Alcohol abuse disorder affects millions of Americans every year. Generally, the proper treatment for alcohol addiction is through an alcohol rehab program. Three broad types of alcohol rehab programs exist. They are detoxification, residential, and outpatient. Many alcohol rehab centers offer the full suite of these programs as they share multiple elements and can at…
Young adulthood is a life stage with new experiences and major transitions. It can also be a stage of risky behaviors and experimentation with things like drugs and alcohol. That is especially true among college students. Recent data suggests more than half of all college students aged 18-22 engage in drinking within any given one-month…
In a recent article in The Atlantic entitled, “America Has a Drinking Problem,” author Kate Julian begins by pointing out alcohol consumption in the U.S. has risen steadily since 2000, and the longstanding societal effects of COVID-19 have shifted our nation’s drinking habits in the ‘more so’ direction. “(Prior to the pandemic) you might have…
The title of this article is not a teetotaler’s threat. It’s a recounting of the infamous words countless doctors have told people who try to quit drinking on their own. Of course, the reasoning and science behind this declaration could easily slide right by a man or woman struggling with an alcohol dependency problem, making…
Having occasionally felt myself to be “in the trenches” of recovery myself—as perhaps you have, as well—I’d say some of the most challenging, frustrating and baffling experiences in learning to live this new way of life (especially early on) occur when our insides don’t match our outsides—that is, when what we’re doing at any given…
Have you ever looked in the mirror and the reflection back has said something like, “Alright, already! You’ve GOT to quit drinking!” If you’re like me, you’d certainly prefer to have a switch somewhere nearby you could flick and voila! All our alcohol problems would magically disappear and we’d be able to live our lives…
For those seeking recovery from an alcohol dependency, detoxing from alcohol is typically an extremely challenging experience. Throughout the detox process—which, according to Medical News Today, initially takes about a week[1]—there is a high likelihood of experiencing negative, even dangerous symptoms of withdrawal. Even milder symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can be too uncomfortable to tolerate.…
In an article by Daniel Angres, M.D., et al. titled, “Nurses with Chemical Dependency: Promoting Successful Treatment and Reentry” (published in The Journal of Nursing Regulation), the authors state the literature on chemical dependency in nurses lags far behind that for other health-care professionals, particularly physicians. “However,” they point out, “with nurses on the front…
When struggling with an alcohol use issue, it’s critical to seek the treatment that will assist the patients in healing. Many different types of treatment programs exist to assist people with withdrawing from alcohol. Finding the best one for each patient will ensure they stick with it and can prevent relapse. When determining whether to…
A study published in March 2020 in the Journal of the American Medical Association – Internal Medicine[1] shows the use of the nerve pain reliever gabapentin—with brand names such as Neurontin, Gralise, and Horizant—may be helpful in treating people with acute alcohol withdrawal symptoms. The study’s results also demonstrated gabapentin is effective in promoting abstinence…