Alcohol Rehab

How to find and choose an alcohol rehab center

Drug and alcohol rehab is painful and arduous, but it is a lifesaver for individuals steeped in habits of substance abuse. Those who chronically abuse alcohol tend to develop physical dependencies on it; they cannot quit without suffering intense side effects: seizures, heart palpitations and vomiting, as well as uncomfortable symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety and tremors—even death. To break the dependency safely requires intensive medical intervention, which they can find at alcohol rehab centers.

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Options for Rehabilitation

An individual can seek inpatient care at a residential addiction treatment center or outpatient care at an intensive outpatient program (IOP). Inpatient care offers physical detoxification procedures and support programs to facilitate the return to normal life. Physicians will administer drugs such as benzodiazeopine, haloperidol, beta-blockers and clonidine to relieve immediate withdrawal pains. Then they will monitor the patient over the next three to five days to ensure compliance and the absence of complications.

An IOP administers ongoing counseling and therapy; it is ideal for those who wish for continuing help. It will typically include alcohol education sessions and group therapy sessions, plus requirements that the patient attend several meetings a week of an alcoholism-recovery support group, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or SMART Recovery. The program may also require the patient to take daily doses of Naltrexone, a medication that negates cravings for alcohol; or Antabuse, a medication that causes severe allergic reactions if the patient ingests alcohol.

Many patients benefit from a combination of inpatient care and IOP. Inpatient procedures are sometimes needed to restore the body's biochemistry to normalcy, but the drinking habit is likely to return if the patient does not find continuing support. Consultation with a doctor or psychologist first is a good step; he or she can advise on which alcohol rehab treatment or treatments to pursue.

Treatment can be costly, however. The services of an alcohol rehab center can total several thousand dollars. Fortunately, most insurance companies will cover the majority of the tab. Also, some cities offer low-cost alcohol rehab programs that base the cost of treatment on the individual's income.

Psychological Component

Alcohol rehabilitation is multifaceted. In the course of rehab, alcohol abuse itself and the psychological or emotional factors that aggravate it both deserve attention. Many treatment programs offer dual-diagnosis work that helps patients identify all the problems in their lives and how they relate to the addiction.