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During the detox period is when many people experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Since some alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be life-threatening, it’s important to speak with your healthcare provider before you stop drinking. Long-term, heavy alcohol abusers may do best by detoxing under medical supervision. In fact, while in recovery, an alcoholic’s https://stylevanity.com/2023/07/top-5-questions-to-ask-yourself-when-choosing-sober-house.html brain will create new neural pathways to help them experience pleasure from activities other than drinking. But, just like with any chronic disease, a lack of symptoms does not mean the disease is cured. Inpatient rehab provides a safe place for people to focus on their recovery and develop life skills to support sobriety after completing the program.
Working to stop alcohol use to improve quality of life is the main treatment goal. Alcoholism is a disease that centers in the mind of the alcoholic. As medical professionals dig deeper into the biological traits of confirmed alcoholics, a surgical or pharmaceutical cure continues to elude them.
Alcohol Use Disorder
Intensive outpatient programs (IOP) involve individual and group therapy and education to give you tools to help you stop drinking. Mindfulness therapies have been used to keep people from relapsing. Relapse is when someone resumes drinking in unhealthy ways after a period of recovery. St. John’s wort can help to relieve depression and mood swings that come with alcohol withdrawal and early recovery. Research shows the herb works as well as some depression medications. Some research shows that milk thistle may help those looking to treat alcohol-related liver disease.
The diagnosis is made when drinking interferes with your life or affects your health. With your group, you can bond over shared experiences, spend time together, and create a strong support system. Outpatient programs for alcohol will often hold group activities in the same manner, simply condensed into a smaller portion of the day. Knowing your disorder or disease isn’t curable can be challenging to accept, and the thought of seeking help can be daunting.
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Fortunately, for those same millions of people, there is hope. A cure for alcoholism may never come in pill form or be a shot you can take every morning. However, as a disease, there is hope for a cure for alcoholism. Well, if you’ve heard the stories told by many confirmed alcoholics, you’ll appreciate how many attempts they made to just stop.
