When you think about medical condition symptoms, you may focus on physical issues like pain, fever or a cough that won’t go away. People with this condition can’t stop drinking, even if their alcohol use upends their lives and the lives of those around them. In this disorder, people can’t stop drinking, even when drinking affects their health, puts their safety at risk and damages their personal relationships. Alcohol use disorder (sometimes called alcoholism) is a common medical condition.
What are treatments for alcohol use disorder?
Ideally, health care providers will one day be able to identify which AUD treatment is most effective for each person. Studies show that strong family support through family therapy increases the chances of maintaining abstinence (not drinking) compared with people going to individual counseling. Many health care providers can play a role in treatment. These medications are prescribed by a primary care provider or other health care provider and may be used alone or in combination with counseling. 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.
Are There Natural or Alternative Medicine Approaches That Work for AUD?
This guide is written for individuals—and their family and friends—who are looking for options to address alcohol problems. Working to stop alcohol use to improve quality of life is the main treatment goal. Treatment for alcohol use disorder can vary, depending on your needs.
Your health care provider or mental health provider will ask additional questions based on your responses, symptoms and needs. Understanding your genetic risk factors can help your healthcare provider personalize your treatment approach and improve your chances of successful recovery. Recent healthcare economic analyses reveal extensive cost variations across alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment modalities, with average per-patient expenses reaching $13,475 in 2025. These evidence-based systems represent significant advances in treating alcohol use disorder, offering you access to multidisciplinary care that addresses both immediate and long-term recovery needs. You’ll find integrated support networks combining medical detox, behavioral therapy, and digital therapeutics to optimize patient engagement and recovery outcomes. While alcohol use disorder requires multifaceted intervention strategies, extensive support systems have emerged as the cornerstone of effective treatment programs.
Residential treatment programs
You may want to take a family member or friend along, if possible. Be prepared to discuss any problems that alcohol may be causing. As part of your recovery, you’ll need to focus on changing your habits and making different lifestyle choices.
You’ll find notable price differentials between inpatient and outpatient care, with residential treatment commanding the highest investment at $42,500 per patient. You’ll find that optimizing treatment resources can dramatically reduce per-patient costs, particularly when implementing integrated primary care approaches versus specialist-only models. Modern treatment approaches leverage AI-enhanced monitoring systems alongside traditional therapies, creating a thorough care model that adapts to your unique needs. Universal screening and interventions have demonstrated significant success in reducing alcohol consumption among patients receiving integrated care.
Benefits of therapy
Research also shows that complementary approaches like massage therapy and movement-based practices can enhance your recovery outcomes. While some herbal remedies and holistic therapies can support your AUD recovery, they shouldn’t replace conventional treatment. Your employer can’t access your treatment details without your explicit consent, and you’re legally protected when seeking workplace support during recovery. You’ll find many treatment programs offer flexible scheduling to accommodate work commitments, and Employee Assistance Programs provide confidential support.
- A professional may have to help loved ones — kindly, but realistically — talk to the drinker about the painful impact that drinking has on them.
- As your loved one makes an effort, please keep in touch and be supportive.
- Your doctor may refer you to one-on-one therapy or group counseling.
Groups for Family and Friends
If you drink more alcohol than that, consider cutting back or quitting. Your treatment depends on your situation. Heavy, long-term consumption of beverages containing alcohol increases your risk of developing esophageal cancer.
- This option may be best if you’ve been misusing alcohol heavily.
- It is never easy for family members and friends to talk about a drinking problem.
- Most people with an alcohol use disorder can benefit from some form of treatment.
- Intensive care patients are at high risk for falls and injuries when they return home
- It usually includes several different kinds of behavioral therapies.
Psychotherapy may help a person understand the influences that trigger drinking. Recovery programs focus on teaching a person with alcoholism about the disease, its risks, and ways to cope with life’s usual stresses without turning to alcohol. Also not approved by the FDA, there is limited evidence that baclofen, a drug used to treat muscle spasticity, could help people quit alcohol use. Disulfiram does not reduce craving, but it creates an incentive not to drink, because drinking alcohol while taking it causes nausea and vomiting. During the withdrawal process, the doctor may prescribe a class of antianxiety drugs called benzodiazepines for a short period in order to reduce withdrawal symptoms.
National Institutes of Health
An antiseizure drug called topiramate may diminish the reinforcing effects of alcohol. Two medications that fit in this category are naltrexone and acamprosate. After weaning from alcohol, medication in some cases can help reduce cravings. A professional may have to help loved ones — kindly, but realistically — talk to the drinker about the painful impact that drinking has on them. Screening is important, because early detection and treatment can prevent dangerous complications.
Research shows that most people who have alcohol problems are able to reduce their drinking or quit entirely. Each of these fee-based tools has a research base that shows its potential to help people cut down or quit drinking. Most people benefit from regular checkups with a treatment provider. 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.
Healthcare policy reforms and targeted funding strategies must address this unsustainable spending trajectory, particularly as alcohol-related deaths have increased 70% in the past decade. The implementation of navigator portal systems and coordinated care teams optimizes workforce efficiency across treatment levels. Treatment accessibility data reveal concerning gaps, with less than 8% of adults receiving needed treatment and only 2% accessing FDA-approved medications. Treatment duration markedly impacts total costs, as program lengths vary from 12 weeks for intensive outpatient care to 87 weeks for methadone-based interventions.
Your health care provider or counselor can suggest a support group. Most residential treatment programs include individual and group therapy, support groups, educational lectures, family involvement, and activity therapy. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Building on cost analysis findings, optimizing treatment resources emerges as a critical focus in addressing widespread access barriers for alcohol use disorder care. The annual economic burden of AUD, exceeding $249 billion in the US, demands efficient allocation of healthcare resources through evidence-based treatment protocols. Comprehensive support networks blend traditional therapies with digital innovations, creating personalized treatment paths for those struggling with alcohol use disorder.
What is alcohol use disorder?
Disulfiram acts as a deterrent through adverse reactions, naltrexone reduces heavy drinking by blocking opioid receptors, and acamprosate modulates glutamate systems. Understanding medication efficacy across these options is essential for treatment planning. Recent data shows that alcohol-related deaths have risen dramatically to 178,000 in 2021. Each medication offers distinct mechanisms targeting different aspects of alcohol dependence. You’ll find that disulfiram, approved in 1949, pioneered pharmaceutical treatment, while naltrexone (1994) and acamprosate (2004) later expanded therapeutic options.
Group therapy, led by a therapist, can give you the benefits of therapy along with the support of other members. Group therapy or a support group can help during rehab and help you stay on track as life gets back to normal. No medicine can “cure” alcohol use disorder, but some can help as you recover. The goal is to stop drinking and give your body time to get the alcohol out of your system.
ways to curb your drinking
Participate in family therapy sessions when invited, and learn about AUD to better understand their challenges. You can best support your loved one Alcohol disorder treatment by offering consistent emotional support while maintaining healthy boundaries. You’ll find evidence supporting mind-body practices like meditation, yoga, and acupuncture for managing withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
