Late treatment of alcohol addiction

Alcohol addiction is often treated too late!

(15.06.2010) Alcohol is a socially accepted intoxicant. Drinking beer for football, a schnapps after dinner or a bottle of wine after work for the evening. Alcohol is an integral part of life for many people. Alcohol serves as a compensation for stress, grief and worry. An addict will only recognize a long time later, often years pass. On average, alcoholics can only be treated therapeutically twelve years after the onset of addiction.

At the 23rd congress of the Fachverband Sucht e.V. a terrible number was published. On average, it takes up to 12 years for an alcoholic to have his addiction treated. Until then, the body builds strong, the performance, the psyche and health are sustainably damaged. According to the addiction association, it takes far too long for a doctor to diagnose a dependency syndrome. "Until then, a lot has gone wrong," said the Drug Commissioner of the Federal Government, Mechthild Dyckmans.

Also, from an economic point of view, alcohol addiction is very harmful. Alcohol consumption alone costs 24.4 billion euros per year, according to the Robert Koch Institute. The institute calculates all costs that are directly related to alcohol addiction. Thus early retirement, treatment costs and work incapacities are included.

At the 23rd congress in Heidelberg, which will be held until Wednesday, not only alcohol dependencies will be discussed. But alcoholism is the focus of the congress. In addition, one has already achieved great success in the treatment. Perspectively one wants to extend the "early intervention" further, which had been neglected too much in the last years, although the early intervention is very effective. Primary care physicians who know their patients best and can intervene at an early stage should be made more aware of this goal. According to recent studies, inpatient and outpatient therapies are very effective. After all, 50 percent of alcoholics are still abstinent after one year. Thus, the treatment methods in Germany are very successful in international comparison. (Sb)

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Picture credits: Image: Sigrid Rossmann /pixelio.de.