Alcohol Addiction Therapy Cures
Alcohol Addiction Therapy Approaches:
The Psychodynamic Approach
Clinicians who take psycho-dynamic perspective advocate
psychotherapy for alcoholism. Although there have
been some encouraging clinical reports on the usefulness
of psychotherapy, research on the topic has not yet
produced definitive conclusions.
Most studies of psychotherapy with alcoholics are not
comparable with respect to such important
variables as the setting in which
the treatment was applied, the duration of the therapy,
and the criteria by which the therapy was evaluated.
The use of psychotherapy to help people with alcohol
problems may be limited by the fact that they often
need help at odd hours in their efforts to stay sober.
The low self-esteem of some over users of alcohol may
be even further lowered by having to depend on people
who do not have an alcohol problem.
In the past psychotherapists believed that alcoholism
is merely a symptom of underlying psychological
difficulties. The logical conclusion was that such patients
would improve in regard to their drinking, if insight
seeking was successful. Today, it is widely recognized
that psychotherapeutic exploration for someone who is
still drinking not only provides a little benefit but
may be barely remembered from one session to the
next.
The Learning Approach
Aversive conditioning is based on the principle of
classical conditioning . If a glass of alcohol (conditioned
stimulus) regularly proceeds an aversive stimulus such as
a nausea-producing drug (unconditioned stimulus), the
alcohol will eventually elicit some part of the unconditioned
response-in this case, vomiting. Once the unpleasant
response has been conditioned to alcohol, the
habit of avoiding alcohol will be established through
operant conditioning. The response of abstinence is
strengthened because it reduces the unpleasant feeling
(nausea) that the conditioning situation has associated
with alcohol. Electric shock is sometimes used in place
of nausea-producing drugs in this procedure, but it
seems to be less effective. Aversive-conditioning
approaches often require "booster sessions" because the
threat of an unpleasant reaction tends to weaken over
time. Long-term follow-up studies are needed to establish
the success rate of aversive conditioning.
Another learning approach, covert uses aversive images
and fantasies rather than actual shocks and chemical.
Alcoholic patients are told that they can eliminate their
"faulty habit " by associating it with unpleasant stimuli.
They are instructed to close their eyes and imagine
that they are about to drink an alcoholic beverage.
They are then taught to imagine the
sensations of nausea and vomiting. If it is repeated
often enough, the association between nausea and
the sight, smell, and taste of alcohol is presumed to establish a
conditioned aversion to alcohol.
The Cognitive Approach
The cognitive approach, clients are oriented toward
more tutoring their own behavior by noting the situational
and environmental antecedents and consequences of
heavy drinking. The past learning in relation to drinking
is reviewed, and their expectations about the effects
of alcohol are discussed. Participants in controlled drinking
programs are encouraged to ask themselves
questions like the following.
• At what places am I most likely to over drink?
• With which people am I most likely to over drink?
• When am I most likely to over drink?
• How do I feel emotionally just before I begin to
over drink?
Special emphasis is placed on drinking as a response to
stress. This approach makes sense, since a high percent age
of people with alcohol problems report that their
heavy drinking often begins when they are faced with
unpleasant, frustrating, or challenging situations. Improved
problem-solving skills, particularly in the area of
interpersonal relationships, learning how to anticipate
and plan for stressful experiences, and acquiring the
ability to say "No, thanks" when offered a drink have
been shown to have therapeutic value for alcoholics
(Marlatt and Gordon).
One reason that learning approaches may not be
effective is that the short-term effects of alcohol often
are positively reinforcement only the effects of over consumption
ending in intoxication , dangerous or socially frowned-upon behavior,
or a period of binge drinking have negative-reinforcement properties.
The cognitive perspective deals with this problem by focusing the
client's thoughts on the consequences of the drinking
behavior as well as on the specific situations in which
drinking is most likely to appear tempting. The client
and the therapist work together to develop cognitive
coping techniques to deal with these situations.
Again:
• At what places am I most likely to over drink?
• With which people am I most likely to over drink?
• When am I most likely to over drink?
• How do I feel emotionally just before I begin to
over drink?
Relapse Prevention. While the goal of therapeutic
efforts is to help alcoholics stop drinking, maintaining
sobriety over the long term is also of great importance.
Alcoholics who undergo treatment have a high relapse
rate. Many go through treatment a number of times or
through a number of treatments and still relapse into
uncontrolled drinking.
For those who view alcoholism as a disease, a relapse
is a failure that the victim is powerless to control.
From the cognitive viewpoint, a relapse is a slip.
Such a lapse might be prevented in the future by
strengthening the person's coping skills. The cognitive
approach views a relapse as a fork in the road . One fork
leads back to the abusive behavior, the other toward the
goal of positive change and describes the cognitive-
behavioral approach to the relapse process.
Relapse-prevention programs combine a cognitive
approach with a variety of treatment procedures designed
to change the individual's drinking pattern (Marlatt
and Gordon).
The programs are equally
useful whether the goal is abstinence or controlled
drinking. The only requirement is that the client make a
voluntary decision to change . The relapse-prevention
approach assumes that the person experiences a sense of
control over his or her behavior as long as the treatment
program continues. If the person encounters a high-risk
situation, this sense of control is threatened and a relapse
is likely. High-risk situations include negative
moods such as frustration, anger, or depression;
inter personals such argument with an employer
or family member. With progress the probability of a relapse decreases.
An important factor in relapses is the abstinence effect.
When a relapse occurs, renewed commitment to abstinence is the key…
For the Treatment I recommend click this link:
http://theliberatormethod.com
The Psychodynamic Approach
Clinicians who take psycho-dynamic perspective advocate
psychotherapy for alcoholism. Although there have
been some encouraging clinical reports on the usefulness
of psychotherapy, research on the topic has not yet
produced definitive conclusions.
Most studies of psychotherapy with alcoholics are not
comparable with respect to such important
variables as the setting in which
the treatment was applied, the duration of the therapy,
and the criteria by which the therapy was evaluated.
The use of psychotherapy to help people with alcohol
problems may be limited by the fact that they often
need help at odd hours in their efforts to stay sober.
The low self-esteem of some over users of alcohol may
be even further lowered by having to depend on people
who do not have an alcohol problem.
In the past psychotherapists believed that alcoholism
is merely a symptom of underlying psychological
difficulties. The logical conclusion was that such patients
would improve in regard to their drinking, if insight
seeking was successful. Today, it is widely recognized
that psychotherapeutic exploration for someone who is
still drinking not only provides a little benefit but
may be barely remembered from one session to the
next.
The Learning Approach
Aversive conditioning is based on the principle of
classical conditioning . If a glass of alcohol (conditioned
stimulus) regularly proceeds an aversive stimulus such as
a nausea-producing drug (unconditioned stimulus), the
alcohol will eventually elicit some part of the unconditioned
response-in this case, vomiting. Once the unpleasant
response has been conditioned to alcohol, the
habit of avoiding alcohol will be established through
operant conditioning. The response of abstinence is
strengthened because it reduces the unpleasant feeling
(nausea) that the conditioning situation has associated
with alcohol. Electric shock is sometimes used in place
of nausea-producing drugs in this procedure, but it
seems to be less effective. Aversive-conditioning
approaches often require "booster sessions" because the
threat of an unpleasant reaction tends to weaken over
time. Long-term follow-up studies are needed to establish
the success rate of aversive conditioning.
Another learning approach, covert uses aversive images
and fantasies rather than actual shocks and chemical.
Alcoholic patients are told that they can eliminate their
"faulty habit " by associating it with unpleasant stimuli.
They are instructed to close their eyes and imagine
that they are about to drink an alcoholic beverage.
They are then taught to imagine the
sensations of nausea and vomiting. If it is repeated
often enough, the association between nausea and
the sight, smell, and taste of alcohol is presumed to establish a
conditioned aversion to alcohol.
The Cognitive Approach
The cognitive approach, clients are oriented toward
more tutoring their own behavior by noting the situational
and environmental antecedents and consequences of
heavy drinking. The past learning in relation to drinking
is reviewed, and their expectations about the effects
of alcohol are discussed. Participants in controlled drinking
programs are encouraged to ask themselves
questions like the following.
• At what places am I most likely to over drink?
• With which people am I most likely to over drink?
• When am I most likely to over drink?
• How do I feel emotionally just before I begin to
over drink?
Special emphasis is placed on drinking as a response to
stress. This approach makes sense, since a high percent age
of people with alcohol problems report that their
heavy drinking often begins when they are faced with
unpleasant, frustrating, or challenging situations. Improved
problem-solving skills, particularly in the area of
interpersonal relationships, learning how to anticipate
and plan for stressful experiences, and acquiring the
ability to say "No, thanks" when offered a drink have
been shown to have therapeutic value for alcoholics
(Marlatt and Gordon).
One reason that learning approaches may not be
effective is that the short-term effects of alcohol often
are positively reinforcement only the effects of over consumption
ending in intoxication , dangerous or socially frowned-upon behavior,
or a period of binge drinking have negative-reinforcement properties.
The cognitive perspective deals with this problem by focusing the
client's thoughts on the consequences of the drinking
behavior as well as on the specific situations in which
drinking is most likely to appear tempting. The client
and the therapist work together to develop cognitive
coping techniques to deal with these situations.
Again:
• At what places am I most likely to over drink?
• With which people am I most likely to over drink?
• When am I most likely to over drink?
• How do I feel emotionally just before I begin to
over drink?
Relapse Prevention. While the goal of therapeutic
efforts is to help alcoholics stop drinking, maintaining
sobriety over the long term is also of great importance.
Alcoholics who undergo treatment have a high relapse
rate. Many go through treatment a number of times or
through a number of treatments and still relapse into
uncontrolled drinking.
For those who view alcoholism as a disease, a relapse
is a failure that the victim is powerless to control.
From the cognitive viewpoint, a relapse is a slip.
Such a lapse might be prevented in the future by
strengthening the person's coping skills. The cognitive
approach views a relapse as a fork in the road . One fork
leads back to the abusive behavior, the other toward the
goal of positive change and describes the cognitive-
behavioral approach to the relapse process.
Relapse-prevention programs combine a cognitive
approach with a variety of treatment procedures designed
to change the individual's drinking pattern (Marlatt
and Gordon).
The programs are equally
useful whether the goal is abstinence or controlled
drinking. The only requirement is that the client make a
voluntary decision to change . The relapse-prevention
approach assumes that the person experiences a sense of
control over his or her behavior as long as the treatment
program continues. If the person encounters a high-risk
situation, this sense of control is threatened and a relapse
is likely. High-risk situations include negative
moods such as frustration, anger, or depression;
inter personals such argument with an employer
or family member. With progress the probability of a relapse decreases.
An important factor in relapses is the abstinence effect.
When a relapse occurs, renewed commitment to abstinence is the key…
For the Treatment I recommend click this link:
http://theliberatormethod.com