Learn ways to compare the quality of your options and make the best choice for your situation. Take an honest look at how often and how much you drink. Be prepared to discuss any problems that alcohol may be causing. You may want to take a family member or friend along, if possible.
Step 1. Learn about alcohol use disorder
It may also be helpful to determine whether the treatment will be adapted to meet changing needs as they arise. Certain medications have been shown to effectively help people stop or reduce their drinking and avoid a return to drinking. Brief Interventions are short, one-on-one or small-group counseling sessions that are time limited. The counselor provides information about the individual’s drinking pattern and potential risks. After the individual receives personalized feedback, the counselor will help set goals. Many others substantially reduce their drinking and report help with alcohol fewer alcohol-related problems.
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Overcoming AUD is an ongoing process—one that can include setbacks.
- Simply understanding the different options can be an important first step.
- Knowing why you drink is essential, says Cyndi Turner, LCSW, LSATP, MAC, a Virginia therapist specializing in addiction treatment and alcohol moderation.
- You can also learn about the options for in-patient recovery in this article.
- The decision to change your relationship with alcohol can be due to your physical health, mental well-being, or overall lifestyle.
- If you’re aiming to moderate your drinking, you may be asked to keep a “drinking diary”.
Get the right support for you
The most successful treatment happens when a person wants to change. Once alcohol treatment has been completed, it can be beneficial to continue to know how to support an alcoholic during their recovery efforts as they manage their sobriety. Here are a few ways to continue supporting them on their recovery journey. You can create a telehealth care team by combining a therapist with an addiction doctor for medications support. Instead, these are groups of people who have alcohol use disorder. Examples include Alcoholics Substance abuse Anonymous, SMART Recovery, and other programs.
Charitable Care & Financial Assistance
We understand how scary and overwhelming the process can be to get your loved one alcohol abuse help, but American Addiction Centers is here for you. Call our hotline at today to speak with an admissions navigator about treatment options for your loved one in order to help with their drinking problem. There’s no obligation to make any decisions right away and all calls are 100% confidential. Many affordable rehab centers take payments, offer a sliding scale, or even have financing options. Research your options for addiction treatment without insurance to see what would work for you. When you contact a treatment center, have information about your income and insurance ready so they can verify that you qualify for their free services.
- Two other drugs, gabapentin and topiramate, also interact with GABA and glutamate systems.
- No matter the reaction, you should stay calm and assure your person that they have your respect and support.
- Alcohol is the most widely used substance in the United States, and it’s often misused.
- See the recommended questions to ask addiction doctors in Step 2.
- If you live in a rural area and or do not have the ability to attend traditional support groups, online support groups may prove to be beneficial for you.
Make a gift that can go twice as far to advance healthcare research. You may also consider joining an online support group to help you feel less alone. Quitting alcohol alone is harder for some than others, but there’s no need https://ecosoberhouse.com/ to go it alone.
12-step facilitation therapy is an engagement strategy used in counseling sessions to increase an individual’s active involvement in 12-step-based mutual-support groups. Professionally led treatments include behavioral treatments and medications. “It can be 30- to 60-day abstinence rates, fewer heavy-drinking days, cutting back on total number of drinks, or even fewer alcohol-related ER visits.” The medication can help ward off cravings, too, he says. When you have alcohol use disorder, just thinking about alcohol triggers a pleasurable response in the brain. When you drink alcohol while taking naltrexone, you can feel drunk, but you won’t feel the pleasure that usually comes with it.