How alternative therapies can be used to treat alcohol addiction (2024)

Home remedies and alternative therapies are sometimes used to stop drinking alcohol naturally. Used in conjunction with recommended medical treatments, these remedies may include herbs such as kudzu and ashwagandha, lifestyle changes to reduce stress, and online counseling and support groups.

However, if you are a daily or heavy drinker, quitting alcohol without medical supervision can be dangerous. People withalcohol abuse(AUD) or alcoholism can have severe withdrawal symptoms that can be fatal.

You should never replace medical treatment or counseling with alternative remedies for AUD. However, for moderate drinkers, home remedies such as meditation, exercise and herbs can help with the transition to an alcohol-free lifestyle.

This article discusses home remedies that can help if you are trying to stop drinking alcohol. It explains how herbal remedies and lifestyle changes can ease mild alcohol withdrawal symptoms and when to seek medical help for alcohol withdrawal.

Withdrawal symptoms from alcohol

AUD (formerly known as alcoholism) is a medical condition in which a person has an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite the consequences. If you've tried to quit drinking without success, you may meet the criteria.

People with AUD who suddenly stop drinking may enter alcohol withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms begin about 8 hours after your last drink, peak after 24 to 72 hours, and can last for weeks or months, depending on the individual.

Mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms can often be treated at home and may include:

• Angst
• Brain fog
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Lost appetite
• Mood swings
• Nausea and vomiting
• Nervousness or tremors
• High heart rate
• To sweat
• Shaking or shaking

Natural remedies to stop drinking

Herbal supplements can help ease withdrawal symptoms, speed liver healing, and help alleviate alcohol cravings.

Kudzu flower

Kudzu extract has shown some promise in helping people avoid binge drinking.Busyis when someone drinks more than four or five drinks in two hours.

Kudzu can also help heavy drinkers reduce the amount of alcohol they consume, even if they are not being treated for AUD.

The Kudzu flower is the main ingredient in the Ge Hua Jie Cheng San TCM formula. It is the mixture often used to treat poisonings and hangovers.

It has several effects. One of these is that it increases your blood alcohol levels more quickly, which means you can feel drunk more quickly.

In one study, binge drinkers took kudzu extract or a placebo before a 90-minute beer drinking session.A placebo is a treatment without actual medicine.

The people who received a dose of kudzu extract drank significantly less beer than before. They also drank less than people who took a placebo. They also drank more slowly.

A study of alcoholics who were not in a treatment program found that taking kudzu had no effect on their cravings for alcohol. But it reduced the number of drinks they had each week by a third to a half.

It also reduced the number of days people drank heavily and increased the number of days they didn't drink at all.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandhais an herbal supplement made fromWithania somniferaplant. It is used in Ayurvedic medicine, which originated in India.

Ashwagandha is sometimes used for alcohol withdrawal and cravings. Research in alcohol-dependent mice found that ashwagandha relieved anxiety. More studies are needed to see if it works the same way in people.

Milk thistle

mariadistel (Silybum marianum) is an herb rich in the antioxidant silymarin. It is often touted as a means of restoring liver health and protecting against liver damage caused by too much alcohol.

Some research shows that milk thistle may help people who want to treat alcohol-related liver diseases. It is important to note that more studies are needed to confirm that the herb improves liver health.

St. John's wort

St. John's wort is believed to help people stop drinking alcohol, but its effectiveness has not yet been fully studied. Older studies show that St. John's wort may help reduce alcohol intake and ease withdrawal symptoms in animals. However, recent research and human studies are lacking.

St. John's wort can help relieve depression and mood swings associated with alcohol withdrawal and early recovery. Research shows that the herb works as well as some depression medications.

St. John's wort works to balance serotonin and dopamine, chemicals in the brain responsible for feelings of well-being.

Meditation and mindfulness

Mindfulness therapieshave been used to prevent people from relapsing.Relapseis when someone starts drinking unhealthy again after a period of recovery.

These programs usually include meditation. They train you to be aware of your thoughts, feelings and urges rather than just reacting to them.

Some studies report that mindfulness led to better results than 12-step programs alone.

However, not all studies had the same results. A 2017 research reviewdidn'tfound that this therapy was more effective than other forms of relapse prevention.

Lifestyle changes

It may be helpful to change your daily routine when you stop drinking. Replacing unhealthy habits with a healthier lifestyle can ease withdrawal symptoms and help keep food cravings at bay.

Lifestyle changes you can make to feel better when you stop drinking include:

• Eat better: Aim for foods with higher vitamin and mineral content to help restore the nutrients lost when you drink.
• Exercise: Moving your body can improve your mood, relieve stress and boost pain-relieving endorphins, all of which can help when you stop drinking.
• Get enough sleep: Getting at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night can help your body and mind feel better when you stop drinking. However, insomnia is a common problem when you stop drinking. If you cannot sleep, contact your doctor.
• Stay hydrated: Drinking at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day can help reduce withdrawal symptoms and make you feel better.
• Reduce stress: If you've been using alcohol to cope with stress, you'll want to find new strategies. Exercise, meditation, yoga, journaling, creative expressions such as music and art, or other hobbies can help reduce stress naturally.
• Stay away from alcohol: When trying to stop drinking, it may be wise to avoid people you used to drink with, places where alcohol is served, and activities you associate with drinking.
  

Online support to stop drinking alcohol

If you're having trouble quitting alcohol on your own, you can find online support with peer-to-peer meetings, virtual therapy, and online outpatient treatment.

Support groups

The online recovery community expanded dramatically during the COVID-19 lockdown. Support groups and meetings can be found 24 hours a day from the comfort of your home, with a variety of recovery programs to choose from.

Recovery communities with online meetings that can help you quit drinking include:

• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA): The original support group for people with a desire to quit drinking, AA uses a 12-step program to achieve abstinence from alcohol.
• Celebrate recovery: A Bible-based recovery program that helps people with alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling, eating disorders and other problems.
• Support for Green Recovery and Sobriety (GRASS): A cannabis-friendly recovery community offering online support meetings for people recovering from alcohol and other harmful substances and behaviors.
• Secular Sobriety Organizations(SOS): A network of non-religious peer-to-peer support groups for recovery from alcohol and other substance abuse disorders.
• SMART recovery: Peer support meetings using a self-directed, analytical approach to reduce harm from alcohol and substance use disorders.

Therapy

Behavioral therapies are widely used to help people stop drinking. Thanks to virtual healthcare, you can see a therapist from home.

Therapeutic methods that have been shown to be effective in helping people with alcohol abuse include:

• Short interventions
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Family guidance
• Motivational reinforcement therapy

Intensive outpatient treatment

If you are unable to stop drinking with support groups and therapy alone, you may benefit from intensive outpatient treatment. Many rehabilitation and treatment centers now offer virtual programs for the treatment of alcohol addiction.

Intensive outpatient programs (IOP) include individual and group therapy and education to give you tools to help you stop drinking.

Consider seeking treatment for AUD if you experience:

• A strong urge to drink
• An inability to limit the amount of alcohol you drink
• Page
• Loss of control
• Physical dependence, including nausea and sweating when you don't drink
• Tolerance or the need to drink more alcohol to experience the same effects

Without treatment, excessive alcohol consumption can lead to complications, such as:

• Alcoholic hepatitis(inflammation of the liver)
• Cirrhosis(scarring in the liver)
• Gastritis(inflammation of the stomach lining)
• Pancreatitis
• High bloodpressure
• Bone loss
• Alcoholic fatty liver disease

Alcohol abuse has also been linked to:higher risk of various forms of cancer, including colon, breast, mouth, liver and throat cancer.

Acupuncture

Acupunctureuses small, sterile needles placed in targeted locations on your body. It is used inTraditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) to help reduce alcohol cravings and increase convenienceWithdrawal symptoms.

Some people also use it to treatangstIndepressionthat goes along with alcohol addiction and withdrawal. Research is being conducted into the best way to administer this treatment.

A 2017 study found that acupuncture helped with alcohol cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

In one of the studies in the review, researchers compared a real acupuncture treatment with a fake treatment. In the real treatment, the researchers placed needles in areas associated with alcohol-related behavior. In the dummy treatment, they placed needles in other parts of the body.

The results? The alcohol-targeted acupuncture reduced cravings and withdrawal symptoms better than the sham treatment.However, the effect was weak.

OfNational Acupuncture Detox Program(NADA) focuses on addiction care. Thatincluding ear acupuncture.

NADA specialists say acupuncture should be used in conjunction with medical care, counseling and other forms of support.

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Home remedies and complementary therapies are often used to help people stop drinking.

Herbal supplements such as ashwagandha, kudzu, milk thistle, and St. John's wort can reduce alcohol withdrawal symptoms and prevent cravings.

Lifestyle changes, better nutrition, exercise, meditation, mindfulness and relaxing hobbies can also help you feel better while living alcohol-free.

You can also find support online to help you stop drinking. Several recovery fairs offer all-day online support group meetings.

Online therapy and intensive outpatient treatment programs are widely available and accessible from the comfort and privacy of your home.

Heavy drinkers who abruptly stop drinking alcohol can experience severe withdrawal symptoms that can be fatal. If you have a drinking problem, talk to your doctor about how to quit safely.