Alcohol Rehab at The Haven Recovery Center

What’s Involved in Alcohol Rehab

Alcohol is the most widely available drug on the planet. In fact, many people don’t even recognize the dangerous nature of alcohol because it’s available all over the place. However, that doesn’t stop it from being addictive.

Alcoholism is a very common problem, and it affects people in a number of different ways. If you or your loved ones are struggling with alcohol addiction, it makes sense that you would want to learn more about alcohol rehab.

This page will describe to you the basics about alcohol rehab. You’ll learn more about the treatment protocols, the features offered, and all of the other components of alcohol rehab.

Admissions and Intake

The first thing that you’re going to want to do is get accepted into the facility. If there’s space at the facility and you’re struggling with alcoholism, don’t worry – you’ll most likely make it in. A large part of admissions and intake is just a formality that helps to ensure you’ll get the best treatment that you need.

Much of the admissions and intake process is question-oriented. Your intake worker will guide you through a series of questions that will help them assess the severity of your addiction. They will also ask about your mental health and family history. This will give them a better idea of how to treat you, specifically.

Once your initial admissions questions are complete, you may have to wait a few days before hearing back from the facility. Once you’re admitted, you will be taken through the formal intake process. 

Once both of these processes are complete, you will be welcomed to the facility.

Different Types of Alcohol Rehab and Treatment

While the basis of treatment is generally similar – a combination of therapy, counselling, and evaluation – there are different treatment protocols. These will be determined based on your specific needs and your past medical history. 

You may be encouraged to try out certain types of therapy, for example, or you may be guided in a certain direction by your counselor. We will discuss some of the different treatment options in use at facilities below.

For now, we’ll discuss the two main types of treatment available for most recovering alcoholics: inpatient treatment and outpatient treatment.

Inpatient Treatment

Inpatient treatment for alcoholics is a more serious form of treatment. Inpatient treatment is much more intensive and is generally recommended for people who have a serious form of alcohol addiction.

There are a number of reasons that you may want to choose inpatient treatment.

• Inpatient treatment is generally the next step for those who have attempted outpatient rehab with no success.
  
• Inpatient treatment is great for people who believe that they are likely to relapse. During inpatient rehab, you’ll reside within the treatment center so you’ll be unable to go relapse.
  
• Inpatient rehab allows you to be constantly surrounded by medical professionals who can assist you if you’re in need of immediate physical or mental help.

Granted, there are also some disadvantages to inpatient treatment. It’s more expensive, since your room and board will have to be paid for. It also makes it more difficult for you to connect with your family and friends, and impossible to go to work or school.

Outpatient Treatment

Outpatient treatment is a more lax form of treatment, though it still provides the same tools and skills that you would acquire from inpatient treatment. The main difference is that you won’t be confined to the treatment center.

There are some obvious advantages to this.

• Outpatient treatment allows you to maintain a job or school. As long as you’re attending your classes, you can come and go as you please.
  
• Outpatient treatment makes it easier for you to maintain personal relationships during your treatment.
  
• Outpatient rehab is more affordable.

Of course, there are also some drawbacks to outpatient treatment. Firstly, you may be more likely to relapse since you’ll be coming and going from the facility. If you’re struggling with serious mental health issues, you also won’t have round-the-clock access to professionals like you would at inpatient rehab.

Types of Alcohol Rehab Therapy Available

Different alcohol rehab treatment centers use different forms of therapy. Depending on your answers to your intake questions, you may be recommended to different types of therapy. These are some of the most commonly used.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Almost all treatment centers use at least some form of CBT. It’s the most frequently used form of therapy for helping people who are struggling with a drug addiction.

CBT aims to help evaluate and identify problematic behaviours within patients. This often involves helping them understand past events and the way that they have affected present-day behaviour.

Overtime, CBT aims to help people reframe their beliefs and change their behaviours into more positive ones.

Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)

DBT shares some similarities with CBT, however it takes a more experiential approach. DBT encourages the use of mindfulness to help support emotional awareness, and often urges clients to practice regular meditation.

DBT allows patients to develop their own understanding of their emotions, separate from the textbook approach. While DBT is still evidence-based, it allows people a wider opportunity to understand themselves on their own.

Alternative Therapies

Some treatment centers offer alternative holistic therapies that engage the mind and body. While practices like DBT and CBT are solely psychological, practices like biofeedback and acupuncture engage both the mind and body. This can allow for a wider breadth of healing.

In Conclusion

If you or a loved one are struggling with alcoholism, then the best thing you could do is contact a rehab center. Attending rehab will teach you the skills and techniques that you need to enjoy life sober. It might even save your life.