Alcoholism treatment: do drugs and home treatment not work?

Treating alcohol addiction and addressing the bio-psycho-social problems that are associated with it means confronting the oppressive and destructive forces in thought and behaviour. It is necessary to build constructive tendencies and develop counterbalancing, with the intention of creating a positive preponderance in thought, feeling and behaviour.

Current treatment of alcohol dependence rests on two pillars: psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy.

Only by taking slow steps hand in hand, with the trust and help of those closest to him, can the alcoholic master the most difficult battle - treatment.

• Pharmacological treatment for alcohol dependence
  • It does not lead to the elimination of the disorder causing the change of control in drinking.
  • Medication cannot remove the body's internal attachment to alcohol.
  • It does not lead to a complete cure. It can, however, lead to recovery, and thus to the disappearance of the symptoms of the disease, such as craving, which is a common pitfall of long-term abstinence.

In current pharmacotherapy, craving-reducing drugs are at the forefront of the whole course of treatment.

• Psychotherapy for alcohol dependence
  • Social skills training (ability to refuse alcohol)
  • problem-solving training
  • relaxation techniques
  • Emotion management training
  • cognitive restructuring
  • Marlatt's concept of relapse prevention
  • training in avoiding triggers
  • trigger management training
  • family therapy
  • psychodrama
  • preparation for participation in a self-help organization such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

When planning treatment for alcohol dependence, it is also important to know the patient's family and social situation, his or her ability to benefit from forms of treatment and his or her physical condition. Treatment must be long-term and should combine several treatment approaches.