“So you don’t think you have a drinking problem? Prove it.” How many times have we felt like saying this to someone? How many people should have said this to us? During the remainder of the summer, we’d like to issue a challenge: Stop drinking so much.

Too Much Drinking

Our society has glamorized alcohol to the point that many people consider it normal to consume large amounts of alcohol. But our society would be better off if we all drank less. We’d reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents or injuries, reduce the incidence of alcoholism, improve our health, and save a lot of money along the way.

People that abuse alcohol don’t often think about their drinking as a problem. The challenge to stop drinking so much will help determine who has a dependency problem and who doesn’t. If we ask everyone to stop drinking for 90 days and see what happens, we’ll find that those that do not have an alcohol abuse problem will be able to do this; the rest will struggle and fail. Someone that is dependent on alcohol will not be able to go even a day without it, and needs medical help to detox from it. These people should go through therapy and support sessions to learn how to abstain from alcohol altogether. For those that aren’t addicted, let’s just start with drinking less, because alcohol abuse is also a problem. If we cut down on the number of drinks we have each day, or every week, we can gain some control over our behaviors and tendencies.

Tips to Reduce Drinking

To drink less, first keep track of how much you actually drink. You might be surprised at the amount you consume. The healthy normal is 1 drink daily for women and 2 for men. If you are consuming much more than this, seriously consider cutting back.

Set a goal, and spell out your reasons for that goal. You know why you should drink less – maybe it’s to improve the relationship with a family member, or to improve your health, or to take charge of your life. If you do plan to drink, don’t let it be more than one or two drinks per day. And set aside some days to not drink at all. Knowing that you can accomplish this will be empowering.

To keep yourself on track, empty out your alcohol cabinet at home. Keep only a few drinks in the house in order to avoid temptation.

Slow down your drinking. Start with a glass of water, and then take your time with the alcohol.

Replace drinking with positive activities. Get involved with a community group, take up a hobby, or go to the gym. Surround yourself with friends that won’t pressure you to drink.

There is much more to life than alcohol. Too often we forget about what’s really important and focus only on having a good time or relieving stress. This summer, make it a goal to drink less alcohol. Encourage friends to do the same. If you find you are not able to control your drinking, get help.

Sources

Alcohol intake of friends, family impact your drinking habit

Drink too much? How to tell

SAMHSA

Wouldn’t it be nice to be substance free? Not just heroin free, or oxycontin free, but also methadone free, alcohol free, even free from everyday crutches we may have gotten used to. Holistic treatment centers on overcoming substance abuse by looking at the whole person, by trying to get the big picture into focus, by promoting a natural, healthy lifestyle.

Whole Treatment

Many treatment facilities now offer a holistic approach to helping people get sober. This works because when someone has a drug or alcohol addiction, it is more than the substances that are the problem. Mental illness, events of the past, and family circumstances can all be factors that drive someone to abuse drugs or alcohol. In order to fully treat a person, it is necessary to create order in the rest of their life also.

Many people detox from drugs or alcohol, only to fall apart and turn back to it after treatment. This is because the pressures, the insecurities, or the things causing unhappiness are still present and cause the person to feel the need to rely on substances. But with whole healing, a person is able to stand on their own and be at peace without substances.

Types of Holistic Rehab

There are many different types of holistic rehab. There are the ones we might expect, including acupuncture, organic food, and medication. These things help us focus on complete health without using modern medicine. Some facilities offer culinary experiences with locally grown organic food, tailored to meet all of the body’s basic nutritional needs. Others have massage therapists, or acupuncturists that can cleanse the body of discomfort. Many programs have a spiritual core that helps a person rely on a higher power to live a clean, healthy life.

Other holistic approaches are maybe not what would come to mind when we think holistic, but they also help redirect the body and mind toward complete health. Experiences in nature, such as staying in the midst of beautiful mountains, powerful oak trees, or a sunny seaside help patients connect with the simple things in life. Adventure therapy gives patients a mission, to help them center on something other than their substance abuse. Equine therapy also provides a positive tool  to aid in recovery.

By providing a nurturing atmosphere filled with positive experiences, along with nutritious meals, support groups, and therapy, holistic patients can become completely sober. No more drugs or alcohol, no more medicines to take the place of the illegal drugs, no crutch. The journey is not easy, but with the right kind of holistic treatment, patients seeking a natural lifestyle can learn ways to bring themselves to a completely healthy mind and body.

Sources

Holistic practices can offer medical options

The Canyon

Michael’s House

Sometimes we need to meet people where they are with drug and alcohol treatment programs. There are treatment centers in all different areas of the country, for people in all different walks of life. There are facilities that specialize in family therapy, those that offer luxury rehab, and programs that work with only adolescents or women or older individuals.

However, many more groups of people could certainly benefit from therapy that is tailored to their specific needs. Police, firefighters, and emergency response workers respond well to being in treatment with others in their field. This concept could be applied to others as well; treatment for moms, treatment for certain religious groups, and treatment for other types of professions. People often feel ashamed and intimidated when they enter treatment, but if they are able to bond with others that are also recovering, they become surrounded by a support system that helps all the patients greatly in their recovery.

Sober College

A new kind of treatment for college students has emerged in recent years. One such facility is called Sober College, and it offers specialized treatment along with college courses. The college is located in Woodland Hills, California, and it offers inpatient treatment and a drug and alcohol-free environment for learning. The students of Sober College have been in college before, or had hoped to apply, but weren’t able to follow through with their education because of drug or alcohol problems. The center has partnered with Woodbury University, which is a nonprofit institution nearby that offers master’s level courses. Professors from Woodbury teach online courses to Sober College students, and the credits can be transferred to other universities as credits earned at Woodbury.

Staff and faculty of Sober College work to get students back on the right track toward continue their education. Its primary goal is to help bring these young people through the struggle with substance abuse that has been hindering their long-term goals. There is an alcohol abuse and drug addiction epidemic on college campuses right now, and this is detrimental to the learning ability of students. But by taking the students away from those temptations, getting them help for their addictions, and letting them offer encouragement and support to each other, a program for college aged patients can be successful. By adding college-level courses on top of it all, these patients are now on their way to setting priorities in life that include getting an education.

When we find out that people just like us struggle with substance abuse, it makes it a little easier to open up and face our problem. We all fall sometimes on our journey through life, and it’s good to have people around us that have been through the same thing to help us get back up. College students are no different. With programs like Sober College they can encourage each other in their studies while learning to be sober. 

Sources

Sober College Rehab

Sober College

Sober college: Sober Living by the Sea’s Extended Care Program

Maybe you’ve known for a while that you have an addiction to something. If you know deep down that you can’t get sober on your own, now is the time to do something about it.

An addiction can be very devastating. It can ruin lives and family relationships. Some people that are addicts are very easy to pick out, as they are the ones that can’t keep up their regular life because drugs have taken over. Other people, however, can almost elegantly balance a full life of work, family, and drugs. Both kinds of people need help, and they need help soon.

Reason for Not Wanting to Get Help: Shame

The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that 20.8 million people in our country are not getting the treatment they need for drugs or alcohol. There are many reasons why someone puts off getting help for an addiction. One of the main reasons is embarrassment over their problem, and the fact that they don’t want to let their family down. But what the addict fails to see, however, is how much a drug or alcohol problem really affects a family. Abuse, neglect, and emotional pain are all characteristics of a family with an addiction. Most families agree that they suffer much more with an addiction than they would if the person would get treatment.

Reason for Not Wanting to Get Help: Fear and Isolation

Some addicts are afraid they will feel isolated if they get help, and are unsure of what lies ahead. But someone that enters treatment does not do it alone. Relationships form between patients and staff, and support groups build lifelong bonds. Many treatment centers now realize the importance of family involvement, and family therapy is commonplace today. And treatment does not necessarily mean detox or an inpatient stay. There are many people that can recover with outpatient treatment and counseling.

Reason for Not Wanting to Get Help: Financial Burden

Another excuse that might be given for not getting help is the cost. New steps are being taken in the field of health care and insurance, so that many plans will now cover substance abuse treatment. Government programs will also cover many patients’ treatment. Even if the patient has to pay for their treatment, drugs themselves aren’t cheap. Enduring the financial burden of a drug habit or alcoholism is taxing on any family, not to mention loss of work, loss of productivity, health problems, and the toll on society.

An addiction certainly affects all those involved. It may be hard to give in and admit that a problem is too big to handle alone. But it is so important to get help. Today. Those people that put off getting help today will likely talk themselves one last day of drugs, or one more week of drinking, but these often turn into weeks, months, and years longer of the addiction. Don’t let an addiction continue to control a life any longer.

Sources

Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction

Drugfree.org

NIDA InfoFacts: Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction

Sometimes, the best articles we can provide our readers are the raw, unedited letters we receive from respected treatment professionals around the country, who we have the honor of working with…

Dear Mr. Bevell…

I was reading an article in your blog entitled “the Higher Power Slap” and thought I would introduce myself to you. I am a daughter, a friend, a clinician and, most recently, a clinical navigator. I’ve been clean / sober for 21 years. My mission in life (and in healthcare) is having the opportunity to give back.

I decided to leave my hometown of Newport RI and return to school in 1984 after learning about the death of a friend of mine who had jumped off the center span of the Newport Bridge. Growing up in the resort area of Newport was not easy, several of my friends drank, many of them are not with us anymore.

School consisted of a bachelors in Psychology from Southeastern Massachusetts University, a Masters and Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Counseling Psychology from Springfield College, and a Graduate Certificate in the Business of Medicine from Johns Hopkins University.

Throughout my professional career I have worked in at least 4 Emergency Departments (ED) and numerous treatment centers in the Northeast starting with Edgehill Newport and gradually extending south to my present location and career as a Clinical Navigator at Jefferson Memorial Hospital in West Virginia. I have sat with several families in Emergency Department family rooms after their loved ones have died of complex illnesses, accidents or ended their lives and I have sat in addiction and outpatient psych clinics with the charts of patients who died not ready to return them to medical records until I felt satisfied that I done everything I could to help them. While my career has not always been easy, it has offered me the opportunity to see patients and families during some of the most challenging periods of their lives and have the opportunity to help them. Like you, I hold fast to the hope of being able to assist those who need help however, more of my time is usually spent saying things like “I’m sorry, we did everything we could, is there anything you need?”.

Larry King doesn’t cover the events in our Emergency Department either. Getting patients transitioned to inpatient psych is always a challenge. When it comes to addiction, the challenge is even more difficult because we need a lot more resources then we often have and because in the ED, we need to make decisions quickly to disposition patients to the most appropriate level of care. We usually are only able to provide the patient a list of treatment centers to call knowing that when they wake up in the morning the decision that they make can go either way. Multi-recidivism is rampant as a result of co-occurring, acute issues and very limited resources.

In Maryland we had a treatment center that was a few hours drive from our ED. Sometimes I would refer patients with questionable motivation knowing that even if they got to the treatment center and signed themselves out, at least they had the ride to the treatment center with a volunteer from AA who usually shared their experience, strength and hope on the way. To me, at least it was something — a place to start.

West Virginia is even more challenging. Our hospital is a critical access hospital in a rural community in a state that was recently given a score of “F” in the “Grading the States” article published by the National Alliance for Mental Illness because there are very limited resources. We are mostly surrounded by states that have C’s and B’s — meaning they have more resources and evidence-based care available for patients and families who need assistance. A few months ago, I received a call from Katie Sartelle who explained what Treatment Solutions was and how they (you) could assist our small hospital. As we discussed her ability to assist us with transitioning patients from our ED she stated she could help.

“No you can’t” – I told her. I was laughing because at the time of our discussion, the idea seemed pretty out there and untethered. It seemed impossible that I could refer a patient from our ED to Katie so she could have them placed in a 28 day rehab program. Professionally, I stuck to the hope of being able to have this idea actually work; yet I also knew that clinically, I would have to sharpen my motivational interviewing skills and train our ED docs and nurses a little more if this was something we could implement on a regular basis.

Two weeks passed since my initial contact with Katie. I received a call from our hospital operator that there was a woman and her family member in the lobby who wanted to speak with me about getting help for her family member’s addiction. At the time, they wouldn’t sign into the ED as they just wanted information. So I took them into our ICU waiting area, closed the door and for the next 45 minutes to an hour, explained rehab treatment, group therapy, triggers and coping skills, inner strength and the benefits of recovery. The patient agreed to sign into the department so that I could complete an assessment and we could obtain lab work and a physical assessment. I also called Katie to see if she could help. She did and the following morning arrangements were made to transport our patient to California for rehab. I knew if we had met earlier in the day, or if the managed care company was open later, we could have transferred our patient sooner. We completed our assessments and lab work and faxed everything to Katie who made this transition for the patient as seamless as possible and in a compassionate manner which fully supported the patient’s decision to get help.

I was awestruck. I spoke with Katie this morning as she has assisted us with the second patient we have referred who came into our hospital for the first time a few days ago. “Just looking for information.” I sat with the patient (a woman), and explained what she would need to do to get help. She informed me that she wanted to speak with her family. When she left, our team was not sure if she would return; but her conviction for help and her awareness of the effects that her addiction had had on her life, her family and career were palpable. The following afternoon, she came into our ED and we completed our physical and psych assessments and labs. Our ED doc filled out her FMLA forms for her and she is scheduled to go to Florida.

When she left our ED last night, she was in tears as she gave me a hug and thanked me, our Doc and the nurse who was caring for her. Honestly Jim, it has been a very long time since I have seen two extremely grateful patients, very happy to be connected with a 28 day rehab program before they walk out of an emergency department to get help. And, it is a much easier conversation to have then the “I’m sorry, we did everything that we could” conversation that seems more prevalent for myself and our ED team. Additionally, we both know that collaboration / communication across levels of care is a Joint Commission national patient safety goal. Part of my job consists of making communication and the seamless coordination of treatment across levels of care a part of our everyday practice for patients and families at Jefferson.

Katie’s assiduousness in assisting us with transitioning our patients to your network of treatment providers as well as the compassion she has demonstrated for our patients, their families and our team has been a great model for the benefits of what can happen when compassion, communication and collaboration works. She is a phenomenal representative of your company and your mission. Thanks very much for your assistance for our patients and families and for developing a great company which is supportive of our mission of “improving the health status of Eastern Panhandle residents by providing high-quality health and wellness services, expanding access to care, and participating in the education of healthcare professionals”.

Respectfully,
Susan A. Leys M.Ed., B.C.E.T.S.
Clinical Navigator – Jefferson Memorial Hospital
(West Virginia University Hospitals – East)
300 South Preston Street Ranson, WV 25438

Maybe after hearing about Alcohol Awareness for a whole month, you’re ready to do something about the alcoholism in our country. To take some action. Sometimes the problems of drug abuse and alcoholism in the world are overwhelming, and we may not feel qualified to do anything about it. But the good news is that there are things we can do that will make a difference.

Help Your Community

First of all, you can participate in Alcohol Awareness activities in our areas. Alcohol Awareness month is recognized nationally, and many state and local governments also observe it through events and activities. Parades, educational campaigns, activities for kids, rallies, and pledges are only some of the ways people choose to celebrate this month. More information can be found through your local chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous, or the state or federal health department. These organizations are usually looking for citizens to help out with their campaigns, or to help plan and host events. You can get involved with an annual program already established, or you can work with authorities, schools, churches, or community groups to plan your own event. It is important to get the word out about the dangers of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, to work on prevention techniques, and to connect individuals with treatment when necessary.

Help Your Loved Ones

Secondly, you can be aware of friends or loved ones that may be struggling with alcohol abuse or alcoholism. You aren’t helping anyone out if you turn the other way and ignore someone’s alcohol abuse. A good friend will take the time to have a positive conversation with someone about their drinking habits. You can lovingly tell your friend or family member that you are concerned about them, and offer to help in any way. Then you can encourage them to get treatment, and stand behind them as they work their way toward sobriety.

Help Yourself

Thirdly, you need to look at yourself and your drinking habits. It’s not normal to need a drink every day, or to binge drink occasionally. It is dangerous to drink and drive, or to get involved with risky trends while drinking. Drinking can impair judgment and it can cause people to do things they normally wouldn’t do. It may cause you to lose your temper with your spouse or children or hurt the people that you love. Alcohol can cause you to feel depressed and can mess with your thoughts and emotions. While drinking in moderation is a fine past time for many, for others, alcohol is a toxin that poisons their behavior and life, causing terrible side effects. If you’ve been abusing alcohol, now is the time to come clean. You may not be able to help every person you encounter that abuses alcohol, but you can help yourself. Get treatment today and start planning for a better future.

 Sources

Activities for Colleges

SAMHSA

Alcoholics Anonymous

As we’ve talked this whole month, there are many people in our country that abuse alcohol. There are an estimated 14 million alcoholics or alcohol abusers in the United States. But let’s not be so blind to our own actions that we see the alcohol problems around us and forget to look at ourselves. This week, let’s take a long, hard look at our alcohol tendencies, and find out if there is something we need to take care of in our own lives. The questions below will help us determine whether or not we have a drinking problem. For more questions like these, see the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test.

1. Do I have a hard time stopping after 1 or 2 drinks? The recommended guidelines are 2 drinks per day for men and 1 per day for women. Someone who binge drinks is abusing alcohol and putting themselves at risk.

2. Can I go one day without a drink? Alcoholics are dependent on alcohol; therefore they cannot go a day without alcohol or they will suffer serious withdrawal symptoms.

3. Do I drink when lonely, upset, or stressed? Self-medicating with alcohol is a sign of instability, and can lead to alcoholism, depression, and other mental health problems.

4. Do I feel the need to hide my drinking habits? When we know we are abusing alcohol, we may want to keep loved ones from finding out. We may tend to withdraw from people that will look down on our behavior.

5. Do I ever lose consciousness or blackout when drinking? Drinking large amounts of alcohol can cause blackouts as the alcohol effects the body.

6. Do I drink at improper times, or sneak alcohol in where not permitted? Someone that cannot go without alcohol will find ways to sneak it and consume it even when inappropriate.

7. Do I ever drink and drive? There were 17,000 traffic fatalities last year caused by people abusing alcohol.

8. Do family members or friends voice concern about my drinking? Sometimes we can’t see things clearly ourselves, but the concern of a loved one may be accurate.

9. Does my drinking interfere with work or family? As alcohol takes over a person’s life, other things don’t seem as important.

10. Do I think I have a drinking problem? Sometimes it is something we feel deep down and don’t acknowledge out loud.

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you may have an alcohol problem. Both alcoholism and alcohol abuse are serious and can lead to a life of addiction, or cause injury or death. If you have found that you are using alcohol in an unhealthy way, you may need help. Professionals are ready to give support, treatment, and counseling. Getting help early is the best way to succeed.

Sources

http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/FAQs/General-English/

Statistics on Alcoholics

http://www.treatmentsolutionsnetwork.com/addiction-assessment/assessment.php?n=3

Does anyone really want to have to participate in an intervention with a family member? It’s usually a very hard thing for people to do, because we feel like we will upset the person, or make them feel bad, or drive a deeper wedge between us. Or maybe we are so frustrated and resentful of the person that we don’t even want to take the time to tell them that we do care about them. Many people think interventions are full of confrontation and accusations, with everyone in the family ganged up against the one. We’ve all envisioned them in our heads before – the time to let loose and tell the person how we really feel about them, how angry they make us, and what they need to do to make it better. It doesn’t really sound like fun.

But well-planned interventions are designed to be a benefit to both the alcoholic and their family. With the help of a professional, interventions can be organized, controlled, and enlightening.

Goal

The goal of an intervention is to help the alcoholic see the effects their drinking has on others, that they have a problems with alcohol, and that treatment is necessary. It should never be done to attack the person, or get them back. Blaming a person or making them feel bad is not a way to make ourselves feel better. Family therapy is designed to help family members that feel cheated or wronged by the alcoholism – it should not be handled at the intervention.

Getting it out in the Open

An intervention should bring together the close family and friends of the person that have been impacted by the person’s drinking, or that firmly believe it is in the person’s best interest to seek treatment. The professional that is coordinating the intervention may ask everyone to write down their feelings in a letter to the person, laying out concrete examples of why they feel the way they do. These letters may be read at the intervention, or they may help prepare the family members for speaking out at the intervention.

At the intervention, family members will have the chance to say what they’ve prepared and let the person know that they care about them and are concerned. The professional will be there to moderate and make sure things continue to move along without getting too caught up in finger pointing.

The result of the intervention will hopefully be that the alcoholic agrees to get help for their disease. The family should have treatment options lined up already, so once the person agrees to it, they can quickly be admitted to a facility that will give them the help and support they need to regain sobriety.

Sources

Intervention

Alcohol-Related Problems: Recognition and Intervention

How To Do an Intervention for an Alcoholic

There are many doubts that one faces when getting help for alcoholism. It’s a big step to take, and people know that getting sober is a life-changing task. Some changes have to do with relationships with loved ones. For example, what if getting sober causes strain among family members?  Will your spouse or friends still want to spend time with you when you are sober? Spouses will sometimes hang on and stay around during the alcoholism or abuse, and then when things seem to be getting better, they say goodbye to the recovering alcoholic and walk out.

Sobriety Brings Changes

The concern may be valid. It’s true that abstaining from alcohol and going to therapy will change a person’s actions. It should change their priorities, who they hang out with, and how they spend their time. But the person will still be the same underneath, and most changes will be for the better. The anger, depression, violence, and confusion of alcoholism should be replaced by a calmness and peacefulness.  

But sobriety is difficult and will require a lifelong commitment. The road won’t be easy and setbacks or relapses are possible. It’s important for family members to be encouraging and supportive at this time, rather than bail out and leave.

Family Therapy

One way to reduce tension among family members is to involve everyone in the recovery process. Family counseling is a great resource because it helps family members know what to expect, how to help their loved one, and how to protect themselves. Family therapy is offered at some of the best facilities in the country, and it is highly recommended by many treatment experts. Many family members just don’t know how to deal with a spouse that is sober, or struggling to stay sober. Therapy helps them learn techniques to use to encourage their loved one. They may learn that things they had been doing were actually destructive and enabling to the alcoholic.

It is true that some spouses or loved ones won’t be able to handle the change of sobriety. Some may not want the alcoholic to get help because they are used to the chaos, the partying, or the dependence of alcohol. These relationships themselves are unhealthy, and someone truly wanting to get clean would be better off without friends of family that encourage alcohol abuse.

Help from Family

But for those people that have a family that really cares and wants to do what is best for the alcoholic, family therapy should be considered. These families provide the foundation for successful treatment because the resources, the love, and the support they can give their loved one cannot be recreated or matched. There comes a point when you have to stop thinking of pleasing others, and start taking charge of your life. If loved ones are going to leave, you don’t need them. If they will seek help along with you, thank God for them.

Sources 

ALCOHOLISM: TREATING THE FAMILY AS A WHOLE

Treating the System or Symptom

AAMFT Consumer Update Children of Alcoholics

When alcohol abuse becomes a daily occurrence, or when a person is not physically able to do without alcohol, alcoholism is the result. Alcoholism can be defined as a disease in which a person drinks alcoholic beverages at a level that interferes with physical health, mental health, and social, family, or job responsibilities.

Characteristics of Alcoholism

Those that struggle with alcoholism have built up a tolerance for the substance through prolonged and increased use. Therefore, alcoholics feel the need to drink great amounts of alcohol to feel the same effects as someone else. Those with alcoholic dependence have strong cravings to drink, and lose control of their consumption once they start. They also lose control of their actions when drinking, and may become violent, confrontational, or engage in risky behavior. The main characteristic of someone with alcoholism is the physical dependence. Trying to quit for an alcoholic means severe side effects – nausea, sweating, and tremors. A person with alcohol dependence is not able to quit drinking on their own, and professional help in a medical setting is usually necessary for their health.

Effects of Alcoholism

The results of alcoholism are often devastating. Health problems such as liver disease, certain types of cancer, and brain damage are all caused by increased exposure to large amounts of alcohol. Blackouts while drinking and poor judgment can lead to injuries from falls, risky behavior, or drunk driving. Alcohol toxicity is also a risk, and premature death can occur.

Many people have been negatively influenced by alcoholism. Kids who grow up with an alcoholic parent struggle with trust relationships throughout their lives, because of abuse or neglect they suffer while growing up. Spouses may develop a negative co-dependent relationship when alcoholism becomes a part of it. Alcoholism has a way of completely taking over a person’s life. It becomes more important than careers, friends, hobbies, and families, and the result is that these things usually suffer.

Help for Alcoholism

Nearly 17.6 million adults in the United States are alcoholics or have alcohol problems. But only 15% of these people actually get treatment for their disease. One reason for this is that sobriety is a difficult thing to achieve. It can be done, and many people do so successfully every year. But to get sober, an alcoholic first needs to admit they need help, and then go through detox to get the substance out of their body. Once those difficult steps are accomplished, the patient can go through counseling and programs designed to reshape their thinking and give them ways to overcome their cravings to drink. The 12 Step program is a widely recognized way to help alcoholics after the detox process, when they are learning to live their lives again. Sobriety is not something that can be achieved easily. Recovering alcoholics will spend the rest of their lives staying sober. Support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous are usually necessary to help someone remain sober.

Sources

Medical Definition of Alcoholism

Symptoms

Signs and Symptoms of Alcoholism