Alcoholism Treatment

Do you have a problem with your drinking? Do you want to do something about it but don't want to go to your doctor or AA? A brand new website opening in April may be the answer

24/7 Help Yourself is a new concept that puts you in charge of your life and your drinking. Based on the latest research 24/7 Help Yourself is a new concept designed to give you the tools to empower you to change your life.

Currently we are looking for Beta Testers, people with a drink problem who will try out the site and feedback their experiences of using it. If you would like to help develop the site as a Beta Tester please go to this link and fill in the form. Thanks.

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Alcoholism treatment, like every aspect of the alcoholism field, is a subject that arouses passions and divides people into opposing camps. In one camp are the believers in the disease model who
firmly believe that there is only one valid outcome to treatment - abstinence (click here for a discussion about whether abstinence is a realistic outcome for alcoholism treatment). In the other camp are the believers in learning models, no labels and that everyone should learn controlled drinking. So who is right? Well they are both right and neither of them are right.

It may sound a bit of a cliche but not everyone is the same and abstinence is the right -and only- way for some, and controlled drinking is fine for others. Although it's a bit difficult to know who is who.

Is Alcoholism Treatment Effective?
Ahh, the $64,000 question. Unfortunately it begs all sorts of other questions before it can be answered.

What do you mean effective?

and for whom?

and compared to what?

Let me explain that. Effectiveness can be measured in many ways - which is one reason that the 2 camps start squabbling - for some only abstinence is sufficient, for others a reduction in previous drinking (ie an improvement) is a success.

If we look at the all or nothing figures (abstinence) then after one year only about 10% have had continuous abstinence - not great!! However if we look at improvement - drinking less and less often - then at one year the percentage improved is around 70% - better.

Other considerations are the costs to society for policing,

losses to industry through absenteeism

and the drain on health resources.

Recent economic studies in the UK found that for drug treatment and alcoholism treatment, every Ł1 spent resulted in a saving of Ł3 across these other areas. However, beware of such generalisations as they need to make considerable and sometimes questionable assumptions and at the end of the day they are only a guess, sure they represent the best guess at this time, but it is a guess nevertheless.

The next few pages will discuss the different approaches to treatment, the rationale, assumptions and evidence of effectiveness.

Pharmacological Treatments

Disulfiram Treatment

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