Most people with an alcohol problem find it difficult to get the help they need. But the sooner they do, the better their chances for recovery. While there is no cure at this time, alcoholism is a treatable disease. Recovery takes hard work, commitment, help, and honesty. If you suspect you have a problem, please seek help now. Contact:
- Your doctor or health care provider
- NIAAA Web site
- The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (800-622-HELP) for treatment programs in your local community and to speak to someone about the problem, OR
- Alcoholics Anonymous (Check your local phone directory under "Alcoholism" or call 212-870-3400).
Treatment options
The nature of treatment depends on the severity of your alcoholism and available resources. Treatments may be provided in a hospital, a residential treatment setting, or on an outpatient basis. Treatment may include:
- Detoxification
- Taking doctor-prescribed medications
- Other medical care
- Individual and/or group counseling
- Support groups.
Promising types of counseling teach people to identify situations and feelings that trigger their urge to drink and to find new ways to cope without using alcohol. In addition, because the involvement of family members is important to the recovery, many programs also offer marital counseling and family therapy as part of the treatment process. Some programs also link up individuals with community resources, such as legal assistance, job training, child-care and parenting classes.
Alcoholics Anonymous
Most alcoholism treatment programs also include meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), which describes itself as a "worldwide fellowship of men and women who help each other to stay sober." AA is a support network that helps people to share their experiences, strength, and hope with the common goal of attaining and maintaining sobriety.
There are an estimated 87,000 AA groups worldwide, with a total membership of more than 2 million. The only membership requirement is the desire to stop drinking. For information on local support meetings run by:
- Alcoholics Anonymous, call your local AA chapter (check your local phone directory under "Alcoholism") or call 212-870-3400.
- Al-Anon (for spouses and other significant adults in an alcoholic person's life) and Alateen (for children of alcoholics), call your local Al-Anon chapter or call the following toll-free numbers: 1-800-344-2666 (United States) or 1-800-443-4525 (Canada).
While AA is an effective, mutual help program for recovering alcoholics, it is not right for everyone. Other recovery approaches are available - including counseling and medical care. Even those helped by AA often find that AA works best in combination with these other elements of treatment. There are other types of support groups as well, like Women for Sobriety, Smart Recovery, etc.
Relapses
If you are an alcoholic (even if you remain sober and regain your health), you're still susceptible to relapse and must continue to avoid all alcoholic beverages. If a relapse occurs, it is important to try to stop drinking once again and to get whatever additional support is needed to abstain from drinking. A relapse should not be looked at as a failure, but as a learning experience.
