Hippocrates called alcoholism “voluntary madness.” If the “alcoholic madness” were actually voluntary, then probably this would greatly facilitate the work of doctors. Medicine would not be needed at all. It’s enough for a person no longer wants alcohol – and he or she is no longer an alcoholic.
But in fact, one can speak about voluntariness and generally about some will only at the stage of domestic drinking.
If alcoholism is diagnosed, the patient is almost no longer responsible for his or her thoughts and actions. They are formed under the influence of pathological attraction. Psychic and physical dependence is formed – the brain and internal organs can no longer function comfortably without the next dose.
To defeat a terrible disease, a person needs modern effective methods of treating alcoholism. Currently, there are schemes that help to “pull” a person out of the sticky tentacles of addiction even in the most seemingly hopeless cases. Below we will talk about the best ways of stop drinking.
First step: overcoming binge drinking
Pulling out a person of binge drinking is an event that should be carried out by an expert in narcology. Self-medication or seeking help from incompetent people without a medical education is unacceptable.
Effective treatment of alcoholism during drinking can be carried out in two ways:
- At home. You can call an alcohol treatment center and a doctor will come to your home;
- In the hospital. This option is more preferable. Only the clinic has the entire arsenal of medical and diagnostic tools. The doctor will be able to fully examine the patient, constantly look after him or her.
Effective methods of treating alcoholism withdrawal
Withdrawal is popularly known as “delirium tremens”. You can find a lot of humor in literature and the Internet on this subject. However, the patient and his/her relatives do not find those jokes funny.
Alcohol withdrawal is a condition that can lead to the most serious consequences: the commission of a criminal offense or the death of a patient.
Withdrawal syndrome should be treated only in a hospital! The risks are too high.
Detoxification
For the subsequent effective treatment of alcoholism, one needs to remove alcohol from the body.
This is usually done by administering drugs through a dropper:
- Antihypoxants – drugs that improve the absorption of oxygen by cells and tissues, eliminate oxygen starvation;
- Nootropics and neuroprotectors – drugs that protect the brain and improve metabolic processes in the nervous tissue. As a result, memory, thinking, and other mental functions improve;
- Antioxidants – drugs that protect cells from damage by free radicals (oxidizing agents that are released in large quantities during binge);
- Anticoagulants – drugs that prevent excessive blood clotting;
- Hepatoprotectors – drugs that protect and improve liver function;
- Infusion therapy – solutions that promote the removal of ethyl alcohol from the blood;
- Symptomatic remedies.
Today, in addition to medications, new methods of treating alcoholism are also used. One of them is bioxen therapy. During the session, the patient inhales a mixture of oxygen and xenon through a mask. This leads to vasodilation, improvement of the state of the nervous system, metabolic processes, stabilizes the emotional state and improves well-being.
Another effective treatment for alcoholism is plasmapheresis. It is a purification of blood plasma with the help of special devices. This method of detoxification is considered one of the most radical and effective ways to stop drinking.
Coding
Now you know one method for treating alcoholism in the first stage. Its purpose is to bring the patient out of an acute state and stabilize his or her well-being.
As soon as a patient feels good, he or she will decide that now everything is fine and nothing bad happens if he or she has a drink. Relapse should not be allowed in any case. Therefore, coding is done immediately after detoxification.
Coding is the general name for measures to “reprogram” the body aimed at the negative perception of any dose of alcohol. With successful coding, a patient with alcoholism begins to perceive alcohol exclusively as poison. Depending on the method, coding can occur at a psychological or physiological level. Coding is especially recommended for chronic alcoholics and patients in the late stages of alcoholism.
Below we will list the main effective methods of treating alcoholism with the help of coding:
- psychotherapeutic and hypnotic techniques;
- anti-alcohol implants with a disulfiram-based preparation;
- drugs for intravenous and intramuscular administration;
- opioid receptor blockers in the brain.
What is the best cure for alcoholism? Selection is always made individually by an expert in narcology.
The best way to treat alcoholism: rehabilitation
Many patients decide that they become healthy after coding. And they are very mistaken. The main problem of alcoholism is a strong mental dependence and the impossibility of “cultural” consumption of ethyl alcohol. You recover ONLY after:
- you understand that you are sick and are aware of the essence of your illness;
- you find your place in life, become necessary and happy;
- you learn to cope with problems and stress on your own, take responsibility for your life.
There is no “magic pill”. Detoxification therapy, coding, all types of implants are just preparation for the final, most difficult and important stage.
There is a modern methodology for the treatment of alcoholism known as “12 steps.” It is carried out in specialized rehabilitation centers. Under the guidance of an experienced psychotherapist, you rebuild a relationship with yourself and the world. You learn to be aware of your illness, learn to deal with guilt and other uncomfortable feelings. You understand your goal, decide how you will lead a healthy and fulfilling life in the future.
There are no “ex-alcoholics”. You can’t get sick, then code, wait a couple of years, and start drinking only on holidays “like everyone else.” From now on, every glass can become the beginning of something more for a person, namely, relapse and a return to illness.
Only a person who is able to understand and control this can be considered healthy.
Unfortunately, many people perceive rehabilitation quite differently. Most often they talk about it as something additional and optional. Of course, this is wrong.
Conclusion
The latest methods of treating alcoholism are constantly coming into the practice of drug treatment clinics, however, a universal remedy or “magic pill” has not yet been found that will make a patient stop drinking for good. Therefore, new methods of treating alcoholism are intended only to enhance the effectiveness of the old and proven ones.
To summarize, we repeat: treatment of alcoholism is most effective in rehabilitation centers that help restore physical and mental health and provide moral support.