The best way to treat AUD is with a combination of approaches. Counseling will need to play a role. Options are:
Brief Interventions
A person with AUD will have short meetings with a healthcare provider to talk about:
- The harms of alcohol use
- Ways to reduce risky drinking
- How to change drinking patterns
- Making plans to monitor progress
Counseling
Counseling can help to identify thoughts that lead to AUD and ways to better cope with problems. It may be:
- Individual therapy to learn how to stop using alcohol and better ways to manage problems that lead to drinking
- Group therapy from organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) to get support from others who are recovering from AUD
- Couples and family therapy to discuss how the people in a person's life can play a role in recovery
References
Alcohol use disorder. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/alcohol-use-disorder . Accessed September 3, 2020.
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/alcohol-withdrawal-syndrome . Accessed September 3, 2020.
Day E, Copello A, Hull M. Assessment and management of alcohol use disorders. BMJ. 2015 Feb 19;350:h715.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). American Psychiatric Association; 2013.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Adrian Preda, MD
- Review Date: 03/2020
- Update Date: 02/19/2021