Why enroll in an outpatient alcohol treatment program?

If you want freedom of movement as you recover from alcoholism, an outpatient alcoholtreatment is the best option for you.

Unlike inpatient or residential treatment, recovering alcoholics do not have the luxury of living in a secluded, secure and safe environment. An inpatient setting is considered as a shield that protects patients from the normal pressures of life and the lures of alcohol. So, recovering alcoholics in an outpatient alcohol treatment program should voluntarily abstain from alcohol abuse during the course of treatment. They must have the strong determination to keep away from alcohol and people who encourage its consumption. Therefore, only those who are determined enough to quit drinking while attending an outpatient alcohol treatment program should attend an outpatient alcohol treatment rehab.

No prolonged and unexplained absence

On the brighter side, an outpatient alcohol treatment program allows you to continue working because you can go home right after the session. This is very important especially if you are hiding your alcohol problems to your officemates or to other people in your circle.

By enrolling in an outpatient alcohol treatment, your employer and work mates will not know about your alcoholism because you do not have to take a leave to get treated. Students who are battling with alcohol abuse can also keep up with their studies while getting the type of treatment they need to stop drinking.

Outpatient clients can also receive detox if necessary to deal with their alcohol withdrawal symptoms and to prevent health complications.

Functioning alcoholics who can still work and fulfill their family obligations can also benefit from an outpatient rehab. You don’t have to be absent from your duties and your home for a long period of time and you can still be there on important family events.

How do I get treated in an outpatient alcohol treatment facility?

Just like an inpatient alcohol rehab, an outpatient rehab allows you to receive the following services:

·         Support groups: It is usually composed of family, peers in recovery, sponsors and official support groups (AA)

·         Family counseling 

·         Group therapy 

·         Individual counseling

The best thing about an alcohol treatment program is the fact that you can immediately apply what you have learned to your present situation. It’s because you are still in your immediate environment with real problems to face. So, every time you appear for counseling, you can always discuss the events of the day or week, the common challenges that you face at school/work or at home and the real pressures that you go through during your treatment.

A closer look at the inpatient alcohol rehab

If you stay in an inpatient alcohol rehab and you receive care from licensed addiction treatment staff 24/7 for several weeks or months, you are an“inpatient” of such facility. You are also called, a ‘residential patient’ receiving treatment.

Patients live in an inpatient alcohol rehab to relieve themselves of the common problems outside the facility that normal individuals face every single day. By staying in the alcohol rehab, the alcoholics can focus their mind on themselves and on their recovery.

Why is an inpatient alcohol rehab designed?

When your mind is full of worries and fears about your alcoholism and its impact on your life and those of others, the best thing to do is to stay in an inpatient alcohol rehab. You need space to see things clearly and to understand many things about your alcohol problems. By doing so, you will realize that you have to make some adjustments and changes in your life in order to achieve full sobriety and lead a healthy life.

What is included in an inpatient alcohol rehab treatment regimen?

Evaluation: The therapists in the inpatient alcohol rehab shall take your medical history and conduct thorough psychological and medical examinations to gauge the severity of your alcoholism. The alcoholism specialists shall create a treatment plan based on the results of your evaluation.

Detox: Your body should be clean from drugs before you can receive treatment for your alcoholism. Otherwise, you may still go through the painful withdrawal episodes and experience intense alcohol cravings because of the alcohol’s effects on your brain and body.

Detox disentangles you from the clutches of addiction by breaking the drinking pattern which your mind and body are so accustomed to. Remember that alcohol causes changes in your brain systems, making you crave for more alcohol over time. By detoxing your body of alcohol, your body can adjust to its absence as the signs of withdrawal also disappear.

Counseling: Addiction counselors shall schedule an individual therapy session with you to break into your past and discover the things that contribute to your alcoholism. With proper guidance, you can face the past issues that contribute to your alcoholic behaviors and you can let go of hurts and fears that may have been haunting you for years. Individual therapy also allows you to look into your current situation in a clearer perspective. You may learn to understand how addiction takes control of your life and how you can overcome it.

Medication, education and other forms of therapy: Alcoholism specialists help their patients overcome alcoholic behaviors through proper medication (if needed), hands-on teaching about alcoholism, physical and psychological exercises and many other types of therapies.

On top of it all, an inpatient alcohol rehab is the best choice for people who want to get the latest and most comprehensive professional services for their alcoholism while enjoying seclusion in a residential setting.

Features of topnotch drug and alcohol rehab

Topnotch drug and alcohol rehab centers have certain qualities that outshine the rest.

With thousands of treatment centers in the country, one may not immediately find which drug and alcohol rehab would best meet his (or her) needs. But, there are basic things that you must look for in order to get the best services and speed up your healing process.

State accreditation: Is the drug and alcohol rehab accredited by the State where it is located? The State will only grant a license to a rehab which has met its standards and strict requirements that are designed to guarantee efficient services and quality care.

Effective treatment procedures: A program is effective if it is successful. Success can be measured by statistics or at least testimonials from former clients who recovered from alcoholism and addiction.you can also read online reviews or forum posts from its former patients.

Round the clock care: An inpatient rehab should provide health monitoring 24 hours a day. This is particularly true in inpatient setting wherein patients need close medical supervision especially during the difficult withdrawal episodes.

Detoxification center: A drug and alcohol rehab must have its own detox facility so that you or your loved one with substance addiction won’t have to travel to another facility anymore to get it.

Detox is required for patients with intense signs of withdrawal like paranoia, insomnia, and depression and sweating.

Treatment for dual diagnosis: Many alcoholics and drug addicts also have mental disorders. Sometimes, the signs of substance addiction and mental illness overlap that inexperienced addiction specialists cannot identify which of the two disorders are presently manifesting. So, it is advisable to stay in a drug and alcohol rehab with specialists and staff who are knowledgeable and skilled when it comes to dual diagnosis treatment. Otherwise, they may not know how to handle your condition.

Recovery is also impossible to achieve if your co-occurring disorder will not be addressed. It is because the mental disorder may trigger or aggravate your substance abuse and vice-versa.

A good rehab implements programs that deal with the physiological and mental problems at the same time. The rehab must also be able to diagnose all the symptoms and mental issues that may block or slow down the progress of your treatment.

What's more, the rehab must take into consideration the fact that many recovering alcoholics and drug addicts may feel isolated, depressed or anxious immediately after the discharge from the facility. It’s partly because of the pressures of going back to the old environment which may have contributed to substance addiction or meeting up with people who have been precursors to the addiction problem.