Inpatient or residential treatment and alcohol rehab is the most intensive level of care, with around-the-clock monitoring and clinical management to alleviate alcohol withdrawal symptoms and provide structure. After the detox phase, the patient lives at the facility full-time while receiving therapy, group counseling, medication management, holistic therapies, and other services. If you’re here seeking information for a friend or family member, we’ve also included resources on how to help a friend or family member, along with intervention strategies. Alcohol rehab is often the only way that an individual who’s struggling with addiction can get help.
Treatment can be outpatient and/or inpatient and be provided by specialty programs, therapists, and health care providers. A doctor may also prescribe medications to help you manage withdrawal symptoms and support you in your effort to stop drinking. Benzodiazepines can help alleviate withdrawal symptoms, while naltrexone may help you manage alcohol cravings.
Recovery starts here
While cirrhosis scars from excessive drinking are irreversible, quitting alcohol and leading a healthier lifestyle can help your liver heal from alcohol-related liver disease. Talk to them about alcohol abuse and express your support for further treatment, such as therapy, counseling or a 12-step program. You or your loved one can also call a free alcohol hotline for more information.
Behaviors, attitudes and other activities can also be passed down through families by repeating what was observed. With alcoholism, the most important component for alcohol treatment is usually time. A person may need varying levels of care with ‘step-down’ levels to foster long-term sobriety. According to the CDC, most people who drink too much are not alcohol-dependent, and 9 out of 10 adults engaging in alcohol abuse do not have alcohol dependence or alcoholism. In fact, experiencing alcohol withdrawal syndrome is one of the first signs of alcoholism for those who may not have previously seen their drinking habits as a problem. Heavy alcohol use is a form of alcohol abuse in which a person drinks a lot of alcohol over a longer period of time—or binging at least five or more days in the past month.
Changes Diagnostic Thresholds
Binge drinking also increases the likelihood of unsafe sexual behavior and the risk of sexually transmitted infections and unintentional pregnancy. Because of the impairments it produces, binge drinking also increases the likelihood of a host of potentially deadly consequences, including falls, burns, drownings, and car crashes. The main difference between AUD and alcoholism is clinical terminology and diagnosis. A doctor won’t diagnose you with alcoholism, but you may hear this term used in non-clinical settings to describe the symptoms and effects of alcohol use disorder. These two terms were once used interchangeably, but this changed in 2013, when the DSM-5 recognized AUD as the official diagnosable condition. Nearly everyone who remains within these limits avoids developing an Alcohol Use Disorder.
- As an isolated occurrence, some of these signs are not necessarily a cause for immediate concern.
- Alcohol abuse was defined as a condition in which a person continues to drink despite recurrent social, interpersonal, health, or legal problems as a result of their alcohol use.
- Regardless of whether someone abuses alcohol or has crossed the line into alcohol addiction, there is help available for anyone who struggles with alcohol.
- They may also perform a physical exam to assess whether your alcohol consumption is detrimentally affecting your health.
Alcohol addiction treatment is more effective when loved ones are supportive. Treatment centers can help a person to stop drinking while therapy services are utilized to teach healthy coping mechanisms. Therapy will also help a person deal with the mental health and emotional issues that contribute to addiction. If you’re asking yourself, “why does it matter how we label unhealthy drinking? At Monument, we’re on a mission to reframe alcohol use disorder as a medical condition, not a moral failing.
Is Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) the Same Thing as Alcoholism?
The Recovery Village Telehealth app connects you with licensed professionals conducting individual and group therapy sessions. While some people may be better served in-person, teletherapy helps make treatment more accessible to people in need of recovery. Misusing alcohol in what is the difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism one instance may not lead to an alcohol use disorder. However, continuing to abuse alcohol over a period of time will likely lead to an alcohol problem. It’s for this reason that you should strive to avoid alcohol abuse and seek to help people who are battling this issue.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) classifies various mental illnesses and disorders. Mental health professionals use it nationwide to categorize and diagnose individuals seeking treatment. Regardless of the path you choose for treatment, the VOASW is here to support you. If you’re struggling with alcohol use and need someone to talk to, contact us today. To avoid these tendencies, try to drink alcohol in moderation—or not at all. Moderating alcohol consumption means limiting yourself to one or two drinks, no more than once or twice a week.
What is alcoholism?
If you see a doctor for your alcohol use, they will not diagnose you as an alcoholic. Instead, they will use the symptoms in the DSM-V to determine whether you have a mild, moderate or severe AUD. If you go to Alcoholics Anonymous, very rarely will you hear the term alcohol use disorder.
