Alcohol Abuse Treatment

Alcohol abuse treatment options are more accessible than ever before. Unlike twenty years ago, there are now not only programs that cater to all kinds of addictions, there are alcohol abuse treatment programs that cater to specific ages, genders and even to those with specific sexual preferences.  No two alcohol abuse treatment centers are alike.  Although all programs combine some form of therapeutic and educational treatments and include a detoxification program of some kind, the way in which they are executed are vastly different.

Principles of Effective Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment

1. Treatment centers that design programs around their patients have the highest success ratio.  Every patient has different needs and every treatment plan should reflect those differences.
2. Treatment must be available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.  One of the hardest obstacles to overcome is getting the patient to rehab in the first place.  If treatment is not available at the exact time they decide to seek help, the opportunity is lost.
3. Effective drug and alcohol abuse treatment programs address physical, emotional, psychological, social and vocational problems.  People that seek help for alcohol or drug abuse have many underlying issues that need to be addressed.  Without addressing all aspects of a patient’s life, chances of long-term success diminish greatly.
4. According to studies, patient’s that continue treatment for a minimum of three months achieve much higher rates of success than those who receive treatment for a lesser amount of time.  In order keep patients in treatment for the adequate amount of time, tools must be used to engage and keep patient’s actively participating.
5. Drug and alcohol abuse treatment centers without adequate behavioral counseling services do not fully equip patients to address the motivation behind their abuse or resistance skills and problem-solving abilities.  These abilities are extremely important if patients are to leave a rehab center and lead productive lives.
6. Many rehab centers combine behavioral therapy with medications.  Medications are even more important for patients that have both a drug or alcohol abuse problem and a mental disorder (dual diagnosis).  Integration of multiple treatments is extremely important.
7. Because relapse often happens during rehabilitation, drug and alcohol abuse treatment programs must monitor their patients closely.  It allows programs to see what is and is not working for a patient and adjust programs for each individual as necessary.  Monitoring ensures much higher rates of success.
8. Treatment programs should always screen for diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis etc.  Programs should also include counseling specific to avoiding the high risk behaviors associated with alcohol and drug abuse.

If you have questions about drug and alcohol abuse treatment programs, help is just a phone call away.  Contact our 24-hour helpline, toll-free at 1-800-943-0566 for confidential and professional assistance or complete our quick form for alcohol abuse treatment help.