Alcohol Use Disorder – A Medical Problem Requiring a Medical Solution

Individual’s with Alcohol Use Disorder are difficult to get into treatment.

Listed under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), AUD requires professional counseling to be properly diagnosed and treated. The vast majority of sufferers, however, go undiagnosed and untreated for their whole lives. Friends and family may beg their loved ones to seek help, but less than 10% actually attempt any form of medical treatment according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

As tragic as that figure is, it’s not unexpected. Persons with AUD are historically difficult to get into treatment programs. Alcoholics Anonymous has long been aware that the biggest hurdle for alcoholics is getting them to admit that they need help. Indeed, AA’s first of their well-known Twelve Steps is for members to affirm: “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.”

AA’s guiding principles can be helpful for those seeking to confront their addiction.

However, it’s important to remember that when a person’s drinking habits have become so severe as to constitute AUD, medical care is necessary for effective intervention and recovery. The key here is accepting the view of alcoholism as a medical problem requiring a medical solution. Until that occurs, many who are addicted to drinking will shrug off the notion that they need a doctor involved.

Medical care is even more urgent for those simultaneously struggling with other mental health issues. The link between alcoholism and depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and related problems is widely recognized within the medical community. In fact, the term “comorbidity” refers to the existence of “two or more disorders or illnesses occurring in the same person.” Such conditions are critical because each individual illness makes the others worse.

In such a state, one’s ability to make decisions in their own best interests is severely diminished. For example, we all know that alcohol is a depressant. When a person is trying to cope with depression they may consume alcohol to relax. It serves as an easy escape mechanism, hitting the brain instantly and depressing the Central Nervous System. It does this by mimicking the neurotransmitter GABA, slowing neural activity, and causing an array of side effects the more one consumes.

One of the major side effects is judgment impairment. The person drinks more than they should, may feel tired and depressed the next day, and soon returns to the bottle to feel better. According to WebMD, the temporary desired effect of “drowning your sorrows” comes at a high cost. Studies have shown that a third of people with major depression also have co-occurring AUD. Like the chicken and the egg, it is hard to determine which came first in some cases, but the results are the same. The person must get professional help if they wish to overcome these combined threats to their health and well-being.

Gulf Breeze Recovery offers a nurturing environment in a beautiful setting where each guest is treated with dignity and respect.  Gulf Breeze Recovery strives to offer the best and most comprehensive alcohol and substance abuse treatment options in the country, with plans of treatment tailored to the needs of your loved one.

If you or someone you care about, has an ongoing history of alcohol or substance use and/or relapse, contact Gulf Breeze Recovery or call: 833.551.2356 to speak to an addiction expert to learn more about their residential program, out-patient program, and intensive out-patient program, and which of these can best fit your individual needs.  These programs have helped many people overcome their addiction and embrace their new happy, healthy, substance-free lifestyle.

We help people not just to survive, but to THRIVE!