The Alcoholics Anonymous platform provides reliable resources, accessible services, and nurturing communities. Its purpose is to educate, support, and empower people in their pursuit of well-being. Recovery is not defined by perfection; it’s built through steady support, self-compassion, and ongoing care. With early action, the proper care, and a strong support network, people can regain control over their lives and move forward with lasting stability. Heavy drinking also raises the risk of acute dangers, such as car crashes, falls, and violence-related injuries 2. These risks often develop gradually, making it important to recognize harmful patterns early and adopt healthier habits.

Detox, Withdrawal & Treatment

If your doctor thinks you have a mental health condition, your doctor may do a mental health assessment. Just because you have risk factors doesn’t mean you’ll develop alcohol use disorder. A person who has many risk factors won’t always develop alcohol use disorder.

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It may take some time to find yourself again, but this courageous adventure can begin with sobriety. If you struggle with drinking or are being impacted by someone with AUD, consider seeking help from a mental health professional. They can give you a safe space to process what you’re going through and give you actionable tools to help you manage what you’re feeling. Another situation that makes treatment and remission difficult to maintain is having to reconnect with and repair family relationships that were damaged due to drinking. Though men still tend to suffer from AUD in greater numbers than women, women are catching up at an alarming rate.

Treatment / Management

You can also find virtual AA meetings to make it easy to get support despite a busy schedule. https://kcjainpreksha.com/2024/03/15/sober-surroundings-boston-ma/ Research shows that most people who have alcohol problems are able to reduce their drinking or quit entirely. Below are samples of e-health tools developed with NIAAA funding. Each of these fee-based tools has a research base that shows its potential to help people cut down or quit drinking.

• You don’t have to reach a crisis point to seek treatment.
• They’ll likely ask you a series of questions to determine the severity of your AUD.
• A person with alcohol use disorder has come to rely on alcohol physically, psychologically and/or emotionally.
• Two of three people seeking treatment do reduce their intake and improve their overall health.

When you have a drinking problem and a mental health condition, it’s called a dual diagnosis. It’s very important to treat all mental health conditions, such as depression. You may drink less when mental health conditions are treated.

To gain full recovery, you need to take steps to improve other areas of your life, such as learning to manage work, relationships, and any medical problems you may have. Drinking alcohol can cause unique problems for older adults and people who are pregnant or who have other health conditions. If you are pregnant, you should not drink any alcohol because it can harm your baby. You can choose from different types of therapy such as alcohol counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, or couples or family therapy.

If your insurance requires a referral, you’ll need to start with a primary care provider. If you already have a referral, or if you don’t need one, you can make an appointment with the addiction medicine team at Rush. Almost always, people feel nervous or defensive about their drinking, which is one reason this very common problem so often goes undetected or unaddressed. Therefore, primary care physicians often make a point of use time during a visit to provide education about drinking and its dangers.

Alcoholism is a serious condition, but recovery is possible. Learning more about therapy for alcoholism is a valuable first step toward recovery. If you’re interested in learning more about recovery or are curious about how to help an alcoholic, you’re on the right path simply by exploring your options. Understanding the available treatment options—from behavioral therapies and medications to mutual-support groups—is the first step.

Treatment for Related Conditions

Most programs involve therapy, support groups, education, and other activities. The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders says someone has alcohol use disorder if they meet two or more of 11 criteria in one 12-month period. AUD may be mild, moderate, or severe, based on how many of the criteria are true. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic illness in which you can’t stop or control your drinking even though it’s hurting your social life, your job, or your health.

Addiction medicine specialists at Rush can treat other mental health issues alongside alcohol use disorder. And other specialists at Rush work with the addiction medicine team to treat any medical conditions related to alcohol use. If you think you may have alcohol use disorder, you’re not alone. Realizing you may have an issue is the first step toward getting better, so don’t hesitate to talk to a healthcare provider. They’ll recommend treatments and resources to help you recover from alcohol use disorder. What is alcohol use disorder Several evidence-based treatment approaches are available for AUD.