Alcohol Addiction Treatment

Introduction to Alcohol Addiction Treatment

Causes and Risk Factors

There are various factors that initiate the causes of alcohol addiction, which can be genetic or environmental. Regular consumption of alcohol imbalances the neurotransmitters present in your brain. Moreover, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate act as calming agents that can control your behavior and impulsive pattern.

Alcohol in its initial stages makes the individual feel stress-free and relaxed by increasing GABA level but causes long-term anxiety, irritability, and even seizures when alcohol use stops. Alcohol also disturbs the dopamine levels, which are responsible for happy feelings, so the person feels pleasurable while ingesting alcohol. All this can result in significant changes in the levels of various neurotransmitters, including GABA, glutamate, and dopamine.

Diagnosis of Alcohol Addiction Treatment

To understand your current situation, doctors have to look for the symptoms regarding alcohol addiction in the following ways:

1. The doctors will ask a few questions from you and your family members regarding your alcohol addiction. Moreover, confidentiality will be taken care of while proceeding with treatment.
2. They will also look for a few physical symptoms for the diagnosis of alcohol addiction treatment. However, physical signs and symptoms are significant indications of alcohol abuse.
3. Then you can consider an evaluation based on your psychological conditions, which involves questions regarding your behavior pattern, feelings, intrusive thoughts, etc. These questions will help the expert understand your psychological condition to begin your alcohol addiction treatment.
4. There are no specific tests for alcohol addiction, but experts will suggest some tests to check other aspects of health that could be affected by alcohol abuse.

Types of Treatment

The alcohol addiction treatment may involve different criteria for different individuals due to their diverse health conditions. Below are the different types of treatments:

1. Detoxification : This is the first step in alcohol addiction treatment, which is designed to manage withdrawal symptoms associated with substance abuse. During this process, sedating medications may be administered to prevent and alleviate withdrawal symptoms. The duration of detox generally ranges from 2 to 7 days.
2. Treatment plan : A health specialist will analyze the patient's overall condition and offer a treatment plan. This plan may include your health goals, self-help, and self-growth techniques, along with other essentials.
3. Counselling sessions : Alcohol addiction treatment involves counselling sessions by psychological experts so that patients can discuss their problems confidentially. These therapy sessions play an important role in the recovery process and teach life lessons.
4. Oral medication There is no medication that can remove the desire for alcohol from the patient's mind. However, disulfiram can be used to make a person avoid alcohol. However, it is advised to not drink alcohol after consuming the medicine, as it will lead to nausea and vomiting.
   Moreover, another oral medication, Naltrexone, can also be used to block the opioid receptors, which helps to avoid the pleasurable feeling of intaking alcohol. Naltrexone is also available in injectable form by the name of vivitrol; it is easy to use on patients as well as works much faster than oral medications.
5. Residential treatment : In various cases of severe alcohol addiction, you have to reside in the rehab centre for the treatment. These centres involve medical experts and doctors, nurses, and other social workers. Additionally, these residential treatments may involve counselling sessions, support group discussions, group therapies, and other activity therapies.
6. Alternatives to Medication : Medications play an essential role in alcohol addiction treatment, so choosing an alternative of medications is not a suitable option. Additionally, you can use these techniques, which can be more helpful:
7. Yoga exercises and positions will help you to manage stress and keep your body healthy.
8. Meditation will calm your mind and help you to align your thoughts in a positive direction.
9. Various acupuncture therapies have shown significant impact in reducing stress and anxiety in the patient.



Best Treatment For Alcohol Addiction

There are various types of alcohol addiction treatment programs and approaches. Some of these treatment options are given below:



1. Residential treatment in an alcohol addiction treatment centre
2. Remote detox under the guidance of experts
3. Behavioral therapies to reduce impulsiveness
4. 12-step sober program
5. Group discussions
6. Post-care plan



Any one method cannot be categorized as the best treatment for alcohol addiction because it's not necessary that one method that is best for one individual will work the same for the other. Every individual has some unique characteristics and must have unique requirements.




Remember, alcoholism is not a disease, and toxicity can be permanently removed from your life with the help of some efforts and medications. Jagruti Rehabilitation Center provides personalized treatment approaches specifically designed by medical experts.




Steps of Alcohol Addiction Treatment Process

1. Registration/Enrolment The initial step in alcohol addiction treatment is enrolment for the treatment in an appropriate centre. Nowadays registrations are just a call away; anyone from the family can make a call and ask for a registration or consultation date.
2. Admission There are some rules and regulations that need to be followed when a patient visits the centre and fulfils the administration criteria. Patients have to make sure not to bring any sort of prohibited items, harmful things, or any type of drug.
3. Assessment In this stage, medical experts try to understand the patient's current state and health conditions. They ask various types of questions based on their behavior, feelings, and thoughts. This stage is crucial to outline your treatment process and find the best treatment for alcohol addiction. However, this assessment process takes place several times to analyze the growth of the patient's recovery.
4. Detox process This detox process is done to make the patient clean, which means to remove all the drug content from the patient's body. The staff help the patient in this process and provide maximum support. However, there are some medications that are also used in this process because medically assisted detox is more effective than self-detox.
5. Inpatient care The support and care given to the patient in the alcohol addiction treatment centre by the staff and medical experts is termed inpatient care. The main task of alcohol addiction treatment centres is to teach them new values and skills and make them aware of this alcohol abuse. These results are achieved by implementing various techniques, therapies, and other practices like yoga, nature walks, meditation, etc.
6. Detox process This detox process is done to make the patient clean, which means to remove all the drug content from the patient's body. The staff help the patient in this process and provide maximum support. However, there are some medications that are also used in this process because medically assisted detox is more effective than self-detox.
7. Outpatient Care In this stage, patients move from the centre and stay with other fellow members in a group to test themselves if they have acquired real-life skills or not. This stage plays a crucial role in testing the patient's urge or addiction to alcohol in their mind. In case patients are unable to fight the urge, then they are returned to the centre for additional treatment.
8. Post Plan Till this process, patients have learned all the essential aspects of alcohol addiction treatment along with new skills and values. Now it's time to return to their lifestyle, but this time with maintaining sobriety. Every patient's life is different and consists of diverse norms. Let them be ready for equal participation in their family, friends, and other groups.
9. Release In this phase, a final assessment is done to finalize that the patient is ready to go back in his/her life with a new mindset.
10. Aftercare This step is used by most of the patients who want to maintain their sobriety under expert guidance. There are a vast number of options, including group discussions and therapies, that are available for the patients as aftercare.



Medically-Assisted Treatment for Alcohol Addiction Treatment

Medication works as a catalyst in your alcohol addiction treatment journey. Here are some common medications that your doctor may prescribe:



1. Acamprosate: This medicine has approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The medicine balances the chemicals, which get affected by too much consumption of alcohol.
2. Disulfiram: Disulfiram is a medicine that creates a feeling of nausea and vomiting if a person drinks alcohol after consuming it. It has a short-term unpleasant effect and therefore is approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
3. Naltrexone: This medication reduces the chemicals that are responsible for pleasant feelings after drinking alcohol.
4. Topiramate: This medication is used to treat health issues caused by alcohol addiction, such as migraines, seizures, etc. This medicine is also effective in maintaining the chemical balance of the brain cells.



Rehabilitation Programs for Alcohol Addiction Treatment

Alcohol addiction is known as one of the chronic diseases which has affected a lot of the population and has led to severe physical, emotional and social problems. Moreover, individuals who are suffering from alcohol dependency, rehab programs are the best treatment for alcohol addiction as they offer a structured program which allows the patient to regain control over their lives.




The focus of these rehab programs are not only on the treatment of breaking the physical dependency of the patient on alcohol but also treats the psychological and emotional aspects related to alcohol addiction. Moreover, best alcohol addiction treatment centres like Jagruti Rehabilitation Centre, which typically offers a range of treatments for alcohol addiction treatment which not only includes medical detoxification, counselling, therapy and more.

Below are the key programs offered at Jagruti:

• Detoxification: Jagruti aims at eliminating alcohol from the body of the patient and making them ready for the next steps of treatment.
• Inpatient Rehabilitation Program: With Jagruti, you can experience residential treatment rehabilitation, which allows the patient to live at the facility of Jagruti Rehabilitation Centre and 24/7 customer support. Our de-addiction program includes not only individual therapy sessions but also group therapy sessions to address both the physical as well as mental needs of the patient.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Jagruti Rehabilitation Centers use the approach of CBT, which is also known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which helps individuals to identify their negative thoughts and modify the patterns that can help them rectify the addictive behavior. With this approach, patients at Jagruti Rehabilitation Centre can develop a better and healthier coping strategy and also manage their alcohol triggers.
• Family Therapy: Addiction to alcohol not only impacts the life of the person addicted but also their family. However, at Jagruti Rehabilitation Centre, experience the one-on-one family therapy sessions that can help you rebuild your relationships with your close and loved ones. Moreover, Jagruti Rehab Center will help you improve your communication skills and provide you with a supportive environment for faster recovery.
• Relapse Prevention: Once your primary steps in the rehab program are completed, the experts at Jagruti will provide you with the relapse prevention plan. The relapse prevention plan is one of the useful tools that helps patients maintain sobriety. The plan includes ongoing support after the completion of the treatment program, which not only includes therapies but also access to support groups and training to help identify the early symptoms and signs of relapse.



Alcohol Addiction Treatment and Latest Trends

Alcohol addiction being one of the pressing concerns in India has not only failed many government efforts to address the concern but also has increased the many challenges. However, with the latest advancements and trends, alcohol addiction treatment can be a breeze to handle. Let us learn more about the latest trends in alcohol addiction treatment.

1. Formation of new alliances : Various programs and collaborations are taking place, like psychiatrists collaborating with healthcare communities, colleges, and NGOs to make people aware about alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction treatment.
2. Rewards for sobriety : Few rewards and money incentives are organized to reward all the individuals for their positive behavior and sobriety. This step has encouraged maximum people towards sobriety.
3. Healthy coping : Researchers are working to find something that can stop the pleasurable feeling due to alcohol. “Katie Witkiewitz, the director of the University of New Mexico Center on Alcohol, believes that substance use should be viewed as a normal human behavior rather than a disease, and we are looking for something healthy that can give them the same feeling without any negative consequences.”



Success Rates and Effectiveness of Alcohol Addiction Treatment

Research indicates that 75% of individuals who undergo treatment for addiction experience long-term recovery after receiving proper support. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI) are among the most effective methods in treating alcohol addiction. These therapies help individuals identify harmful thought patterns, develop coping strategies, and increase motivation to change. Group sessions of these therapies also inspire them from each other's life stories. Whereas, motivational talks encourage them to be sober and move forward to a healthy lifestyle for their own wellbeing and that of family members.




There is no specific medication that can cure alcohol addiction, but three medicines are mainly used that can help in developing coping mechanisms. Acamprosate, disulfiram, naltrexone, and topiramate are used along with other behavioral therapies to decrease the desire for alcohol in the patient's mind by reducing the intensity of triggering points.




The 12 step approach for de addiction is also known as Alcoholics Anonymous, which has a limited success rate of 5-8%. Moreover, the approach has been used for a long time, however, lacks scientific evidence of the approach being effective.

Relapse should not be viewed as a failure but as a signal which means that the treatment needs adjustment. It is known that relapse rates are higher in de-addiction therapy which can range from 40-60% within the first year of treatment. However, long term residential programs such as those offered by Jagruti Rehabilitation Centre, provide better results when compared to community based treatments.