Psychosocial and Medication Treatment for Anxiety in Alcoholism

Difficulties in anxiety management are frequent causes of relapse to alcohol use. Empirical data support the role of anxiety in alcohol relapse, and both psychosocial and pharmacological treatments for alcohol problems increasingly address the role of negative affect in alcohol-use disorders. Due to the lack of large, well-controlled treatment outcome trials, the optimal treatment (or combination of treatments) remains unknown. Real world practice in the treatment of alcohol-use disorders frequently begins with brief detoxification and stabilization, and is often followed by some combination of CBT and pharmacotherapy for patients complaining of mood difficulties while attempting early abstinence from alcohol.

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the relative benefits of psychosocial and psychopharmacological therapy for the treatment of co-morbid anxiety and alcohol dependence among patients attempting early abstinence from alcohol. We will address the following four questions:

• During the course of intervention, is treatment of anxiety disorders with combined treatments of established utility (among non-alcohol-use-disordered patients) superior in managing both return to drinking and anxiety symptoms than either monotherapy, or a fully inactive control treatment?
• During the follow-up period, will patients who received the combined active treatments fare better in maintaining abstinence relative to the single active treatments, and those in the control condition?
• What psychosocial variables (such as increases or lapses to elevated anxiety) mediate return to pre-treatment levels of alcohol use?
• Will baseline indices of alcohol dependence and anxiety disorder severity moderate the relationship between treatment and outcome during both the acute and follow-up phases of the study?

Inclusion criteria

• Participants must be English-speaking males or females
• Participants must be between 18 and 65 years old
• Meet criteria for DSM-IV diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependence
• Meet criteria for Panic disorder, Social Phobia or Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Physically able to attend sessions at the Counseling Center
• Able to read and write
• Able to complete the structured interview and self-report assessment packet
• Able to attend all treatment sessions and follow-up assessments
• Able to sign a witnessed informed consent form
• Participants express a desire to completely stop drinking alcohol or reduce alcohol consumption with the possible long-term goal of abstinence

Exclusion criteria

• Meet DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, bulimia/anorexia, or dementia
• Currently taking anti-craving agents (e.g. Naltrexone, methadone)
• Currently taking medication that has clinically significant interactions with venlafaxine
• Previous use of venlafaxine
• Currently taking other antidepressant medications
• Currently taking medication known to decrease anxiety or alcohol consumption (e.g. antabuse)
• Currently prescribed medications with known abuse potential (e.g., subjects on opioid agonist therapy)
• Currently prescribed medications as a sleep aid (e.g. Ambien)
• Currently taking herbal supplements that have been shown to interact with venlafaxine or affect anxiety symptoms
• Currently pregnant, breastfeeding, plans of becoming pregnant during the course of the study, or not using medically acceptable form of birth control (oral contraceptives, barrier [diaphragm or condom] with spermicide, intrauterine progesterone contraceptive system, levonorgestrel implant, medroxyprogesterone acetate contraceptive injection).
• Planning to relocate out-of-state within four months of protocol initiation
• History of psychotic symptoms within the past 30 days
• Experiencing severe symptoms of depression or have engaged in suicidal behaviors within the past 30 days
• Medical contraindications to the use of venlafaxine [severe renal disease, cirrhosis, uncontrolled blood pressure, recent cardiovascular problems (e.g., heart attack), and seizure disorders; currently taking a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, MAOI]
• Self-reported anxiety less than 15 on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety
• Participant is a member of the same household of another subject already participating in the study
• Participant is legally mandated (e.g., to avoid incarceration, monetary or other penalties, etc.) to participate in an alcohol treatment program
• Participant has a current or recent (past 30 days) DSM-IV diagnosis of other substance abuse or dependence, with the exception of nicotine, marijuana, and caffeine