Alcohol addiction Treatment

Natalia Rivkina– head of the clinic, tells

psychiatry and psychotherapy, psychiatrist, psychotherapist

Alcoholism is a chronic disease

Unfortunately, alcoholism is widespread in Russia. The main danger of alcohol dependence is that many patients do not realize the severity of the problem and its depth. They don't realize they're sick.

Alcoholism is a disease, it is not a psychological condition. Although many people associate alcoholism with stress and overload. A certain percentage of people have a predisposition to alcohol addiction. Alcoholism very often develops against the background of depression, anxiety disorders and sleep disorders, and is a complication of a psychoemotional or mental disorder.

A huge number of people use alcohol to cope with emotional stress, anxiety and sleep disorders. These are often active, successful people who have been under stress and emotional overload for a long time and who, when they come home in the evening, have the habit of drinking one or two glasses of wine. After a while, they stop feeling comfortable without alcohol, it becomes the only way for them to cope with problems.

In the later stages of alcohol dependence, there are:

• withdrawal symptoms,
• compulsive need to drink alcohol,
• reduction of alcohol tolerance.

Even a small amount of alcohol makes a person very drunk. Most often, such people do not go to the clinic, and only the participation of family or loved ones can help a person find the strength to go to the doctors, or a severe somatic condition that occurs against a background of binge drinking. A person who constantly drinks alcohol may experience complications on the liver, on the central nervous system, up to the development of epileptic seizures that require hospital care.

Alcohol addiction treatment at the EMC clinic

Alcoholism treatment is a long process, the success of which depends on the patient's desire to get rid of the disease. Unfortunately, more often than not, family members ask the patient to seek help or patients seek short detoxification after binge drinking episodes, which is not a cure. Detoxification removes painful symptoms, but it does not eliminate addiction.

For the treatment of alcohol dependence, the EMC clinic has developed a comprehensive program that includes family support. It is important to change the stereotype of communication in the family, to change those patterns of family communication that can support the alcoholism of the patient. A team of specialists works with the patient and his relatives: a psychiatrist, a narcologist, a psychotherapist, a neurologist, a general practitioner, a cardiologist, a gastroenterologist, etc.

We have at our disposal a wide range of modern drugs that block alcohol cravings and help people control their condition. These are infusion drugs that are administered once every few weeks and retain their effect for a long time. There is a group of drugs that patients take on their own. They block the pleasure of alcohol, and the patient can control the alcoholic breakdown, can stop in time. Additionally, a complex of drugs is prescribed to control sleep and mood disorders and reduce anxiety, which most often appear at the stage when patients stop taking alcohol. Sometimes we select therapy in the hospital for two to three days in order to make sure that the therapy is most effective for the patient.

Psychotherapeutic support is provided in parallel with pharmacotherapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy techniques have been developed for patients with addictive behavior. They are used to make a person aware of their craving for alcohol and to control it. Psychotherapists teach the patient how to behave in situations that provoke alcohol intake, for example, at a party, in a restaurant.

Family support

Psychotherapeutic support includes working with the family. Our task is to explain to the family the medical aspects of alcoholism and teach proper patient support. With alcohol dependence, family members usually develop codependent behavior when their entire lives are devoted to saving and caring for a sick person. Sometimes relatives, taking care of a loved one with alcohol addiction, leave work to be constantly with the patient, and all the financial efforts of the family are spent on treatment. This vicious circle only supports and sometimes exacerbates alcohol addiction. Psychotherapists train the family on proper behavior in case of alcohol breakdowns and proper communication with the patient in order to prevent breakdowns in the future.

Life without alcohol

Many patients ask if alcohol can be taken after treatment. It is important to understand that alcohol addiction begins when alcohol becomes a means of solving problems. For example, without alcohol, a person does not feel comfortable in company, experiences tension, and cannot cope with stress. He experiences such anxiety and tension that only alcohol can remove. When alcohol becomes the only means of obtaining pleasure, we can talk about addiction. Not when a person develops withdrawal symptoms, but much earlier.

The purpose of treatment is to help a person enjoy life, feel comfortable in company, and cope with difficulties without alcohol. This is the result we are striving for.

Alcoholism is a chronic disease. The risk of relapse persists throughout life, so we recommend that patients limit their alcohol intake as much as possible. Our task is to support a person, to help him live a full life without alcohol.

When to see a doctor

If you see that your loved one drinks a glass of wine every night and cannot sleep without alcohol, it is important to meet with a specialist. Alcohol abuse is not always the reason for a visit to the doctor. It can be sleep disorders, excessive anxiety. In any case, you need to take a firm stand and ensure that the person seeks help.

Alcohol addiction does not go away on its own, it requires treatment. Relatives can come to a psychiatric consultation beforehand to discuss how and how to motivate the patient to meet with a doctor.

If you have any questions or would like to know the cost of alcohol addiction treatment at the EMC, please call +7 (495) 933 66 55.