Alcohol Misconceptions: Can Alcoholism be Cured?

Others may want one-on-one therapy for a longer time to deal with issues like anxiety or depression. Alcohol use can have a big effect on the people close to you, so couples or family therapy can help, too. The Healthline FindCare tool can provide options in your area if you need help finding a mental health specialist. If you do feel the urge to relapse, reach out to your therapist, sponsor or sober mentor (if applicable), a friend, or a family member.

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. Your treatment setting will depend on your stage of recovery and the severity of your illness. You may need inpatient medical addiction as a brain disease revised (hospital), residential rehabilitation (rehab), outpatient intensive therapy or outpatient maintenance. Alcohol use disorder is a medical condition involving frequent or heavy alcohol use. People with alcohol use disorder can’t stop drinking, even when it causes problems, emotional distress or physical harm to themselves or others.

During the detox period is when many people experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Since some alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be life-threatening, it’s important to speak with your healthcare provider before you stop drinking. Long-term, heavy alcohol abusers may do best by detoxing under medical supervision. In fact, while in recovery, an alcoholic’s brain will create new neural pathways to help them experience pleasure from activities other than drinking. But, just like with any chronic disease, a lack of symptoms does not mean the disease is cured.

It is a “growth factor,” meaning it stimulates cells to multiply. It may help improve function of brain cells that synthesize dopamine, effectively resetting the whole system and reducing the urge to drink. Some people just need a short, focused counseling session.

A strong support system is helpful for making a complete recovery. The one that’s right for you depends on your situation and your goals. Many people find that a combination of treatments works best, and you can get them together through a program. Some of these are inpatient or residential programs, where you stay at a treatment center for a while. Others are outpatient programs, where you live at home and go to the center for treatment. Someone with an alcohol addiction who has remained sober for months or years may find themselves drinking again.

What Are the Treatments for Alcohol Use Disorder?

Typically, a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder doesn’t require any other type of diagnostic test. There’s a chance your doctor may order blood work to check your liver function if you show signs or symptoms of liver disease. Recovery can take a long time, so you may need ongoing treatment. Instead, these are groups of people who have alcohol use disorder. Examples include Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, and other programs. Your peers can offer understanding and advice and help keep you accountable.

1. There’s no shame in having the urge to relapse, but telling someone sooner rather than later will allow them to get you the help you need.
2. Once you’re well enough to leave, you’ll need to continue to receive treatment on an outpatient basis.
3. Robert Swift, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry and human behavior, Brown University Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI.
4. Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition.
5. Your doctor or healthcare provider can diagnose alcohol use disorder.
6. For serious alcohol use disorder, you may need a stay at a residential treatment facility.

But more animal studies, and human clinical trials, would be needed before this therapy could be used in humans with alcohol use disorder. This invasive treatment involves brain surgery, which has risks, so it would likely be reserved for those with the most severe, dangerous drinking habits. Your doctor or healthcare provider can diagnose alcohol use disorder. They’ll do a physical exam and ask you questions about your drinking habits. Your outlook will depend on your ability to stop drinking. Many people who seek treatment are able to overcome the addiction.

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Your liver is responsible for removing toxins from your blood. When you drink too much, your liver has a harder time filtering the alcohol and other toxins from your bloodstream. Some people may drink alcohol to the point that it causes problems, but they’re not physically dependent on alcohol. People with alcohol use disorder will continue to drink even when drinking causes negative consequences, like losing a job or destroying relationships with people they love.

This could push them away and make them more resistant to your help. In an alcoholic, the brain’s pleasure centers, as well as neurotransmitters that affect brain stimulation, are essentially out of whack. Like with all drugs, long-term alcohol abuse creates changes in the brain’s biochemistry. This is a topic that continues to be of great debate in our society. While many consider alcoholism, or any addiction for that matter, to simply be a lifestyle choice, researchers and addiction specialists classify alcoholism as a chronic brain disease. If you drink more alcohol than that, consider cutting back or quitting.

Is alcohol use disorder a disease?

Alcohol use disorder is what doctors call it when you can’t control how much you drink and have trouble with your emotions when you’re not drinking. Some people may think the only way to deal with it is with willpower, as if it’s a problem they have to work through all on their own. When is it common in society, it can be hard to tell the difference between someone who likes to have a few drinks now and then and someone with a real problem. After completing treatment, the thought of relapsing can be scary.

Gene Therapy Offers New Way to Fight Alcohol Use Disorder

Talk to your healthcare provider about proven strategies. Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. See your doctor if you begin to engage in behaviors that are signs of alcohol use disorder or if you think that you may have a problem with alcohol.

Alcohol Addiction

However, just because the symptoms go away, we are not cured. If we were to lose our spiritual fitness by letting up on our recovery program, we are likely to relapse. If we relapse, all the symptoms that had been removed from us will come back, often much worse and more intense than before. Diagnosis is based on a conversation with your healthcare provider. The diagnosis is made when drinking interferes with your life or affects your health. It’s also called alcohol dependence, alcohol addiction or alcohol abuse.

Being aware of these triggers and knowing what triggers activate you or your loved one may help prevent relapse. Alcoholics Anonymous is available almost everywhere and provides a place to openly and non-judgmentally discuss alcohol problems with others who have alcohol use disorder. The sooner you recognize there may be a problem and talk to your healthcare provider, the better your recovery chances. “I think it’d be appropriate for individuals where other treatment modalities just weren’t effective, and they’re worried for their lives,” Grant said. At the first taste of alcohol, your body releases the feel-good brain chemical dopamine. But if you drink too much for too long, your brain reduces dopamine production, and you want even more alcohol to feel good again.

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 3 ways to report illegal drug activity life. 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.

It’s important to note that alcoholism is a real disease. It can cause changes to the brain and neurochemistry, so a person with an alcohol addiction may not be able to control their actions. When you or your loved one completes an inpatient or outpatient alcohol treatment program, this is a time for celebration. It’s a disease of brain function and requires medical and psychological treatments to control it. The need for new alcohol use disorder treatments may be more dire than ever.