What is the treatment for alcohol addiction?

Some are surprised to learn that there are medications on the market approved to treat alcohol dependence. The newer types of these medications work by offsetting changes in the brain caused by alcoholism. read more

But alcohol use disorder is actually considered a brain disease. Alcohol causes changes in your brain that make it hard to quit. Trying to tough it out on your own can be like trying to cure appendicitis with cheerful thoughts. It’s not enough. An important first step is to learn more about your treatments, and there are a lot to choose from. read more

Primary care and mental health practitioners can provide effective alcoholism treatment by combining new medications with brief counseling visits. To aid clinicians, NIAAA has developed two guides: Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much, and for younger patients, Alcohol Screening and Brief Interventions for Youth: A Practitioner’s Guide. read more

Alcohol use disorder, or alcoholism, is an addiction to alcohol. Here's what you need to know about symptoms, treatment, prevention, and more. read more