Alcohol Treatment Programs
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Alcohol treatment programs are important in dependency
recovery. Picking the right alcohol treatment program, though
can be quite a task. Alcohol treatment programs run the gamut
from the medical model to holistic (and homeopathic) approaches.
We've put together some of the more popular alcohol treatment
programs as a starting point for researching a program that
is right for you or a loved one.
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Alcohol Treatment Programs - Medical Model
For alcohol treatment programs that use the medical model, several
kinds of medications can be used in order to treat the withdrawal
symptoms from alcohol. Benzodiazepines (Valium®, Librium®)
are sometimes used during the first days after a person stops drinking
to help him or her safely withdraw from alcohol. Because these two
medications are highly addictive, they are not used beyond the first
few days of treatment.
Other medications such as naltrexone (ReVia™) are used to
help a person maintain sobriety. A medication called disulfiram
(Antabuse®), discourages drinking by making the person feel
sick if he or she drinks alcohol.
Alcohol Treatment Programs - Psychological
Model
While medications may help the physical aspects of alcohol
withdrawal and abstinence, alcohol counseling (therapy) is
needed for most in order to deal with the underlying issues
that have led to alcohol dependency in the first place. Exploring
the cravings for alcohol and what they mean on a psychological
and emotional level is imperative for long-lasting abstinence.
Figuring out lifestyle-change strategies and working through
the fear and grief associated with making changes in belief
systems and behavioral changes need to be facilitated with
a professional therapist. Combining the medical and psychological
models is a formula that has worked for many.
Alcohol Treatment Programs - Spiritual Model
Alcoholics Anonymous is perhaps the most popular of the spiritual
alcohol treatment program models. Based on a 12-step spiritual
model of recovery, the first step states, "We admitted
we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become
unmanageable." The second step states, "Came to
believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore
us to sanity." It is the belief that a belief in a "Higher
Power" in necessary for recovery which attracts many
(and deters some) into this spiritual model.
Christian alcohol treatment programs have also sprung up,
for those who wish to be in recovery with others in the Christian
faith. Generally, both the 12-steps and the Bible are used
as texts to aid those in the recovery process.
Alternatives to 12-Step alcohol treatment programs can also
be specific spiritual models like the Christian recovery model
or serve as secular alternatives to spiritual models. Some
of the more popular alternative models include Smart Recovery,
Rational Recovery, LifeRing Secular Recovery, Secular Organization
for Recovery (SOS), and the Lenaire Technique.
Alcohol Treatment Programs - Holistic Model
Holistic alcohol treatment programs can combine the traditional
medical, psychological and spiritual models with non-traditional
approaches integrated a model tailor-fit to the individual.
Many times not only the individuals are treated but the families
as well. Some holistic alcohol treatment programs may be specifically
geared towards the treatment of women or adolescents. Some
of the non-traditional methods may include sauna detoxification,
life skills training, meditation, yoga, fasting, vitamin therapy,
biofeedback, journaling, guided imagery and Reiki to name
a few.
No matter what, it is important that you find the right alcohol
treatment program that works for you or your loved one. Not
one size fits all. Not even celebrities are protected from
entering alcohol treatment programs as Backstreet Boys singer
Nick Carter found out. Carter was sentenced to 3-months in
an alcohol treatment program after pleading guilty to a drunk
driving charge in an Orange County, California Superior Court.
The stigma for entering an alcohol treatment program is not
what it used to be. People from all walks of life are entering
programs to deal with their dependency issues. What are you
waiting for?
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