After withdrawal, doctors recommend that patients continue treatment to address the underlying alcohol use disorder and help them maintain abstinence from or achieve a reduction in alcohol consumption. Medically managed withdrawal or detoxification can be safely carried can alcoholism be cured out under medical guidance. Medications, such as benzodiazepines, are given to help control withdrawal symptoms. If necessary, patients may receive intravenous fluids, vitamins, and other medications to treat hallucinations or other symptoms caused by withdrawal.

• Alcohol addiction may involve several different treatment methods.
• Alcoholism and its symptoms can be successfully managed with effective treatment.
• Listen to relatives, friends or co-workers when they ask you to examine your drinking habits or to seek help.
• I have come to believe that an uncompromising „abstinence-only” model is a holdover from the very beginnings of the recovery movement, almost 100 years ago, and our understanding has greatly evolved since then.
• Because he is a member of a support group that stresses the importance of anonymity at the public level, he does not use his photograph or his real name on this website.

Alcohol addiction, also known as alcoholism, is a disease that affects people of all walks of life. Experts have tried to pinpoint factors like genetics, sex, race, or socioeconomics that may predispose someone to alcohol addiction. Psychological, genetic, and behavioral factors can all contribute to having the disease. By classifying alcoholism as a chronic disease, it means that alcoholism is viewed as a progressive, long-lasting illness where there is no cure. No cure, however, does not mean there is no hope for long-term recovery.

Treatments

The Healthline FindCare tool can provide options in your area if you need help finding a mental health specialist. 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.

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. Because denial is common, you may feel like you don’t have a problem with drinking. You might not recognize how much you drink or how many problems in your life are related to alcohol use.

Ways to Prevent Relapse

However, like other chronic diseases, addiction can be managed successfully. Treatment allows individuals to counteract addiction’s powerful disruptive effects on their brain and behavior and retake control over their lives. If your loved one is suffering from alcoholism, try to exercise patience while also making time to practice your own self-care. Like any chronic disease, recovering from alcoholism can take time and may not always be a smooth road. Although your participation in the process can be vitally important, you also need to take care of yourself. Programs such as Al-Anon, which is a support group for friends and family members of alcoholics, may be beneficial as you help support your loved one on the road to recovery.

This process, however, can bring about the unpleasant and potentially serious symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. These include increased heart rate, sweating, anxiety, tremors, nausea and vomiting, heart palpitations, and insomnia. In more severe cases, people may also have seizures or hallucinations. Similarly, alcoholism can be managed through treatment and recovery with diligence and commitment. As defined by the American Society of Addiction Medicine, alcoholism – like other addictions – is a chronic brain disorder1. Similar to other chronic illnesses like asthma and hypertension, alcoholism is not a condition that goes away after treatment.