While there are some similarities among alcohol rehabilitation programs, every program should be customized to the patient. Every person is an individual, their driving factors that led to addiction are different, the addiction is slightly different, and how the addictions hold will ultimately be broken is also different.
Recognizing Addiction
It all starts with recognizing the symptoms of addiction. If you find that you are never satisfied with one drink, or if you regularly watch a love one consume multiple drinks in an evening throughout the week, then you might want to call for help. An inability to control and limit how much alcohol is consumed is one of the top warning signs of addiction.
Understanding the Addiction
Most people don’t become addicted because they simply love the taste of beer or whiskey. It happens when alcohol is used as a coping mechanism for other problems. When alcohol is turned to during times of depression, stress or problems an addiction to alcohol can result. One of the core principles of alcohol rehab is treating the underlying problems.
Detox
Cleaning the Alcohol out of the system can be challenging for professionals and difficult for patients. It’s common for alcoholics to experience sharp mood swings, sweats or chills, depression, anxiety, irritability and even blackouts when they go too long without a drink. Because the alcohol creates such an incredible physical dependency, it’s vital that patients undergo a qualified, supervised detox program. It can last anywhere from several days to two weeks and should be supervised by qualified medical personnel.
Co-morbid Disorders
Too many alcoholics suffer from a co-existing condition. Bipolar syndrome or depression may be at play behind the scenes and treatment for these conditions is vital if the rehab process will work. Determining if there are any underlying psychiatric conditions and treating them at the same time as the alcohol dependency is a key part of the overall process.
Therapy and Forgiveness
Rehab includes taking steps to prevent the addiction from recurring. Part of this process is letting go of past wrongs, including what others have done to you and what you have done to others. Rehab therapy can help define those moments in time that are holding people back from true recovery so they can be dealt with and the patient can move forward.
Coping Skills
Because alcohol is so often turned to when people need to cope, part of a quality rehab program will be learning new coping skills. These skills may include new hobbies that can be enjoyed without taking alcohol. They may also include holistic therapies to help people discover healthy ways to cope with pain, stress and loss.
Family and Group Therapy
Part of the problem in the past typically includes an inability to deal with family dynamics. Therapy for families and individuals is ideal for helping patients learn how to cope and deal with the unique dynamics inside their family. Group therapy allows patients to benefit from the experiences of other people, as well as finding healing by sharing their own experiences. Finally, individual therapy is needed to learn new coping skills, allowing patients to avoid becoming addicted again in the future.