Counseling for Alcohol Addiction: Alcohol Counseling

NIAAA cannot endorse any treatment providers nor be responsible for the options ultimately chosen. The NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator® cannot ensure that the search process will deliver higher-quality treatment providers in your vicinity who are using evidence-based approaches. In addition, the search tools on the Navigator may not capture every possible higher-quality treatment provider in your vicinity. For any alcohol treatment program you are considering, be sure to ask the 10 recommended questions, and use the answers to check for five signs of higher-quality care. The alcohol counselor will try to figure out the best way to provide motivation to keep you sticking with the treatment program even when it gets tough.

1. See the Navigator’s summary of five signs of quality alcohol treatment.
2. Medications also can help deter drinking during times when individuals may be at greater risk of a return to drinking (e.g., divorce, death of a family member).
3. If the drinking world is conceptualized as a spectrum, normal social drinking is one on end (a few drinks per month, almost always in a social context) and alcohol use disorder is on the other end.
4. About 15 million American adults and 400,000 adolescents suffer from alcohol use disorder, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Is Counseling for Alcohol Abuse Effective?

It draws from a national database kept by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). To learn more about alcohol treatment options and search for quality care near you, please visit the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator. Alcohol counseling and treatment centers are available in most areas, although some are more sparse than others. The success rate of a facility and whether the facility is covered by your insurance are two of the most important determinants.

It is intended as a resource to understand what treatment choices are available and what to consider when selecting among them. For more information, please visit the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator®, an online tool that helps individuals find the right treatment for them—and near them. The Navigator offers a step-by-step process to finding a highly qualified professional treatment provider. If you’re struggling with alcohol abuse or an alcohol use disorder and are ready to seek treatment, American Addiction Centers (AAC) can help. Alcohol.org is a subsidiary of AAC, a nationwide provider of addiction treatment centers. See the Navigator’s summary of five signs of quality alcohol treatment.

Types of Treatment

Some have criticized Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs because they are rooted in religious ideology rather than scientific principles. The biggest barrier to therapy of any kind that patients may face is group ideas for substance abuse shame and stigma; most programs address such concerns directly. As anyone who has had even a glass of wine can attest, alcohol can have a noticeable influence on mood.

Options for Treatment

Based on clinical experience, many health care providers believe that support from is demi moore sober friends and family members is important in overcoming alcohol problems. But friends and family may feel unsure about how best to provide the support needed. The groups for family and friends listed in the “Resources” section may be a good starting point. Your provider may also be able to suggest an online self-guided program.

Drinking releases endorphins which can lead people to feel happy, energized, and excited. But alcohol is also classified as a depressant and can cause fatigue, restlessness, and depression. It may shift from stimulant to sedative in line with whether blood alcohol content is rising or falling. Given the power of alcohol substance abuse group activities for adults on the brain, people who drink heavily may come to rely on it to regulate their mood. The idea that altered forms of consciousness such as mania or alcohol can enhance creativity is a popular belief.

12-step facilitation therapy is an engagement strategy used in counseling sessions to increase an individual’s active involvement in 12-step-based mutual-support groups. Cognitive behavioral therapy is another path, available in person or online. Non-abstinence-based recovery models—such as Moderation Management—advocate for reducing one’s alcohol consumption rather than abstaining completely.

Still, to help your search in general, see the Navigator’s summary of five signs of quality alcohol treatment. We also help you spot quality in the “Why you should ask” and “What to listen for” sections for the recommended questions. Caring for a person who has problems with alcohol can be very stressful. It is important that as you try to help your loved one, you also find a way to take care of yourself. It may help to seek support from others, including friends, family, community, and support groups.