Dr. Michael F. Sheehan, M.D.

Commonest medication treatment for alcohol use disorder is naltrexone available as Revi tabs or vivitrol monthly injection. Decreases cravings and decreases out of control drinking. Second commonest med (FDA approved also) is Campral or acamprosate. Helpful to decrease craving. Lastly, Antabuse will make you very sick if you drink alcohol when you are taking it so it is a major disincentive. Basically every day you take Antabuse, you are making a commitment not to drink for that day or 2. So no impulsive drinking or you will get punished. Talk to your doctor about which is best for you. AA Smart Recovery sober support groups also help as does avoiding people places and things associated with your previous use. It takes time to get normal feelings and pleasures back.

Essentially, no. There is no evidence that people get "dependent" on them, although some like venlafaxine can have a withdrawal "flu-like" symptoms that can be unpleasant. Many people have chronic depression that requires them to continue antidepressant meds for years. 50% of folk get a recurrence of their depression after stopping their meds after their first depressive episode (50% are fine without meds). If you have a second episode of depression, 80% of folk will get a recurrence after they stop meds the second time. 95% of folk will get a recurrence of depression at some time in their lives after they stop meds after their 3rd episode (because it is a chronic condition). And so the recommendation with recurrent depression is to continue the meds chronically. The side effects of the meds should be minimal. The risks to you from ongoing med use are minimal. The long-term benefits of keeping you well are HUGE. Depression is one of the most common causes of disability in the world and is misunderstood by many. Listen to a professional about your condition, not your mother.

Yes. The lay term is "Dry-Drunk" a condition of being not using but angry and irritable. He should discuss this with his treatment provider who may assess him for depression or some other condition, or he may have relapsed, or is more likely to relapse. People in recovery may take some time to learn to feel normal with their brains off drugs, but long term, he should feel content and a better person from working on his recovery. Support him in whatever way is healthcare provider suggests.

Yes. https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/faqs.htm
For men, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 15 drinks or more per week. For women, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 8 drinks or more per week. So basically, if she is drinking more than 1 drink a day, she is putting herself at risk of developing a dependence on alcohol, and this alcoholism may take a few years to develop (maybe 10 years).

You have probably tried to quit yourself and failed. You may feel guilty about your inability to quit. You are now motivated to quit, but you would benefit from professional help to stop. Your doctor could prescribe naltrexone for you (nonaddictive med to curb cravings). You could go to some AA meetings in your local area and learn about the process of recovery there (also available online). You may benefit from individual or group counseling. Talk to your doctor about your concerns. Outpatient treatment should work well at this point. There is lots of help out there, and treatment works well.
Good luck.

He has insomnia (maybe from his drinking) and needs help to get into a healthy habit pattern. Talk to his doctor about his and your concerns about his sleep, mood, and alcohol intake and he can help devise a plan of action or at least some further assessments by a specialist. If he can't stop, you should go to AlAnon, a group for family members of those that drink too much. They can help you to decide on the best course of action for YOU to take to help yourself if he decides not to seek help for himself.

Have him assessed by a competent psychiatrist or other provider who is licensed to provide him treatment with Buprenorphine, the gold standard medical treatment for opioid use disorders along with psycho-social treatment like NA or group and individual counseling. this can all be done usually on an outpatient basis. https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment/practitioner-program-data/treatment-practitioner-locator

You could consider Chantix, a non addictive med available on prescription that can be very helpful in this situation, (FDA Approved, and the most effective) or you could consider nicorette gum or lozenges. Consult your doctor. stopping smoking is the greatest investment you can make in improving your health and longevity. Definitely get some more help.

Yes, probably. You should go the ER if you are not significantly better. You probably took a dose that was too much for you. Talk to your doctor who prescribed it.

Addiction psychiatrists are general psychiatrists with a specialty training in addiction. They are the best equipped to manage cases of Substance use disorders along with other psychiatric conditions that commonly exist with addiction like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder. I see general psych conditions as well as plain addiction issues like opioid use disorder, alcohol use disorder, as well as these conditions complicated with other conditions. Psychiatrists are best able to assess these disorders and treat appropriately. They usually work in tandem with counselors and other mental health professionals to provide comprehensive care to maximize the best outcome for patients in recovery.

Not much good research to prove it helps, but it certainly may help some people. alcohol is quick and reliable way to relax, Yoga takes practice and patience (which many addicts dont have much of) and is not as fast as alcohol. so most addicts prefer to drink alcohol to relax. Substance use disorders are complex conditions where there is loss of control of the ability to reliably stop excess alcohol use. Recovery is multifaceted and patients can benefit from professional help, meds (like naltrexone) AA, individual and group counseling as well as fellowship with others struggling with the same issues.

Take care of yourself first. Go to Alanon meeting and seek help to learn how you can best intervene without driving yourself crazy trying to control his behavior.
Its not your responsibility to control his behavior. Treatment is available and possible for him and you may need help to be able to intervene successfully with him. talk to your doctor or his doctor about your concerns. Treatment for alcohol use disorder can be very successful.