Cognitive Behavioral Treatments

Cognitive Behavioral Treatments - A variety of behavior modification techniques have been incorporated into alcohol treatment programs (NIAAA, 2000a). Many programs include a self-monitoring phase, in which the alcoholic or program drinker begins to understand the situations that give rise to and maintain drinking, Contigency contracting is frequently employed, in which the person agrees to a phychologically or financially costly outcome in the event of failure. Motivational enhacement procedures have also been included in many cognitive-behavioral interventions with alcoholics and problem drinkers, because responsibility and the capacity to change rely entirely on the client. Consequently, working to provide individualized feedback about the patient's drinking and the effectivenes of his or her efforts can get the client motivated and on board to continue a program of treatment that may be more resistant to the inevitable temptations to relapse (NIAAA, 2000a).

not drink alcohol

alcohol can kill you

Some program have included medications for blocking the alcohol-brain interactions that may contribute to alcoholism. One such medication is naltrexone, which is used  as an aid to prevent relapse among alcoholics. It blocks the opioid receptors in the brain, thereby weakening the rewarding effects of alcohol. Another drug, acamprosate (Campral), has also shown effectiveness in treating alcoholism and may help alcoholics maintain abstinence by preventing relapse. It seems to achieve effects by modifying the action of GABA, a neurotransmitter (Elchisak, 2001). Other drugs  are being evaluated as well. Although drugs have shown some success in reducing alcohol consumption in conjuction with cognitive-behavioral interventions, successful maintenance requres patients to continue taking the drugs on their own, and if they choose not to do so, they reduce the effectiveness of the chemical treatment.

Many successful treatment programs have attempted to provide alcoholics with strees management techniques that they can subtitute for drinking because, as note earlier, alcohol is sometimes used as a method  of coping with stress. Because the occurrence of a major stressful event within the firts 90 days after treatment can trigger relapse among apparently recovered alcoholics (Marlatt & Gordon, 1980), stress management techniques can help the alcoholic get through events that raise temptation to relapse. For example, relaxation training, assertiveness training, and training in social skill help the alcoholic or problem drinker deal with problem situations without resorting to alcohol.

In some cases, family therapy and group counseling are offered as well. The advantage of family counseling is that it cases the alcoholic's or problem drinker's transition back into his or her family (NIAAA, 2000a).