Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol Addiction is categorized as a mental health condition involving alcohol use. It can be associated with alcohol craving and alcohol consumption, and may also involve related sleep disorders.

Alcohol Addiction is categorized as a mental health condition.

3What may help

This list shows research findings, not treatments. Nothing here replaces medical care. If you have this condition, talk to a doctor.

What may help

None of these options has good evidence yet. Best evidence first.

3 options:2 not tested in people1 no benefit found

What studies foundSize of effect

PsychotherapypracticeNot tested in people
Only tested in animals, cells or theory. Results like these often do not carry over to people.
The one study found a benefit.
Motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy and contingency management may reduce drinking and relapse in alcohol use disorder.
Open the Psychotherapy page
Transcendental MeditationpracticeNot tested in people
Only tested in animals, cells or theory. Results like these often do not carry over to people.
The one study found a benefit.
Transcendental Meditation has been described as reducing alcohol use and relapse rates among recovering alcoholics compared with standard treatment, possibly by reducing stress and craving.
Open the Transcendental Meditation page
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)practiceNo benefit found
Studies looked for a benefit and did not find one.
The one study found no benefit.
A pilot study involving 10 people assessed usability but did not measure alcohol use or other clinical outcomes, so it reported no patient-important improvement in Alcohol Addiction.
Open the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) page

The expert view shows every study, dose protocol and source.

What may help

Interventions recorded as helping with this condition3 listed

The best we have, but the evidence is still weak

PracticesPsychotherapyCertaintyLowSourceTheoretical
Motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy and contingency management may reduce drinking and relapse in alcohol use disorder.
Study result
Motivational interviewing, CBT and contingency management may reduce drinking and relapse in alcohol use disorder.
Open Psychotherapy
→
PracticesTranscendental MeditationCertaintyLowSourceTheoretical
Transcendental Meditation has been described as reducing alcohol use and relapse rates among recovering alcoholics compared with standard treatment, possibly by reducing stress and craving.
Study result
TM reduced alcohol use and relapse rates in recovering alcoholics compared to standard treatment, likely by reducing stress and craving.
Open Transcendental Meditation
→

Very low probability(1)

PracticesAcceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)CertaintyVery lowSourceClinical
A pilot study involving 10 people assessed usability but did not measure alcohol use or other clinical outcomes, so it reported no patient-important improvement in Alcohol Addiction.
Who was studied
People with a condition
Addiction Alcohol
Open Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
→

What to avoid

Interventions recorded as making it worse

Nothing in this library is currently recorded as making Alcohol Addiction worse. Coverage is partial, and absence here is not evidence of safety.

Browse the supplements that are written up

How to read the evidence

Evidence tier — overall strength of the evidence for the whole compound

StrongWell established — backed by strong, consistent human research.
ModerateSome genuine support, but mostly from small or lower-quality studies. Promising, not proven.
PreliminaryEarly-stage evidence — a promising hypothesis, not an established effect yet.
LimitedVery limited evidence — treat this as a hypothesis, not proof.
InsufficientNot enough good evidence to draw conclusions yet.

Certainty — how sure we can be that the effect is real

Very highVery sure — strong, consistent evidence
HighFairly sure — consistent evidence from good studies
MediumModerately sure — new studies could change this
LowNot sure — little or mixed evidence
Very lowVery unsure — almost no usable evidence

Source — where the data comes from

Meta-analysisPooled analysis of many trials — the strongest evidence
RCTRandomized controlled trial — a strong human study design
ClinicalA human clinical study
Reference knowledgeFrom general health-science or pharmacology references, not a study of this exact claim
Animal researchStudied in animals, not humans
Community reportsAggregated user reports — anecdotal signal, not evidence
TheoreticalMechanism-based reasoning, not yet tested

Study grade — quality of each underlying study (A best, D weakest)

AHigh-quality — strong, consistent human trials
BGood — solid evidence with some limitations
CModerate — limited, small, or mixed-quality studies
DWeak — preliminary, indirect, or animal-only

Confidence — how strongly the sources back a finding

A 0–100 score from study quality and agreement

Most supplement evidence is graded C–D. Read it as preliminary signal, not proof.

Full write-up

What is it

Alcohol Addiction is categorized as a mental health condition involving alcohol use. It can be associated with alcohol craving and alcohol consumption, and may also involve related sleep disorders. These features should not be confused with a single symptom, such as craving or a sleep problem alone; the condition refers to the broader alcohol-related health problem. Clinical care may address different aspects, including craving, sleep-related concerns, and prevention of alcohol-related complications.

Evidence-backed options

These options relate to different aspects of Alcohol Addiction rather than representing interchangeable approaches. CBD (Cannabidiol) was studied at 800 mg in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, where it reduced alcohol cue-induced bilateral NAc activity and alcohol craving in individuals with AUD. The reported probability of benefit is low, so this finding does not establish a broad effect across all aspects of the condition.

Melatonin has been considered for sleep disorders related to AUD. Its potential is described as promising, but further studies are needed, including studies of higher doses. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) has a different role: thiamine prophylaxis is standard of care in alcohol use disorder to prevent Wernicke's encephalopathy, with parenteral thiamine recommended before glucose administration in at-risk patients presenting to emergency care.

Glycine did not reduce craving or laboratory alcohol consumption in individuals with AUD per se. This makes its reported finding distinct from the cue-related result described for CBD. Specific durations of use and the timing of when effects appeared are not established in the available findings, so these options cannot be compared reliably by speed or treatment length. Evidence remains limited overall, and the relevance of these findings to a particular person depends on their clinical circumstances. A clinician can help interpret these options for any medical condition.