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Accepting the fact that help is needed for an alcohol problem may
not be easy. But keep in mind that the sooner you get help, the
better are your chances for a successful recovery.
Any concerns you may have about discussing drinking-related problems
with your health care provider may stem from common misconceptions
about alcoholism and alcoholic people. In our society, the myth
prevails that an alcohol problem is a sign of moral weakness. As
a result, you may feel that to seek help is to admit some type of
shameful defect in yourself. In fact, alcoholism is a disease that
is no more a sign of weakness than is asthma. Moreover, taking steps
to identify a possible drinking problem has an enormous payoff—a
chance for a healthier, more rewarding life.
When you visit your health care provider, he or she will ask you
a number of questions about your alcohol use to determine whether
you are having problems related to your drinking. Try to answer
these questions as fully and honestly as you can. You also will
be given a physical examination. If your health care provider concludes
that you may be dependent on alcohol, he or she may recommend that
you see a specialist in treating alcoholism. You should be involved
in any referral decisions and have all treatment choices explained
to you.
The type of treatment you receive depends on the severity of your
alcoholism and the resources that are available in your community.
Treatment may include detoxification (the process of safely getting
alcohol out of your system); taking doctor-prescribed medications,
such as disulfiram (Antabuse®) or naltrexone (ReVia™),
to help prevent a return (or relapse) to drinking once drinking
has stopped; and individual and/or group counseling. There are promising
types of counseling that teach alcoholics to identify situations
and feelings that trigger the urge to drink and to find new ways
to cope that do not include alcohol use. These treatments are often
provided on an outpatient basis.
Because the support of family members is important to the recovery
process, many programs also offer brief marital counseling and family
therapy as part of the treatment process. Programs may also link
individuals with vital community resources, such as legal assistance,
job training, childcare, and parenting classes.
Virtually all alcoholism treatment programs also include Alcoholics
Anonymous (AA) meetings. AA describes itself as a “worldwide
fellowship of men and women who help each other to stay sober.”
Although AA is generally recognized as an effective mutual help
program for recovering alcoholics, not everyone responds to AA’s
style or message, and other recovery approaches are available. Even
people who are helped by AA usually find that AA works best in combination
with other forms of treatment, including counseling and medical
care.
Although alcoholism can be treated, a cure is not yet available.
In other words, even if an alcoholic has been sober for a long time
and has regained health, he or she remains susceptible to relapse
and must continue to avoid all alcoholic beverages. “Cutting
down” on drinking doesn’t work; cutting out alcohol
is necessary for a successful recovery.
However, even individuals who are determined to stay sober may
suffer one or several “slips,” or relapses, before achieving
long-term sobriety. Relapses are very common and do not mean that
a person has failed or cannot recover from alcoholism. Keep in mind,
too, that every day that a recovering alcoholic has stayed sober
prior to a relapse is extremely valuable time, both to the individual
and to his or her family. If a relapse occurs, it is very important
to try to stop drinking once again and to get whatever additional
support you need to abstain from drinking.
If your health care provider determines that you are not alcohol
dependent but are nonetheless involved in a pattern of alcohol abuse,
he or she can help you to:
• Examine the benefits of stopping an unhealthy drinking
pattern.
• Set a drinking goal for yourself. Some people choose
to abstain from alcohol. Others prefer to limit the amount they
drink.
• Examine the situations that trigger your unhealthy drinking
patterns, and develop new ways of handling those situations so
that you can maintain your drinking goal.
Some individuals who have stopped drinking after experiencing alcohol-related
problems choose to attend AA meetings for information and support,
even though they have not been diagnosed as alcoholic.
Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
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