Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Primary Care for Alcoholics

In treating alcohol abuse and alcoholism, “we haven’t yet reached the Prozac moment,” says Dr. Mark Willenbring, referring to the drugs that radically changed the treatment of depression. But Dr. Willenbring, an expert on treating alcohol addiction, predicts that the day is not far off when giving a pill and five minutes of advice to an alcohol abuser will be all that is needed to keep drinking under control.

Two such medications are already available, though they are not as effective as modern antidepressants have been for depression.

“We’re at the same place with alcohol abuse that the treatment of depression was at 40 years ago, when only psychiatrists treated it and most people with depression were never treated at all,” said Dr. Willenbring, the director the Division of Treatment and Recovery Research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Then came Prozac, followed by similar antidepressants that took the treatment of depression out of mental hospitals and psychiatric offices and put it in homes and in the offices of primary care doctors.

“Now almost all of depression is treated in primary care,” Dr. Willenbring said, “and two-thirds to three-fourths of depression is getting treated.”

But with alcohol dependence, he said, only one person in eight receives professional treatment.

“Those who get into treatment programs are the most severe alcoholics,” Dr. Willenbring said. “But the bulk of alcohol abusers have a more moderate form, with a better prognosis. Most could get well in primary care settings and not have to wait until they are at the end of their rope and forced to go into a rehabilitation program, which can be so stigmatizing.”

What is needed for controlling alcohol abuse early in the disease, he said, are drugs like Prozac that can be easily prescribed by primary care physicians to help people with moderate alcohol abuse. Several such drugs are now in the pipeline, Dr. Willenbring said.

The two already available — naltrexone and Topamax — are not yet the equivalent of Prozac for depression, but they can help many alcohol abusers learn to drink more moderately or abstain altogether. Naltrexone, now a low-cost generic, was originally developed to control drug addiction but was found to be more effective at reducing cravings for alcohol. Topamax, an antiseizure drug not yet available as a generic, has also been used to treat alcohol dependence, among other conditions.

Taken an hour before consuming alcohol, naltrexone blocks receptors in the brain that register “reward” and that reinforce a craving for alcohol. Within three to four months of starting treatment, naltrexone, when compared with a placebo, can reduce relapse to heavy drinking 20 to 40 percent, Dr. Willenbring said. Some European practitioners claim even greater effectiveness. By eliminating cravings for alcohol, the drug enables an abuser to drink more moderately or abstain entirely.

While naltrexone is not the final answer to alcohol abuse, it has been shown to be at least twice as effective as alcohol treatment programs and can avoid their stigmatizing consequences, which can include difficulty getting life insurance, jobs or security clearance.

Unfortunately, most primary care physicians know little or nothing about naltrexone, Dr. Willenbring said. He suggested that drinkers who need help controlling their intake ask their doctor for a prescription.

source: New York Times

More Treatment & Detox Articles

New hope for heroin users: Naltrexone implants.

A study at the University of Western Australia has found that heroin addicts with naltrexone implants are far less likely to return to heroin use than those taking oral tablets. But critics are sceptical about the study and say that naltrexone is still a risky option for drug users trying to kick the habit. Naltrexone….

Adult Children of Alcoholics ACoAs: Qualities and Traits

Shows like Intervention along with celebrity after celebrity photographed in sunglases entering various treatment centers….. has gone a long way to break down walls when it comes to looking at the pain caused by addiction. But what about the rest of the family? The addict isn’t the only person who needs help to become well….

What are Residential Treatment Centers Like?

Residential treatment centers are full of activities and methods for helping you to clean off of an addiction that has begun to rule your life. The process of detoxing from any substance that your body has become addicted to is not easy and can be a bit painful, so that aspect of a residential treatment….

Drink misuse ‘costs each Scot GBP900’

The impact of Scotland’s drink culture on the health service was laid bare yesterday when it emerged that the cost of treating only one person with a moderately severe alcohol-related head injury is more than £34,000. The extraordinary figure was released by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scotland’s biggest health board. The sum covers only….

Warning signs of eating disorder

Eating disorder is largely related to the psychological disturbances that occur in a person. There are two main categories of eating disorder namely, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. The people with anorexia nervosa are very much concerned about their looks and carry a fear of weight gain thus avoiding intake of food. On the contrary,….