Alcohol Addiction Treatment Program - 3 Alcoholism Treatment Option Steps

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 26th, 2010

An alcohol addiction treatment program consists of three general alcoholism treatment option steps. These three steps are intervention, detoxification and rehabitation.

Many persons with a drinking problem do not see or acknowledge that they have a problem with alcohol abuse. Intervention used in an alcohol addiction treatment program used to be more confrontational since problem drinkers would be confronted about their excessive drinking and threatened with consequences if they did not begin treatment.

Today, the more effective alcoholism treatment option consists of caring and understanding counseling and intervention. Studies have found that more people begin an alcohol addiction treatment program when family members or employers are honest with them and try to help the drinker see that alcohol abuse is adversely affecting their health and lives in many ways.

Family or friends may need to help start the process of drinking problem recognition by reading relevant books on the subject to become better informed, by contacting their healthcare professional or by locating the nearest Alcoholics Anonymous or similar group.

An alcohol addiction treatment program intervention is a structured process where a group of family members, friends or co-workers get together in a caring way to communicate their concerns about a problem drinker's behavior. Done correctly, intervention has the objective of moving the person (and those who are part of the problem drinker's life) out of crisis mode and into addressing the addiction. Without the problem drinker recognizing and acknowledging that he or she has a drinking problem, there can be no effective and lasting alcoholism treatment option.

Here are the three main alcohol addiction treatment program steps:

1. Intervention - this is the initial alcoholism treatment option whereby the drinking problem is recognized and acknowledged by the drinker and perhaps family members or employer as well. Once the alcohol problem is recognized, alcohol consumption is stopped for those persons that are alcohol dependent.

If the person is a problem drinker, moderate drinking may be successful. Many alcoholics at first will not acknowledge that their drinking is out of control, and moderation can often be a successful way to deal with the drinking problem. If moderation works, the drinking problem is solved. If it doesn't work, then the person is usually ready to try abstinence. Because alcoholism affects the people closely related to the problem drinker, education and treatment for family members through counseling is often necessary.

2. Detoxification - this phase of an alcohol addiction treatment program usually takes from 4 to 7 days. The more alcohol a person has been drinking each day, the higher the likelihood the person will develop alcohol withdrawal symptoms when they stop drinking.

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can range from annoying and uncomfortable to serious and even life-threatening. Withdrawal symptoms generally begin within 12 hours of the last alcohol consumption and will be the maximum in two or three days. The person may need to stay at the hospital for medical observation.

In a medically supervised environment, withdrawal from alcohol can be done safely, and medications can be used as needed to relieve withdrawal symptoms. Other medical problems that may exist increase the likelihood of developing severe withdrawal symptoms. For example, blood clotting and liver problems are often found in heavy drinkers, and serious symptoms such as convulsions, fever or delirium tremens can develop.

3. Rehabilitation - recovery from alcoholism should include support for the problem drinker once the detoxification alcoholism treatment option phase is completed to help maintain alcohol abstinence. This important recovery support will likely include counseling, nursing and medical care within these kinds of programs. Alcoholism disease education and alcohol effects on the body should be part of this alcoholism treatment option and rehab.

An alcohol addiction treatment program can be an inpatient or outpatient program. Medications are sometimes prescribed in alcoholism treatment to help prevent relapses. Naltrexone will reduce the desire for alcohol. Antabuse is another drug that is used in alcoholism treatment. It functions by producing unpleasant side effects if any alcohol is consumed within fourteen days after the drug is taken. Counseling or support groups are often needed on a long-term basis to help maintain sobriety.

Alcoholism and alcohol abuse can become life-threatening if not treated. It is never too late to begin the process of intervention, detoxification and rehabilitation to help a problem drinker regain control of their health and their lives.

If you'd like to see what alcoholism treatment option facilities exist, you can search online for a USA alcohol abuse treatment center that's located near you. If recovery from alcohol becomes a priority in your life or the life of someone you care about, seek an alcohol addiction treatment program that can provide the caring and professional alcoholism treatment that the problem drinker truly deserves.

Copyright 2006 InfoSearch Publishing