We usually experience setbacks along the way, learn from them, and then keep going. Currently, there are three medications approved for AUD in the United States, and they are an effective and important aid in the treatment of people with this condition. Some people are surprised to learn that there are medications on the market approved to treat AUD.
NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator helps find quality treatment of alcohol use disorder
Research the kinds of treatment that are available and discuss these options with your friend or family member. Express your concerns in a caring way and encourage your friend or family member to get help. But you will need to call to ask, of course, if they are accepting referrals. Magnolia Health offers affordable Mississippi Medicaid and health insurance. Get covered or become a provider with Magnolia Health today.
Why do different people need different options?
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. In fact, there are many treatment options available thanks to significant advances in medical and behavioral research over the past decades. NIAAA cannot endorse or recommend any particular treatment provider. The Navigator is a comprehensive, easy-to-use tool to help individuals and their loved ones navigate the often-complicated process of choosing treatment for alcohol problems. With many treatment options available, the Navigator makes the search easier by telling them what they need to know – and what they need to do – to find quality care that meets their needs. It might take one or more tries to find a treatment provider that “fits.” Therapists each have their own personal style, and treatment programs each have a different environment.
- If you’re having suicidal thoughts, call your health care provider or go to the nearest emergency room right away.
- Many people struggle with controlling their drinking at some point in their lives.
- Three medications are currently approved in the United States to help people stop or reduce their drinking and prevent a return to drinking.
eHealth Alcohol Treatment Tools*
Each of these fee-based tools has a research base that shows its potential to help people cut down or quit drinking. For a brief, technical summary of developments in this area, see the NIAAA Alcohol Alert issue on eHealth Technology. Caring for a person who has problems with alcohol can be very stressful. It is important that as you try to help your loved one, you also find a way to take care of yourself. It may help to seek support from others, including friends, family, community, and support groups. If you are developing your own symptoms of depression or anxiety, think about seeking professional help for yourself.
Organization Highlight: Facing Addiction
But itʹs important to seek that some sort of family counseling or program as well, if they are open to it. AUD is characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. Health care providers diagnose AUD when a person has two or more of the symptoms listed below. AUD can be mild (the presence of two to three symptoms), moderate (the presence of four to five symptoms), or severe (the presence of six or more symptoms).
See a doctor or mental health professional if symptoms persist or get worse. If you’re having suicidal thoughts, call your health care provider or go to the nearest emergency room right away. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or chat at 988lifeline.org. Effective treatment is available to help you through this difficult time. Alcoholics Anonymous® (also known as “AA”) and other 12-step programs provide peer support for people quitting or cutting back on their drinking. Combined with treatment led by health care providers, mutual-support groups can offer a valuable added layer of support.
- Given the diverse biological processes that contribute to AUD, new medications are needed to provide a broader spectrum of treatment options.
- AUD is characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences.
- If the therapist does not accept the personʹs insurance, ask for a cost estimate for a typical treatment episode.
There are more than 5,000 board-certified addiction medicine physicians or addiction psychiatrists in the U.S. They can do independent assessments, provide AUD medications, and help shape a treatment plan tailored to your patient’s needs. Patients with moderate to severe alcohol use disorder (AUD) should consider seeing one of these specialists. Of note, addiction psychiatrists are well equipped to treat patients with comorbid mental health problems and may provide therapy.
Mindfulness-based skill-building strategies promote flexible, rather than autopilot, responses to triggers that can prompt drinking. Alcohol use disorder is a health condition that can improve with treatment. Experts estimate that millions of Americans could benefit from treatment for an alcohol how to search and what to ask navigator niaaa problem, but most don’t get it. We recommend that you review and update your referral list at least annually.
The NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator was created in direct response to calls that the NIAAA was receiving from the public on a regular basis, asking how and where to find alcohol use disorder treatment. The NIAAA cannot endorse any specific treatment program or provider, but we wanted to give individuals useful, actionable information in an unbiased way, so they could search for themselves. This is a one-stop resource for learning about treatment, how to recognize high-quality treatment providers, and how to search several national directories of treatment programs and specialists. Also, be sure to look for the other types of treatment providers— alcohol treatment programs and board-certified addiction doctors. NIAAA did focus groups and usability tests with dozens of individuals who had been through the process of seeking treatment for a loved one, and adapted the content as needed to fit this target audience.
Others are hospital-based, equipped to provide medically managed detoxification and inpatient care. Generally, patients with moderate to severe AUD may be better suited to residential or inpatient programs, whereas patients with mild to moderate AUD often do well in structured outpatient programs. The NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator® cannot ensure that the search process will deliver higher-quality treatment providers in your vicinity who are using evidence-based approaches. See 10 recommended questions to ask treatment programs in Step 2. They will help you learn whether a program offers higher-quality care and is a good fit for your situation. It’s common for people with alcohol problems to feel depressed or anxious.
Pointing the way to evidence-based care®
These provide brief messages to encourage people to visit the Navigator. Before sharing, become familiar with the website and have in mind pages to highlight. And when you do share, offer to help them later, too, if they need help choosing an option.
Overall, gather as much information as you can about a program or provider before making a decision on treatment. If you know someone who has firsthand knowledge of a program, it may help to ask about their personal experience. 12-step facilitation therapy is an engagement strategy used in counseling sessions to increase an individual’s active involvement in 12-step-based mutual-support groups. Brief Interventions are short, one-on-one or small-group counseling sessions that are time limited. The counselor provides information about the individual’s drinking pattern and potential risks. After the individual receives personalized feedback, the counselor will help set goals.
Groups for Family and Friends
In the U.S., more than 5,000 medical doctors are board-certified addiction specialists. They are highly trained to provide full assessments, treatment plans, and medications for alcohol problems. Therapists with expertise in treating addiction can support people with alcohol problems in several ways. They can work in solo or group practices or in health care centers.