Getting treatment, if needed, along with support and encouragement from support groups and those around you can help you remain sober. Support groups help many people who are dealing with alcohol use. Talk to your provider about a support group that might be right for you. You may be prescribed medicines along with counseling and behavioral therapy to help you quit. While MAT doesn’t work for everyone, it is another option in treating the disorder.

The harmful use of alcohol can also result in harm to other people, such as family members, friends, co-workers and strangers. Many people who are trying to recover from alcohol use disorder will have lapses or relapses along the way. You might start treatment with your family doctor, or your doctor may recommend that you enter a treatment facility. A friend may bring you to a self-help group, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, or you might go to a clinic that deals with alcohol use. You may just decide that you drink too much and want to cut back or quit on your own. If your doctor thinks you have a mental health problem, he or she may do a mental health assessment.

Is Alcohol Use Disorder a Mental Illness?

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a series of characteristics may describe someone suffering from an alcohol use disorder. You’ve been through a bad period of your life, and what happened is not easy to forget. Keep in mind that recovery is the road to a better life and that you can help your loved one get there. Alcohol use disorder can harm your relationships with family and friends.

Therefore, it’s important to recognize the symptoms of alcoholism and seek treatment for it as soon as possible. If you or a loved one are struggling with alcohol use disorder, Caron can help you get your life back. Caron’s high-quality and compassionate alcohol use disorder treatment meets excellence in addiction medicine and recovery care. A healthcare provider can diagnose an alcohol use disorder. Most healthcare providers rely on The Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) from the American Psychiatric Association as the standard for diagnosing AUD.

Treatments

Alcohol use disorder can include periods of being drunk (alcohol intoxication) and symptoms of withdrawal. Recovery is an ongoing process, and it’s normal and understandable to experience setbacks along the way. What matters is that you keep making an effort to move toward recovery. If you feel you can confide in a friend and gain their sober house support, they may be able to help you with the next stages of your recovery. Whether you’d like to meet in person or would prefer to meet online, there’s a low cost or free alcohol mutual support group available to help you. Alcohol use disorder doesn’t need to be severe to seriously affect your life, work, relationships, and health.

• Excessive or inappropriate consumption of alcohol is not necessarily the same as alcohol dependence.
• Individuals with drinking problems improve their chances of recovery by seeking help early.
• If you drink more alcohol than that, consider cutting back or quitting.
• AUD is a chronic brain disorder resulting from compulsive alcohol consumption, loss of control over alcohol use, and negative emotions (e.g., stress and anger) when not drinking.