Treatment Options

Research shows that every day , more than 700 ,000 people in the United States receive treatment for alcoholism . Alcohol withdrawal is a serious complication of alcoholism and occurs when alcoholics , dependent on alcohol , abruptly stop drinking . Alcohol or ethanol is a central nervous system (CNS ) depressant in that it causes general inhibition of neuronal processes (Jellinek EM 1960 . Symptoms of Alcohol withdrawal include anxiety , agitation , general increased reactivity and an increased risk for seizures . The dysphoria of EW symptoms is believed to play a major role in relapse (Alele and Devaud 2007

p The first step in treatment of the addictions is detoxification that can be achieved via appropriate medications . Benzodiazepines reliably block withdrawal symptoms of alcohol . The major problem in treatment of alcoholism is relapse , and the risk of relapse continues for months and even years after detoxification . Even people , who perform extremely well during inpatient treatment , exhibiting insight into their drug problems during therapy sessions and a firm intention to avoid all persons places , and things associated with alcohol , usually relapse soon after leaving the program . Thus , aftercare is critically important and should continue for at least a year or longer to prevent relapse (Goldstein DB 1984

In addition to detoxification , Behavioural treatments , therapeutic medications , outpatient counselling , and counselling are other available treatment options . Detoxification is often combined with one of the other treatment options to achieve better success rate

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA ) is a type of behavioural treatment which constitutes of mutual support program for recovering alcoholics that is based on the 12-steps of recovery that are needed in stay sober It is estimated that there are more than 114 ,000 groups and over 2 ,000 ,000 members of AA in 180 countries . Participation in AA or professional treatment program based on the 12 steps of AA is the major treatment approach in the US . Higher level of attendance during AA meetings followed by professional treatment is consistently associated with better outcomes . Not surprisingly , AA affiliation alone with no professional treatment has not been linked with improvement (Treatment 1995

A study , which evaluated 15 different treatment programs offered through the U .S department of veterans Affairs , indicated that patients in 12-step program were more likely to become abstinent than other patients from other cognitive /behavioural or mixed therapy programs (Ouimette et al . 1997 . These findings were calculated by monitoring patients undergoing treatment in different facilities . The data was used in studies with the consent from the patients . The researchers , recorded variables such as , mean alcohol consumption , alcohol dependence /withdrawal symptom , use of other drugs , depression , anxiety Other characteristics that are often considered in determining the success of different alcoholism treatment programs are self-efficacy commitment of abstinence , cognitive coping , behavioral coping , and primary appraisal of harm due to drinking (Treatment 1995

Success rates of these different experiments are calculated and analyzed by researchers and clinicians . Success rate is often calculated using days in withdrawal and number of occurrences of relapse and the decreasing pattern of alcohol use . In...