Alcoholism is a disease characterised by continuous heavy drinking. Until people with alcohol use disorder admit to problems with alcohol and stop drinking, the risk of alcohol use disorder continues which affects both physical and mental health.
Alcohol starts to injure the brain once it reaches the bloodstream.
Excessive consumption can lead to Alcohol-Related Brain Damage, or ARBD, which is a type of brain disorder caused by alcohol consumption. Brain shrinkage caused by alcohol abuse is permanent, as alcohol kills brain cells and grey matter.
For more information and effects click ‘Learn More’.
Every month, we bring you an unfiltered recovery conversation with someone who’s either experienced addiction firsthand, or works closely with those in recovery.
No sanitised success stories – just practical insights on what actually works in recovery, that you can apply, in your life too.
Recovery capital is the internal and external resource used to begin the recovery process and maintain sobriety. This combines personal, social, and community support to provide a joined-up approach that supports the addict through recovery.
Do you or a loved one need addiction treatment for alcohol or drugs? Thousands blindly walk into addiction treatment in expensive rehab centres and find that the reality doesn’t meet expectations.
If you’re considering rehab treatment, first check our ultimate guide for complete instructions on how to find the right rehab centre for you.
Take-home Naloxone kits help families and loved ones respond quickly in an opioid overdose emergency, until emergency services arrive. Kits contain nasal or injectable forms of Naloxone.
Changes in legislation mean Naloxone kits are now more widely available from pharmacies and drug services, including Abbeycare.
For additional information, click ‘Learn More’ below.
Overcoming alcohol addiction means first ceasing alcohol intake, and taking care of physical and chemical withdrawal symptoms.
Detoxing from alcohol means undergoing withdrawal from alcohol, but with the assistance of prescribed medication and detox phase, to substitute in place of the alcohol itself.
Alcohol rehab focuses on tackling the problems underneath alcoholism, such as grief, trauma, depression, and emotional difficulties, in order to reduce continuing drinking after treatment.
Inpatient services at an alcohol rehab programme provides 24 hour access to specialist care.
Alcohol home detox provides a means of semi-supervised addiction treatment in the comfort of your home. It’s often suitable for those with inescapable practical commitments, or where a reduced budget for treatment is available.
An at-home detox is the most basic detox option available from Abbeycare, and assumes you have support available, post-detox, for the other important elements of long-term addiction recovery.
The term alcoholism refers to the consumption of alcohol to the extent that the person is unable to manage their own drinking habits or patterns, resulting in side-effects that are detrimental to the quality of life and health of the alcoholic, or those around them.
An alcoholic is someone who continues to compulsively abuse alcohol in this way, despite the negative consequences to their lives and health.
Immediately following treatment, the early stages of recovery and abstinence are most vulnerable to lapses.
At Abbeycare, a structured and peer-reviewed aftercare plan is usually prepared whilst still in treatment. This comprises social, peer, and therapeutic resources individuals draw upon, following a residential treatment programme for drug or alcohol misuse.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a well-known therapy option used by doctors at drug and alcohol treatment facilities for the treatment of substance use disorders.
It is a form of talking therapy that helps one mange their problems by changing how they think and behave. This form of therapy is used to treat depression and anxiety and is useful for physical health problems as well as one’s mental health.
Family Therapy at Abbeycare Scotland or Gloucester is realistic, compassionate, and appropriate for families and loved ones of addicts.
Family therapeutic interventions in residential rehabilitation have been designed to support those living with or caring for participants entering the Abbeycare Programme.
Support for families in a group setting allows for a safe, constructive, and confidential place to listen and share common experiences.
Inpatient rehab is drug and/ or alcohol treatment in a rehab centre, where patients remain on-site for the duration of inpatient rehabilitation.
It includes detoxification from drugs, therapy (group work and 1-2-1 sessions), and aftercare planning. Inpatient rehabs typically last 28 days, but this varies on an individual basis.
Long-term treatment at Abbeycare has been developed for those suffering from alcohol or drug addiction. Completing a long-term drug and alcohol inpatient programme may be the solution to problematic substance use.
Motivational Enhancement Therapy can be used by trained addiction recovery therapists to elicit internal changes within and promote long-term recovery from substance use disorder.
All the answers to addiction can be found within with this comprehensive and successful therapy concept leads to behavioural changes, reflective listening, self-motivational statements, and a comprehensive recovery process.
Outpatient drug or alcohol rehab is daytime treatment as opposed to living in a treatment facility.
Outpatient treatment is similar to inpatient in terms of the methods used to treat substance abuse. Where they differ is in their approach to recovery.
Abbeycare’s prison to rehab is a 12-week structured rehab programme which involves direct transfer from prison. The suitability of the candidate is decided by prison staff.
Short-term residential treatment programmes are the chance to press the reset button and access a therapeutic programme designed to create recovery from the use of alcohol and drugs.
Feeling stuck in a rut. Want to stop but can’t seem to achieve sobriety?
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The 12-step programme was created by alcoholics anonymous (AA), and is specifically designed to aid addicts in achieving and maintaining abstinence.
The central ethos behind the programme is that participants must admit and surrender to a divine power to live happy lives. Ideas and experiences are shared in meetings, and help is sought in an attempt to achieve abstinence.
Abbeycare’s policy to respect your privacy and comply with any applicable law and regulation regarding any personal information we may collect about you, including across our website and other sites we own and operate.
50mg thiamine per day for maintenance following withdrawal, for as long as malnutrition exists
500mg niacin, 1500mg calcium, 150mg magnesium, and 250mg Vitamin C from dietary sources daily.
Strong Vitamin B compound may be prescribed to alcoholics where there is clear evidence of deficiency, poor diet or absorption, or co-occurring illness likely to increase incidence of deficiency when combined with alcohol intake; or when the patient is undergoing withdrawal or detox from alcohol. [2]
Chronic alcoholics are typically deficient in vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B6, vitamin B9 (folate), and vitamin A[3].
Even in small amounts, drinking alcohol raises stomach acidity levels and reduces the ability to absorb nutrients through the stomach mucosa and small intestine.
Vitamin B Deficiency In Alcohol Dependence
Excessive alcohol intake results in inflammatory lesions on the stomach and small intestine walls, reducing the ability of mucosal cells to absorb nutrients, including vitamin B, from food[4][5].
People with alcohol use disorder are particularly susceptible to deficiency of B vitamins.
Sub-sections particularly at risk of developing Vitamin B deficiency include those with:
Long term history of heavy alcohol consumption
Pancreatic, small intestine, or liver dysfunction that would result in reduced ability to absorb digestive nutrients. This includes conditions such as Crohn's disease, Celiac disease and HIV.
Conditions typically indicative of co-existing vitamin B deficiencies such as peripheral neuropathy, heart muscle weakness, or persistent skin rashes or ulcers.
Signs & Symptoms Of Vitamin B Deficiency
Most issues relating to deficiency can be detected via physical assessment or blood test by a healthcare professional. Symptoms include:
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing (may indicate anaemia)[7]
Low energy, tiredness, fatigue
Headaches
Skin issues, such as acne, rashes, dry or flaked skin, cracked lips, wrinkles, dermatitis, and psoriasis. Less common manifestations of skin issues include vitiligo, stomatitis, and hair changes[8].
Reduced bone density and function.
Oxygen insufficiency in the gut, resulting in nausea and diarrhoea.
Enlarged red blood cells (Macrocytosis) are associated with deficiency of B12 and can cause long term complications if left untreated, including fatal and non-fatal coronary disease, heart attack, and stroke[9].
Neurological issues are particularly prevalent in deficiencies of vitamin B12 and include vision problems, impaired cognition, memory loss, and pins and needles (paraesthesia).
Pellagra - an insufficiency disease caused by lack of niacin (vitamin B3) in the diet. Symptoms include diarrhoea, skin eruptions, and cognitive dysfunction. In non-alcoholic populations, it is often seen in areas with high dependence on corn or rice as a food source. Pellagra is maintained or worsened by the reduced utilisation of B vitamins, in turn reducing conversion of Tryptophan to Niacin[10].
Wernicke's Encephalopathy - symptoms include cognitive decline, confusion, loss of muscle coordination and muscle tremor in extremities. This may progress later to Wernicks-Korsakoff's syndrome.
Beriberi - Caused by thiamine (B1) deficiency, Beriberi comes in two variants, wet and dry. Wet beriberi results in shortness of breath, tachycardia, and swollen lower legs. Dry beriberi symptoms include myopathy, peripheral neuropathy, vomiting and paralysis, in extreme cases.
(Nitrous oxide addiction can also cause vitamin B12 deficiency. Read about nitrous oxide detox and treatment here.)
Other Vitamin Deficiencies In Alcoholism
Long term drinkers with nutritional issues usually suffer from more deficiencies than vitamin B alone.
Vitamin A
Continued drinking over long term periods causes continuing reduction of Vitamin A liver levels over time[11].
A common indicator of reduced vitamin A in alcoholics is impaired night vision (Nyctalopia).
Vitamin C
Vitamin C deficiency in alcoholics can occur with:
Increased vitamin C excretion secondary to chronic alcohol use
Malnutrition or lack of appetite
Intestinal absorption issues due to pancreatic issues.
One study demonstrated that alcohol increases vitamin C excretion in urine by 47%, [12] making it harder for alcoholics to retain it in the body.
Long term alcohol users may benefit from adding B1, B2, B3, B6, and B9 supplements as indicated by symptoms of deficiencies, and under professional medical guidance.
Vitamin B1 insufficiency can be treated by stopping drinking (with professional help), improving nutritional factors, and taking B1 supplements.
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and Vitamin B9 (folate) have been found to have positive effects on comfort of detoxification from alcohol in a 2012 German study[13].
Evidence suggests that administering Niacin (vitamin B3) may help reduce risk of alcohol addiction as it appears to improve alcohol clearance from the body, and prevent the production of opiate-like by-products of alcohol biobreakdown in the body[14].
Safety Measures
Some precautions are advised when taking B vitamins:
Take only the recommended dose as advised by your professional healthcare practitioner.
Since B12 can interact with other medications such as metformin, advise your healthcare practitioner of all other medications you may be taking.
Mineral and Anti-Oxidant Supplementation In Alcoholism
Supplements with anti-oxidative properties may help to neutralise metabolites of alcohol which normally have damaging effects[15].
Glutamine
Glutamine is a naturally occurring essential amino acid which is underproduced in conditions of extreme stress or in ongoing heavy alcohol use.
Alcohol suppresses Glutamine uptake at Glutamate receptors.
Supplementation with glutamine can additionally assist in attempts to reduce weight as it reduces the body's desire for sugar and carbohydrate.
Zinc
Chronic drinking is associated with low systemic zinc levels, although only in those who are generally under-nourished.
Nutrition As A Natural Source Of Vitamins
In alcohol dependents, half of daily calories is from high alcohol intake.
Compare this to just 4% of overall calories in the average non-alcoholic population (US)[16].
Beyond effects on the stomach lining, chronic drinking typically acts as an appetite suppressant, reducing vitamin and mineral intake from the general diet.
Nutritional Recommendations
Increasing intake of nutrient dense foods can help to holistically recover lost or mal-absorbed vitamins in the body.
Nutritional guidance:
Include 500mg niacin, 1500mg calcium, 150mg magnesium, and 250mg Vitamin C from dietary sources daily.
Include 3-4 oz of fish 2-4 times per week or add flaxseed to a daily meal. Both are good sources of omega-three fatty acids.
Fish with the highest content of omega-three fatty acids include sardines, pacific herring, Atlantic herring, salmon, Atlantic halibut, coho, lake trout, pink, and king salmon, atlantic mackerel, albacore tuna as well as bluefish.
Breakfast cereals are abundant in flaxseed. Flaxseed can also be added to juices and smoothies.
By following nutritional guidelines, and completing withdrawal or detox from alcohol, depleted nutrient levels can be restored in tissues and blood serum.
A good mineral or multivitamin supplement will work cooperatively with improved intake of essential nutrients.
About the author
Laura Morris
Laura Morris is an experienced clinical practitioner and CQC Registered Manager with over twenty years experience, over ten of which have been as an Independent Nurse Prescriber.
She has held a number of senior leadership roles in the substance use and mental health sector in the NHS, the prison service and in leading social enterprises in the field.
