Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is something that affects millions of people all over the world. Also, it is not just the individual who is affected. It can affect everyone in their orbit, especially loved ones like close family and friends. However, these people who can be most affected are also the ones who can often make the biggest difference because they are close enough to the individual to reach them and offer them help. Yes, getting a loved one help for AUD can feel daunting, but it can also be one of the most meaningful and impactful actions a person will ever take.
The Prevalence of AUD in the U.S.
AUD is still highly prevalent in the U.S. and around the world. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), “29.5 million people ages 12 and older (10.5% in this age group) had AUD in the past year. This includes 17.4 million males ages 12 and older (12.6% in this age group),” and “12.2 million females ages 12 and older (8.5% in this age group).”
These are not insignificant numbers and they help to explain why many people will be affected by this disease in some way at some point in their lives. AUD also causes very significant and quantifiable damage. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Excessive alcohol use was responsible for about 178,000 deaths in the United States each year during 2020–2021, or 488 deaths per day.” Also, “Each year, deaths from excessive drinking shortened the lives of those who died by an average of 24 years, for a total of about 4 million years of potential life lost.”
With statistics as staggering as these, it can become easy to forget that these are not just numbers but lives that have been devastated. But, there is also hope in these statistics because they represent people who can be helped to overcome their addiction. This all starts by being able to recognize the signs and symptoms of AUD.
The Signs and Symptoms of AUD
There are many signs and symptoms associated with AUD. These symptoms can be mild and severe (depending on the individual and how long they have been affected). It is also important to note that even mild symptoms should not be minimized as they may just be symptoms that are more visible of deeper struggles.
The following are just a few of the signs and symptoms of AUD:
- Isolating away from loved ones
- Losing interest in activities once enjoyed
- Otherwise, unexplained physical ailments such as gastrointestinal problems and muscle aches
- Excessive hangovers
- Missing school or work due to drinking
- Losing interest in appearance and personal hygiene
- Trouble with sleep, including sleeping too much and/or sleeping too little
- Spending excessive amounts of money on alcohol
- Exhibiting mood swings and outbursts
- Expressing feelings of anxiety and/or depression
- Committing self-harm and/or having suicidal ideations
As one can see, these are significant and dangerous side effects. This is why if a loved one is exhibiting any, many, or all of these symptoms, seeking professional help as soon as possible is highly recommended. Also, catching these symptoms early can mean the difference between short-term issues and long-term effects.
The Long-Term Effects of AUD on the Mind, Body, and Soul
AUD does not just affect one part of a person. No, it can affect their entire being. This includes mind, body, and soul. Physically, it can destroy muscle tissue and internal organs. Mentally, it can interrupt brain development and cause permanent cognitive damage. Emotionally, it can create feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and shame. It can also get to the core of one’s soul and cause them to lose faith in the joys of life.
The fact of the matter is that the primary long-term effect of AUD is premature death. This is a gravely deadly disease (as was previously noted by the CDC). However, AUD has many other devastating long-term effects. The following are just a few:
- Family disruptions, including the separation of spouses and parents from their children
- Financial troubles and the loss of jobs
- AUD has been linked to certain cancers
- Causes liver and kidney damage
- The potential for acquiring a co-occurring mental health disorder
- Homelessness
- The potential for acquiring co-occurring substance and behavioral addictions
Getting a Loved One Help for AUD
The good news is that AUD does not have to be a long-term reality. If a loved one is struggling with AUD, there is help, and there is hope. The key is to act as soon as possible. Understandably, many people are intimidated when it comes to approaching a loved one whom they think may have a problem. The key is to remember that this is a life-saving act and, in many instances, the individual is secretly hoping that someone will reach out.
Close friends and family are uniquely qualified to help their loved ones with AUD. Yes, this is because they are near the individual, but it is also because that proximity often allows them to set boundaries if a loved one who needs help is unwilling to accept it.
There is a reason why they refer to addiction as a “family disease.” This is because it negatively affects both the individual and those closest to them. These effects can also be physical, mental, and emotional. The emotional aspect is why many people get caught up in enabling their loved one who is struggling with AUD. This means that they offer the type of help (financial, legal, familial) that actually allows them to continue their negative addictive behaviors longer.
In order for a loved one to get the help they need, the enabling has to stop, and boundaries must be set. These may be boundaries like not allowing them in the home or around the family if they have been drinking, not supporting them financially, or not helping them out if legal troubles arise. While setting these boundaries may be hard, the key is to remember that they will be worth it if they direct a loved one to the help they need. That help may need to start with a safe and secure detox.
Help for AUD: A Safe and Secure Detox
It is important to remember that AUD can also be deadly when someone stops drinking. This is because alcohol withdrawal can not only be extremely mentally and physically painful, but without proper professional care and supervision, it can be fatal.
Alcohol withdrawal can lead to something called delirium tremens (DTs), and they can be very serious. According to the peer-reviewed journal Alcohol Health and Research World, “DT’s are a serious manifestation of alcohol dependence that develops 1 to 4 days after the onset of acute alcohol withdrawal in persons who have been drinking excessively for years… Death may occur in up to 5 percent of patients with DT’s. The risk of death is reduced, however, in patients receiving adequate medication and medical support.”
This proper medical support also helps get an individual ready for the next steps of recovery, such as day treatment. The primary way it does this is by getting an individual healthy enough to participate in their own recovery.
Many people don’t realize just how nutrient-deprived an individual going into treatment actually is. According to the peer-reviewed journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, “Chronic alcoholic patients are frequently deficient in one or more vitamins. The deficiencies commonly involve folate, vitamin B6, thiamine, and vitamin A.” Also, “Alcoholism can affect the absorption, storage, metabolism, and activation of many of these vitamins.” A safe and secure detox is going to ensure that these nutrient levels (and hydration) are back up to where they need to be to move on to the next steps of recovery.
Help for AUD: Day Treatment
Day treatment is often an ideal approach for many people choosing recovery. This is because it offers the intense treatment that is needed to combat the disease of AUD, but it also allows individuals an opportunity to keep engaging in their day-to-day lives.
Many people confuse day treatment as a less intense (and therefore less effective) treatment than residential care. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Day treatment requires a serious commitment, and it has been shown to be just as effective as inpatient care. It generally requires five full days a week and often includes outside recovery meetings. Day treatment also utilizes the same types of therapy that residential care does. This includes cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
Help for AUD: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
CBT has been shown to be highly effective at treating several different types of addiction and mental health disorders. This includes AUD.
The reason for this is that CBT helps get to the underlying core issues that are often the deeper cause of addiction. As is said in many recovery meetings, “Alcohol is but a ‘symptom’ of what’s really going on.”
CBT works by addressing the negative way that one views oneself and the world around them. According to the peer-reviewed journal Cognitive Therapy and Research, “Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) refers to a class of interventions that share the basic premise that mental disorders and psychological distress are maintained by cognitive factors. The core premise of this treatment approach, as pioneered by Beck (1970) and Ellis (1962), holds that maladaptive cognitions contribute to the maintenance of emotional distress and behavioral problems. According to Beck’s model, these maladaptive cognitions include general beliefs, or schemas, about the world, the self, and the future, giving rise to specific and automatic thoughts in particular situations.”
CBT can help bring these negative cognitions (thoughts) and emotions (feelings) to the surface so they can then be properly addressed utilizing certain tools, techniques, and coping mechanisms. Similar underlying issues can also be addressed via group therapy.
Help for AUD: Group Therapy
One very critical component of a successful recovery is working with others. This includes both recovery professionals and recovery peers, both of whom are interacted with in group therapy.
Group therapy can be particularly effective in the treatment of addiction because it shows people that they are not alone. It also shows people that recovery is possible as they see their peers start to get well and move closer to their goals. Group therapy also offers a myriad of other benefits. The following are just a few of those benefits:
- Offers a sense of hope
- Helps individuals gain knowledge about the disease that they are struggling with
- Can help get individuals ready to interact with their loved ones again
- Offers healthy and nonjudgmental support
- Gives individuals a safe space where they can discuss their feelings
- Helps build relationships that can be carried on after treatment is over
Another major component of recovery is helping others. By helping others, an individual also greatly helps themself stay sober. As has been said, “It’s hard to think about your problems when you are helping someone else with theirs.”
The importance of working with others is even discussed in the primary text of 12-Step recovery (most commonly referred to as the Big Book) under the aptly named chapter, “Working With Others.” It states, “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other [people with AUD]. It works when other activities fail… You can help when no one else can.” Group therapy is an ideal setting to create the types of bond that can carry someone long into their recovery.
Help for AUD: Trauma Therapy
Many people don’t realize just how prevalent trauma is in the U.S. and around the world. According to the peer-reviewed journal Psychological Medicine, “General population studies have shown that a large proportion of people in developed countries have been exposed to at least one TE [traumatic event] in their lifetime (estimates from 28 to 90%), with the most common events being the unexpected death of a loved one, motor vehicle accidents and being mugged.”
Many people who struggle with trauma turn to alcohol (and other substances) as a coping mechanism to deal with it. Of course, this only masks the problem, and it only does so for a short period of time.
People who struggle with trauma and addiction often also benefit specifically from trauma therapy. This is because trauma therapy focuses on the underlying issues of trauma so an individual can heal on the inside rather than just focusing on getting sober. When one focuses on all of their issues in tandem (such as trauma and addiction), they have a much better chance of maintaining recovery and avoiding a potential relapse.
Many people don’t realize just how prevalent relapse is in the U.S. According to the peer-reviewed journal Current Psychiatry Reports, “It has long been known that addictive disorders are chronic and relapsing in nature. Recent estimates from clinical treatment studies suggest that more than two-thirds of individuals relapse within weeks to months of initiating treatment.” Now, these statistics go down significantly when the proper steps are taken to get a loved one the help they need for AUD. These steps include setting boundaries, getting into detox (if needed), and choosing the right day treatment with the right types of therapies.
The Importance of Individualized and Comprehensive Care at NorthStar Recovery Center
Here at NorthStar Recovery Center, we know just how daunting it can be when it comes to getting a loved one help for AUD. However, we also know that with that help comes hope for a healthier and happier way of life for everyone involved.
The iconic American author and philosopher Joseph Campbell said, “We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.” There is a new life waiting beyond addiction. The key is to go out and get it.
Getting a loved one help for alcohol use disorder (AUD) can be both difficult and daunting. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be. There are many effective ways to get a loved one struggling with AUD the help that they need. This may start with a safe and secure detox and move into a day treatment program. If you feel like you or a loved one are struggling with issues of addiction or co-occurring disorders, we can help. You are not alone. You don’t have to go through this alone. For more information about how to get a loved one the help they need for AUD, please reach out to NorthStar Recovery Center today at (888) 311-0911.