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What is alcohol therapy?

Alcohol therapy refers to therapy for alcoholism. Alcohol therapy can come in various forms which are usually broken down into biological alcohol therapy, psychological alcohol therapy and social alcohol therapy. A comprehensive plan will include elements from all the forms of alcohol therapy.

Biological alcohol therapy

Biological alcohol therapy involves the prescription of medication. Alcohol detox is the commonest form of biological alcohol therapy. This involves the prescription of sedative medication to prevent and control alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Although often unrealized, alcohol withdrawal may be fatal if not treated with detox medication. Other biological alcohol therapy includes the prescription of medication to prevent relapse to alcohol use. Two medicines are commonly used in this context in the UK – disulfiram (Antabuse) and acamprosate (Campral). Increasingly naltrexone is used as an alcohol therapy, as is topiramate.

Psychological alcohol therapy

Psychological alcohol therapy involves the provision of various forms of counseling to help the individual reduce harm or maintain abstinence from alcohol. The most proven forms of effective counseling in alcohol therapy are cognitive-behavioural therapy and motivational interviewing. However 12 step alcohol therapy (alcoholics anonymous model) is increasingly evidenced as highly effective, especially in a residential setting. Residential 12-step alcohol therapy is probably the most effective form of therapy to help an individual achieve and maintain long-term abstinence from alcohol.

Social alcohol therapy

It is usually considered vital that the social circumstances of the individual are taken into account when planning a return to normal life after a period of residential alcohol therapy. An unplanned return to the same situation as existed for the individual before admission for alcohol therapy may be responsible for relapse. Various forms of alcohol therapy have been devised around this theme, aimed at modifying the alcohol user’s social network, employment opportunities or financial situation for example.

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