Alcohol Treatment

A drink now and again is a pleasant treat that does you no harm, but if you drink daily and can’t manage without alcohol, you should seek professional help. Anne-Marie Odo, DNP, and her team at Semper Healthcare Services in Addison, Texas, specialize in alcohol treatment that helps you overcome your addiction. They use naltrexone injections to ease withdrawal and therapy to help you rebuild your life. Call Semper Healthcare Services today to learn more about effective alcohol treatment, or request an appointment by completing the online form.

What is alcohol treatment?

Expert treatment can help you overcome alcohol addiction (alcohol use disorder). This condition arises when your alcohol consumption becomes so frequent or excessive it causes physical harm or psychological distress.

If you have alcohol use disorder, treatment is vital. Alcohol misuse increases your risk of life-threatening liver disease, burn injuries, severe trauma, drowning, auto accidents, and suicide. It affects your relationships with family, friends, and co-workers and could result in job loss, financial hardship, and homelessness.

How do I know if I need alcohol treatment?

You could benefit from alcohol treatment if you regularly experience the following problems:

• Drinking more than you intended
• Craving alcoholic drinks
• Putting yourself at risk through drinking
• Drinking to numb depression and anxiety
• Increasing your alcohol intake daily
• Hating yourself for drinking too much
• Continuing to drink despite family or job problems

As alcohol addiction worsens, you’ll likely develop withdrawal symptoms if you reduce your alcohol intake. These include sweating, shaking, pain, nausea, difficulty sleeping, and confusion.

Alcohol treatments the Semper Healthcare Services team offers combine medication and counseling.

What does alcohol treatment involve?

Your provider can administer long-acting Vivitrol® (naltrexone) injections to reduce withdrawal effects. This drug mimics alcohol’s effects without giving you such pleasurable feelings. This limits the intensity of your withdrawal symptoms, so it’s easier to get through the difficult period when you first stop drinking.

Vivitrol begins working immediately, so you must ensure you stop drinking alcohol and avoid opioid medication before starting with the injections. If you don’t, you could suffer a dangerous reaction when you begin your new meds.

Individual and group counseling are invaluable for people with alcohol addiction. At your one-to-one sessions, you and your skilled therapist talk about why you drink too much. Together, you develop ways to stop the cycle from starting up again.

Group therapy involves talking with other members of a group formed from people with alcohol use disorder. It can be immensely beneficial to share stories, discuss the challenges you all face, and offer support and advice. You might also want to join a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

Call Semper Healthcare Services today or use the online scheduling tool to book an alcohol treatment appointment.