National Certified Addiction Counselor, Level I (NCAC I) Practice Exam 2025 – Comprehensive All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

Disulfiram is commonly known by its brand name, Antabuse. It is used in the treatment of alcohol dependence, working by inhibiting the enzyme that breaks down alcohol in the body. When a person taking disulfiram consumes alcohol, they experience unpleasant reactions such as flushing, nausea, and palpitations, which serve as a deterrent to drinking. This pharmacotherapy is especially effective in encouraging individuals who are recovering from alcohol addiction to avoid alcohol by creating a strong negative association with its consumption.

Other options, while related to substance use treatment, refer to different medications. For example, Naltrexone and Vivitrol are forms of opioid receptor antagonists used primarily to manage opioid dependence and alcohol dependence, but they work differently from disulfiram. Campral, or Acamprosate, helps to stabilize the brain's chemistry after quitting alcohol but does not create aversive reactions to alcohol like disulfiram does. Thus, the identification of disulfiram as Antabuse accurately reflects its purpose and mechanism of action in treating alcohol use disorder.