Alcoholism Treatment Programs

Is alcoholism inherited?

One who depends on alcohol in a daily basis despite health issues, social standing or current relationships is considered alcoholic; is it caused by environmental factors or can it be inherited? Numerous studies up-to-date had been done to identify which gene contributes to this behavior, studies show that genetic factors has a huge role in the development of alcoholism but how much of these factors affects the host is still uncertain.

It has been explained that a child of alcoholics would most likely develop alcoholism and environmental factors is a contributing aspect. For instance, if a child has alcoholic parents and has been raised in a home where the child had been exposed to such behavior the chances of acquiring the behavior is bigger than the case of a child who is exposed to environmental influences alone.

In alcoholism treatment center, which gives hope to a healthy life after the treatment program, tends to prescribe mood stabilizers for these alcohol dependent patients. Mood stabilizers such as lithium, valproate, topiramate and carbamazepine have a prophylactic effect that will help these patients in maintaining the treatment program. The purpose of pharmacotherapy is to continue the positive shift in behavior or sobriety during and after the treatment, also to prevent the most devastating event which is the relapse. These mood stabilizers are also used in patients with bipolar disorder or manic depression; doctors often prescribes 12.5 mg on the first week of pharmaceutical intervention, the second week the dosage will increase to 25 mg, on the third week additional 12.5 mg will be added to the previous dosage, same thing will happen on the fourth week giving the patient 50 mg, then on week 5 to 8 the added dosage per week will increase to 25 mg giving the patient a whole 200 mg pill daily in week 8. The medications prescribed for alcoholism is Campral which has the effect of letting the brain work normally again, it will restore whatever impairment in the brain that had been caused by excessive drinking it also reduces sleep disturbances during the early weeks of sobriety; the dosage for this medication is 333mg three times daily.

In the alcoholism treatment center the approach is usually focused on alcoholic patients however in the holistic treatment center the program utilizes all forms of healthcare approach that will help the patient in the healing process. The intervention in the holistic treatment center includes meditation, yoga, art therapy, expressive therapy, family therapy, individual psychotherapy and other types of rejuvenating ones totality; its primary goal is to regain what is lost during the addiction period. In the residential treatment center or the live-in health care facility usually caters behavior modification and the structure of the treatment differs depending on the intensity or grade of the situation. Studies believe that behavioral intervention is quite effective even if pharmacotherapy fails. The residential treatment center is the last resort for any kind of addiction; it is the recommended treatment center for patients with long history of addiction.