Alcohol treatment centers are designed to rehabilitate people who abuse alcohol. These facilities use a variety of techniques and therapies to educate their clientele to the facts about alcoholism and how to live a life without needing or wanting to drink.
There are no known treatment centers for alcohol only. Although there is a difference between alcoholism and drug addiction, treatment centers are designed to treat clients who are either alcoholic, drug addicted or both.
Today, most alcohol treatment centers do extensive evaluation and assessments to help determine as much about the personality of the client as well as any mental problems that might exist. The ultimate objective of alcohol treatment is to help the client see the changes they will need to make in their lives in order to be successful in abstaining from alcohol.
Alcohol detox is the medical monitoring of the effects of the withdrawal process while the body detoxes itself from alcohol. Unless and until the body has safely rid itself of all the alcohol in it, an individual will be at high risk of drinking.
1) Educate the alcohol user to the facts about alcoholism
2) Teach the person about the changes needed to live an alcohol-free lifestyle.
3) Practice the new behaviors of sober living
4) Raise the client's level of behavior awareness
5) Create an aftercare plan of action after being discharged
There are a wide variety of models and philosophies in the alcohol treatment industry. Most programs provide counseling, behavioral therapy, lectures, group therapy, discussion groups and other types of services to persons with alcohol use disorders. Many various behavioral models of change and awareness have been shown to help patients achieve and maintain prolonged abstinence from alcohol.
One frequently used treatment is cognitive behavioral and relapse prevention. In alcohol treatment centers, patients are taught new ways of acting and thinking that will help them stay off alcohol. For example, patients are urged to avoid situations that lead to alcohol abuse and to practice alcohol refusal skills. They are taught to think of a relapse as a "slip" rather than as a failure. Cognitive behavioral and relapse prevention has proven to be a useful and lasting therapy. Specific approaches are associated with the particular setting and alcohol treatment center's philosophy.
A variety of therapy is included in alcohol treatment centers. Much of what happen in alcohol treatment centers is to make the client aware of their alcohol using behavior and the effect it has on their lives and the lives of those around them.
Most alcoholics are in some stage of denial. Denying the amount of alcohol they are consuming and the effect it is having on themselves and others. The next goal of an alcohol treatment centers is getting the client to see they have suffered consequences as a direct result of their alcohol use.
There are a limited amount of alcohol treatment centers in the United States offering treatment to men or women only. There are also treatment centers with specific programs and therapy for men or women only. Both of these remove the presence of the opposite sex which can be a distraction or deterrent.
Most treatment centers treat adults, 18 years of age and older. There are a limited amount of treatment centers treating adolescents, under the age of 18. And there are a few set up to treat both adolescents and adults.
For those who want to incorporate Christianity into their rehabilitation, there are a very limited number of treatment centers offering a program which is Christian based. There are a few others who offer a specialized track which incorporates religion as an optional track.
There are several good alternative alcohol rehab programs that are not 12-step based. These use a more self-help, mind over matter model. These alternative models exist for those who have tried the 12-steps, unsuccessfully. They are good for those who resist the spiritual angle of the 12-steps.
Dual diagnosis and co-occurring disorders are the term used for clients who have both an alcohol and or drug abuse problem and also have a psychological issue. The psychological issue can include depression, bi-polar, anxiety, ADHD and others.
The average length of stay in an alcohol treatment center is 30 days. For those who have attempted a 30 day program one or more time before there are programs of 60 and or 90 days. For these and many others, stepping down into a sober living community for an extended period of time is desirable.
Very few people would argue that the emergence of Alcoholics Anonymous has had a profound impact on the alcohol treatment centers industry. The whole AA philosophy and 12-steps seem to address much of what the alcoholic needs. Most alcohol rehabs support AA, in part, because once a person completes rehab, they can go to AA meetings, for free and get much needed support and fellowship to help them not drink.
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