Alcohol addiction is treatable. Medications for addiction are helpful in the recovery process. They can help get off illicit substances and maintain sobriety. Utilizing medications for addictions is known as Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT). Counseling is also an active component of MAT. Despite the positives of medications for addictions, not all illicit drugs require MAT. The three main groups of addictive substances which benefit from MAT are opioids, alcohol, and nicotine.
There are three medications with approval from the FDA for treating alcohol use disorder. These are naltrexone (and Vivitrol), disulfiram (Antabuse), and acamprosate. Some other medications may also be beneficial for maintaining sobriety. Examples of the non-FDA approved drugs are topiramate, gabapentin, carbamazepine, divalproex, and baclofen.
Besides medications, it is essential to have counseling, as well. Studies show a combination of counseling with medications works better for alcohol use disorder. In addition, it is important to treat underlying mental disorders. Self-medication with alcohol is common, hence the need to prevent this.
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