Alcohol Use Disorder

• Drinking alone or in secret.
• Not being able to limit how much alcohol is consumed.
• Blacking out and not being able to remember chunks of time.
• Having rituals and being irritated if someone else comments on these rituals, for example, drinks before, during, or after meals, or after work.
• Losing interest in hobbies that were previously enjoyed.
• Feeling an urge to drink.
• Feeling irritable when drinking times approach, especially if alcohol is not, or may not be, available.
• Storing alcohol in unlikely places.
• Gulping drinks down in order to feel good.
• Having problems with relationships, the law, finances, or work that stem from drinking.
• Needing more alcohol to feel its effect.
• Experiencing nausea, sweating, or shaking when not drinking.

Alcohol is the most commonly used recreational drug in the world, and it is used for its relaxation and socializing properties. It also has a complicated relationship with psychiatric disorders. Individuals who suffer from anxiety, poor self-esteem, social phobias, or depression use it as self-medication to feel better. When they do feel comfortable, it will only be for a brief amount of time. It is a bad treatment for any illness whether it is anxiety, depression, or a bad cold.

• Get to know the addiction: Alcohol addiction has alarming effects on the nervous system. Alcohol addiction should be viewed as a chronic disease and not a choice. However, the initial experimentation can be a decision but soon the user develops a dependence thus thinking the alcohol to be vital for their comfort and survival. This kind of understanding can go a long way in helping the family understand the addict and ensuring proper treatment.
• Set your boundaries: Family members must abstain from helping the addict financially. It is important to understand that such action would rather escalate the addiction. Chronically addicted individuals tend to use family and friends to their advantage to sustain the addiction. The family needs to put up a brave face and set boundaries for themselves and the addict.
• Do not enable: any behaviour that supports the addiction is called ‘enabling’. It can be financial help, hiding the addiction from authorities, or making excuses.
• Consider professional help at the earliest: Counselling people with alcohol addiction is of utmost importance. Dealing with an alcohol-addicted loved one can be a harrowing experience and thus requires a lot of patience, getting help from a psychologist in this kind of scenario can be comforting.
• Confront the addict: Although difficult, but it can prove to an important step towards recovery. Voice your concern in a way that shows concern and not blames. However, if your loved one seems indifferent to the idea of treatment then an intervention may be considered.

At Mind plus we offer comprehensive biopsychosocial treatment for alcohol addiction. With an experience of over two decades in this field, we are able to offer unmatched, evidence-based treatment for alcohol addiction. We use modern treatment modalities such as the SMART (Self-management and recovery training) philosophy – based on CBT in addiction. Besides the long-term residential treatment wherein we focus on resocialization we also provide outpatient alcohol treatment depending on the patient’s needs.

With our comprehensive treatment, we ensure that we provide an individual with the best possible chance of developing the type of insight, motivation, and ability to manage themselves in such a way that has perhaps not happened before, ensuring long-term recovery, productivity, and success in life.