Alcoholism and pathways to recovery: new survey results on views and treatment options

Almost 19 million Americans require treatment for an "alcohol problem"; however, only 2.4 million have been diagnosed and just 139,000 receive medication to treat it. Chronic heavy drinking contributes to cardiovascular illnesses, liver disease, cancer, and psychiatric disorders. Imaging studies demonstrate structural changes in the human brain with prolonged exposure to alcohol. Alcoholism can thus be described as an acquired brain dysfunction with specific neurochemical and neuroanatomic pathways. There is a need to intervene early because the average age of alcohol experimentation is 11-13 years--delaying onset reduces the rate of alcoholism. A survey sponsored by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) set out to measure the attitudes and misperceptions of 1000 adults from the general population plus 300 physicians and 503 individuals in recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD) to better understand approaches toward alcohol treatment. In these surveys, 74% of the general public indicated that alcoholism affects their daily lives, with 41% reporting having to encourage a loved one to seek help for an alcohol problem. The vast majority (= 80%) indicated a stigma toward alcoholics. Denial or refusal to admit severity and fear of social embarrassment were the top 2 reasons for not seeking help. The majority of the general population believes that alcoholism is caused partly by moral weakness. The survey revealed that most Americans are open to medications to treat alcoholism if physician-recommended and if it could reduce alcohol cravings and maintain abstinence. In the past 55 years, only 3 medications (disulfiram, naltrexone, and acamprosate) have been US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for the treatment of AUD, each with unique mechanisms of action.