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New Methods Offer Real Hope For Curing Alcohol Addiction
| If you've never loved someone with an addiction problem this article may not make any sense. If you've loved someone with an illness for which there is no cure it will. The reason for this is that up until present there has been no medical cure for alcohol addiction. Whilst many have become sober through the traditional routes of AA and rehab, a much greater number have not. n nThere are moments in history when we can change things and make the world a better place. We are at that moment in history with alcohol addiction. For those people reading this who love someone addicted to alcohol there is now more than a ray of hope. But things have to change before we can declare victory and before change can happen there needs to be some education about the causes and the effects of alcohol addiction - not just amongst lay people but those in the medical and addiction professions. n nThe first and most important point to make is: we've never met an addict who wilfully set out to become addicted. Their addicted state has almost always been reached by trying to mask a pre-existing mental health disorder which in many cases is anxiety-related. n nAnxiety can have physical affects - panic attacks are a common problem; emotional affects - with feelings of apprehension and dread very common; cognitive affects - fear of suspected dangers like dying and behavioural affects like avoiding situations where unpleasant effects of anxiety have been experienced in the past. A signs in a loved one with an anxiety related illness can be almost impossible to spot - part of the defence mechanism against the outside world knowing is being able to cover it up. But there may be small signs that give you a clue like sweaty palms, anxiety about social situations, disturbed sleep patterns, nail biting and foot tapping. Remember, your loved one will see things no doubt in a much different way and maybe experiencing symptoms such as a heightened fear of what people think of them, a constant feeling of being overwhelmed and a racing heart/palpitations in situations that evoke irrational fears in them. n nWhilst these are relatively minor external symptoms, the anxiety they feel will not be minor and their anxiety will start to significantly impinge upon and affect their lives. That explains why when someone with acute anxiety first tastes alcohol they will already be at risk of addiction because the drug will hit their brain and make them feel normal probably for the first time in their lives. In AA meetings and in rehab one of the most common reasons people cite for drinking is that it makes them feel normal.n nThe brain gets hard-wired for this feeling of euphoria right from the first taste of alcohol and, as tolerance develops, gradually more and more is required to maintain that effect until the person becomes physically addicted.n nAs well as leading to a bleak future for the addict unless they can find their path, it will lead to feelings of desolation within families, broken relationships and family ties, loss of friends and jobs, and ultimate isolation.nnUp until now if you loved an alcoholic the only "treatment" you may have heard about is AA or rehab. In fact many who love an alcohol addict have no real knowledge or information about what to do and may not even understand the options until their loved one eventually ends up needing emergency treatment to help with physical withdrawals or has an accident.n nSo what about the drinker. What have been your preferred hopes for recovery historically? n nOf all options, AA has been the first port of call for most and is the most well-known. It is an international organisation whose primary purpose is to help members stay sober and help others achieve sobriety using the 12 Steps which in summary is a process to help them accept they are powerless over alcohol and that a higher power than themselves (not necessarily God) will help them to achieve this. Interestingly, they avoid debating the medical nature of alcohol addiction despite the fact that they will almost all be suffering from a primary mental health disorder. Whether caused by the mis-use of alcohol or whether pre-existing the addiction, the fact that many attendees will have some kind of mental health disorder is something that is not spoken of alongside following the steps.n nAA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr Bob Smith in the US who, as alcoholics, found that by supporting and talking to each other they could maintain their sobriety by talking to each other and eventually to other alcoholics. Whilst a small percentage of alcoholics go on and find lasting sobriety through working the steps, there are high-drop out rates over the first year as well as high relapse rates. It does not suit everyone despite of the fact that it does at least provide fellowship. Despite this the medical and addiction professions have not moved much further forward with the fundamental diagnosis and treatment of alcohol addiction. Go to the most expensive rehab centres in the world and their methods will almost always certainly be based around the 12 Step Programme with cognitive techniques (e.g. CBT, NLP) and individual/group therapies, with attendance at AA being the recommended after-care treatment.n nThese programs have worked for some and are to be applauded but many of us have tried and paid a lot of money to find sobriety in this way and that is why new treatments such as those described in our book are exciting. Particularly the discovery by French-American cardiologist Prof Ameisen who became addicted to alcohol, and found that when self-medicating his own acute alcohol addiction that a drug commonly prescribed for Multiple Sclerosis (i.e. Baclofen) cured him of his complusion to drink - if taken in the right way and to the right dose - by reducing the cravings and eventually making him indifferent to alcohol. Baclofen is also a muscle relaxant and so in cases where anxiety is the root cause, the drug can help dampen this down and hence treat the underlying cause.n nWhilst the science behind this is not yet completely understood what we do know is that it is already having spectacular results. The problem here in the UK is that Baclofen whilst available on prescription for Muliple Sclerosis is not yet available to alcohol addicts and, indeed, many of the medical trials that have been set up or are being set up are only going to use doses which so far have proved ineffectual in treating addiction. It is possible that for some this drug will not provide the complete answer, but at least if trials are conducted Baclofens' efficacy can be measured against an individual's medical profile.n nWe are calling on the Government and the medical establishment to take the opportunity to change history and the future for many addicts and the families who love them. n nI undoubtedly get the feeling that most of the present treatments for addiction are outmoded. The medical profession must try and figure out the underlying cause of the mental health problems that cause addiction and are either esclated in those becoming addicted, or caused by the damage that alcohol can do to the brain and body. Baclofen needs to be put through clinical trials and then made available to patients on prescription. Maybe in more sever cases now it might even be made available off-label.) If a new cheap, safe and widely available (these are the key characteristics of Baclofen) cancer drug had just been shown to work and the Government and medical professions were taking time to do medical trials and not using the dose levels which research suggests are needed to treat the problem there would be a public outburst. And that is the reason we are now calling for the government to adapt. Alcohol addiction happens to people who are already ill with mental health disorders such as acute anxiety and that is why they are entitled to and need as much help as someone with terminal cancer or other life threatening diseases. We must embrace this new treatment and fast-track it, we must save lives on the grounds of basic humanity. |
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Edmund Tirbutt is best selling author of Help Them Beat The BoozenGet a Unique Version of this Article Article Submission
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