My brother (40 yrs) is chronic alcohol addicted for 8 yrs. Presently he is taking naltrexone 50, prodep 20 (�2), & benfomet forte in mornings and baclofen 60 in evenings during one year according to doctor's prescription. Yet he is not free from chronic addiction till now. We are scared about this very much. What else should we do? Please help us with your valuable suggestions.
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Hello, your concerns for him are natural. But let me be very clear that treatment is not limited to only drugs in chronic addiction, it should also address medical, psychological, social, occupational and legal problems. So apart from drugs, he should be given motivation enhancement therapy, behavioral therapy, and should be a part of support groups. It can take a long time, you all have to be very strong. Consult a clinical health worker for further benefits.
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Dear Lybrate user, Chronic alcohol addiction is a long term relapsing disorder. Along with medical tablets, Bubai needs psychosocial treatment like motivational enhancement therapy, family therapy, occupational therapy, group therapy like Alcoholic Anonymous, etc. Baclofen is given in higher doses in few patients. Naltrexone may be increased to 100 mg. Your treating doctor is the best judge. She/he will do the needful at appropriate time. Please don't lose hope. Talk to other families living with persons with addiction.
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Since medication is not working all that well, he probably needs admittance in a rehabilitation center. If he wants to and is willing, he can get out of the addiction to alcohol with support. If he thinks he can do it from home, that I agree, may be very difficult and it has not worked so far. He has developed dependence and tolerance, two factors that work together, to increase our need for the substance and to need more of it for the same pleasure, over time. These effects condition us psychologically and physically, that giving up appears to be a very difficult task. That is why detoxification is recommended for chronic cases to eliminate the physical craving, at least, to start the process of relatively easier recovery. First, it is important to identify why one drinks: it usually has something to do with suppressing some deep-rooted pain. Then you can admit him for detoxification. Get thorough knowledge about the habit, about alcohol, and its mechanisms. Let him attend AA meetings, and if his case is very serious, admit him into a rehabilitation center for at least 6 months. The desire to want to quit is perhaps the most important condition. Giving up the habit is not easily done by oneself: he will need the support and help of a good group and therapist. By the way, he may have many relapses but he nor you should ever give up. His perseverance is the key. And the help of your family is absolutely essential to a good resolution. He needs to develop new habits and find new ways of gratification etc. All in all, he needs to be able to abstain from alcohol for at least three years to know that he is relatively safe from alcoholism. There is another drive called the Script Drive, which needs elaborate explanations. After the rehabilitation, if he still finds the urge too strong, then he can be prescribed disulfiram that will cause from mild to severe reaction and sometimes even hospitalization, if he even consumes a tiny amount. Compliance to the prescription is the key for this success.You cannot treat him in isolation because you have all gotten used to his drinking and have made some unhealthy adaptations to somehow cope. His children, if any, will also have to attend meetings to work out their issues because of the father?s habit. In fact, they are all suffering from the Adult Children Of Alcoholics Syndrome (ACOAs), which in effect means that they are genetically predisposed to alcoholism or can have cross addiction problems and they will have similar traits of the abusing alcoholic but in a milder form. There are special support groups for them all over the world. Should they touch or indulge in alcohol or any addictive substances or behaviors, they could also become full-fledged addicts themselves. So you have a lot on your plate and must act effectively and firmly to bring all of you into therapy. If your brother refuses to go for rehabilitation, then some centers have a method of picking him up when he is totally sloshed and is not able to fight back effectively. They will need your written consent before willing to take him in this manner. Make a serious plan with wife and children and whoever else?s support you can get and act on it fast.
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Your brother's need is harm deduction and for alcohol addicting will power strong's.
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