Why Alcoholism is a Chronic Disease: The Science Behind Addiction

Long-term management and support are essential components of recovery from alcoholism. It’s important to develop a personalized plan that addresses individual needs and provides ongoing support. This may include a combination of therapeutic interventions, medication, and lifestyle modifications. Relapse refers to a return to why is alcoholism considered a chronic disease alcohol use after a period of abstinence or reduced drinking. It is important to note that relapse does not indicate failure but rather a part of the recovery process.

Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder

Many of us have a tendency of blaming this issue on addicted people but it should be realized that it is a mental and physical issue. A second limitation of the Minnesota Model is its exclusive focus on the AA/NA principles and philosophy, which are embraced by many AOD abusers but rejected by others. As a result, for patients who are not willing to follow the AA/NA rules and recommendations, the Minnesota Model is not a viable treatment option. Chronic diseases are those that last for a long time and often do not have a cure.

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• Family members and friends may experience emotional distress, financial strain, and social isolation.
• All of these experiences help the patient achieve and maintain abstinence, and changes in the reported relationships between the patient and these support groups can serve as a signal to the counselor that the patient is at increased risk of relapse.
• The study found that both the full-care and stepped-care approaches produced better outcomes at 12 months than standard care.
• In this article, we will explore why alcoholism is considered a chronic disease and what it entails.
• This, in turn, can lead to enhanced vulnerability to relapse as well as favor perpetuation of excessive drinking.

Although the programs are not standardized, they all focus on the 12-step principles underlying the Minnesota Model and self-help groups. During the sessions, participants typically report on their current status (e.g., AOD use) as well as their progress towards working the 12 steps. Other components may include feedback and support from other group members as well as planning of drug-free leisure activities for the upcoming days.

Navigating Recovery with a Dual Diagnosis

Scott and Dennis (2002) developed another adaptive protocol referred to as “Recovery Management Checkups” (RMC), in which participating AOD abusers were interviewed every 3 months to assess the need for further treatment. If treatment appeared warranted, as judged by clearly spelled out criteria, the patients were immediately transferred to a linkage manager. This person worked with the patients to help them acknowledge the need for further treatment and address barriers to treatment and who also arranged scheduling and transportation to treatment.

Long-term alcohol use can produce changes in the brain that can cause people to crave alcohol, lose control of their drinking and require greater quantities of alcohol to achieve its desired effects. It can also cause people to experience withdrawal symptoms if they discontinue alcohol use. The disease model of addiction offers a lens to view alcoholism as something more.

Understanding the Importance of Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Programs

Indeed, both preclinical and clinical studies suggest a link between anxiety and propensity to self-administer alcohol (Henniger et al. 2002; Spanagel et al. 1995; Willinger et al. 2002). Along with physical dependence on alcohol, alcoholism becomes a mental illness and develops psychological dependence. Moreover, =https://ecosoberhouse.com/ American Medical Association counts alcoholism as a disease under both medical and psychiatric sections. Adding to that, some mental illnesses can facilitate addiction and even be the reason to begin the addiction.

• It involves understanding how long it takes to become addicted to alcohol and making lifestyle changes.
• Too much alcohol affects your speech, muscle coordination and vital centers of your brain.
• Individuals with alcoholism may experience a loss of control over their drinking, have an increased tolerance to alcohol, and may continue to drink despite adverse effects on their health, relationships, and overall well-being.
• Thus, additional studies looking at the cost-effectiveness and cost benefit of various continuing care models are urgently needed.
• Controlled studies compare the characteristics of two or more groups of patients receiving different continuing care interventions, with the participants assigned randomly or sequentially to the different groups.

What are the risk factors for alcohol use disorder?

Since the late 1990s, the initial phase of treatment has increasingly been shifted from inpatient settings to day hospitals or intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) (McLellan and Meyers 2004), both to save costs and to make treatment less disruptive to the patient’s life. The basic treatment approach, however, in most cases still follows the Minnesota Model (i.e., is based on a 12-step approach). This phase then is followed by a continuing-care component that frequently is provided at the same facility and uses the same strategies as the initial intensive intervention, just at a lower frequency and intensity. „The AMA endorses the proposition that drug dependencies, including alcoholism, are diseases and that their treatment is a legitimate part of medical practice.“

Rather, the protocol is designed to augment and extend treatment following a more intensive intervention. All of these experiences help the patient achieve and maintain abstinence, and changes in the reported relationships between the patient and these support groups can serve as a signal to the counselor that the patient is at increased risk of relapse. Thus, at all times during the telephone contacts, it is important that the counselor be on the lookout for signs of trouble in what the patient says (or does not say), and that the counselor immediately addresses Sober living house such issues.

Why Is Alcohol Use Disorder A Chronic Disease?

No matter how much you drink or how long you have been drinking, the best place for you is at a rehab clinic that specialises in treating alcohol addiction. While alcohol addiction has the potential to destroy your life and affect your relationships, finances, employment and health, it is possible to recover from this disease. Drinking alcohol from a young age while your brain is still developing can also make you more likely to develop an addiction, due to the physical changes that this substance can make to your brain. Studies have found a link between family members with addiction, suggesting that genetics may play a role in the development of alcohol use disorder. Below are some of the factors that are thought to play a role in the development of alcohol addiction. Before discussing the reasons why alcoholism is considered a chronic disease, it’s important to understand exactly what a chronic disease is.

• Additionally, alcoholism has a protracted course that frequently includes phases of remission and relapse.
• When so many things in life become reminders of drinking, it becomes more and more difficult for people to not think about drinking.

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If a family member who is related to you by blood has an alcohol addiction, you are more likely to develop one too. Someone who has experienced a traumatic event such as a sexual assault, death of a loved one, terrorist attack or childhood trauma is more susceptible to developing an addiction. Receiving an official diagnosis for your alcohol addiction can help you to receive the help and support that you need. There are many flaws in this argument, namely the fact that while alcohol addiction is preventable this does not necessarily mean that it is not a disease. Alcoholism is considered to be a chronic disease characterised by frequent relapses, ongoing progression if left untreated and a potential genetic predisposition.