Health Library Home>Conditions InDepth>Article

Treatments for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)

by Cynthia M. Johnson, MA

En Español (Spanish Version)

Treatment

Talking to Your Doctor

Living With Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Resource Guide

There is no cure for AUD. The goal is to manage the disease. This can be done with a combination of counseling, medicine, and social support. Some people may need to be treated in a detoxification center.

It can take a long time to recover. Many people may need to be treated several times.

The type of treatment used depends on the severity of AUD. It may involve:

Lifestyle changes

Medications

Other treatments

REFERENCES:

Alcohol use disorder. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:https://www.dynamed.com/condition/alcohol-use-disorder. Accessed September 3, 2020.

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:https://www.dynamed.com/condition/alcohol-withdrawal-syndrome. Accessed September 3, 2020.

Day E, Copello A, Hull M. Assessment and management of alcohol use disorders. BMJ. 2015 Feb 19;350:h715.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). American Psychiatric Association; 2013.

Last reviewed March 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Adrian Preda, MD Last Updated: 2/19/2021

EBSCO Information Services is fully accredited by URAC. URAC is an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

To send comments or feedback to our Editorial Team regarding the content please email us at healthlibrarysupport@ebsco.com. Our Health Library Support team will respond to your email request within 2 business days.