How Can an Alcoholic Quit Drinking?

According to the United States Department of Justice, approximately 100,000 alcohol-related deaths occur every year. When under the influence, alcohol can cause judgment impairment, as well as impairment of coordination leading to many of the traffic accidents that take place every year. Excessive drinking also can cause damaging health effects leading to liver disease, and even death. When you are ready to quit, there are a few different options available to help.

Support Groups

• One of the best resources for alcoholics trying to quit drinking is the many support groups available across the nation. The most prominent of these groups is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Alcoholics Anonymous offers its services free of charge and provides help and guidance to becoming sober through a process called the 12-step program. The 12-step program is a set of guidelines that are put in place to help recovering alcoholics succeed. AA also provides its members with sponsors in an effort to give one on one support.

Counseling

• When additional help is needed to stay sober, counseling also may be a valid option for alcoholics looking for help to quit drinking. Counseling can be provided both privately, or through an outpatient rehabilitation program. Counseling also can be provided in individual sessions or in group formats. The goal of counseling is for alcoholics to learn what is causing their drinking, how to change their life so there is no longer a need to drink, and to learn coping skills so that when they feel the need to drink they will have the willpower to say no. Most counseling does not come free of charge, but many insurance companies will cover all or part of the cost of drug and alcohol counseling as part of an employee's policy.

Residential Treatment

• When outpatient counseling is not effective--or if the alcohol addiction has gotten severe enough to cause dangerous withdrawal symptoms when trying to quit--residential treatment may be an option to help an alcoholic quit drinking. Residential treatment provides the same benefits as counseling, but with a few added benefits. First, most residential treatments offer a period of detox. Because alcohol is an addictive substance, trying to quit often can cause severe withdrawal symptoms including vomiting and seizures in extreme circumstances. Detoxification services provide a safe and secure place for alcoholics to get any remaining alcohol out of their system in preparation for treatment. The second benefit that residential treatment offers is living on campus. Residential treatment removes the alcoholic from their surroundings, away from any triggers that may be causing their drinking. This dramatically increases the chances of quitting for good. Residential treatment also may be partially of fully covered under your insurance plan. Check with your insurance provider for additional information.

Medication

• A final option for helping an alcoholic quit drinking is medication. There are currently three FDA approved medications on the market for this purpose, naltrexone (Trexan), disulfiram (Antabuse) and acamprosate (Campral). Naltrexone works by blocking the effects of alcohol. Removing the effects often lessens the desire to use. Disulfiram works by physically making the alcoholic sick, even from drinking small amounts of alcohol. Acamprosate works by addressing the mental effects that may occur after quitting drinking, such as anxiety or depression. The anxiety and depression that may occur after becoming sober is often a trigger for relapse. Acamprosate affects the receptors in the brain and helps relieve the severity of these symptoms.