This blog post will delve into the nature of alcohol addiction, discuss whether it can be cured, and explore the best treatment strategies for those seeking recovery. Treatment for alcoholism is available and can be effective in helping people regain control of their drinking. Treatment typically involves a combination of medication, psychotherapy, and support groups. Mutual-support groups provide peer support for stopping or reducing drinking.
NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator
Visit Alcohol Facts and Statistics on Alcohol Use in the United States for more detailed information about the prevalence of binge drinking. To learn more about alcohol treatment options and search for quality care near you, please visit the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator. Substance use disorders affect the brain and behavior, causing difficulties in work, school, or in relationships. These disorders involve patterns of behaviors that might include using more of the substance than planned, finding it difficult to stop, or continuing to use despite knowing it’s causing harm. Explore key milestones, discoveries, and the impact of NIMH-funded studies on mental health.
- Treatment typically involves a combination of medication, psychotherapy, and support groups.
- Alcoholism, an informal term used to describe an alcohol use disorder (AUD), can be successfully treated, but using the term “cured” can lead to misunderstanding.
- If you are concerned about your alcohol use and would like to explore whether you might have AUD, please visit the Rethinking Drinking website.
- This reduces the high that the person feels compared to the high they felt when first taking the drug—an effect known as tolerance.
Being treated for alcoholism may mean being prescribed a drug known as naltrexone. First introduced in 1965, naltrexone has a long history of being prescribed to help manage both alcohol and opioid dependence. As the name suggests, this therapy motivates you to reduce or quit drinking. As a type of evidence-based treatment, CBT aims to identify and change negative behaviors that may have contributed to alcoholism. Unlike other medications, disulfiram does not treat symptoms or prevent cravings.
Discover Recovery from Alcohol Use Disorder
Alcohol Use Disease (AUD) or alcoholism is curable just like most of the other diseases. To cure any disease, it is important that you make sure that you have that disease. Just jumping to a conclusion that a loved one is alcoholic can never be good enough. Information about resources such as data, tissue, model organisms and imaging resources to support the NIMH research community. NIMH supports research at universities, medical centers, and other institutions via grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. Learn more about NIMH newsletters, public participation in grant reviews, research funding, clinical trials, the NIMH Gift Fund, and connecting with NIMH on social media.
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There is no quick fix or “cure” for alcohol addiction, but it can be overcome and effectively treated with the help of professional treatment programs. Alcoholism is a complex condition with biological, genetical, psychological, and social components that can occur due to both genetic and environmental factors. Many people are unsure whether alcoholism is considered a chronic disease, a mental illness, or both. The relationship between substance use and mental disorders is complex and often interconnected. Many people with substance use disorders also experience other mental disorders like depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. Similarly, people with mental disorders are at a higher risk of developing substance use problems.
What Are the Types of Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder?
Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. It is a spectrum disorder and can be mild, moderate, or severe and encompasses the conditions that some people refer to as alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, or the colloquial term alcoholism.
Behavioral treatments—also known as alcohol counseling, or talk therapy, and provided by licensed therapists—are aimed at changing drinking behavior. Examples of behavioral treatments are brief interventions and reinforcement approaches, treatments that build motivation and teach skills for coping and preventing a return to drinking, and mindfulness-based therapies. It is important to give any treatment plan a chance to work before deciding whether it is right for you.
These brain adaptations often lead to the person becoming less and less able understanding alcohol use disorder national institute to derive pleasure from other things they once enjoyed, like food, sex, or social activities. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recommends screening adults aged 18 years or older for alcohol misuse. Also, AAFP recommends teaching teens between 12 and 17 years old to avoid alcohol.
Explore clinical trials for co-occurring substance use and mental disorders
Alcoholism, an informal term used to describe an alcohol use disorder (AUD), can be successfully treated, but using the term “cured” can lead to misunderstanding. To recover from alcohol addiction you must believe that it is achievable and desirable. Official Government statistics show that in one year alone, there were 8,974 UK deaths from alcohol-specific causes. The impact alcohol has on everyday life, relationships and careers are widespread and profound. Updates about mental health topics, including NIMH news, upcoming events, mental disorders, funding opportunities, and research.
Clinical Research
As with other chronic health conditions, treatment should be ongoing and should be adjusted based on how the patient responds. Treatment plans need to be reviewed often and modified to fit the patient’s changing needs. Binge drinking can be deadly, contributing to many deaths each year through accidents and chronic health conditions. Many people with AUD do recover, but setbacks are common among people in treatment.
The Division of Intramural Research Programs (IRP) is the internal research division of the NIMH. Over 40 research groups conduct basic neuroscience research and clinical investigations of mental illnesses, brain function, and behavior at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. NIMH statistics pages include statistics on the prevalence, treatment, and costs of mental illness for the population of the United States. Despite being aware of these harmful outcomes, many people who use drugs continue to take them, which is the nature of addiction. There is an attachment between the person and alcohol because he/she has developed a tolerance for it. Despite of the fact that they know how adversely it can affect them but still their day is not complete without it.
NIMH offers expert-reviewed information on mental disorders and a range of topics. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Group therapy, led by a therapist, can give you the benefits of therapy along with the support of can alcoholism be cured other members. Use the app that helps 96.7% of members successfully drink less with no pressure to quit drinking. Although binge drinking is a concern among all age groups, there are important trends in the following groups.
Health Topics
Use these free education and outreach materials in your community and on social media to spread the word about mental health and related topics. Download, read, and order free NIMH brochures and fact sheets about mental disorders and related topics. As a person continues to use drugs, the brain adapts by reducing the ability of cells in the reward circuit to respond to it. This reduces the high that the person feels compared to the high they felt when first taking the drug—an effect known as tolerance.
- Like naltrexone, it can be prescribed either to prevent relapse or to help a person reduce alcohol consumption.
- In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting usually takes more than good intentions or a strong will.
- Understanding the importance of alcohol treatment is crucial in managing alcohol addiction effectively.
Health care providers with experience in both substance use disorders and mental disorders can use comprehensive assessment tools to reduce the chance of a missed diagnosis and create an effective treatment plan. If a person believes that they are misusing alcohol, they should consider seeking medical help. Early intervention can help prevent some of the negative consequences of drinking. A recent literature review suggests that frequent aerobic exercise may complement behavioral therapy used for AUD, leading to reductions in alcohol intake. Rather than see relapse as a setback, it can be helpful to view it as an essential part of the recovery journey.