But friends and family may feel unsure about how best to provide the support needed. The groups for family and friends listed in the “Resources” section may be a good starting point. Just like any other medical condition, people with substance use disorders deserve to have a range of treatment options available to them. Scientists are working to develop a larger menu of pharmaceutical treatments that could be tailored to individual needs. When asked how alcohol problems are treated, people commonly think of 12-step programs or 28-day inpatient treatment centers but may have difficulty naming other options.

1. This guide is written for individuals—and their family and friends—who are looking for options to address alcohol problems.
2. In new research, the team focused only on those types of drinking behaviors that they deemed problematic, which they describe as alcohol use disorder (AUD).
3. If you have any of these symptoms, alcohol may already be a cause for concern.
4. The Navigator offers a step-by-step process to finding a highly qualified professional treatment provider.
5. By exploring each category in depth, you’ll better understand the complexities surrounding alcoholism.

Inpatient Treatment

It typically includes individual and group counseling and medication-assisted therapy like naltrexone (Vivitrol). Chronic severe alcoholics experience the highest alcohol-related emergency room visits, professional and social problems, and withdrawal. In many Does Alcohol Help You Sleep No, Sleep Expert Explains Why cases, you may not expect a functional alcoholic to have a problem.

Prescription options include Kloxxado (8 mg/spray), Rextovy (4 mg/spray), and Rezenopy (10 mg/spray). Narcan (4 mg/spray) and ReVive (3 mg/spray) are brand names available OTC. You will want to understand what will be asked of you in order to decide what treatment best suits your needs. Detoxification usually lasts a few days to a week, depending on the severity of your addiction.

Caron Outpatient Treatment Center

They can be particularly useful in locations with few addiction health professionals. There are even accredited, all-telehealth alcohol treatment programs. Substance use disorder is a mental health disorder in which a person continually uses drugs or alcohol even though it is causing physical, psychological, and/or personal harm. The causes of substance use disorder are unknown, but risk factors have been identified. Based on clinical experience, many health care providers believe that support from friends and family members is important in overcoming alcohol problems.

Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT)

The medications and treatment program recommended will be based on each individual’s situation. Research shows that most people who have alcohol problems are able to reduce their drinking or quit entirely. Each of these fee-based tools has a research base that shows its potential to help people cut down or quit drinking. You may be able to better compare your options by assessing whether and how the program or provider measures success. The three-step road map outlined in the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator offers expert guidance to focus and support your efforts. Learn how to find higher quality, science-backed alcohol treatment to raise your changes for success.

Some people drink every day, they note, others just on weekends—and others go on drinking binges. They suspected that genetic differences account for the different types of AUDs. For more information about treatment options, see NIAAA’s Treatment for Alcohol Problems booklet. This combination can mirror the “active ingredients” of the best specialty programs. At the same time, it’s a way to get higher quality, one-on-one care that maintains privacy.

Understanding the various types of alcoholics helps tailor treatment and support to meet their specific needs and get help. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use disorder, please explore our comprehensive resources and inpatient and outpatient treatment options at Caron. Common mental health conditions that co-occur with AUD are depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma- and stress-related disorders, other substance use disorders, and sleep disorders. Studies show that people who have AUD are more likely to suffer from major depression or anxiety over their lifetime.

Chronic Severe Subtype

Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. By Sherry ChristiansenChristiansen is a medical writer with a healthcare background. She has worked in the hospital setting and collaborated on Alzheimer’s research.