Treatment of alcohol dependence and alcoholism

It is difficult not to have a relationship with alcohol. It is the accepted drug in Norway and most countries in the world, - when you become an adult you are expected to drink.

For some, this becomes a problem, because we tolerate alcohol differently. It is a drug that we easily become addicted to. Alcohol has some clear effects on us. We get a break - from everyday stress and bustle, as well as from ourselves. We think less about consequences and we feel more free. The intoxication reduces inhibition, removes anxiety and provides a liberating experience.

It is therefore not your fault if you want to drink. Seeking a freedom, an addiction is to the highest degree human and something we have always pursued.

At the same time, alcohol has a downside. British researcher David Nutt points out that it is the most harmful drug we have today - both for you and me, the family and society.

Since alcohol is so common, it is common to feel shame about drinking. A shame that motivates us to hide and downplay. Seeking help is therefore often difficult, and requires a certain amount of courage.

This text will deal briefly with

• What an abuse of alcohol entails
• This makes it often difficult to see alcohol problems before you have them. It builds up gradually. This text will say something about the signs of addiction, as well as what you can do yourself and how we can treat alcoholism in therapy.

You can read more about alcohol and therapy at Psykologvirke here.

Where is the line - what is alcohol abuse?

When does your drinking become problematic?

Here there are individual circumstances, as well as several gray areas. It is about actual data about how much and how often, as well as the surrounding situation - whether you drink with others, alone and more subjective data - what was the motivation behind the drinking now?

We Norwegians drink a lot. When we drink alcohol, it causes us to relax more and enjoy our days. The effect is pleasant and eventually a little everyday drinking can become a habit. Some drink more at weekends and are "drunk".

However, most heavy drinkers will not develop addiction or alcoholism. Researchers estimate that approx. 10-15% of us have an addictive or problematic relationship with alcohol.

Some questions you might ask yourself:

Here are some questions you can ask yourself.

• Do you drink more alcohol than you want on a daily basis?
• Have people criticized you for drinking too much alcohol?
• If true: has this criticism bothered you?
• Have you had problems with or been home from work due to drinking?
• Have you been sick because of your drinking?
• Have you ever drunk in the morning to deal with withdrawal - tremors etc.?
• Do you think a lot about drinking alcohol? Are you doing less of what you used to do?
• Are you spending more money on alcohol than you should?
• Do you drink alone?

If the answers are yes, then it may point to a problematic relationship with alcohol. Then you can also subsequently develop more symptoms similar to alcohol dependence or alcoholism.

Signs and symptoms of alcohol dependence (alcoholism)

One definition of being an alcoholic is that you live with a strong desire to drink alcohol and have difficulty controlling your drinking.

Signs of abuse

• That you have to increase your intake to get an intoxicating effect. When we drink a lot of alcohol, the body adapts to this, something we call tolerance. This means that we have to drink more units to experience the same effect as before.
• You think a lot about drinking alcohol. When you don't drink, your mind will be characterized by thoughts about when you should drink
• Abstinences. When we notice physical symptoms in the body such as tremors, restlessness, sweating, then you have developed en physical dependence of alcohol that manifests itself with abstinence. Here we can end up in a vicious circle where we have to drink more to stop the symptoms or get rid of the withdrawal symptoms.
• You experience preferably more damage. You lose control more often, which means that we pose a risk to yourself and others. You tend to get into accidents and injure yourself physically.
• You are sick more often
• A sign is that it affects you how you treat yourself. You notice more anxiety and restlessness, and that everyday life can be characterized by boredom, meaninglessness and loneliness.
• You like to drink alone and you may be concerned with hiding your drinking and hiding it from other people.

Drinking does not become something we choose, but something we have to do. We are addicted. When drinking is problematic, we are happy to continue with it and defy them harmful consequencesno.

You notice withdrawal symptoms characterized by tremors, restlessness and sweating. And you need more alcohol to stop these symptoms.

Some people find that they drink a lot but function, hence the expression functioning alcoholic. Even if they feel that they are managing, this is often an experience that does not correspond well to reality.

Alcohol has its effects on body and mind, which means that it is only a matter of time before alcohol takes a bigger hold on your life.

How to stop drinking?

If you want to do something about your drinking, there are some important points to think about. The first involves being honest with yourself: how big of a problem is it?

Then it is often difficult to turn around. Drinking does something good to us. We feel something good, something different, where we become freer, not nervous or anxious.

When you practice getting out of this, it is therefore important to become aware of your "triggers". That is, something that triggered the desire in you to drink. Maybe you have to avoid nightclubs. Walk away from places you associate with alcohol. Don't be with friends you always drink with.

An important question is: why do you drink? If you have an answer, it can tell you about what the drinking gives you. Because there can be completely different things in life that can also give it. Where you find belonging and community.

Treatment of alcohol problems

Treatment, therapy and alcohol withdrawal have been shown to be useful for alcohol problems, alcoholism and alcohol addiction.

Often it is not the alcohol itself that is the problem. It is rather the symptom. Therefore, some form of treatment for underlying causes is usually necessary to overcome the drinking.

When you notice that drinking is a problem, that it's about something in you and it's something you want to do something about. Then you're good to go. That leads us to a version of the question: why does Jeppe drink?".

Another variation of the same question that the Canadian doctor and addiction expert Gabor Mate says is: The question is not "why am I addicted" but "where does the pain come from?"

The doctor points out that drinking covers up what we really have to deal with in the face of addiction – the pain, feelings and discomfort that drugs dampen or remove.  

The pain is usually linked to experiences and experiences in your life. It is about experiences where you have been in pain and you have possibly been left alone.

This means that the pain often brings with it experiences and thoughts related to not reaching, not being lovable, that you feel loneliness, abandonment, hopelessness, that you do not have the strength to stand up for yourself or little value.

Alcohol protects and keeps emotions and anxiety away. It becomes a "good friend" here that tells you that you cannot stand life and your own feelings without its close friendship.

This leads you into a vicious circle. When the pain on the inside activates the need for alcohol, it creates a reaction in those close to us - with family, friends and at work. As a result, another side of us will be activated – we end up feeling ashamed and criticizing ourselves for our drinking. This means that the underlying emotional pain that the alcohol tells about is further suppressed.

WE are in a vicious and self-perpetuating circle.  

Alcohol often goes together with other internal defenses - such as distancing, working a lot, keeping busy, distracting ourselves.

You can read more about therapy with a psychologist here.

Therapy for alcoholism

In therapy, we will explore together with you what your pain is about. When we are with the pain, rather than hiding or solving the pain.

Here we will be curious about what happens. Because a life without alcohol is also a less protected life. A life where you are more present with what you sense and feel. This also means that the pain is expressed. We learn together about what it is about for you or your family. Sometimes it's a pain that goes on for generations.

Therapy provides a new opportunity for you, together with a psychologist, to get to know these deeper layers of what drives your drinking. Our psychologists are trained to stay focused with you to find out what drives your drinking.

Sometimes your consumption can be so great that you have to start a detox. Then you can get in touch with Blue Cross for help with alcohol withdrawal.