Drug Addiction

People use alcohol or drugs for all sorts of reasons, including relaxing, lowering inhibitions, religious observances, or fitting in with a group. Often they do not develop a substance use problem. 

Maintain A State

Alcohol Dependence

As with any drug, alcohol dependence is defined as the need to consume alcohol to maintain a state to which the body has become accustomed.

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Alcohol Addiction

Addiction often develops over the long term and insidiously. It may take years for the person who drinks or those around them to become aware of the addiction.

Face Problems

Initially, the person seeks to rediscover the euphoric and relaxing effects of alcohol. The latter acts as an artificial comfort to allow one to "release the pressure, " face difficulties, or "forget" problems.

Alcohol moments

Alcohol can also fill empty moments or accomplish a necessary ritual (the glass of alcohol before or after the meal is identical to the ritual of the cigarette after the meal for the smoker).

 Finally, the festive component of alcohol should not be underestimated, which can also lead to addiction if this type of consumption becomes regular.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase

the enzyme that destroys alcohol in the liver, is becoming increasingly "efficient".

Alcohol Effects

It destroys more alcohol, which leads to consuming more to feel the same effects.

Suffer Problem

If you suffer from alcohol addiction, you may not know how to admit and deal with your problem.

Intervention

People often begin their road to recovery when loved ones organize an intervention.

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You've already taken one of the hardest steps: recognizing that you need help.

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You are now able to organize your intervention, as it were.

Hardest Steps

organize your intervention

What do you do when you realize you must make a big change, but no one is stepping in to guide you?

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plan for intervention and recovery

  • You can create your plan for your intervention and recovery, beginning your journey to sobriety and regain control of your life.
  • Read on to find out how self-help might be the right option and what steps to take to get the help you need to change your life.
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Why Do You Need An Intervention?

When you reach a point where several aspects of your life are going wrong because of alcohol addiction, it may be time for intervention. Often, family or friends arrange professional intervention to overcome their loved one’s resistance to treatment.

Usually, relatives take this action after they notice that the addict will not seek needed help or if they continue to deny that they have a problem.

If you are aware of the problems your relationship with alcohol is causing, you may be able to seek help on your own. You may have lost your job after taking too much sick leave. Perhaps you have been arrested for drunk driving or inappropriate behaviour after drinking. You may have hurt yourself or those you love, which made you realize that you are ready to do anything to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Some people realize their need for intervention following a period of heavy drinking. Indeed, many cannot fast for more than a day or two. Maybe your drinking is causing financial problems. You may no longer want to justify your consumption to your family and friends.

Or you have concluded that you need to change because of upheaval in your mental health. Several studies show that half of people suffering from addiction also suffer clinical depression. Conversely, nearly half of people with depression also struggle with addiction. For many, treatment for mental health issues and addictions are intertwined, so confronting one issue leads to addressing the other.

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Steps To Managing Your Intervention

The deep desire to become a better person is a far more effective motivation than trying to get rid of yourself or please your loved ones. If you’re trying to achieve long-term sobriety because someone else, like a court or your family, is forcing you to, you may not succeed for lack of resolve.

On the other hand, surrounding yourself with supportive people will help you develop the willpower necessary for a successful recovery, whether that support comes from those around you or the haven that a treatment program can provide. A strong support network will allow you to recognize where you were in denial, realize you have a problem, and accept that you need help solving it.

Research

The next step to your recovery is research. When you understand the different stages of addiction, you are better equipped to assess your situation realistically to determine what kind of help will be most helpful to you. Several studies have been done on various topics, from the effects of alcohol on your brain and behaviour to the role of your determination in your recovery.

Understanding

 Through your research, you will be able to understand alcohol dependence and alcohol use disorder. Alcohol abuse occurs when a person becomes addicted to alcohol and cannot control their drinking. Addiction leads to higher tolerance, so consume more for the desired effects.

Alcohol use disorder is technically considered a brain disorder. It produces long-term changes to the brain and central nervous system. Although alcohol dependence is not solely due to genetic factors, a family history of alcohol problems may play a role in your use of addictive substances. Additionally, many with a history of childhood trauma or mental health conditions, such as PTSD, ADHD, or depression, are at higher risk of developing alcohol use disorder. Of course, some social factors like peer pressure also play an important role, as do environmental factors.

A Plan

The key to planning a successful procedure is creating a plan with clear steps to lead you to treatment and recovery. You can start by talking to addiction professionals or psychologists with experience with recovery stages. You can also start the process by creating a plan independently, but you should involve specialists in the early stages.

In your plan, you should assess whether you need internal or external treatment. Research the available options and decide which one best suits your problems. Your options may include detox, behaviour modification treatment, medication, and support groups. Set timelines at each step to make sure you’re following your treatment.

Support

Your substance abuse issues are no secret. Your friends and family must have watched your fight. And now that you have decided to ask for help, your loved ones are there to encourage you. The support of those around you is crucial in your recovery, so do not close the door to them.

Even if you have decided to organize your intervention, you will need the support of your loved ones throughout the treatment and healing process. Ask them for help to make your journey easier, such as driving you to your sessions or looking after your children. Since alcohol addiction often involves the whole family, many will be enthusiastic to attend family therapy together to help you through your situation.

Your loved ones can also support you emotionally during your treatment and recovery by giving you rational reminders to stay on the straight and narrow to encourage you when your own will begins to waver.

Professional Help

Recovery from alcohol addiction usually requires professional help. Even after detox, consultation sessions with specialists can help you avoid relapses. Therapy will he lp you learn to deal with your cravings and triggers that make you want to drink again. It will also help you cope with the stresses of life without turning to alcohol.…

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Different Types Of Therapies

You can choose different types of therapies when you hire a professional team. Each type of treatment is useful for different people, and addiction specialists can help you determine which methods are best for you. Some of the different types of therapy to consider include:

  • Group Therapy: Surrounded by your peers, you can find the support and stimulation you need for rehabilitation and recovery.
  • The Twelve Step Programs: Alcoholics Anonymous launched this peer support network that helps people with alcohol addiction to abstain. Other versions, such as Celebrate Recovery or SMART Recovery, were released later.
  • Residential Treatment: When you move into a residential treatment facility, you automatically separate yourself from the people and triggers that encourage your use. Residential treatment has a high success rate and is sometimes covered by your medical insurance.
  • Family Therapy: Since alcohol addiction affects the whole family, the whole family often benefits from going to therapy together – and you’re likely to have a better chance of staying in treatment if loved ones are involved.
  • Outpatient Treatment: Often offering the same kinds of psychologists and techniques as residential treatment, intensive outpatient treatment sometimes allows you to live at home and still work or go to school.
  • Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy: Commonly called CBT, this therapy equips you to manage your thoughts and emotional reactions. Cognitive behavioural therapy psychologists teach you to avoid triggers while encouraging healthy thoughts.
  • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy: This kind of therapy, also called DBT, prioritizes changing unhealthy behaviors, such as alcohol abuse, by encouraging healthy habits.

Consider Rehabilitation Treatment

Many people dependent on alcohol need to start their treatment with a rehabilitation program. Such a program will keep you safe through withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking. You are protected in case of hallucinations or seizures and can access ongoing help to help you through your detox.

When you choose research-based rehabilitation, you can access an expert team to help you with your medication management, medical detox, and mental health therapy, including CBT and DBT. A well-designed rehab program also offers group and individual therapy, acting as a community that supports you in achieving and maintaining your sobriety. A holistic program also offers exercise and meditation to support physical health and well-being.

In addition, your rehabilitation program will incorporate resources for your family, providing education and therapy so your loved ones can continue to support you. As you progress, addiction specialists will help you manage relapses by continuing to provide therapy and support as needed.

Treatment Of Alcohol Addiction 

Discover the treatment of alcohol addiction. This page is part of the detailed file on alcohol addiction, which specifies the causes, signs, epidemiology, etc.

The Essential:

  •       Alcohol addiction can be cured
  •       Searching for a psychiatric diagnosis behind alcohol addiction: comorbidities are frequent
  •       Follow-up by a psychiatrist(doctor) is essential
  •    Need for an assessment by a general practitioner because of the risk of physical complications due to addictions

The Initial Approach In The Treatment Of Alcohol Addiction

 It is essential to consult a psychiatrist.

Indeed, several steps must be taken quickly:

  • Search for an associated pathology on the psych level.
  • Search for organic complications.
  • Organization of care, which will most of the time be multidisciplinary
  • conducting a motivational interview

Given the risk of physical complications of alcohol addiction, this is essentially medical treatment. Any other intervention will only be overseen by a medical case manager.

Motivational Interviewing

The beginning of the care will always be done through a motivational interview. Theorized by Prochaska and DiClemente, motivational interviewing aims to promote the patient’s motivation development. Indeed, this parameter is the best prognostic factor for addiction treatment.

Motivational interviewing is carried out by a psychiatrist trained in this technique. At best, motivational interviewing benefits from interpersonal therapy inputs that assess the patient’s social support.

Psychotherapeutic Treatment Of Alcohol Addiction

Psychotherapy comes after motivational interviewing.

It will be done as best as possible by the psychiatrist coordinating the care or possibly delegated to a psychiatrist, TCC, or TIP psychologist. The psychiatrist will choose between CBT and TIP depending on the elements.

The TCC or TIP psychiatrist or psychologist seeks to identify the determinants that lead to alcohol consumption.

In all cases, we observe an automation of alcohol consumption on the model: I feel like it, I drink. In other words, craving is the trigger for consumption, without the patient giving himself the time to assess whether the consumption is worth it. There is, therefore, a destruction of the patient’s free will. The TCC or TIP psychiatrist will therefore restore the patient’s free will.

Drug Treatment

To reduce the craving for alcohol:

  • baclofen
  • acamprosate
  • antabuses
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What Are The Drugs To Fight Alcohol Addiction?

Medicines To Reduce Consumption

Some treatments aim to reduce alcohol consumption as an alternative to abstinence.

Nalmefene

Nalmefene acts on the reward system in the brain, reducing the desire to drink. It is not aimed at abstinence but at reducing consumption among people who do not require eating immediately.

This medicine is only available by prescription.

Nalmefene comes in the form of tablets to be swallowed. It is taken punctually, 1 to 2 hours before the moment during which there is a risk of alcohol consumption (for example, at the end of the afternoon if there is a probability of drinking in the evening).

The tablet should be swallowed whole and should not be crushed or split.

 The dose not to be exceeded is one tablet per day, and a second intake should not be planned even in the event of a new risk of alcohol consumption on the same day.

The treatment should be taken as prescribed by the doctor. Its benefit is conditioned by the observance of the patient who, to be helped in his approach, benefits from psychological and social monitoring (help by a social worker, by associations of former drinkers, etc.)

If nalmefene is prescribed, your attending physician will give you a patient guide during the initial consultation, which explains the treatment and indicates the elements to be monitored, as well as a drinking diary to follow the evolution of your alcohol consumption and the effectiveness of the treatment. Promptly report any symptoms that worry you to your doctor.

Baclofen

Baclofen reduces the irrepressible urge to drink (the “craving”). It is used in people with high-risk alcohol consumption and for whom other drug treatments have failed.

The patient, to be helped in his approach, benefits from psychological and social monitoring (help by a social worker, by associations of former drinkers, etc.)

Baclofen comes in the form of tablets to be swallowed. It is prescribed in prolonged treatment until obtaining control of alcohol consumption, which can go as far as abstinence. It also reduces the chances of relapse in abstinent people.

If baclofen is prescribed, your attending physician will give you a patient guide during the initial consultation, which explains the treatment and indicates the elements to be monitored. Promptly report any symptoms that worry you to your doctor.

In the event of ineffectiveness observed after three months, the doctor decides to gradually stop the treatment by reducing the doses prescribed over 2 or 3 weeks because the treatment with baclofen must never be stopped suddenly.

Medications That Help Maintain Abstinence

These drugs allow the maintenance of abstinence (absence of alcohol consumption) and are prescribed once the weaning is obtained. They are therefore given to prevent relapses of alcohol consumption.

They are prescribed to people who benefit from prolonged care, including psychological support.

Disulfiram

Disulfiram works by causing violent disgust when drinking alcohol. These aversive seizures are called the “antabuse effect”. The Antabuse effect is manifested by vomiting. It is accompanied by very uncomfortable effects such as tachycardia, flushing of the face, or hypotension. It can appear regardless of the source of alcohol: drink, food, perfume, etc.

Disulfiram is in the form of a tablet to be swallowed, at the rate of 1 tablet per day, for prolonged treatment. The tablets should be taken at least 24 hours after the last alcohol consumption.

Other Ways To Stop Drinking Alcohol

In the case of alcohol dependence, medication is an aid in reducing consumption and weaning, as well as relapse prevention when abstinence from alcohol is achieved.

Associated or not with the taking of treatment, various aids are possible to accompany you in stopping the consumption of alcohol :

  1. Motivational interviewing with a doctor. It is an exchange to strengthen your motivation and your commitment;
  2. Accompanying psychotherapy. They consist of introspection work carried out with a psychotherapist to understand the causes that may have led to addiction. There psychotherapy is ideally carried out after weaning ;
  3. Cognitive and behavioural therapies. They aim to deconstruct “conditioned” addictive habits ;
  4. Discussion or support groups supervised by associations or other social structures. Discussing with people in the same addiction situation and the same weaning process can help with the success of the weaning.

 Interventions To Avoid And Favour 

It is quite normal for parents to worry and wonder about their child’s behaviour when they reach adolescence. It is possible to feel powerless and unsettled in the face of the changes in our teenagers. At this age, he is developing his perspective on life and questioning the values ​​he has been taught. He needs to go and see for himself if what he has been taught is true. He seeks to differentiate himself and forges his own identity.

You know what? It’s completely normal and healthy, even if it may seem difficult. Given the change during this period, it becomes more difficult to distinguish what belongs to normal development from what can become problematic. One of the fears expressed by parents is related to the development of certain consumption habits in their children.

However, the consumption indices are sometimes difficult to identify. In case of doubt, here are the interventions to avoid and those to privilege.

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