RSS Alcohol Treatment Options
No medical cure available
Despite being a debilitating disorder, alcoholism is looked as being a disease that can be treated. Today, there are a number of different therapies and alcohol treatment options as well as numerous support groups which help the alcoholic through the treatment and recovery stages of the rehab process. What you want to realize is that the first step towards recovery is getting the help you need once you have admitted that you do have a problem with alcohol dependency.
The key is that the individual needs to have the sincere desire to get the help they need. If the alcoholic stops drinking due to certain circumstances, or if they are forced into an addiction treatment and recovery center they will be resentful. This oftentimes results in the individual relapsing back into alcoholism when they return to their communities. Additionally, it is a known fact that alcoholic individuals who have entered an addiction treatment and recovery center on their own usually relapse at least once before they remain clean and sober for life.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms
With any of the alcohol treatment options that are currently available, the alcoholic is bound to experience certain withdrawal symptoms when they are going through the treatment and recovery stage. They will experience anything from delirium tremens or mild shakes to more severe conditions including:
- autonomic instability
- confusion
- convulsions
- hallucinations
In more severe cases of chronic alcoholism, death can even result during the withdrawal stage. So if you have been a heavy drinker for a long time, you should always seek out medical attention before quitting.
Alcohol treatment and recovery centers
Alcohol addiction treatment and recovery centers vary in the ways that they treat addicted individuals as well as the recovery therapies that they employ. Additionally, there are out-patient alcohol treatment options as well as in-patient or residential programs available to help the individual. In-patient or residential programs are typically broken down into 2 categories – short-term stay and long-term stay. Depending on the severity of the person’s addiction, they could be in residency anywhere from 14 days up to 3 or 4 months.
Treatment options available
There are numerous alcohol treatment options available, one of which is pharmaceutical in nature if the addiction is severe. Medications are typically prescribed during the detox stage in order to counteract the painful withdrawal symptoms that the individual is bound to experience during this part of the treatment and recovery process. There are currently 3 medications that are FDA approved and are the most commonly used:
- Acamprosate
- Antabuse
- Naltrexone
Just remember that there is no magic pill that cures alcoholism. The cure ultimately lies within the individual.
