Alcohol Rehabilitation - Information and Resources

Alcohol rehabilitation, or alcohol rehab for short, is a place where people addicted to alcohol can go to get treatment for their addictions and gain the knowledge and tools to live a productive and alcohol-free life.  Alcohol rehabilitation is not just a destination, but a long journey.  Once alcoholism has taken hold, it’s permanent and it takes a lifetime of abstinence and sobriety to maintain a healthy life.  There is no cure for alcoholism as of yet, but there is treatment and it is that treatment, or rehabilitation that saves thousands of lives every year.  Alcoholism is a progressive disease that causes physical and psychological addiction.  Alcoholism directly effects virtually every organ of the body and creates a devastating withdrawal process when it’s use is stopped suddenly.  This withdrawal can cause very uncomfortable and sometimes fatal symptoms such as cold sweats, delirium tremens, nausea, black outs, and death,  Often, alcoholics cannot stop the vicious cycle of addiction on their own, making alcohol rehabilitation necessary for successful recovery and prolonged sobriety.  There are many different options available when it comes to alcohol rehabilitation centers.  Many rehabilitation takes place in government funded centers, where the treatment program offers sliding scale payment programs, payment assistance, or addiction treatment free of charge.  Alternatively, there are many rehabilitation centers offered by private owners dotting the country, having higher concentrations in states like Florida, Arizona, and California. 

What is Alcohol Rehabilitation?

Alcohol rehabilitation is a complex process which often not only deals with the blanket approach to treating the addiction, but also co-occurring mental disorders – known as dual diagnosis treatment, which often contribute to alcoholism taking control.  For many alcohol rehabilitation centers there is one goal, but a myriad of treatment philosophies and methodologies.  Depending on the individual and the severity of the alcoholism, certain types of rehabilitation centers may be required.  For more severe cases of alcoholism, detox may be necessary.  Detox is the first step in alcohol rehabilitation.  The rehabilitation process removes alcohol from the body medically and safely, so as to remove the physical dependence on alcohol.  Most often, detox is required for mild to severe cases of alcoholism, however effective recovery cannot happen without following detox with a quality alcohol rehabilitation program.  Once the detox process has been completed, alcoholism can be treated at a variety of alcohol rehabilitation center.  At these treatment centers, alcoholics learn that they have a disease and gain the knowledge and tools necessary to live an alcohol-free life after the rehabilitation process has been completed. There are many different kinds of alcohol rehabilitation programs available for alcoholics to seek help.  Alcoholism is as different in each individual as the individuals themselves.  Since the disease of alcoholism varies in each individual, the type of rehabilitation program necessary to be effective for various alcoholics varies as well.  It is important to research the myriad of alcohol rehabilitation programs before making a decision, as there are many factors to consider.

Forms of Alcohol Rehabilitation

Alcohol rehabilitation can take several forms.  For alcoholics with moderate cases of alcoholism, rehabilitation can take place in an outpatient setting.  Outpatient rehabilitation programs offer counseling and therapy sessions in group and individual settings several times a week for several hours a day.  Patients are allowed to return home at the end of the day and many can still attend work and maintain most parts of normal life while in their rehabilitation program. 
While outpatient alcohol rehabilitation is effective for some alcoholics, many need more intense treatment.  Often, alcoholics are advised to attend alcohol rehabilitation programs for long-term treatment.  Long term alcohol rehabilitation treatment is a more intense, usually inpatient program where patients will reside in a treatment facility normally in a large home.  With inpatient alcohol rehabilitation, individuals receive intense care from therapists, counselors as well as constant support from other alcoholics residing with them and outside support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous.  Generally, inpatient alcohol rehabilitation programs have a standard length of stay of 28-30 days.  Many alcoholics, however opt to stay longer and most rehabilitation programs offer lengthy stays of several months to a year.  Research has shown that the longer the alcohol rehabilitation program, the greater the chances for prolonged sobriety. 
There is not only alcohol rehabilitation available for alcoholics suffering from this horrible disease.  Once completing the rehabilitation program, many rehab centers also offer aftercare treatment in the form of sober living homes.  Here, recovering alcoholics can reside in a group home, usually similar to a multi-family home with other recovering alcoholics.  The residents are monitored with curfews and random drug testing.  They must get a job, pay rent and are allowed off premises to perform their work duties and maintain some sense of a social life before returning at a specified time for the rest of the night.  This is an almost seamless method of reintegrating back into society, stronger and more prepared to abstain from alcohol.  It has been shown that alcoholics residing in sober living facilities after completing rehabilitation programs have had more success in sobriety.   A common phrase used in rehabilitation is that the addict or alcoholic only has to change one thing – everything.  This includes associates, social hangouts, habits, thought process, health and lifestyle.  At the onset of alcoholism, it is unclear as to what the triggers may be to cause the abuse, so the best bet in most cases is cleanse life of all prior unhealthy habits associated with drug abuse or alcoholism. 

Treatment-Centers.net

No matter what the situation is with alcoholism, it is imperative to look into all options when seeking rehabilitation.  With more research being done into alcoholism and addiction, it has been proven that one blanket approach to rehabilitation does not work for all alcoholics and addicts.  There are many different personalities and lifestyles in our society and for each, there is a rehabilitation process and methodology that can be most efficient. There are alcohol rehabilitation programs that focus on the blanket approach to alcoholism, utilizing the traditional 12-step program with counseling and therapy.  More recently, rehab centers have been dotting the globe which focus on holistic methodologies, specific religious practices, women’s recovery, men’s recovery, adolescent rehabilitation as well as several programs tailored for alternative lifestyles for gay and lesbian alcoholics and addicts.  These varying kinds of rehabilitation centers serve a very important need for many alcoholics in need of rehabilitation. For this reason, the proper research is imperative and it is important not to go with the first alcohol rehabilitation center with an opening.  Furthermore, within these niche rehabilitation centers, there will be a variety of programs available ranging from outpatient to intensive inpatient care.  Some will offer in house detox services, while others have off site detox, then others do not offer this service at all, requiring alcoholics and addicts to seek detox at independent hospitals and facilities.  Many of these alcohol rehabilitation centers offer aftercare in the form of sober living, and others refer to outside sober living homes.  There are so many different ways to seek alcohol rehabilitation, the task can be quite overwhelming.  It is necessary to examine the alcoholic or addict in need and discover any special needs, or pious beliefs that may assist further in the rehabilitative process.  Alcohol rehabilitation can be quite expensive, so before making such an investment, have all the information to reduce the chances of having to make such a huge commitment again in the future.
We are here to help with these decisions and extensive research.  Please explore our links and pages to get all the information to help you make the right choice into alcohol rehabilitation.  If you still find yourself with questions, feel free to email us or give us a call and we will do all we can to point you in the right direction.  The choice is yours, but we will do all we can to arm you with all the information you need to make a good decision for alcohol rehabilitation.
If you have questions about a loved one or your own alcohol abuse, please fill out our confidential assessment and one of our addiction professionals will get back to you immediately to discuss your situation and the best course of action for you.  Addiction and alcoholism are not easy situations to deal with, but there is always hope and we are here to help.