Alcoholism is an addiction that varies in severity and cause from person to person. For this reason, there are several different types of alcohol treatment programs available. Alcoholism is both a physical and psychological disease, and sometimes a combination of different treatment approaches is necessary. Since every person is different, what works for one may not be effective for another. Some techniques used for treating alcohol addiction are as follows.
Detoxification is the beginning of nearly every alcohol treatment program. This is basically the process of allowing the body to adjust to not having alcohol in it’s system. It is usually done under close medical supervision, since the withdrawal symptoms can be quite severe. Typically, alcohol withdrawals are more dangerous than drug withdrawals. These symptoms will usually last for several days before the body gets used to not having the alcohol.
Behavior Modification
This first group of alcohol treatment programs can be classified as behavioral treatments. The first is Alcoholics Anonymous, which has been a popular treatment method for many years. It’s basically a support system that is based on a twelve-step program. The support comes from attending meetings with other recovering addicts.
Another type of alcohol treatment program is Motivational Enhancement Therapy. This program will address the specific causes of the addiction and formulate a series of reasons to motivate the addict to quit. This is different than guiding a person through a series of steps designed for recovery. This program is designed to cause the patient to come up with reasons to change their behavior.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy is another type of alcohol treatment program that is designed to recognize the risk factors and situations in which a relapse may occur. This is done by role-playing and practicing the possible responses to those situations.
Medication
In many cases, alcohol treatment programs include the use of various medications to assist in the recovery process. These medications can be used to combat withdrawal symptoms, as well as fight cravings. Other medications used for the treatment of alcohol abuse are called aversive medications. These medications will cause unpleasant reaction when alcohol is introduced into the system. Other medications are used to treat the depression and anxiety symptoms that often accompany alcohol addiction.
There are as many different types of alcohol treatment programs and centers as there are alcoholics. Some are done on an outpatient basis, and some require a stay in a treatment center. All of them provide some type of counseling for the patient, and some even offer counseling for their loved ones as well. Many times, a person's alcohol addiction affects their family members as much as themselves. If it's time for you to get serious about living a clean and sober life, talk to your family health care provider to help you determine what kind of alcohol treatment program is best for you.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Inpatient Alcohol Treatment
When you or someone you love is faced with an alcohol addiction problem, it's important to get effective treatment as soon as possible. There are many different ways in which alcoholism is treated. They all generally fall into one of two main categories – outpatient and inpatient alcohol treatment. Both have proven to be effective in certain cases. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief overview of what inpatient alcohol treatment is.
What Is It?
Inpatient alcohol treatment is often referred to as residential alcohol treatment. Basically, what this means is that the patient will stay for a period of time in a treatment facility. The length of these programs runs anywhere from 30 to 90 days, and you can figure on it costing around $1,000 or more. A patient will be confined to the facility while they are treated and counseled. They will then be released at the end of that time into some sort of after care program.
Advantages
There are several advantages of an inpatient alcohol treatment program. The first of which is that, while the patient is in the facility, they are removed from the situations and other things that contribute to their addiction. There are many circumstances and people in the life of an addict that allow them to justify their destructive behavior. Staying in a treatment facility gives them an opportunity to get away from those things and focus on the reasons for their addiction. It also gives them a rare period of time when their mind is clear and free from the alcoholic haze they normally live in. Many times, a person can then think clearly enough to come up with reasons to motivate them to live clean and sober.
Disadvantages
Inpatient alcohol treatment programs also have their share of drawbacks. As stated above, these programs can be quite costly, which eliminates them as a possibility for many people. The removal from everyday life can also have negative effects as well. Staying in this type of facility without alcohol for a period of time may seem easier than it really is. This is not the same as quitting in the face of the situations that normally cause you to drink. This often leads to a more challenging re-entry into your normal life. Many times, this is too much of a shock, and a relapse soon follows. It is possible to end up right where you started from. Now you need to find another form of treatment in addition to the thousands of dollars you've already spent on this one.
Inpatient alcohol treatment can be an effective way to treat alcoholism, but only in concert with a strong after care program. The hard part is when your stay is over and you must begin to re-adjust to everyday life.
What Is It?
Inpatient alcohol treatment is often referred to as residential alcohol treatment. Basically, what this means is that the patient will stay for a period of time in a treatment facility. The length of these programs runs anywhere from 30 to 90 days, and you can figure on it costing around $1,000 or more. A patient will be confined to the facility while they are treated and counseled. They will then be released at the end of that time into some sort of after care program.
Advantages
There are several advantages of an inpatient alcohol treatment program. The first of which is that, while the patient is in the facility, they are removed from the situations and other things that contribute to their addiction. There are many circumstances and people in the life of an addict that allow them to justify their destructive behavior. Staying in a treatment facility gives them an opportunity to get away from those things and focus on the reasons for their addiction. It also gives them a rare period of time when their mind is clear and free from the alcoholic haze they normally live in. Many times, a person can then think clearly enough to come up with reasons to motivate them to live clean and sober.
Disadvantages
Inpatient alcohol treatment programs also have their share of drawbacks. As stated above, these programs can be quite costly, which eliminates them as a possibility for many people. The removal from everyday life can also have negative effects as well. Staying in this type of facility without alcohol for a period of time may seem easier than it really is. This is not the same as quitting in the face of the situations that normally cause you to drink. This often leads to a more challenging re-entry into your normal life. Many times, this is too much of a shock, and a relapse soon follows. It is possible to end up right where you started from. Now you need to find another form of treatment in addition to the thousands of dollars you've already spent on this one.
Inpatient alcohol treatment can be an effective way to treat alcoholism, but only in concert with a strong after care program. The hard part is when your stay is over and you must begin to re-adjust to everyday life.
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