Alcohol Use Disorder: Frequently Asked Questions
Common Questions About Alcohol Use Disorder
What is the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence?
“Alcohol abuse” and “alcohol dependence” were two separate diagnoses under the DSM-IV. The DSM-5-TR combined them into a single diagnosis, alcohol use disorder, and grades it mild, moderate or severe according to how many criteria a person meets.
Drinking that damages someone’s work, home life or relationships now sits at the milder end of alcohol use disorder rather than forming a separate condition. Physical dependence, meaning tolerance and withdrawal, is one feature of alcohol use disorder, not a different illness.
Clinicians look for signs including:
- Withdrawal symptoms after periods of not drinking (anxiety, shakiness, nausea, sweating)
- An intense craving for alcohol
- An inability to quit drinking or control the amount of drinking at a given time
- Drinking becomes a priority, often taking the place of healthier activities
- An excessive amount of time is spent drinking or recovering from drinking
- Attempts to cut back on or quit drinking altogether have failed
- Drinking continues even though relationships and physical health are deteriorating
- Even after admitting there is a problem, the drinking continues
- Tolerance to alcohol gradually increases
Begin Recovery
Who do I turn to for alcohol use disorder treatment?
If you think you may have alcohol use disorder and need treatment, the first step is seeing a doctor for a diagnosis. Some people seek help themselves. Others are not aware of the problem, or are not yet ready to address it. It is not uncommon for a doctor to identify alcohol use disorder while you are being seen for something else.
Most doctors can treat alcohol use disorder, and you can also turn to other health professionals such as addiction counselors and social workers.
Support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous also help people maintain recovery.
What is the treatment process for alcohol use disorder?
Treatment for alcohol use disorder varies, and recovery can be a lifelong process. A doctor may recommend several things, but treatment usually combines counseling, group therapy, alcohol education, and sometimes medication. If your body has become physically dependent on alcohol, a doctor will normally recommend a medically supervised detox first. Some people are referred to a rehabilitation facility or clinic. Treatment helps you stop drinking, and it also addresses the day-to-day problems that drinking created. Recovery asks for commitment and honesty, and it is rarely easy.
What kind of treatment programs are available?
There are typically three different types of treatment programs that are available. Your doctor will help you decide which one is best for your recovery. Outpatient treatment involves going to clinics, counseling sessions, and therapy sessions regularly. Inpatient treatment involves staying in a treatment facility for a number of weeks. Residential recovery involves living in a facility while you recover, which can take several months.
What kind of counseling does treatment entail?
Treatment for alcohol use disorder often includes one or more of these types of counseling:
- Individual or group therapy, which includes talking about your recovery with a counselor or others in recovery
- Cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps you change the thoughts and actions that lead to drinking
- Motivational interviewing, where a counselor helps you work through mixed feelings about treatment and recovery
- Motivational enhancement therapy, which helps you find and hold on to the motivation to quit
- Brief intervention therapy, which uses very short sessions to offer feedback and advice on quitting
- Couples and family therapy, which helps you maintain healthy relationships during treatment and recovery
What kind of medicine is available for treatment?
Treatment for alcohol use disorder does not always require medication, though many people benefit from it. Medication-assisted treatment uses FDA-approved medicines that reduce cravings, make drinking unpleasant, or ease the physical effects of stopping. A doctor decides whether medication suits your situation, and monitors how you respond to it.
Can I quit drinking on my own?
Some people do cut back or stop drinking without formal treatment. Speak to a doctor before you try. Alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous and in severe cases fatal. Anyone who drinks heavily every day, who feels shaky, sweaty or sick when they stop, or who has ever had a withdrawal seizure, needs medically supervised detox rather than a self-managed plan.
If a doctor confirms it is safe for you, these steps help:
- Find your motivation. It helps to write down every reason you have to stop or cut back on drinking
- Devise a plan to meet your goal. That may mean cutting back gradually, or stopping at once. Come up with a plan that suits you, write it down, and do your best to stick to it
- Tell other people about your plan so you are not alone. There is nothing wrong with asking friends and family for help
- Assess your progress as you go. Reward yourself when you meet a goal, and do not be too hard on yourself when you do not. Relapse is common in recovery, so begin again if it happens
- Let the plan develop into new behaviors. Changing behavior takes time, and the more you practice it, the sooner it becomes a habit
- Avoid a lifestyle that is built around alcohol. That may mean new friends, a new social spot, or even a new job
- Find support groups to help you stay sober. It helps to have others with a similar problem while you recover, and it is still worth attending once you have met your goal
Take The First Step
Our experienced, compassionate admissions staff at Riverside Recovery of Tampa will guide you through every step of the admissions process. Many of them have gone through recovery themselves or are experienced in the mental health and substance abuse field. From your initial contact with our center, to your intake assessment, the admissions staff will bring you through our doors and on your way to recovery.