If you or a loved one is struggling with AUD, make an appointment with a primary care provider such as a medical doctor or nurse practitioner. People with severe AUD who have used alcohol long-term may experience severe withdrawal symptoms that require medical evaluation and treatment. A healthcare provider can evaluate the AUD severity and its health impacts, refer you to specialists, and determine the appropriate treatment. Just as some people with diabetes or asthma may have flare-ups of their disease, a return to drinking can be seen as a temporary setback to full recovery and not as a failure. Seeking professional help can prevent a return to drinking—behavioral therapies can help people develop skills to avoid and overcome triggers, such as stress, that might lead to drinking.
Risk Factors and Causes of Alcoholism
The diagnosis of AUD is established using the criteria in the DSM-V. Two or more criteria indicate mild AUD, 4 to 5 indicate moderate AUD and 6 or more criteria are consistent with severe AUD. Other mental health disorders can increase the risk of drinking. Depression and anxiety frequently occur along with an alcohol use disorder. It is very important to get treatment for such disorders if they are contributing to the problem.
Most common type of SUD
Behavioral therapies can help people develop skills to avoid and overcome triggers, such as stress, that might lead to drinking. Medications also can help deter drinking during times when individuals may be at greater risk of a return to drinking (e.g., divorce, death of a family member). Several evidence-based treatment approaches are available for AUD. One size does not fit all and a treatment approach that may work for one person may not work for another.
Combatting the Stigma Surrounding Addiction
The more symptoms you have, the more urgent the need for change. A health care provider can look at the number, pattern, and severity of symptoms to see whether AUD is present and help you decide the best course of action. This guide is written for individuals—and their family and friends—who are looking for options to address alcohol problems. It is intended as a resource to understand what treatment choices are available and what to consider when selecting among them. For more information, please visit the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator®, an online tool that helps individuals find the right treatment for them—and near them. The Navigator offers a step-by-step process to finding a highly qualified professional treatment provider.
The provider can help adjust the treatment plan and aid long-term recovery. Below is a list of some of the providers who are typically involved in alcohol treatment and the type of care they may offer. One way to get help involves talking with your primary care doctor. They may talk with you about your symptoms and recommend different treatment options based on the severity of substance use disorder. Medications aimed at drug addiction treatment work by easing withdrawal, cutting cravings, or blocking the substance’s effects, and require a prescription from specialized mental health services.
- Even though alcohol related disorders are very common, relatively few individuals recognize the problem and get help.
- The main management for severe symptoms is long-acting benzodiazepines — typically IV diazepam or IV lorazepam.
- Working to stop alcohol use to improve quality of life is the main treatment goal.
Psychological Factors
Long-term success for many people requires a combo of individual, group and family therapy. These signs often develop gradually and can be easy to overlook or dismiss. However, when alcohol use begins to take priority over responsibilities, health, or relationships, it’s time to consider seeking support. Furthermore, you may not recognize the signs of an alcohol use disorder in yourself or in someone else. Alcohol use disorder replaced the designations that had previously been separately defined as «alcohol abuse» and «alcohol dependence.»
If your pattern of drinking results in repeated significant distress and problems functioning in your daily life, you likely have alcohol use disorder. However, even a mild disorder can escalate and lead to serious problems, so early treatment is important. Behavioral treatments—also known as alcohol counseling, or talk therapy, and provided by licensed therapists—are aimed at changing drinking behavior. If you have alcohol use disorder and want help, a healthcare provider can guide you to resources and rehabilitation programs to help you quit.
- While there is no definitive cure for AUD, it can be effectively managed with appropriate treatment.
- SAMHSA says that 6.5 million Americans have both an alcohol use disorder and a mental health disorder.
- But treatment varies based on the severity of alcohol withdrawal and the likelihood that it could progress to severe or complicated withdrawal.
Among the surest signs of alcoholism is the toll on your physical and mental health. Physical health issues related to alcoholism can include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and damage to the brain, nervous system, pancreas, heart, and liver. Online and community-based recovery groups can alcohol use disorder: what it is, risks and treatment also be helpful during alcohol withdrawal and addiction treatment. Alcohol causes the release of dopamine in the ventral tegmental area, which is a part of the reward pathway.
Alcohol use disorder can range from mild to severe, depending on the symptoms and impact. During an office visit, a health care professional will likely focus on the following. 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. Listen to relatives, friends or co-workers when they ask you to examine your drinking habits or to seek help.
What are the symptoms of alcohol use disorder?
It may help to seek support from others, including friends, family, community, and support groups. If you are developing your own symptoms of depression or anxiety, think about seeking professional help for yourself. Remember that your loved one is ultimately responsible for managing their own illness.
When seeking professional help, it is important that you feel respected and understood and that you trust the person, group, or organization to help you. However, remember that relationships with health care providers can take time to develop. AUD is characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. Health care providers diagnose AUD when a person has two or more of the symptoms listed below. AUD can be mild (the presence of two to three symptoms), moderate (the presence of four to five symptoms), or severe (the presence of six or more symptoms). Diagnosis includes evaluating behavior patterns, physical or psychological and mental health disorder symptoms from drug use, and how much the person’s life, relationships, or duties are affected.
Because AUD is a chronic, relapsing disorder, persistence is key. It is rare that someone would go to treatment once and then never drink again. More often, people try to quit or cut back over time, experience recurrences, learn from them, and then continue on their recovery journey. For many, continued follow-up with a treatment provider is critical for overcoming alcohol problems.