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Also known as “alcohol counseling,” behavioral treatments involve working with a health care provider to identify and help change the behaviors that lead to alcohol problems. Mutual-support groups provide peer support for stopping or reducing drinking. Group meetings are available in most communities at low or no cost, and at convenient times and locations—including an increasing presence online. This means they can be especially helpful to individuals at risk for relapse to drinking. Combined with medications and behavioral treatment provided by health care professionals, mutual-support groups can offer a valuable added layer of support.

1. If your goal is to reduce your drinking, decide which days you will drink alcohol and how many drinks you will allow yourself per day.
2. You can’t force them to stop drinking if they aren’t ready.
3. Millions of readers rely on HelpGuide.org for free, evidence-based resources to understand and navigate mental health challenges.
4. We usually experience setbacks along the way, learn from them, and then keep going.
5. As a result, overcoming guilt and negative self-talk is vital.

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If your provider suspects that you have a problem with alcohol, you may be referred to a mental health provider. 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). A health care provider might ask the following questions to assess a person’s symptoms.

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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. Just as some people with diabetes or asthma may eco sober house have flare-ups of their disease, a return to drinking can be seen as a temporary setback to full recovery and not as a failure. Most people benefit from regular checkups with a treatment provider. Medications can also deter drinking during times when individuals may be at greater risk for a return to drinking (e.g., divorce, death of a family member). Other ways to get help include talking with a mental health professional or seeking help from a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or a similar type of self-help group.

Some people may think the only way to deal with it is with willpower, as if it’s a problem they have to work through all on their own. To learn more about alcohol treatment options and search for quality care near you, please visit the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator. Severity is based on the number of criteria a person meets based on their symptoms—mild (2–3 criteria), moderate (4–5 criteria), or severe (6 or more criteria). During the recovery stage, it’s not uncommon to feel temporarily worse.

Too much alcohol affects your speech, muscle coordination and vital centers of your brain. A heavy drinking binge may even cause signs you were roofied a life-threatening coma or death. This is of particular concern when you’re taking certain medications that also depress the brain’s function. Unhealthy alcohol use includes any alcohol use that puts your health or safety at risk or causes other alcohol-related problems.

Types of Treatment

If identified and treated early, someone with an alcohol addiction may be able to avoid major consequences of the disease. Alcoholism is a common and different term for alcohol use disorder. Milder cases — when people abuse alcohol but aren’t dependent on it — are as well.

Primary care and mental health providers can smash mouth liver failure provide effective AUD treatment by combining new medications with brief counseling visits. Your health care provider or mental health provider will ask additional questions based on your responses, symptoms and needs. Preparing and anticipating questions will help you make the most of your appointment time. If you’re a long-term, heavy drinker, you may need medically supervised detoxification. Talk to your doctor or an addiction specialist to learn more.

Make a note about how you feel physically and mentally on these days—recognizing the benefits may help you to cut down for good. Research shows that most people who have alcohol problems are able to reduce their drinking or quit entirely. You may be able to better compare your options by assessing whether and how the program or provider measures success.