What is alcohol rehab ?

Alcohol rehab centers are typically found in medical facilities, private and government funded institutions, as stand alone specialist units or as a unit functioning within a wider institution such as a prison. Some alcohol rehab facilities provide intensive, long term care lasting up to a year with the person treated as an inpatient, whereas there is a sliding scale of facilities that range from shorter stay residential, short term detoxification only to outpatient and outreach facilities only. Alcohol dependency is a major social and medical issue for the country, and unless there is an alcohol rehab service that is readily available to a person with alcohol dependency issues at the point when they have become self-aware of the need for help, then they are likely to be lost to their alcoholic addiction.

Many families and close loved ones of an alcohol dependent person ask the question, can they force the patient to attend alcohol rehab ? The straight answer is that they cannot, only a court can do this, and this is usually done as some form of sentencing such as with a driving under the influence offence (DUI).You will however find at an alcohol rehab clinic, help, counseling and guidance on how to deal with an alcoholic and particularly, how to handle the assertions of denial by the afflicted individual involved. It is generally recognized that the first real step in dealing with alcohol addiction is for the patient to realize that they do have a problem and that they need treatment for the condition.

Once an alcohol dependent person has undertaken to commence treatment for the condition, an alcohol rehab unit will be able to answer any questions and advise on any issues that may arise out of the treatment regime. Many patients feel they cannot discuss their condition from feelings of shame and guilt, and this applies to families and friends, and is particularly noted in the case of young adolescents who are being admitted to alcohol rehab. An alcohol rehab center will be staffed or have access to a wide range of professionals, including counselors, medical practitioners and psychiatrists. An alcohol rehab unit will also probably have access to services for other conditions that commonly present themselves with alcohol dependency such as drug abuse or mental health issues.

Alcohol rehab usually commences with detoxification, or detox, whereby the body has alcohol removed from the system and no further alcohol is consumed. This is done in a controlled and safe environment, usually under medical supervision. It is important that the patient and family prepare themselves for the detox process, and the alcohol rehab unit should provide proper counseling to help patient and family through what can be a very traumatic and extreme process.

In the case of mild to moderate severity of alcohol dependency, patients can frequently pass through the detox process without medical intervention and their state of health allows them to handle the withdrawal effects safely. For some with severe alcohol dependency, medical intervention is necessary to closely supervise the process so the health of the patient is not compromised. The effect of alcohol withdrawal in severely dependent patients can be very distressing and if not properly supervised by medical staff can be fatal. Nevertheless, detoxification must be completed before the next stage of treatment can commence and usually detox takes between three and fourteen days to complete. It is very important to understand that detox at an alcohol rehab unit does not solve the addiction; it merely purifies the body of the alcohol.

The next stage in treating alcohol dependence may take place elsewhere from the detox unit, and alcohol rehab is really about what happens after detoxification. Alcohol rehab is focused upon what has caused the drive to alcohol use in the first place and relies very heavily on therapy and other treatments used in combination to help the patient gain insight into the nature of their condition.

Individual, family and group therapy during alcohol rehab all play a major part in helping to understand and develop life strategies for controlling the compulsion to use alcohol that a patient is likely to experience when they are discharged. It seeks to replace the destructive addiction cycle with more constructive life style activities that do not involve the use of alcohol. It also focuses upon contingency planning in the event that the patients ability to control their urge to use alcohol is unsuccessful. It should always be kept in mind that there is no straight line path from seeking treatment to cure. Patients will always differ in their approach and response to treatment and to their environment once they are discharged from alcohol rehab. The wide availability of alcohol in our society, coupled with the insidious nature of alcohol dependency means that relapses are common. Such instances should be addressed during alcohol rehab before the patient is discharged back into the community and a great deal of consultation with the patient, family and alcohol rehab staff will take place on how that discharge is to be effected and when it is appropriate.

Once a patient has been discharged from an alcohol rehab facility, there will be a need for follow up treatment and monitoring of the progress of the patient. Alcohol rehab units and outreach facilities provide these services so that a patient may be eased back into life outside a clinic and has a point of contact and emergency support should the need arise. For many practitioners, there is no point at which alcohol rehab attendance delivers a cure.

The goal of alcohol rehab is sobriety with complete abstinence from the use of alcohol, however the compulsions to use alcohol may remain or resurface many years after a patient has been discharged from alcohol rehab. This is the reason why some patients who have undergone treatment and many practitioners prefer to use the term “recovering alcoholics” rather than the word recovered. For many, the initial step to seek treatment is truly only the start of a journey that may pose a challenge for the rest of a patients life and alcohol rehab is there to provide treatment and support for that entire period regardless of the severity of alcohol addiction.