Alcohol Abuse Advice

The Three Main Steps Of The Alcohol Addiction Treatment Program

Alcohol addiction is the most common addiction present in the world today. Hence the number of patients taking alcohol addiction treatment is more than patients of any other treatment program. There are many rehab centers for treating the alcohol addiction and all has different set of programs to treat their patients. But overall, the alcohol addiction treatment program has three main steps that are common in all those rehab programs. These three steps are intervention, detoxification and rehabilitation. The alcohol treatment program is based on these three main steps and these steps are common in all the rehab centers.

1. Intervention: Intervention programs are held to make the addict understand what havoc is being wreaked on their physical and mental health due to the alcohol addiction. Intervention programs help the addict to come to terms that they need a treatment and help them in joining the treatment center. The work of the intervention program doesn’t stop here. The intervention program remains throughout the program, till the addict comes out of the treatment center and leads a normal life. The intervention program also takes active participation from the family and friends of the addict. In most cases, the family plays the major role in the intervention program.

Sometimes the intervention program also includes the employer of the addict or any religious leader or an educational institute. The main work of the intervention program is to make the addict aware about their problem and make them, realize that they need treatment. The addicts first deny that they are ill and need treatment and this denial process is the biggest hurdle in making the population addiction free. With the help and support of the family, the interventionist will try to bring the addict out of his or her denial mode and join a treatment center.

The interventionist will train the group of people who want to help the addict come out of their denial phase. The interventionist will guide the patient on various ways in which the family and friends can make the addict aware about what they are doing wrong. The program for this purpose will also be planned by the interventionist. The group members will be given the counseling to deal with the situation and also be prepared for giving proper motivating speeches to the addict.

2. Detoxification: In the detoxification process, the patient will be made to abstain from the addictive substance. The patient will show some withdrawal symptoms when made to abstain in such a manner. These symptoms will depend upon the extent of the addiction, and also on the nature of the addiction. Those who are into addiction from long time will face major withdrawal symptoms. After starting the detoxification process within a day or two, the symptoms will start appearing, which might last for up to a week or more, depending on the condition of the patient’s addiction.

Due to this reason, the detoxification process is always carried out in inpatient treatment program, as the patient needs a 24-hour medical supervision. Various medications will be given to the patient in order to decrease the cravings, of the patient for the addictive substance. If the patient is into mild alcohol abuse, then the detoxification process can be carried out in outpatient treatment program too.

3. Rehabilitation: Once the patient is out of the withdrawal symptoms, the rehabilitation program starts. Anytime the patient can go into relapse and that is why in this program there are various things carried out on the patient at one go. To keep the patient away from going into relapse, the patient will be kept on various medications. In order to keep the patient away from his or her cravings for alcohol, they will be given counseling. Here patient will be taught methods to control themselves. These methods are Yoga, breathing techniques and relaxation exercises.

One more purpose of the alcohol addiction treatment program is to make the person adjust well in the society after the treatment gets over. For this, the healthcare provider, family and friends all will try to boost the confidence level of the patient. The patient will be advised to join social activities. The patient will also be given motivation to join a hobby.

There are various small steps involved in the alcohol addiction treatment but overall the procedure for treating the alcohol addict is same in most of the treatment centers. Depending upon the addiction level of the patient, he or she will be advised to join either inpatient or outpatient treatment program. In inpatient treatment program the patient will have to stay in the treatment center. While for outpatient treatment program the patient will need to visit the treatment center few times a week.

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