Medically Reviewed by Annamarie Coy, BA, ICPR, MATSÂ
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Alcoholism is a chronic relapsing brain disease. It is characterized by:
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For those seeking addiction treatment, there are many effective recovery programs available.
Program types vary. The one needed depends on the severity of the alcohol or drug addiction. If the situation is severe, hospitalization might be necessary.
Options include:
To overcome severe addiction, people must check into a controlled, overnight environment. Inpatient rehab provides this service. It is also known as residential treatment.
In an inpatient rehab, residents:
Inpatient recovery is guided by:
These medical professionals interact with people individually and in groups. A regular inpatient program takes anywhere from 28 days to 6 months.
Inpatient rehab services include:
Outpatient alcohol addiction treatment is less restrictive. In most of these programs, people will have to spend a few hours a week at a local treatment center.
Treatment sessions may include:
For someone with a minor addiction, outpatient drug rehab can serve as a stand-alone treatment option. It can also be part of a long-term treatment program.
Outpatient rehab can last anywhere from 3 to 6 months or up to a year.
Outpatient rehab services include:
Partial hospital programs (PHPs) are also known as day treatment programs. They:
A PHP is a type of outpatient rehab program. It provides similar services as a residential inpatient program. This includes access to mental health services if needed.
However, with PHPs, participants aren’t required to stay in the program for a long time.
Partial hospitalization program services include:
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) combines FDA-approved medications with counseling and behavioral therapies. This program treats substance use disorders (SUDs) in a holistic manner. MAT can treat both alcohol and substance use disorders.
According to research, MAT assists people in changing their behavior. It also encourages beneficial lifestyle adjustments that lead to long-term success.
Benefits of MAT include:
For alcoholism, there are a variety of effective, evidence-based treatment alternatives.
The following treatment practices are available in most rehab clinics. These therapies are customary to high-quality behavioral healthcare:
Psychotherapy involves talking to a mental health professional to alter unhealthy thoughts and behaviors. During sessions, a person talks to a skilled psychologist, counselor, or therapist about their struggles and difficult experiences.
CBT is highly recognized in the behavioral health industry. Research has shown it can help reduce the effects of alcoholism.
Identifying negative thoughts and behaviors and replacing them with positive ones is the foundation of CBT.
Another type of evidence-based talk therapy is dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). DBT also involves talk therapy. The DBT approach is based on:
MI is a popular treatment for substance misuse problems. Many people feel powerless over their addiction. They often benefit from using internal willpower to take action against addiction.
In motivational interviewing, a therapist will persuade a person to commit to a change. This includes stopping drinking or making lifestyle changes.
A 12-step program provides a supportive, safe environment for a group to openly share their substance misuse difficulties.
These programs help everyone in the group stay clean by making them feel connected, valued, and accountable to others.
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Recovering alcoholics frequently require additional assistance in order to conquer their addiction. Aside from the ones already mentioned, it’s best to explore additional treatment options.
Some support groups that help with relapse prevention include:
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Depending on the number of symptoms you have, you can have a mild, moderate, or severe alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Common signs include:
Taking the following steps will help you choose the right rehab program with the best substance use treatment services:
Other factors to consider when choosing addiction treatment services include:
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