There are a variety of methods for treatment for alcohol dependence. Some of these methods include education and support to stop drinking, medicines to reduce withdrawal symptoms and stop alcohol cravings, and professional counseling to work through relationship issues. However there is a new method on the market, a drug with the brand name chemical ReVia [formerly called Trexan], Vivitrolnaltrexone. This drug is taken as an injection, usually into a muscle once a month. Naltrexone is also available in pill form.
Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist that interferes with the part of the brain involved in producing the pleasure you get from drinking alcohol or other drugs.
Naltrexone works by reducing the pleasurable effects of alcohol. It can be taken alone or combined with other medications to treat dependence on alcohol..
Naltrexone works best to help you stop drinking if you also get counseling.1 Most studies show that naltrexone significantly reduces your chance for relapse after you have stopped drinking.2 But it might not be effective in treating men with severe, ongoing alcohol dependence.3
Naltrexone can cause nausea, dizziness, and fatigue. It can also cause headaches and make you feel anxious, sleepy, or nervous.
In some cases a rare but severe side effect could be liver damage, if you have existing liver disease (such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, or liver failure) and take too much naltrexone.
This medicine may cause withdrawal symptoms if you are addicted to narcotics.
To effectively prevent relapse you might need to take naltrexone for several months.
Vivitrol, a once-a-month injection of this medicine, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat drinking problems. This form of naltrexone can be useful for people who have a hard time deciding whether or not to take the medicine each day.
How come some people become alcoholics and others do not? The people could have the exact same upbringing, drink the same amount, be the same nationality or even in the same family. There is not a definitive answer as to why alcoholics become alcoholics. There are almost as many theories as there are alcoholics. With alcohol abuse, it usually is a series of pressures combined that pushes a casual drinker over the edge into addiction.
Nature Or Nurture?
Alcoholism is defined by doctors all around the world as a disease, not a personality flaw. Some people do seem to be more genetically predisposed to alcohol abuse. Causes for this predisposition is thought to be certain genes that make a person crave alcohol more than usual. But if both of your parents were heavily into alcohol abuse, causes that are purely genetic do not explain the many non-alcoholic children of alcoholic parents.
There is also the thought that alcoholism happens because of the attitudes of peers. Alcohol is legal and a socially acceptable drug for relaxation and letting your hair down. Drinking is often seen as compulsory in some parts of society like college fraternities, builders and heavy laborers. First, drinking is seen as a part of fitting into the group and of having fun. Then, over time, drinking becomes a habit to the point that the body becomes addicted. But this does not explain why those who stop and live with tee toilers start up again so easily.
Part Of A Larger Problem
With alcohol abuse, causes for why someone turns to alcohol for comfort and support are due to many personal reasons combining with any predisposition to mental illness such as depression. Alcohol gives a false sense of security. Drinking has been reported among alcoholics to make them seem as if they are in charge of their lives and they panic at their seeming powerlessness when they sober up. If a person cannot figure out how to cope with the peaks and valleys of life and cannot take responsibility for their lives, he or she may turn to alcohol abuse. Causes of why they choose alcohol among all of the other legal addictions available (food, sex, money, shopping) are unknown.
Once a person is addicted to alcohol, they will always be so for the rest of their lives, even if they successfully stop drinking. Just one drink, even after years of sobriety, will often set them off in a drinking binge again.
Both Ed Philips & Christopher Jay are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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