“Can alcohol addiction be cured without medications?”

Hello! The happy answer is YES! You have surely heard of Alcoholics Anonymous. Thats one place thousands and thousands of people with alcohol addiction have started on their way to sobriety. Try one chapter - if it doesnt feel like the group for you, try another. If you live in an area without many to choose from, go on line til you find the one you feel is for you. Its hard to face an addiction - but thousands have succeeded - without medication. They can help you. Good luck! Peace, (Dr) Marian Shapiro Licensed Psychologist

Yes it can, medications are not for everyone, but they do help the process

Yes, addiction treatment does not necessarily require medication. You can learn the skills to recover from a clinical psychologist. The most effective treatment would be cognitive behavioral therapy. (CBT)

Yes, find a drug and alcohol therapist or program.

I am not training in addictions, but some individuals are able to manage addiction through therapy alone, while others may need medication to support the emotional issues underlying the urge to use substances.

This is a big question. Many in the addiction treatment field would challenge the terms in which you ask it, focusing on the word "cured". The 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) approach to treatment stresses letting go of the idea that alcohol addiction, or alcoholism can be cured; even people 20 years sober refer to themselves as "in recovery" or "recovering"--never "recovered". AA is a treatment model that stresses following the steps and seeking support in meetings from other recovering alcoholics over treating the problem with medications. To rephrase your question, alcohol addiction can be successfully treated without medications. That said, certain medications may be helpful in addressing other conditions which may contribute to a tendency to abuse alcohol, for example depression. Before adding an antidepressant, however, sobriety needs to be established, because mixing alcohol abuse and psychotropic medications can be dangerous.

Good morning and thank you for reaching out. Like any chronic medical condition, the goal of substance abuse treatment is to keep it managed, which allows the brain to heal and opens up your life. May it be managed without medication? Yes, but research has indicated that the combination of medication and individual therapy significantly increases the likelihood of achieving and sustaining abstinence.

You may find different opinions on this one. My answer is: It depends on the severity of your alcohol addiction. I do see clients who can stay sober without medication when they are working very hard in regular weekly therapy/ attends a rigorous tx program and have a very strong support group.

New Neuromodulation technologies like TMS - off label, could be tried.
Eg: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)