Alcohol Rehab

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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.

image: doctor reviewing x-rays of alcoholic who fell 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. image: female jogger thinking about alcohol and rehab 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.

image: male teen in need of alcohol rehab 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.

image: nurse checking BP of alcohol rehab patient 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 image: doctor talking to male alcohol detox patient 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

image: son with alcoholic father in hospital 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.

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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.

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