<p>Alcohol and problem drinkers are common in our day and age, though there are still not many treatments available outside of counselling-based programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).&nbsp; As more research comes out, though, there is hope on the horizon for problem drinkers and therapies for dealing effectively with their want for change.</p> <p><strong>What are problem drinkers`post_id` = '86', `post_title` = 'Alcoholism: Therapy and the role of the self', `post_content` = '<p>Alcohol and problem drinkers are common in our day and age, though there are still not many treatments available outside of counselling-based programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).&nbsp; As more research comes out, though, there is hope on the horizon for problem drinkers and therapies for dealing effectively with their want for change.</p> <p><strong>What are problem drinkers?</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The drinkers studied in these cases were those who self-reported or were court-reported as having a noted and documented problem with alcohol.&nbsp; Both the reactions on alcohol as well as the amount of alcohol consumed were contributing factors for the formal definition used.</p> <p>Therapy options for alcohol abuse:</p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The main kinds of therapy used to help both understand and treat alcoholics for the best chances at learning how to drink responsibly, including the three following approaches:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Behavior Tracking:</strong> This was a counselling-focused approach that helped each drinker self-monitor their drinking habits, learn about the importance of control analytically, and also how to recognize triggers for excessive drinking.&nbsp; This approach often included a manual.</li> </ul> <ul> <li><strong>Aversive counterconditioning:</strong> This was pairing the enjoyment of drinking with shock therapy in order to train the brain to have a negative response to it so that the patient would no longer want to drink in the future.</li> </ul> <ul> <li><strong>Controlled Drinking Composite: </strong>This approach was similar to behavior tracking therapy, but it focused specifically on educating on the dangers of alcohol and learning how it felt for each person to be at those varying dangerous levels of drinking.&nbsp; This was paired with shock therapy at higher amounts to help the body learn when to stop drinking.</li> </ul> <p><strong>What were the results?</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The results were intriguing when connected with real patient data.&nbsp; Behavior therapy was thought to be effective but very expensive as it required intense therapy and counselling sessions at regular intervals.&nbsp;</p> <p>Aversive counter condition was thought to be effective to a degree, but it took a long time to start working and it often was questionable when it came to the concept of long-term success rates.&nbsp;</p> <p>Lastly, controlled drinking composite therapy was the most intense of the two methods because it blended both methods together.&nbsp; Ideally, blending the two top pros and omitting the cons.</p> <p>Just like any other kind of therapy and treatment, each kind of counselling is best matched to a problem drinker and their own preferences as well as willingness to change their habits.&nbsp; Self-awareness also played a role.</p> <p><strong>What is the role of self-awareness?</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Scientifically speaking, alcohol reduces self-awareness because it interferes with the process of encoding information specifically to the self.&nbsp; Essentially, you no longer care about consequences as they relate to you, leading to fights, embarrassing situations, etc.&nbsp; Understanding about this change in biological processes can help problem drinkers really learn and appreciate that this change is biological after a certain degree of alcohol.&nbsp; It is thought that it can help problem drinkers understand the importance of a limit.</p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; While there is still much to be learned about alcohol use with problem drinkers, there is hope on the horizon for proper support and treatment by relying on these 3 approaches and self-awareness.</p> ', `post_preview_image` = '042321 - Alcoholism - Therapy Approaches and the Role of the Self.jpg', `post_category` = ' Substance Abuse'</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The drinkers studied in these cases were those who self-reported or were court-reported as having a noted and documented problem with alcohol.&nbsp; Both the reactions on alcohol as well as the amount of alcohol consumed were contributing factors for the formal definition used.</p> <p>Therapy options for alcohol abuse:</p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The main kinds of therapy used to help both understand and treat alcoholics for the best chances at learning how to drink responsibly, including the three following approaches:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Behavior Tracking:</strong> This was a counselling-focused approach that helped each drinker self-monitor their drinking habits, learn about the importance of control analytically, and also how to recognize triggers for excessive drinking.&nbsp; This approach often included a manual.</li> </ul> <ul> <li><strong>Aversive counterconditioning:</strong> This was pairing the enjoyment of drinking with shock therapy in order to train the brain to have a negative response to it so that the patient would no longer want to drink in the future.</li> </ul> <ul> <li><strong>Controlled Drinking Composite: </strong>This approach was similar to behavior tracking therapy, but it focused specifically on educating on the dangers of alcohol and learning how it felt for each person to be at those varying dangerous levels of drinking.&nbsp; This was paired with shock therapy at higher amounts to help the body learn when to stop drinking.</li> </ul> <p><strong>What were the results?</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The results were intriguing when connected with real patient data.&nbsp; Behavior therapy was thought to be effective but very expensive as it required intense therapy and counselling sessions at regular intervals.&nbsp;</p> <p>Aversive counter condition was thought to be effective to a degree, but it took a long time to start working and it often was questionable when it came to the concept of long-term success rates.&nbsp;</p> <p>Lastly, controlled drinking composite therapy was the most intense of the two methods because it blended both methods together.&nbsp; Ideally, blending the two top pros and omitting the cons.</p> <p>Just like any other kind of therapy and treatment, each kind of counselling is best matched to a problem drinker and their own preferences as well as willingness to change their habits.&nbsp; Self-awareness also played a role.</p> <p><strong>What is the role of self-awareness?</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Scientifically speaking, alcohol reduces self-awareness because it interferes with the process of encoding information specifically to the self.&nbsp; Essentially, you no longer care about consequences as they relate to you, leading to fights, embarrassing situations, etc.&nbsp; Understanding about this change in biological processes can help problem drinkers really learn and appreciate that this change is biological after a certain degree of alcohol.&nbsp; It is thought that it can help problem drinkers understand the importance of a limit.</p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; While there is still much to be learned about alcohol use with problem drinkers, there is hope on the horizon for proper support and treatment by relying on these 3 approaches and self-awareness.</p>