Josh Rockey
University of Cincinnati
Abstract
An individual that suffers from alcoholism faces a difficult task in trying to gain sobriety. Some options available to those in the Cincinnati area are Alcoholics Anonymous and treatment centers such as Sojourners Recovery Services in Hamilton, OH, Beckett Springs in West Chester, OH, and the Talbert House in Clifton, OH. Research indicates that Alcoholics Anonymous, on average, is probably not any more beneficial than trying to quit without outside help. Sojourners Recovery and Beckett Springs offer options such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and pharmacological options that do increase the likelihood of remaining abstinent after treatment. Alternative methods of treatment at these centers, such as acupuncture, have not been proven to be effective at promoting abstinence, but may help to ease withdrawal symptoms. In addition to enrolling in a rehabilitation program at a licensed facility, the individual should seek out support from his or her family members, as this will help the individual cope with the enormous stress of giving up alcohol.
Alcoholism and Its Treatment Options Alcohol has a long and storied history in not just American culture, but in many other world cultures as well. Its use in beverages is believed to have begun almost 10,000 years ago when civilizations in ancient Persia and the Middle East produced a fermented drink from honey and wild yeasts (“An Alcohol History Timeline,” 2011). Wine, beer and liquor would eventually follow (in that order), as numerous societies enjoyed the intoxicating effects of the drug. During the 19th century in the United States, the average American drank 7 gallons of pure alcohol per year (“What in America’s History,” 2005). This rampant drinking led to temperance movements and reformers that pushed for local and national prohibition. Groups such as the Women’s Christian Temperance Union
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