What to Know About Alcohol Treatment Centers

What you need to know about Alcohol Treatment Centers

Alcohol treatment centers around the country perform important work every day – helping save lives and reversing the negative cycle of alcoholism and substance abuse. But oftentimes, those who need alcohol treatment the most are unaware of their treatment options or feel intimidated by the thought of leaving their family and entering into an alcohol rehab program. The following information is designed to help those individuals (and their families) who need the professional help and expertise offered by a qualified alcohol treatment center.

The Importance of Alcohol Treatment Centers

According to a recent study performed by the White House, there are over 24 million citizens over the age of 12 who are suffering from addiction in our country. A large percentage of these men and women are caught in the cycle of alcoholism. What makes these figures even more chilling is the fact that only a small percentage (as few as 7%) of those living with an alcohol addiction actually get the qualified help they need from an alcohol treatment center. In addition, consider these statistics about the state of alcoholism and binge drinking in our society:

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), over 13,000 people die each year as a result of alcohol-related liver disease.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has found that 1 out of 3 high school seniors have engaged in a binge-drinking episode in the past thirty days.
1,700 college students between the ages of 18-24 die each year as a result of unintentional injuries or driving accidents while under the influence of alcohol.

What are the different types of Alcohol Treatment Centers?

Every alcohol treatment center is unique in one way or another, be it in their treatment modalities, adherence to holistic practices or even the type of individual that they admit. There are, however, two primary types of alcohol treatment facility that every individual should be familiar with – as choosing between the two is one of the most important decisions they will make during the alcohol rehab process. Almost all alcohol treatment centers can be classified as either residential or outpatient. Within these program formats, recovering addicts will find many of the same elements of treatment (detox, counseling, aftercare, etc.) but the manner in which these programs are delivered differs greatly. Residential alcohol treatment programs have the individual moving into a rehab center full-time, where they receive round-the-clock care from professionals and facility staff members. Outpatient care, on the other hand, has the individual attending counseling and other programs during the day – then returning home or to a sober living facility in the evening. Residential alcohol treatment centers are the most appropriate choice for those individuals who:

Should be removed from their harmful environment because of stress or temptation.
Need a place to focus solely on their recovery without distraction or “noise” from the outside world.
Have a condition that requires round-the-clock treatment or observation from medical/addiction recovery professionals.

Outpatient alcohol treatment centers make an appropriate choice for those who:

Have certain responsibilities that keep them from being able to enter a residential treatment program (family, work, school, etc.)
Can benefit from returning to their family or support network at the end of each treatment day.
Are not currently considered dangerous to themselves or other individuals in their community.

The Core Elements of Alcohol Treatment Programs

As we discussed above, every alcohol treatment center is different. There are, however, several facets of treating alcoholism that run through almost every program. Most notably, these elements include detox, counseling and aftercare.

Detox. Alcohol detox is the process by which individuals overcome their physical addiction to alcohol. Detox (or “drying out” as it is known to many) is the period in which an individual stops drinking so that their body can cleanse itself of the harmful alcohol toxins that have built up over time. Detox can be a challenging time for many men and women, as the process is often accompanied by a series of uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, anxiety, depression, sleeplessness and chills. And while these alcohol detox withdrawal symptoms are rarely life-threatening, they can lead to relapse. For this reason, it is important that the individual engaged in detox remain under observation throughout the process. Medical professionals can help the individual cope with these symptoms – thereby lessening the chance of relapse or complications.
Counseling. While detox addresses the physical component of addiction, it is counseling that helps individuals break the cycle of psychological dependence on alcohol. Counseling is absolutely crucial, as it cuts to the root causes of alcoholism – and helps improve the decision-making and coping strategies of the individual with the disease. The most common types of counseling include:
- Individual Counseling. One-on-one private meetings with a therapist or counselor. This is where the individual begins to understand how their environment plays a role in their alcoholism. Counselors and patients work together here to form strategies to help the individual maintain sobriety.
- Group Counseling. During group counseling, the recovering alcoholic has a chance to share stories and experiences with other individuals who are facing many of the same challenges. A chance to talk openly and honestly about one’s addiction can lead to breakthroughs as the walls of isolation caused by alcoholism begin to come down.
- Family Counseling. When there is an alcoholic in the family, it impacts everyone, including parents, children and siblings. Family counseling is a chance for loved ones to begin the healing process and learn how they improve communications with the individual to help them maintain their sobriety.
- Aftercare. When an alcohol treatment program ends, there are still many challenges facing the recovering alcoholic. Returning to “normal life” as a clean-and-sober individual is not always a smooth transition. Aftercare programs help individual cope with life outside the program – maintain good health and sobriety as they deal with stress, temptation and distractions. The more common types of aftercare include:
  - Sober living homes where the individual can live while getting back on their feet.
  - 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous are where lifetime bonds are formed and support is delivered through shared stories and experiences.
  - Follow up counseling where the individual can maintain focus and talk about their day-to-day challenges.

Who can benefit most from an Alcohol Treatment Center?

Anyone who is suffering from alcoholism, or has developed a serious substance abuse problem with alcohol can benefit greatly from the professional help provided at an alcohol treatment center. In particular, there are several “at-risk” groups who may need alcohol treatment more than others, including:

Teenagers. Teen alcoholism continues to be a significant problem for families around the United States. With more single parent families, and parents working more hours in order to make ends meet, there has been a steady rise in unsupervised time for young people. This often leads to drug and alcohol abuse. Teen alcohol rehab facilities address these issues as well as other concerns specific to young people, including:
- Self-image issues
- Concerns of physical or sexual abuse
- Problems in the home environment
- Stress related to academic pressure
- Peer pressure
- Women. More and more, alcohol treatment centers are developing gender-specific programs to help women overcome alcoholism. These programs are important because they speak directly to the unique issues facing women with an alcohol addiction. Simply put, women become addicted to alcohol for reasons that differ from men (co-dependency, self-image issues, etc.) and therefore are more effectively treated by those programs that speak directly to them.
- Dual Diagnosis patients. Individuals who suffer from co-occurring alcoholism and mental health issues are referred to as dual diagnosis patients. These men and women are considered to be at a high-risk for suicide and are generally more difficult to treat because each of their conditions complicates the other. Dual diagnosis alcohol treatment centers offer integrated care from both addiction treatment and psychiatric professionals. The staff works together to effectively treat all aspects of the individual’s condition. It is a specialized type of care that is not available at every alcohol treatment facility.

Alcohol Treatment Center Costs

One of the most common questions regarding alcohol treatment is “how much does it cost?” The answer varies. Some luxury residential alcohol and drug rehab facilities can cost upwards of several thousand dollars per month – putting them all but out of reach for many working families with a child or parent who is trying to get treatment. Outpatient alcohol rehab facilities, on the other hand, tend to be much less expensive and are often covered by insurance. To help ease the financial burden on recovering alcoholics and their families, more and more rehab centers are incorporate financing options into their admissions package. These payment programs help individuals spread payment out over a longer period of time – when conceivably they will be in a more stable situation than during the initial phases of recovery.

Getting a Family Member into Alcohol Treatment

The challenge with getting a loved one into an alcohol rehabilitation program is that the individual is often unwilling to admit that they have a drinking problem. Many times, well-intentioned family members will try to talk to with them about the problem, which only puts the individual on the defensive and drives them deeper into the isolation of addiction. An intervention is considered the most effective method of getting an individual into alcohol treatment. With the assistance of a professional interventionist, family and friends gather together to talk openly with the individual about the seriousness of their condition – and how it is affecting those around them. The goal is to get the individual to recognize that they are indeed an alcoholic – and take that person directly from the intervention to an alcohol treatment center. For that reason, it is important to research appropriate facilities in the area before the meeting takes place. Once the family member has been admitted into treatment, it is important for loved ones to continue to provide love and support throughout the process. The individual is likely to feel ashamed about their condition – so the more love and support they receive from their family the better. Those individuals who are supported throughout the alcohol rehab process by friends and family will generally respond more positively to treatment. Alcohol treatment centers can seem intimidating. But it is important to remember that these facilities are staffed by expert, caring professionals who have a single goal: to help men and women break the cycle of addiction and stay sober for the rest of their lives.

Article is sponsored and presented by: Seasons Recovery Centers