Methods to Stop Alcohol Consumption in Bipolar 1 Patients

People suffering from bipolar disorder tend to be susceptible to alcoholism as well. There are two main types of treatment. First, the patient can be treated with medications such as lithium, valproate or naltrexone. Each of these have their pros and cons. Next, there are psychological treatments, from substance abuse treatment groups coupled with psychological care to an integrated approach that seeks to treat both of these issues simultaneously.

Drugs

• Lithium is a commonly used drug therapy for bipolar patients, especially adolescents. It is a mood stabilizer, allowing a reduction of the types of feelings that motivate alcohol use. However, bipolar alcoholics tend to be quick-cycling, and lithium has been shown not to work as well on these types of patients.

  Valproate is another commonly used mood stabilizer. It can also be effective in bipolar patients who have not responded to lithium.

  Naltrexone is an Food and Drug Administration-approved drug to reduce the craving for alcohol. It has proved successful when used on patients with mental disorders, although it should be used with caution in cases of demonstrated hypomania.

  Overall, drug compliance is extremely important if any of these will work to stop alcohol consumption. The closer the patient follows his drug regimen, the less likelihood there is for a relapse.

Group therapy

• A group therapy setting can also be useful for avoiding alcohol use in bipolar patients. For some, this could just involve joining Alcoholics Anonymous or any other substance abuse support group.

  However, a study by Harvard University's R.D. Weiss published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment in 1999 found that patients tended to relapse if they were sent to Alcoholic Anonymous or any other substance abuse treatment program that was not integrated with bipolar disorder.

  Therefore, some sort of group setting that deals with how these two ailments interact has proven more effective in preventing relapse. Weiss is involved with an approach known as integrated group therapy. This approach seeks to identify certain habits that can help in recovery from both substance abuse and mental health issues simultaneously. These are called "recovery behaviors." If these behaviors can be isolated, the patient has a way to work on both of his ailments at once. These recovery behaviors include avoiding drugs and alcohol, monitoring one's moods and cravings, sleeping well, and taking medication regularly.