Addiction to alcohol is a powerful disease that is difficult to overcome without assistance. While many alcoholics can quit drinking for a period of time through simple abstinence or treatment, most alcoholics will relapse without continued help. Many recovering alcoholics successfully utilize the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), while others find the strength they need to get over the intense cravings by seeking out drug treatments for alcoholism.
Antabuse
The drug Antabuse has been used to treat alcoholism for decades. Antabuse, or disulfram, is a medication that makes a person violently ill if taken with alcohol. Antabuse does not diminish the cravings for more alcohol, but instead provides a safety net of time that the recovering alcoholic may need to get past the initial urges to drink. Antabuse does continue to work for a few days after the last pill has been taken. The longer an alcoholic remains on Antabuse, the more sensitive he becomes to alcohol.
Revia
Revia, or naltrexone, is a drug that reduces the cravings for alcohol. It also reduces the desire to continue drinking if an alcoholic slips and takes a drink, allowing him to get back on track. Treatment specialists at Behavioral Medicine Associates in Atlanta say that combined with AA, Revia and acamprosate, another craving reducer, can give alcoholics an edge over those who must stay dry on sheer willpower alone. It can provide an advantage that can help alcoholics get over those initial months of new sobriety.
Seratonin
The National Institutes of Health reports that various serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) have been successful in treating alcoholism. SRIs have long been used to treat mood disorders and depression and have proven useful in helping alcoholics quit drinking for more than two decades. Since alcohol consumption affects the serotonin delivery systems, the synthetic forms can provide similar results by activating the neural pleasure centers and reducing the desire to get a buzz. SRIs can be especially useful to treat alcoholics with co-occurring mental illnesses as well.
Vivitrol
The drug Vivitrol is an injected medication that is similar to naltrexone that was approved for use in treating alcoholism by the Food and Drug Administration in 2006. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic say that by having patients see a doctor in order to receive the injections, the alcoholic may be more likely to stay on the medication. While the drug can help to reduce cravings, it can only be administered after a person has been sober for at least seven days. The drug blocks signals to the neurotransmitters in the brain and is recommended only in conjunction with ongoing counseling for maximum results.
