Alcohol Detox & Treatment in the Los Angeles Area

What is alcohol use disorder (AUD)?

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite negative consequences to health, relationships, or work (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIAAA). It exists on a spectrum from mild to severe, and it's a treatable brain condition, not a lack of willpower or a moral failing. Millions of adults live with AUD, and recovery is absolutely possible with the right medical care.

Signs and symptoms of alcohol use disorder

Clinicians diagnose AUD using 11 criteria from the DSM-5. In the past year, have you:

• Had times when you drank more, or longer, than you intended?
• Wanted to cut down or stop, but couldn't?
• Spent a lot of time drinking or recovering from its effects?
• Experienced strong cravings to drink?
• Found that drinking interfered with home, work, or school?
• Kept drinking despite relationship problems it caused?
• Given up activities you cared about in order to drink?
• Gotten into dangerous situations during or after drinking?
• Continued drinking despite a physical or mental health problem it caused or worsened?
• Needed to drink more to feel the effects (tolerance)?
• Experienced withdrawal symptoms when the alcohol wore off?

Severity is measured by how many criteria apply: 2–3 = mild, 4–5 = moderate, 6 or more = severe (NIAAA / DSM-5). Even mild AUD is worth addressing early.

Medications that help with alcohol recovery

NIAAA recognizes several FDA-approved medications for alcohol use disorder, including naltrexone (which reduces cravings and is available as the long-acting injection Vivitrol), acamprosate, and disulfiram. At Regain Hope Detox and Recovery Center, our physicians prescribe medication-assisted treatment when appropriate, and we often start a long-acting option like Vivitrol before discharge to protect your sobriety.

When should you seek help for drinking?

There's no need to "hit rock bottom" before getting help, in fact, addressing alcohol use earlier leads to better outcomes. Consider reaching out if drinking has started to affect your health, relationships, work, or sense of control, or if you've tried to cut back and couldn't. Over time, heavy alcohol use can contribute to serious health problems, including liver disease, heart and blood-pressure issues, a weakened immune system, and an increased risk of certain cancers (NIAAA), and it can deepen anxiety and depression. The encouraging truth: the body and mind have a remarkable capacity to heal once drinking stops, and the earlier you act, the more you protect. If you're asking yourself whether your drinking is a problem, that question itself is worth a conversation, and ours is free, confidential, and judgment-free.