Types Of Alcohol Treatment Programs

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.