The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) website provides vital information that is useful in the treatment and the management of an alcohol dependent person. The site focuses on the alcohol use disorder (AUD), which is a major problem in the United States. AUD is characterized by the loss of control over the alcohol consumption. According to NIAAA website, the individual also suffers from negative feelings when he/she is not using alcohol. The compulsive alcohol consumption also characterizes the disorder. From the NIAAA website, it is estimated that more than 16 million people in the United States suffer from AUD. The disorder has been found to affect even the teenagers. Approximately 623,000 teens between the age of 12-17 were diagnosed with AUD in 2015.
The NIAAA website provides an important criterion that could be used to determine if one is suffering from the AUD. One has to ask specific questions to know if the person requires help. Normally, it is important to focus on the patient’s experiences over the past one year. One of the questions is whether, in the past one year, the patient has tried to cut down on drinking, but could not. The second important issue is if the patient has experienced a strong urge to drink alcohol. The counselor can also seek to establish if, in the past one year, the person has continued to drink even when it is clear that the behavior is causing major problems in the family. If the responses are positive, then it is highly likely that the person is suffering from AUD.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
According to NIAAA website, if in the past year the individual had to take a high number of drinks than usual to have same effects, then there is a cause for alarm. This demonstrates the patient has developed alcohol tolerance. It is also important to establish if the person prefers to drink over activities that were once considered necessary. If the patient continues to drink even after developing other health complications, such as depression, then he/she could be suffering from AUD. Some patients will continue to drink even when they are under medication. The adverse effect is that most of the medicines do not function well when taken together with alcohol. It is important for the counselors to examine the issue of AUD from a wider perspective. That means one cannot just rely on a few signs and symptoms and make a conclusion that the patient suffers from AUD. As such, the NIAAA website indicates the importance of focusing on the withdraw effects as well. If after stopping to drink a person experiences trouble sleeping, suffers from anxiety, depression, and restless, that could be another sign that one is suffering from AUD and they need help. If one presents most of the signs and symptoms mentioned, counselors should be concerned and should advise the patient to begin treatment as soon as possible. According to the NIAAA website, one can get treatment, despite the severity of the disorder. However, one of the main challenges is that only 10% of the people experiencing AUD seek the treatment. That could explain the high number of individuals in the United States who still experience significant alcoholic health problems.
NIAAA has also found a correlation between genetics and alcohol use disorder. It concluded that the AUD challenge is likely to run in families. It appears that the problem could be inherited through the genetic makeup. The current studies, according to NIAAA have shown that genes tend to account for almost 50% of the risks of developing AUD. This demonstrates that the environmental factors also predispose people into alcoholism and AUD. For that reason, the gene and the environment interactions should be assessed when explaining about the causes of AUD. The studies have also shown that certain genes are more responsive to treatment for AUD than others. That might explain why some patients tend to recover faster than others.
The article is useful for a counselor as it also provides the mechanisms that can be used in addressing the problem. The medical and behavioral intervention techniques are essential in the treatment of AUD. None of the two methods is effective when it is used alone. In severe cases, for instance, starting with medical care to stabilize the patient is critical. However, it is also important for a counselor to provide a favorable environment for therapy or psychological intervention. It is important to empower the patient by enhancing a positive image about themselves and self-efficacy. Patients need to believe they have the power to control their drinking behavior. A strong social bond, especially with the family members is also vital in the healing process. For that reason, it will be important to foster family therapy, since alcoholism affects everyone.
In conclusion, the NIAAA website is effective in enhancing the competence of a counselor in dealing with alcohol dependent patients. The website is credible in the sense that all the information provided is based on scientific research. As such, the information will be useful when addressing the AUD problem.
Reference
National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Alcohol Use Disorder . Retrieved from https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-use-disorders on June 19, 2017.
