What is Alcohol Rehab?
Alcohol rehabilitation programs provide medical and mental health support, counselling, therapy, education, and accountability. Alcoholism treatment centres help people sober up and find a new way to live, without drinking. Including family, friends, or other nonmedical supports. Family therapy and 12-step engagement will help to stop alcohol drinking. Critically, alcohol rehab can help individuals see that WILLPOWER IS NOT ENOUGH to beat alcoholism. A good rehab program will attend to both the physical need for drugs and the psychological dependency on them.
The different types of alcohol rehab programs There are several types of alcohol recovery programs. These include intensive inpatient services, residential programs, partial hospitalization programs, intensive outpatient treatment, and outpatient treatment. Inpatient rehab programs are held at facilities that require overnight stays.
Inpatient alcohol rehab allows people to push the pause button on their lives and focus solely on recovery. Outpatient rehab programs are held in a variety of locations. These programs are less intense than inpatient programs but still require commitment from participants. They also provide counselling, education, and support for people trying to stop alcohol misuse.
The alcohol rehab treatment process The alcohol rehab treatment process typically includes detoxification — withdrawal that’s medically managed. This generally takes 2 to 7 days. You may need to take sedating medications to prevent withdrawal symptoms. A good rehab programme will attend to the two aspects of addiction, the physical need for drugs and the psychological dependency on them. For an addict, flushing drugs out of their system is difficult, but possibly the easier part of the process. Once this is done, they enter into the second more difficult phase where they work hard to understand their addiction and overcome it.
What to expect during alcohol rehab During alcohol rehab, you can expect a combination of individual and group therapy, specialized activities, support groups and time for reflection. The most difficult part of alcohol rehab may differ from person to person, but generally, it’s detox. Detox is the process of letting your body entirely rid your system of alcohol, and it can be scary. Withdrawal symptoms can trigger a relapse.
Aftercare and relapse prevention Aftercare is a vital component of the recovery journey because of its ability to reduce relapse rates, improve quality of life, and strengthen coping skills. Aftercare services include a number of supports that extend beyond anonymous group meetings. These services are especially important in the early stages following addiction treatment but should not be discounted as structures to handle ongoing relapse prevention.
Inpatient Components of Alcohol Rehab
Individual therapy is a crucial component of alcohol rehab. It involves one-on-one sessions with a qualified alcohol addiction therapist, counsellor, social worker, or psychologist. The goal of individualized counselling is to help you develop coping strategies and tools to abstain from alcohol use and maintain abstinence.
There are several therapeutic approaches used in individual therapy:
- Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET): This approach aims to evoke rapid and internally motivated change, rather than guide the patient stepwise through the recovery process.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT helps patients recognize, avoid, and cope with the situations in which they are most likely to abuse drugs.
- 12-Step Facilitation: This is a brief, structured approach to facilitating early recovery from alcohol abuse, alcoholism, and other drug abuse and addiction problems.
- BrainWorking Recursive Therapy (BWRT): While I couldn’t find specific information on BWRT in my search results, it’s generally known that BWRT is a model of psychology and psychotherapy created by UK professional therapist Terence Watts. It’s a solution-focused brief therapy that can often bring about lasting change in just a single session.
Group therapy is another essential component of alcohol rehab. Dr. Irvin Yalom has contributed significantly to the practice of group therapy. His approach allows individuals to interact with others who may relate to what they are going through.
In 12-step mutual-help groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), a sponsor is a volunteer who is currently practising the 12-step program of recovery. They help newer AA members by providing support, encouragement & guidance to promote sustained long-term recovery.
Service positions are beneficial to all aspects of 12-step meetings. They are generally appointed for 6 months at a time although people may hold a position for longer if they are willing and able to do so.
How long does it take to detox from alcohol?
The process of detoxing from alcohol varies from person to person, and it depends on several factors such as the frequency and amount of alcohol consumed, general health, and individual metabolism. Here is a general timeline:
- 8 hours after the last drink: The initial stage of withdrawal symptoms begins.
- 24-72 hours after the last drink: Symptoms generally peak.
- 5-7 days after the last drink: Symptoms may decrease in intensity.
- After the first week: Some side effects, particularly psychological ones, may continue.
For people with mild or moderate alcoholism, detox generally begins within eight hours after the last drink and typically lasts between five and seven days. For those with severe alcoholism, withdrawal symptoms may not subside for two weeks or more.
Please note that these timelines are approximate and can vary based on individual circumstances. It’s important to seek professional medical help when attempting to detox from alcohol due to potential complications and withdrawal symptoms.
