Alcohol dependence is a certain form of a clinical condition that is defined by particular diagnostic criteria. The term ‘alcohol dependence’ should not be confused or used interchangeably with the term ‘alcohol abuse,’ because all the people who are abusing alcohol do not necessarily become dependent to alcohol.
Alcohol dependence treatment refers to the process of treating dependence to alcohol. It is based on the principle that dependence to the abuse of alcohol is a disease of the mind which can be treated. The treatment is always very gradual. Dependence to alcohol refers to the scenario in which the patient cannot live without abusing it.
People who are dependent to the abuse of alcohol cannot independently decide how much alcohol to take per day and when to take it. It is important to note that there are different forms of alcoholism treatment. The alcohol dependence professional will identify your problem and recommend the best treatment.
In most cases, the people who abuse alcohol do not notice or feel anything unusual. They just feel intoxicated and relaxed. This is very temporal because the problems of alcohol dependence come up later in life and may cause an array of problems.
These problems can cause social and health problems. In the state of dependence to alcohol, the addict may believe that they simply cannot give up the abuse of alcohol. The craving is very strong and any withdrawal is likely to cause withdrawal symptoms.
Alcohol dependence treatment is best sought and offered at an alcohol dependence treatment center. There are many such facilities in the USA. For the alcohol dependence treatment to be successful, several treatment procedures must be administered concurrently.
In most cases the patient should be put on detoxification so as to get rid of the toxins that are in the blood.
The detox is aimed at eradicating the toxins that accumulate in the blood because of alcohol abuse. The appropriate medications should be administered correctly. There are various medications, including benzodiazepines such as Diazepam. Caution should be exercised when administering benzodiazepines as treatment, because they can cause dependence and addiction themselves.
The diazepam or any other benzodiazepine should be administered for the first week of treatment and discontinued permanently from the second week. The diazepam should also be administered in decreasing dosages until it is finally stopped. The treatment should address both the physical and the psychological effects of the abuse of alcohol.
In any case, the treatment must be very slow and gradual in order to ensure that it is successful. Rapid and quick treatment may cause withdrawals symptoms or relapse. The person recovering from alcoholism should be very properly consulted and supported. Even after they have stopped abusing alcohol, they should be fully supported in order to prevent a possible relapse.