Medications to Stop Drinking

Alcoholism Medications

This blog supports a comprehensive approach to stop drinking. Although each person must decide what is best for them, one treatment plan to consider includes medication to stop drinking. There are currently 3 medications is use in the United States to treat alcoholism. The problem with "the big three" is that they are mainly used for those who have already stopped drinking. They do very little to reduce the craving for alcohol. There is a fourth and very promissing medication which has proven useful for the person who still drinks, but wants to quit. First let's discuss the "big three" alcoholism medications:

Disulfiram

Antabuse (disulfiram) was the first medicine approved for the treatment of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. It works by causing a severe adverse reaction to alcohol. So those on the medication become sick if they choose to drink. It has been proven successful for those who do remain on the drug. But for those who are trying to stop drinking, it does little good.

Naltrexone

Naltrexone is sold under the brand names Revia and Depade. An extended-release form of naltrexone is marketed under the trade name Vivitrol. This medication works by blocking in the brain the "high" that people experience when they drink. For people who have stopped drinking, Naltrexone reduces the craving for alcohol which many alcohol dependent people experience when they stop drinking.

Acamprosate

Campral, is another medication to stop drinking. It goes by the brand name for acamprosate, and is the most recent medication approved for the treatment of alcoholism in the United States. It works by reducing the physical distress and emotional discomfort people usually experience when they stop drinking.

Ok, so what about the 4th medication to stop drinking?

Well, it has not been approved for by the food and drug administration to stop drinking, but it is a recognized and effective medication.

The drug is topiramate, marketed as Topamax by Johnson & Johnson. It has been used for many years as an anti-seizure medication and is already approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration for that purpose. The medication Topiramate is a derivative of the naturally occurring sugar monosaccharide D-fructose. Long-term studies have shown no serious
problems related to Topiramate /Topamax.

Topiramate is the first medication that has been shown to be effective for persons who are still drinking, but want to stop drinking. Drinkers get pleasure from alcohol when it releases the chemical dopamine in the brain. Topiramate works by "washing away" the excess dopamine. In other words, alcoholics no longer get any pleasure from drinking. This makes Topiramate /Topamax a good medication to stop drinking.

Stay tuned to this blog for future posts on this new and exciting medication!

Hypnosis to Stop Drinking

Using hypnosis to stop drinking

The American Medical Association accepted and recognized hypnosis in 1958. Although hypnosis has been used for thousands of years,in one form or another, only in recent years has it been used to stop drinking. Hypnosis successfully treats not only alcoholism, but drug addiction and smoking, as well as eating disorders, depression, and a variety of other issues.Hypnosis is effective to stop drinking for many reasons. It treats underlying issues that cause one to drink. Hypnosis also helps to stop drinking because it changes old habits and beliefs, replacing them with new habits and beliefs. Once a person has made a decision to stop drinking, hypnosis reinforces other treatments such as AA, group or individual counseling, and prescription medication for alcoholism. To understand more about how hypnosis works and haw it can help to stop drinking, we provided the following definition of hypnosis by the American Psychological Association, (APA).

American Psychological Association:

"Hypnosis typically involves an introduction to the procedure during which the subject is told that suggestions for imaginative experiences will be presented. The hypnotic induction is an extended initial suggestion for using one's imagination, and may contain further elaborations of the introduction. A hypnotic procedure is used to encourage and evaluate responses to suggestions. When using hypnosis, one person (the subject) is guided by another (the hypnotist) to respond to suggestions for changes in subjective experience, alterations in perception, sensation, emotion, thought or behavior. "

The last sentence there is important for those who want to stop drinking. "The subject receives suggestions to alter perceptions, thoughts, emotions and beliefs." One of the biggest challenges to stop drinking is changing our habits and patters of behaviour. Part of the problem of addiction (aside from physical addiction) involves our perceptions and beliefs, which can be changed through hypnosis, to help us stop drinking or abusing.

"Details of hypnotic procedures and suggestions will differ depending on the goals of the practitioner and the purposes of the clinical or research endeavor. Procedures traditionally involve suggestions to relax, though relaxation is not necessary for hypnosis and a wide variety of suggestions can be used including those to become more alert. "

(This definition excerpt and description of hypnosis was prepared by the Executive Committee of the American Psychological Association, Division of Psychological Hypnosis. Permission to reproduce this document is freely granted.)

They are telling us here that the hypnotic state can actually leave us alert and focused. This is exactly the frame of mind needed to accept suggestions to stop drinking. A variety of of Hypnosis CDs are available for home use to stop drinking. One can also go into the Hypnotist's office for an initial session, or a series of sessions. Hypnosis to stop drinking should be one part of a more comprehensive solution, involving, group support, medical consultation, and support of family and friends.

To Stop Drinking

Ways to Stop Drinking

This is the first of many posts to offer help and insight into how to stop drinking alcohol. We will share our own story, as well as the stories of other people in their endeavours to stop drinking. We are here not to convince all drinkers to stop drinking, not to convince you that "you have a problem." That's the business of your loved ones, and ultimately, the man or woman in the mirror. If you want to drink, that's your business. If you want to stop drinking, then it's ours.

There are a number of ways to stop drinking and in upcoming posts we will cover them all. We will discuss how to:

Stop drinking with hypnosis
Stop drinking with Alcoholics Anonymous
Stop drinking with prescription medication
Stop drinking with rehab and treatment centers

We welcome your feedback and questions on any of these topics. Please feel free to comment on blog posts or contact us online. We are all in this together, on a mission to stop drinking and help others do the same.

You may find this blog name a little odd. Why not call it "How to stop drinking" or "Ways to stop drinking" or to be more precise "Stop drinking alcohol." But we all know why you're here; to stop drinking. Join us each week as we post information that will help you stop drinking and start living. Come back soon.