Alcohol Treatment
Alcohol addiction results when a person has a compulsive need for alcohol whether it is hard liquor, wine, or beer. Alcoholism is evident when a person has a craving for liquor and they cannot stop themselves from drinking. If a person experiences withdrawals when they do not have alcohol in their system and suffers effects such as sweating, nausea, or anxiety and they feel they need to drink in order to get the high that alcohol brings they are probably an alcoholic. Many people need help to stop drinking and there are many types of alcohol treatment programs to beat alcoholism. There are various types of programs as well as inpatient and outpatient programs to help people beat their addiction to alcohol.
Types of Alcohol Treatment Programs
Many alcohol treatment programs use the 12-step program, as it is a very successful model to help people beat their alcohol addiction. There are 12 guided principals in this type of program and they aid a person into getting sober. When a 12-step program, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, is combined with other types of alcohol treatment it makes the chances that the person will get sober greater.
There are residential alcohol treatment programs where the person addicted to alcohol will live at the treatment center generally for 1 to 3 months. At this type of inpatient alcohol treatment program a person will undergo treatment that is rather intensive. These programs can be better for people since they are forced to live at the center, which it makes it less possible they can get their hands on alcohol. There are sober living programs, where a person will live in a group home, which can help since there are others going through the same problem and they can support each other on the road to recovery. This type of treatment for alcohol is a good idea for people that have completed an inpatient alcohol treatment and may be at risk of a relapse if they are going at it alone at home.
One treatment that can take place at alcohol treatment centers as well as hospitals is the detoxification process. The detoxification process typically takes from 7-10 days and during that time the alcohol is eliminated from the body, but it is a very tough process since the person will likely go through withdrawals. However, at a supervised facility it can be easier, as they will have support from the staff as well as the possibility of getting medication, which can make the detox process more comfortable and less painful for the patient.
One popular outpatient treatment program is counseling whether it be a one on one session or a group session. Counseling is also offered, many times, at an inpatient alcohol treatment program. In counseling a person can get to the root of their alcohol problem making it easier to get sober. Other types of treatment for alcoholism are holistic therapy, duel-diagnosis therapy, and cognitive behavior therapy. Holistic therapy deals with the whole body in mind, body, and spirit to try to help the person with their alcohol addiction. Duel-diagnosis therapy deals with other disorders a person may have, such as depression or anxiety, and the person used alcohol to mask those symptoms and if the underlying issue is taken care of the alcoholism can be much easier to deal with. Cognitive behavior therapy show people how to cope with their decisions to drink in order to change then through their behavior to get them on the road to sobriety.
How Alcohol Treatment Centers Help with Alcoholism
Alcohol Treatment Centers can be of great help to people that have an addiction to alcohol and the success rate for using them rather than doing it alone is significant. Many alcohol treatment centers are inpatient treatment programs and if a person is at the facility and not alone they not only have a pillar of support from the experienced staff but they are not able to get alcohol. These centers can help in the detoxification process and many of them have counseling services and both of these things are vital in a person getting sober. There are not only various types of alcohol treatment programs, but also several types of alcohol treatment centers.
Inpatient Alcohol Treatment Centers
Inpatient alcohol treatment is when a person will stay in an alcohol treatment facility generally anywhere from 30-90 days. In an inpatient treatment center there is more intensive treatment therapy. In inpatient programs the patient can go through the detoxification process as well as take part in alcohol counseling.
The more the person is addicted to alcohol the more the inpatient alcohol treatment centers should be used. In an inpatient center a person will not be going home, which makes it much more difficult to get alcohol. Also, there are many inpatient alcohol treatment centers that will have medication available to help with the detox process. An inpatient alcohol treatment center will have an experienced staff of doctors, nurses, and counselors that can really help people with their alcohol addiction.
Outpatient Alcohol Treatment Centers
Outpatient alcohol treatment is a type of treatment where the person will attend sessions during the day or the evening, but they will go home after the treatment is over. This type of treatment is generally more counseling whether it be in a group session, such as AA, or one-on-one with an alcohol counselor. There are many alcohol treatment centers that will offer some type of intensive outpatient treatment. Most holistic alcohol treatment programs will be on an outpatient basis.
As stated before the worse the addiction to alcohol is the more beneficial inpatient treatment is. In outpatient treatment a person has to have self-control, as they will still be able to get alcohol very easily. Many times inpatient treatment should be followed by outpatient treatment in extreme cases of alcohol addiction. This can make the transition to sobriety much easier. People that use an outpatient program should have a strong support system whether it is family or friends giving the person a sober environment. If a person is in an environment where alcohol will be around it will make trying to get sober much more difficult. People that are battling more long-term alcohol addiction may want to steer towards an inpatient alcohol treatment program. If a person has good willpower and has a good support system than an outpatient treatment center may be the way to go.
You can’t argue with research, as the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) published a study that showed that the longer the alcohol treatment is the more of a chance it will be successful.
The type of alcohol treatment center someone who has alcohol issues chooses will depend on their specific situation. As you can see there are many types of treatment for the addiction to alcohol. Before a person chooses an alcohol treatment center they should speak to a counselor to find out what the best one for them will be. There are many alcohol treatment counselors out there and anybody that has an addiction to alcohol should speak with them not only to find the alcohol treatment center, but also to get the input of a professional.