For example, those with co-occurring mental health disorders typically require integrated substance use and mental health treatment—known as dual diagnosis treatment—to fully recover. A study by scientists at the NIAAA, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), analyzed 1,484 survey respondents who met specific diagnostic criteria for alcohol addiction. The study included people both in treatment and not seeking treatment. Additional alcohol research information and publications are available at Many people with alcohol use disorder hesitate to get treatment because they don’t recognize that they have a problem. An intervention from loved ones can help some people recognize and accept that they need professional help.
Social Problems
If you have any of these symptoms, alcohol may already be a cause for concern. A health care provider can look at the number, pattern, and severity of symptoms to see whether AUD is present and help you decide the best course of action. This guide is written for individuals—and their family and friends—who are looking for options to address alcohol problems. 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 Functioning Alcoholic
The Navigator offers a step-by-step process to finding a highly qualified professional treatment provider. A health care provider might ask the following questions to assess a person’s symptoms. The chronic severe subtype is the least prevalent, accounting for only about 9 percent of alcoholics.13 However, this group is the most severe, with heavy drinking occurring almost daily.
Intensive Outpatient Treatment
Treatment options such as inpatient, outpatient, detoxification, support groups, and MAT can all help those struggling with AUD. Treatment typically includes individual and group counseling, medication, and other therapies. BetterHelp offers affordable mental health care via phone, video, or live-chat. The 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reveals that 28.6 million adults aged 18 and older (11.3 percent of this demographic) experienced alcohol use disorder (AUD) in 2022.
- Examples of support groups include Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), SMART Recovery, and Celebrate Recovery.
- Most people benefit from regular checkups with a treatment provider.
- Intermediate familial alcoholics are similar to functional ones but are more likely born with a genetic predisposition to alcoholism.
- Binge drinking equates to roughly five drinks for men and four for women within two hours.
- However, identifying similarities can help people identify what kind of alcoholic they are.
The evidence suggests that the free and flexible assistance provided by mutual-support groups can help people make and sustain beneficial changes and, thus, promote recovery. Alcohol-related problems—which result from drinking too much, too fast, or too often—are among the most significant public health issues in the United States. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. Depending on their situations, different people will have different routes to recovery.
It’s also critical to understand their experiences with substance abuse. Of the five alcoholic subtypes, intermediate familial individuals have the highest Older Adults National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism NIAAA employment rates and an average family income of $50,000 yearly. Most functional alcoholics are middle-aged (around 41) who started drinking around age 18.
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). Behavioral treatments—also known as alcohol counseling, or talk therapy, and provided by licensed therapists—are aimed at changing drinking behavior. For serious alcohol use disorder, you may need a stay at a residential treatment facility. Most residential treatment programs include individual and group therapy, support groups, educational lectures, family involvement, and activity therapy.