Consuming a moderate amount of alcohol is not a problem, for most adults, it can actually benefit your health like helping reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease for example (Bachai). The real danger comes when people start engaging in risky behavior and abusing alcohol. Currently, it is estimated that 14 million Americans abuse alcohol or are alcoholics (Medicine Net). That is one out of every thirteen adults in the United States who are abusing alcohol by consuming it in large quantities (Medicine Net). One of these adults is my mom’s cousin Horacio who has been struggling with alcoholism since 2008. Not only does alcoholism affect your physical and mental health, it also affects your family, personal relationships, work, and education.
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Some solutions for alcoholism could be medication, behavioral therapy, and mutual help groups. These plus strong support from family and friends can help people overcome their alcoholism. Some medication available targets the part of brain that is affected during withdrawal to reduce shaking, spasms, and panic often associated with detoxification (WebMD). Another medicine blocks the endorphins that are released while drinking that are responsible for the feel good affect it gives making drinking just a horrible experience (Alcoholism Treatment and Success). Medication would be a good solution because it can be provided everywhere and it takes away part of the reason people drink (the good feeling), and part of the reason people do not quit (withdrawal). To enhance the effectiveness of the medication it is used in conjunction with behavioral therapy. Behavioral therapy promotes self-changing by setting goals, self-monitoring of drinking, analysis of drinking situations, and learning alternate coping skills (Alcohol Alert). Couples and family therapies analyze drinking behaviors and aim to improve relationship factors, such as improving communication, avoiding conflicts, and learning to solve problems that might lead to drinking (Alcohol Alert). Behavioral therapy focuses on the will power of the individual to be able to change their life for a better with the help of medicine, and familial support. Despite developments in medications and behavioral therapies, mutual help groups remain the most commonly sought source of help for alcohol use disorders in the United States (Alcohol Alert). MHGs are groups of two or more people who share a problem and come together to provide problem-specific help and support to one another (Alcohol Alert). Although AA has the largest following, there are groups that cater to populations with different demographics and preferences (Alcohol
Some solutions for alcoholism could be medication, behavioral therapy, and mutual help groups. These plus strong support from family and friends can help people overcome their alcoholism. Some medication available targets the part of brain that is affected during withdrawal to reduce shaking, spasms, and panic often associated with detoxification (WebMD). Another medicine blocks the endorphins that are released while drinking that are responsible for the feel good affect it gives making drinking just a horrible experience (Alcoholism Treatment and Success). Medication would be a good solution because it can be provided everywhere and it takes away part of the reason people drink (the good feeling), and part of the reason people do not quit (withdrawal). To enhance the effectiveness of the medication it is used in conjunction with behavioral therapy. Behavioral therapy promotes self-changing by setting goals, self-monitoring of drinking, analysis of drinking situations, and learning alternate coping skills (Alcohol Alert). Couples and family therapies analyze drinking behaviors and aim to improve relationship factors, such as improving communication, avoiding conflicts, and learning to solve problems that might lead to drinking (Alcohol Alert). Behavioral therapy focuses on the will power of the individual to be able to change their life for a better with the help of medicine, and familial support. Despite developments in medications and behavioral therapies, mutual help groups remain the most commonly sought source of help for alcohol use disorders in the United States (Alcohol Alert). MHGs are groups of two or more people who share a problem and come together to provide problem-specific help and support to one another (Alcohol Alert). Although AA has the largest following, there are groups that cater to populations with different demographics and preferences (Alcohol