Jun 27 2008
Programs, Options, Recovery Resources on Addiction
Millions of Americans are right now being treated for addiction. In the case of alcoholism, majority of the treatments was never verified by clinical trials, but nevertheless has been effective – these include medications; social, psychological, and behavioral methods; and self help groups – all designed to achieve abstinence from drinking alcohol.
Facilitation Therapy (12 Steps)
This is a peer-support approach that encourages people to become involved in a 12-step program complementing professionally supervised therapy. There are programs like Women for Sobriety, SOS, Smart Recovery, and Alcoholics Anonymous that provides individuals with a supportive and encouraging environment.
These support group meetings usually fosters your spiritual, mental, and physical health. They focus on abstinence and discipline.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Comprising of therapeutic approaches, cognitive-behavioral therapy will help you relieve your alcohol dependency by letting you acquire the skills not just to cope, but also to change your drinking problem behaviors.
A therapist will try to understand what needs are being filled by drinking, and then work with you to find new ways in addressing your needs which does not include drinking. During the therapy sessions, you will be taught essential skills to:
· Change friendships or social outlets to focus on something else other than drinking
· Manage emotional vulnerabilities and negative moods
· Recognize what will trigger your urge to drink
Motivational Enhancement Programs
These programs are designed to raise your awareness regarding the impact that alcohol has in your life and in the life of your family, co-workers, and society in general. You will be encouraged to accept personal responsibility for your actions in the past and then make a commitment to change your future behavior.
Therapists can help you accept and understand the benefits of drinking abstinence, review current treatment options, and design a treatment plan that you can commit to.
Behavioral Couples Therapy
This approach combines alcoholism recovery with repair or improvement of couple relationships. There are different strategies used if both couples are alcoholic or if only one spouse is alcohol dependent. In the latter case, the therapy will provide training on support and communication strategies to the non-alcohol dependent partner to facilitate sobriety and treatment.
If you are alcohol dependent, your partner’s participation can truly increase your treatment success. Along the way, you strengthen your relationship.
Drugs and Physician Intervention
You can also receive counseling from physicians and trained nurses to help you with your alcoholic addiction. Some drugs might be prescribed such as Disulfiram, Naltrexone, and Acamprosate. Even though these drugs can reduce alcohol drinking, it is still recommended that you enter into a prop up group or aftercare program to prevent relapse.
Research supports the use of drugs (since it effectively decreases alcohol craving), but it must be combined with the use of behavioral therapies to successfully recover from addiction.
