lessens the ‘high’ patients experience when drinking alcohol.
• Injectable naltrexone:This has the same benefits as oral naltrexone but its effects last longer. It is given to patients once a month to ensure they don’t relapse.

Psychotherapies used for alcoholism

All patients struggling with alcoholism are advised to begin psychotherapy to address deeper issues that can be causing them to turn to alcohol.

Types of therapy can include:

• Personal therapy:These are one-to-one sessions between the patient and their therapist. The patient has the therapist’s full attention; they both work together to understand the patient’s addiction triggers.
• Family or couples’ therapy:Here, the therapist involves the patient’s loved ones in the sessions. The idea is to create a support system for the patient so addiction triggers can be reduced.
• Relapse prevention:The therapy seeks to identify addition triggers. Patients are given tools and taught skills to prevent them from succumbing to their triggers. These tools and skills should stop the patient from relapsing.
• Group therapy:This is a major part of the 12-step program. Group therapy seeks to help patients by pushing them to communicate their problems to others who are undergoing the same feelings as them.

Patients are less hesitant to open up in group therapy because they don’t feel judged for their actions; they speak more openly. Just being able to open up usually helps them find solutions to their problems.

With time, the members of the group begin to bond and provide moral support for each other.

At Orange County Recover we provide various behavioral therapies to identify the underlying causes of addiction which is essential for lasting sobriety. Our team of certified therapists, arm our clients with the tools and skills needed for full addiction recovery. We enroll our patients in a 90-day program which consists of building them up from the inside so they have a smoother recovery and a lower chance of relapse.

Call us at 887-450-1880 to find out more.