Alcohol Rehab
__________________________________________________________________________
Depending on the scope of the program, alcohol
rehab refers to the medical, psychotherapeutic,
educational, and/or social treatment processes required
for alcoholism recovery.
It is worth emphasizing that the ultimate
goal of alcohol rehab is to help the alcoholic stop his or her
addiction so that he or she can avoid the physical,
psychological, social, legal, and financial consequences that
are typically caused by alcohol dependency.
According to the recent research
literature, however, this is apparently easier said than
done. The bottom line, however, is this. If
alcoholics are to attain sobriety and start on the road to
alcohol recovery, they need to acknowledge that they have a
drinking problem, they must have a sincere desire to stop
drinking, and they need to find one or more alcohol rehab
programs that works for them. Once they find such a
program, they will eventually discover that they have made a
significant change in mindset from" alcohol and dependency" to
"alcohol and rehab." Possessing this kind of mindset will
go a long way towards helping them reclaiming their lives as
they involve themselves in the alcohol recovery
process.
The Effects of Alcohol on the Brain
and Tolerance
With regular consumption of alcohol, the brain
gradually adapts to the alcohol so that normal functioning is
possible.
This not only explains how physical tolerance
develops but it also explains why increasingly more
alcohol is needed to get the same "high" or "buzz" with
regular use.
When an alcoholic or a heavy drinker suddenly
stops drinking alcohol, however, he or she typically suffers
from alcohol withdrawal symptoms which may take days or weeks
before the body returns to "normal."
An important point to emphasize at this point
is this: all "problem drinkers," heavy drinkers, or
alcoholics should seek professional assistance when they decide
to quit drinking. That is, alcoholics need to change
their mindset from a "alcohol and health hazards" to "alcohol
and rehab" perspective.
The point: withdrawal symptoms are simply too
serious to endure without quality alcohol rehab treatment.
The Alcohol Rehab
Process
The alcohol rehab process has two focal
points: physical dependency and psychological
dependency. Treating physical alcohol dependency usually
involves managing the alcohol withdrawal symptoms in a safe
manner and alcohol detoxification, a process that is intended
to rid the body of alcohol. Psychological alcohol
dependency usually involves teaching the alcoholic new ways of
interacting in an alcohol-free environment.
Types of Alcohol Rehab
Programs
There are various alcohol rehab programs that
provide alcohol treatment and rehabilitation. Some of these
alcohol rehab programs are as follows: extended care
centers, out-patient services, local support groups,
residential treatment (in-patient) services, and sober
houses. Within these programs are different sub-programs
such as Alcoholics Anonymous, therapeutic community alcohol
rehabs, medical model rehabs, and religious-based rehabs.
Alcohol Rehab
Success
The Success of Alcohol Rehab Programs
and Services. Similar to other diseases, alcohol
addiction can be overcome with proper alcohol rehab treatment,
increased research efforts, and with
prevention.
By providing more people with access to quality
care, the costly drain on society and the emotional,
financial, and physical burdens alcoholism places on
families can be greatly reduced.
To point out some of the successes that are
possible in various alcohol rehab programs, consider the
following: research has shown irrefutably that
successful prevention and alcohol rehab treatment results in
significant reductions in hearth disease, HIV, child abuse,
strokes, cancer, unwanted pregnancy, crime, and traffic
fatalities.
Not only this, but professional alcohol rehab
treatment and effective drug and alcohol rehab programs have
been shown to improve job performance, health, and quality of
life while at the same time reducing family dysfunction, drug
use, and involvement with the criminal justice system.
In short, quality alcohol rehab programs go a
log way in replacing the existing "alcohol and disease"
mentality with an "alcohol and rehab" perspective.
| More than 1,700 college students
in the U.S. are killed each year. This is
about 4.65 deaths per a day as a result of
alcohol-related injuries. |
Alcohol Rehab
Approaches
There are several traditional alcohol rehab
approaches that are relatively well established. The
following is a description of these different alcohol rehab
programs that focus on changing the perspective of the" problem
drinker" from "alcohol and destruction" to "alcohol and
rehab."
| Physical addiction takes place
when a person's body becomes dependent on a
particular substance such as drug or alcohol.
It also means that a person develops a
tolerance to that particular substance, meaning
that the user requires a larger dose than
before to get the same "buzz" or "high." |
Detoxification. Alcohol
detoxification is the process of letting the body rid itself of
alcohol while managing the withdrawal symptoms in a harmless
atmosphere. Alcohol detox treatment is usually done
under the supervision of a medical practitioner and is
frequently the first step employed in an alcohol rehab
treatment program. Due to the relatively long time-frame
required for alcohol detox, these programs are usually part of
an inpatient, residential alcohol rehab program.
|
In one survey
that focused on college drinking behavior
during a one-month period of time, 27.4% of
American college students across the nation
had driven a motor vehicle after drinking
alcohol during this 30-day time period.
|
Behavioral Rehab such as
Alcoholics Anonymous, Motivation Enhancement Therapy, and
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. A study administered by the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that
each of these behavioral alcohol rehab programs significantly
reduced drinking in patients the year after treatment.
Even though all of these alcoholism programs were considered
"successful," none of them could be singled out as "the best"
alcohol rehab program.
| In the United States during
2004, 16,694 deaths occurred as a result of
alcohol-related motor-vehicle accidents.
This amount was roughly 39% of all traffic
fatalities. This amounts to one
alcohol-related death every 31 minutes. |
Therapeutic Medications.
This treatment approach centers on the client taking
doctor-prescribed medications such as the benzodiazepines for
treating alcohol withdrawal symptoms and naltrexone (ReViaT) or
disulfiram (Antabuse) to help prevent the person from returning
to drinking after he or she has consumed alcohol.
| Lost productivity from
alcohol-related absenteeism, illness and
premature exiting of the workplace, due to
death and forced retirement, amounts to more
than $70 billion each year. |
For instance, antabuse is a drug given to
alcoholics that elicits negative effects such as
dizziness, flushing, vomiting, and/or nausea if alcohol is
ingested. Antabuse has been proven to help prevent
relapses and is effective mainly because it is such a
strong deterrent.
Naltrexone (ReViaT), on the other hand, targets
the brain's reward circuits and is effective because it reduces
the craving the client has for alcohol. Both medications,
it must be pointed out, have armed alcoholism practitioners
with additional ways to successfully treat alcohol dependency
and alcohol relapse.
| The coping mechanisms typically
used by codependents are denial (I deny,
change, or minimize how I truly feel), low
self-esteem (I value others' approval of my
feelings, actions, and thinking over my own),
compliance (I am afraid to express my own
opinions and feelings, especially if they are
different), and control (I become resentful
when others refuse my help). |
Outpatient Alcohol Treatment and
Counseling. There are various approaches to
counseling that teach alcoholics how to become aware of
the situational and psychological "hot buttons" that
trigger their drinking behavior.
Armed with this information, alcoholics can
learn about different ways in which they can cope with
circumstances that do not include the use of
alcohol. It can be noted that these types of alcohol
rehab programs, unlike detox rehab approaches, are typically
offered on an outpatient basis.
Residential Alcohol Treatment Programs
and Inpatient Alcohol Rehabilitation. If a
person needs alcohol poisoning treatment, there's a need for
alcohol AND drug abuse rehab, if outpatient and
support-oriented programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous are
ineffective, and if the person's withdrawal symptoms are
severe, the person usually has to enroll into a hospital or an
alcohol rehab facility and receive inpatient alcohol rehab
treatment.
Such alcohol and rehab programs are geared for
relatively long term alcohol rehab and typically include
doctor-prescribed drugs to help the person get through detox
and the alcohol withdrawal process in a safe manner.
| The first symptom of an alcohol
overdose is usually nausea, followed by
vomiting. These symptoms are messages from your
body that you ingested more alcohol than your
body can metabolize. The following represent
other signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning:
unconsciousness (passing out); blue-tinged skin
or pale skin; seizures; absent reflexes;
confusion; a rapid pulse rate; no response to
being shaken or pinched; inability to stand;
difficulty awakening the person; and slow,
shallow, or irregular breathing. |
Alcoholics Anonymous
The best known and one of the most successful alcoholism
recovery and alcohol rehab programs is Alcoholics
Anonymous. Alcoholics Anonymous is a worldwide
affiliation of men and women from all walks of life who share
their experiences, strengths, and aspirations with one other in
the hope that they may solve their mutual problem and assist
others in their quest to recover from alcohol dependence.
| The amount of alcohol in the
blood is called blood alcohol concentration or
blood alcohol content (BAC). Alcohol is
metabolized at the rate of .015 of (BAC) every
hour. For instance, a person with a BAC of .15
(this BAC is almost twice the legal amount when
driving) will have no measurable alcohol in his
or her bloodstream ten hours after the last
drink (.15 divided by .015 = 10). |
The only condition for AA membership is a
desire to quit drinking alcohol. Therefore, total abstinence
from alcohol is advocated by the organization. Members
make a conscious effort to refrain from drinking and continue
with their alcohol rehab that is accomplished "one day at a
time." Sobriety is achieved through mutual support as
members share their hopes, their strengths, and their
experiences.
Based on your answers to the
health care provider's questions and upon the
physical exam, it may be concluded that you are
indeed, addicted to alcohol, drugs, or both. At
this point, your health care professional will
discuss your treatment options. Keep in mind
that chemical dependency experts, like other
specialists, will make various suggestions and
recommendations regarding your addiction. You,
however, will need to be actively involved in
the decision-making process if your treatment
is
to be successful. |
The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics
Anonymous
One of the essential components of the
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) rehabilitation program is articulated
in the Twelve Steps. Based on the experiences of
Alcoholics Anonymous' earliest members, the 12 Steps represent
the documented practices and principles, acquired through trail
and error, the early members established in order to maintain
sobriety and recover from alcoholism.
The following represents severe
withdrawal symptoms that usually occur within
48 to 96 hours after the last alcoholic drink:
high fever, visual hallucinations, seizures,
black outs, severe autonomic nervous system
over activity, extreme confusion, convulsions,
delirium tremens (DTs), agitation, and
muscle tremors. |
The following represents the 12 Steps in the
Alcoholics Anonymous alcohol rehabilitation program:
- We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our
lives had become unmanageable.
- Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves
could restore us to sanity.
- Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to
the care of God as we understood Him.
- Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of
ourselves.
- Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human
being the exact nature of our wrongs.
- Were entirely ready to have God remove all these
defects of character.
- Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
- Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became
willing to make amends to them all.
- Made direct amends to such people wherever possible,
except when to do so would injure them or others.
- Continued to take personal inventory and when we were
wrong promptly admitted it.
- Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our
conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying
only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to
carry that out.
- Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these
steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to
practice these principles in all our affairs.
source: www.alcoholics-anonymous.org
Every year in the United States,
more than 40,000 babies are born with some
degree of alcohol-related impairment. Although
many, if not most, women understand that
excessive drinking during pregnancy can lead to
birth defects, many woman, apparently, are
unaware or do not comprehend that moderate or
even light drinking can seriously impair or
harm the unborn fetus. |
The SMART Alcohol and Rehab
Program
Another one of the better known alcohol rehab programs that
does not rely on the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous is the
Self Management And Recovery Training (SMART)
alcohol and rehab program. Not surprisingly,
the SMART alcohol rehab program is considered an
alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous. The
founders who developed the SMART alcoholism rehab program
believe that each individual discovers his or her own path
to alcohol rehab or alcoholism recovery.
For some individuals, this path might be the traditional
12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous. While the SMART
program is obviously different than the Alcoholics Anonymous
recovery approach, it does not, however, exclude Alcoholics
Anonymous. Indeed, some people who adhere to the SMART
alcohol rehab methodology also choose to attend Alcoholics
Anonymous meetings because they feel that what they hear at
Alcoholics Anonymous meetings helps them on their path to
alcoholic rehab and permanent recovery. This, by the way,
is a perfect example of finding one or more alcohol rehab
programs that works for you!
| If you are addicted to alcohol,
part of your treatment may include regular
attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
meetings. The AA recovery program is based on a
spiritual framework that, along with support
from other alcoholics, has helped millions of
people attain sobriety. |
The SMART drug and alcohol rehabilitation and recovery
program is based on scientific knowledge and provides specific
techniques and tools for each of the following four program
points:
Point 1:
Enhancing and maintaining the motivation to abstain from
alcohol or drugs
Point 2:
Coping with urges to drink or take drugs
Point 3:
Learning problem solving skills such as learning how to better
manage thoughts, actions, and feelings
Point 4:
Becoming skilled at lifestyle balance such as balancing
momentary and other satisfactions
source: http://www.smartrecovery.org/
In addition to alcohol-related
pancreatitis, heart disease, cancer, and liver
disease, excessive drinking over time is also
associated with the following health
conditions: infertility, irritated stomach
lining and bleeding from stomach ulcers,
obesity, nerve damage, vitamin deficiency, skin
problems, muscle disease, sexual problems,
epilepsy, and loss
of brain cells. |
Alcoholism Videos
We have included some alcoholism videos so that you can
see and hear directly from various people about their struggles
with this disease. If you, a family member, or one of
your friends has a "drinking problem," seeing what others have
gone through and how they attained successful recovery is much
more "real" than any information you can read about.
Furthermore, watching these videos may help you understand what
others with a drinking problem are experiencing how they dealt
with their alcohol and rehab situation, and how they started on
the road to alcohol recovery. So make sure you look
at these excellent alcoholism videos!
Alcohol Rehab:
Conclusion
With all of the damaging consequences caused by
alcohol addiction, it makes sense for people to learn how
to abstain from drinking, to involve themselves in the
alcohol rehab process, and to restore their lives.
Whether a person requires outpatient alcohol counseling,
inpatient alcohol detox, or alcohol abuse rehabilitation,
the goal of alcohol abstinence is worth pursuing
especially when the damaging and devastating effects of
alcohol addiction are taken into consideration. In a
word, long-term abstinence and sobriety involve a change
in the alcoholic's mindset from "alcohol and addiction" to
"alcohol and rehab."
From a results-oriented perspective, however,
it really does not make any significant difference whether the
person chooses a more traditional program such as the
Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program, the SMART program, or one
of the many other professional alcohol rehab programs.
What matters most is the following:
alcoholics need to acknowledge that they have an
alcoholism problem, they must want to quit drinking, and they
need to find one or more alcohol rehab programs that works for
them so that they can restore their lives and start the alcohol
recovery process.
Please Add Our Website To Your Favorite
Bookmarks!
| According to a 1995 national
survey of fourth through sixth graders who read
the Weekly Reader, 30 percent of students
reported that they received "a lot" of pressure
from their classmates to drink beer. |
____________________________________________________
|