Alcohol & Health
Treatment
Helping Alcoholics
Medically Reviewed by Annamarie Coy, BA, ICPR, MATS
In this article
When people think of drug use, alcohol is usually not the first thing that comes to mind. People associate alcohol with social gatherings and good times with loved ones.
Because of its more positive image and legal status, people often don’t consider alcohol a drug.
But while it may be more socially accepted, alcohol is a dangerous drug.
It affects a person’s ability to think clearly and use good judgment.
Drinking too much can seriously damage both your body and your brain.
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A drug is a substance that causes a change in consciousness and can lead to addiction.6
Alcohol is a drug because drinking alcohol depresses or slows down your central nervous system (CNS). Your central nervous system consists of your brain and spinal cord.
It is responsible for four functions:
When you drink alcohol, it first goes to your stomach. From there, about 20% is absorbed into the bloodstream and travels straight to your brain.3
This can lead to adverse health effects, including your mental state and vital functions.
If you drink large amounts of alcohol you may appear confused and uncoordinated.
Mental fog, slurred speech, and slow reflexes are common signs of alcohol consumption.
One of the effects of alcohol includes drowsiness. For this reason, some people with sleep disorders drink alcohol to fall asleep. This is a mistake because alcohol reduces overall sleep quality.1
As alcohol consumption increases, more severe depressant effects are felt. These include decreased body temperature and slowed breathing.
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While considered a depressant drug, moderate alcohol consumption actually has mild stimulant effects. Stimulants raise your body’s production of dopamine, which produces feelings of well-being and motivation.
Alcohol consumed in small quantities causes the brain to increase dopamine production.
This leads to euphoria, increased sociability, and boosted confidence. People drink alcohol when they want to feel this stimulant effect (or ‘buzz’).
For the same reason, some people with mood disorders like depression turn to alcohol to self-medicate. This is dangerous because alcohol addiction and mental health disorders are closely linked.7
Much like stimulants, small amounts of alcohol can increase your heart rate. This can lead to more impulsive behavior, as well as aggression.
However, as more is consumed, heart rate begins to slow down. Dopamine production is also inhibited, reversing earlier euphoric effects.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines a “standard drink” as 14 grams of alcohol.10
This includes:
Moderate alcohol consumption is one drink per day for women and two per day for men.5
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The technical term for alcoholism is alcohol use disorder (AUD).
17.6 million Americans suffer from alcohol use disorder. This makes it the second-most widespread substance addiction after tobacco.7
There are both physical and psychological factors behind this widespread drug addiction.
Alcohol affects the brain’s production of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that carry signals between neurons. Two examples of important neurotransmitters are endorphins and dopamine.
Endorphins cause feelings of euphoria and can also suppress pain. Among other things, exercise, resolving stressful situations, and sex all produce endorphins.
Dopamine is linked to feelings of reward and motivation. It is often produced when your brain wants to reinforce certain behaviors. It is also linked to motor coordination.
Drinking alcohol hijacks the chemical process behind endorphins and dopamine, causing them to flood the brain. The reward and pleasure centers of the brain are overloaded.
This leads to cravings. Those cravings are more difficult to resist when alcohol reduces impulse control.
Psychological factors behind alcohol use disorder include maturity and mental illness.
Young people are vulnerable to alcohol use disorder.9 This is because they are more likely to engage in binge drinking. Binge drinking is drinking alcohol quickly for recreational purposes.
Because their brains are still developing, this increases their chances of becoming dependent. They also experience peer pressure to drink, putting them at further risk for AUD.
Those suffering from drug and alcohol dependence often have mood disorders. Some put this figure anywhere from 20 to 67 percent.12
These include:
Those at risk of AUD include:
Alcohol is a drug that carries many risks. Excessive drinking can cause many health problems.
Excessive drinking includes binge drinking, as well as heavy drinking. Heavy drinking is five or more episodes of binge drinking in a month.
Between 2011 and 2015, there were 95,000 alcohol-related deaths in the United States.
CDC
In the short-term, this includes overdoses, violence, suicide, and car crashes.
It also includes miscarriages and stillbirths from pregnant women.
Longer-term health risks include cancer, liver, and heart disease.2
Alcohol can also cause brain damage. It does this by inhibiting the development of dendrites.17 Dendrites are the parts of the neurons responsible for problem-solving, memory, and focus.16
Women who drink to excess while pregnant increase the risk of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) in their children. Among other abnormalities, children born with FAS have a mean IQ of 79 which is significantly lower than the average IQ of 100.
Studies indicate excessive drinking of alcohol can even lower IQ in adults.13, 15
There are many treatment options available for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and addiction, including:
Inpatient treatment takes place at a licensed residential treatment center.
These programs provide 24/7 comprehensive, structured care. You’ll live in safe, substance-free housing and have access to professional medical monitoring.
The first step of an inpatient program is detoxification. Then behavioral therapy and other services are introduced. These programs typically last 30, 60, or 90 days, sometimes longer.
Most programs help set up your aftercare once you complete the inpatient portion of your treatment.
Partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) are sometimes referred to as intensive outpatient programs (IOPs). Partial hospitalization programs provide similar services to inpatient programs.
Services include medical care, behavioral therapy, and support groups, along with other customized therapies.
However, in a PHP program, you return home to sleep. Some services provide food and transportation, but services vary by program.
PHPs accept new patients as well as people who have completed an inpatient program and still need intensive treatment.
Outpatient treatment is less intensive than inpatient or partial hospitalization programs.
These programs organize your treatment session based on your schedule. The goal of outpatient treatment is to provide therapy, education, and support in a flexible environment.
They are best for people who have a high motivation to recover and cannot leave their responsibilities at home, work, or school. Outpatient programs are often part of aftercare programs once you complete an inpatient or PHP program.
Sometimes medications may be used in alcohol addiction treatment.
Some medicines can help reduce the negative side effects of detoxification and withdrawal.
Others can help you reduce cravings and normalize body functions. Disulfiram (Antabuse), acamprosate (Campral), and naltrexone are the most common medications used to treat AUD.
When combined with other evidence-based therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), MAT can help prevent relapse and increase your chance of recovery.
Support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Self-Management And Recovery Training (SMART) are open to anyone with a substance use disorder.
They are peer-led organizations dedicated to helping each other remain sober. Support groups can be the first step towards recovery or part of a long-term aftercare plan.
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