Alcoholism
— alcohol causes 3.3 million deaths a year
View our video on alcoholism and our treatment at The Kusnacht Practice
About alcoholism
Alcoholism is a progressive illness
Despite alcohol being accepted in many cultures, it is widely cited as significant contributor to death, disease and injury. This is due to alcohol’s nature as a psychoactive substance that can lead to physical dependency and psychological addiction. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism states that around 7.2% of adults have an alcohol use disorder. This can be due to a combination of causes, which include physical, psychological, genetic or lifestyle factors.
Symptoms and effects of alcoholism
Alcoholism is often mistakenly considered to mainly affect individuals who are weak or cannot function. In fact, it is a chronic disease that can affect people of any age, race, social status or income level. For many people, the effect of drinking is harmless, but for some of us, it can lead to dangerous consequences. Drinking alcohol is associated with a risk of developing health problems such as liver cirrhosis, some cancers and cardiovascular diseases as well as mental and behavioural disorders, including depression and anxiety. If left untreated, full-blown alcoholism is a progressive illness that worsens over time and can cause enormous harm, both to the sufferer and to their loved ones.
The most common symptoms of alcoholism
- Memory impairment
- Extreme mood swings
- Making excuses for drinking such as to relax, deal with stress or feel normal
- Feeling hungover when not drinking
- Choosing to drink over other responsibilities and obligations
- Engaging in risky behaviours, such as drunk driving
- Being in denial about the extent of the alcohol abuse problem
- Becoming distressed at the prospect of not having access to alcohol

Alcoholism treatment
We adopt an approach that is discreet, non-judgemental and confidential. Our priority is to identify and treat the root causes of alcohol addiction. We look beyond the symptoms of alcoholism and examine the function of drinking in a client’s life. We then treat the entire person: mind, body and spirit. At The Kusnacht Practice, we adopt four major pillars of treatment: psychotherapy, Biomolecular Restoration, complementary treatments, and spiritual counselling in the form of The 12 Steps. Founded on it, our qualified experts provide care and support on an individual basis in discreet and comfortable surroundings.
Costs
We provide the very best care and comfort. The investment starts at CHF 93,000 per week, depending on the requirements of the individual client. Fees are settled directly by the client (we do not work with insurance companies) and we can supply written quotations upon request.
The Kusnacht Practice services are not covered by Swiss health insurances. All costs are to be covered directly by the clients. Patients who are domiciled in Switzerland and are therefore mandatorily health insured may be reimbursed by their health insurance for medical services in accordance with the Federal Law on Health Insurance (KVG) and its implementing provisions.
Treatment enquiries
Call: +41 43 499 60 50
Email: treatment@kusnachtpractice.ch
Or fill out our form with your request
General enquiries
Call: +41 43 541 11 52
Email: info@kusnachtpractice.ch