Home Remedies for Alcoholism

Alcohol use disorder or Alcoholism is a term used when an individual can't control their use of alcohol or continues to use it in their life. Alcoholism is not the only type of alcohol use disorder, but it is the most severe form. Some people may think the only way to deal with it is with willpower, as if it’s a problem they have to work through all on their own. Alcoholism has been recognized for many years by professional medical organizations as a primary, chronic, progressive, and sometimes fatal disease.

Common Signs and Symptoms

Some Common symptoms that indicate alcoholism or another type of alcohol use disorder is present are as follows:

•   Unable to control the amount of alcohol consumed or the amount of time spent drinking
•   Inability to quit drinking, even when wanting to
•   Inability to focus on anything other than the next drink
•   Lack of ability to keep up with personal or professional commitments due to drinking
•   Relationship issues based on drinking habits
•   Participation in risky activities while, or as a result of, drinking
•   Withdrawal symptoms when alcohol use is stopped
•   Continued drinking even when it leads to mental or physical health issues
•   A large percentage of time focusing on, using, or recovering from use of alcohol
•   Loss of interest in other, previously enjoyed activities in order to focus on drinking
•   Tolerance to alcohol – that is, needing more and more to feel the same effect

Home Remedies

There are some important home remedies that can help alcoholics rid themselves of this disease to some extent. These are mentioned below:

Dates:

These are one of the simplest home remedies for treating alcoholism. One should consume dates every day with water for around a month to gain its benefits in reducing the tendency towards alcoholism.

Lemon and Honey:

A mixture of lemon and honey is considered to be an effective way of curing alcoholism if taken along with warm water. Honey contains fructose and sugars that help a person rid themselves of any remnant traces of alcohol in the body. However, one must avoid this remedy if they suffer from diabetes.

Grape diet:

To detox and help with the cravings, you can always try the Grape diet. Apparently popular with the AA crowd, it helps with the addiction and detoxes your liver at the same time. The diet consists of only eating grapes three times a day for 25 days.

Willow Bark:

Bark from willow trees contains compounds that aid in relaxing the brain and help you get relief from the pain for which you often turn towards alcohol.

Bitter Gourd:

Leaves of the bitter gourd are harsh in taste and are known to have properties that aid in eliminating toxins from the body. Small amounts of the same substance can be consumed with buttermilk, which also heals liver damage to some extent.

Ginger Root:

Cut pieces from ginger root and boil them in a cup of water. This decoction can be used in treating vomiting and will make one feel fresh and relaxed.

Coffee:

Coffee has the property of reducing the constriction of blood vessels that leads to swelling and headaches. Thus, a cup of coffee can be drunk twice a day to get relief from headaches.

Evening Primrose:

Evening primrose helps decrease craving for alcohol by regulating your digestion. We have bacteria in our digestive tract. With long-term alcohol use, the bacteria in the digestive tract holds onto the toxins which is why you crave alcohol. Evening primrose can flush that bacteria out of your system resulting in a reduction in cravings and helping you quit a little faster. It can be found in oil form. Take three drops each day for three weeks, take it directly, or you can mix it with water.

Useful Tips

•   Don’t Keep Alcohol at Home
•   Make Friends Who Don’t Drink
•   Find a Support Group
•   Know Your Limits
•   Enroll in a Treatment