Alcohol Treatment Centers

Alcohol Treatment Centers

Alcohol treatment centers are now available in all fifty of the United States. This is in response to the growing awareness that alcohol abuse is a rampant and growing social phenomenon and that alcoholism is a problem of monstrous proportions.

Growth of Alcohol Treatment Units

More than 20 million Americans are admitted alcoholics and millions more are considered alcohol abusers who drink excessively. On top of these cold statistics are the loved ones who are also made to suffer from this problem. The cost in purely economic terms exceeds $100 billion dollars annually in lost productivity,wages, accidents and claims. Alcohol abuse wreaks havoc among some of our most productive citizens - an incredible waste of talented people.

Excessive drinking impacts the health of individuals by greatly increasing the risk of certain types of cancer, especially those of the liver, esophagus, throat and larynx. It can also cause liver cirrhosis, brain damage, and harm to unborn babies during pregnancy.

Drinking also increases the risk of death through automobile accidents, recreational and boating accidents and homicides and suicide.

Alcohol treatment centers deal with the issues of alcohol abuse in a
variety of ways. First we will examine the pharmaceutical options available, then the behavioral methods.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, a division of the National Institute of Health, is running more that 50 trials on new drugs which might help to cure alcoholism. Among the most promising of these FDA approved drugs are Forest Laboratories' Campral, Barr Laboratories' Naltrexone, and Alkermes/Cephalon's Vivitrol.  All of the medications have shown great promise when they have been combined into a treatment program that includes psycho/social counseling.

Campral

Campral® is the most widely used of the anti-alcoholism
medications. Campral helps to maintain abstinence and lessen relapses.  It has few side effects and does not interact with any other medications.

Campral is taken 3 times daily in pill form.

Naltrexone

Naltrexone® is an opiate blocker that reduces the euphoric feelings from drinking.  This helps to reduce the cravings for drinking.

Vivitrol

Vivitrol® is the newest medication on the market for alcohol abuse
treatment. It is a monthly injectible and it is a reformulation of
Naltrexone.

Other Alcohol Treatment Methods (AA, RR, Lifering, etc.)