Alcohol addiction (alcohol dependence) is the most common addictive disorder. In Germany, a total of around 2 million people suffer from alcohol addiction requiring treatment. That is around 5 percent of male adults and 2 percent of female adults. Every year, around 42,000 people in Germany dieas a result of alcohol addiction (e.g. liver cirrhosis).
Find out more about alcohol addiction here and find selected doctors for the treatment of alcohol addiction.
Any type of alcohol consumption is risky for your health. It is therefore advisable to avoid alcoholic beverages completely. There is a risk of liver cirrhosis with regular daily alcohol consumption of over 24 g for men and 12 g for women. That is about 0.5-0.6 liters of beer or 0.25-0.3 liters of wine for a man and half that for a woman.
7.9 million people in Germany consume alcohol at risk to their health (source: ESA 2021) @ Pormezz /AdobeStock
Alcohol addiction: a case report
A 24-year-old unemployed patient presents at a counseling center for addiction disorders. He has had an increased alcohol consumption for 5 years. This increased in the last 2 years after breaking up with his girlfriend. At that time, he was drinking 7 bottles of beer and half a bottle of schnapps a day.
The patient is no longer able to abstain from alcohol. When he does, withdrawal symptoms (restlessness, sleep disorders, tremors and mood swings) set in. He also quickly loses control once he has started drinking. He is then unable to stop until he is intoxicated.
Physically, he is not in good shape. His liver values are elevated and he feels weak and unable to perform. He is motivated to end his alcohol addiction so that he can look after his 3-year-old son again.
The family doctor refers the alcohol-dependent patient to a specialist clinic for psychiatry and psychotherapy. There he must strictly abstain from alcohol. Over the next 3 weeks, the triggers and maintaining factors ofalcohol consumption are identified.
The patient works with therapists and doctors to find the motivation to continue abstaining from alcohol. All of this is incorporated into the treatment plan.
One year after discharge, the patient is still sober. He attends regular meetings with his family doctor and the addiction counseling center. He also attends meetings of the self-help group "Alcoholics Anonymous".
The aim of therapy is to abstain completely from alcohol.
Those affected can achieve this as follows:
The self-motivation of the alcohol-dependent patient is always decisive for success. They must be prepared to give up alcohol and accept help.
Around 50 percent of patients suffer from another mental disorder (e.g. an anxiety disorder). This is usually also the reason for the alcohol addiction. Patients should therefore treat the underlying illness following detoxification. In this way you can avoid alcohol relapses.
Alcoholics Anonymous meetings usually take place once a week @ dikushin /AdobeStock
If alcohol-dependent patients do not continue to consume alcohol, a vegetative alcohol withdrawal syndrome usually develops. This can happen intentionally or unintentionally, e.g. as a result of an accident with a stay in hospital. The alcohol withdrawal syndrome usually lasts three to seven days.
The following symptoms occur during this time:
In about a third of patients, drug treatment with Distraneurin® or other medications is necessary. In severe cases, an alcoholic delirium (delirium tremens) can also develop, which can be treated with intensive care. Stopping alcohol consumption should therefore always be done in consultation with a doctor.
Taking the drug acamprosate (Campral®) after completing detoxification can prevent alcohol relapses. Treatment with disulfiram (Antabus®) is a so-called aversive treatment. The addict takes the medication daily.
If they drink alcohol in addition to the medication, they must expect a disulfiram-alcohol reaction. This manifests itself in vomiting, anxiety, dizziness, etc. These unpleasant consequences are intended to prevent relapses.
Patients who continue to receive medical/psychological care after withdrawal treatment or long-term cessation treatment have a better chance of managing without alcohol in the long term.
Elements of aftercare are
