What Happens in Alcohol Rehab?

9 2 minutes read

Alcohol Rehabilitation is a therapeutic process that is used to treat individuals with Alcohol Abuse Disorders. According to The National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the percentage of the 14.5 million alcoholics who receive any type of treatment is only 7.2 percent. This can mainly be attributed to social stigmas and economic issues, but one of the main reasons might be a lack of education about what exactly happens in a rehabilitation facility, such as alcohol rehab Austin, which could, in turn, lead to people being put off from seeking help. This article seeks to clarify any doubts around what the actual process might look like.

Intake

This is the initial part of the process to determine the levels of alcohol in your blood, as well as thorough medical, behavioral, and social background evaluations to help determine the best course of treatment for the patient.

After the process, patients are asked to begin the process of in-patient rehabilitation. For patients who wish to recover at home, outpatient treatments are recommended, although you should go through the process of detoxing in the presence of experts, such as an alcohol detox Austin, to make the process as easy for the patient as possible.

Detoxification

This is the process of getting rid of the alcohol in your system. It often also involves managing the symptoms of withdrawal, which could include nausea, sweating, erratic heart rate, chills, body aches, and numbness to list a few. The severity of these symptoms is hard to predict and therefore it is always recommended that patients go through detox under the care of a professional.

Treatment in an inpatient program.

In-patient programs look to replace the behavioral patterns that led people to abuse alcohol and replace them with tangible solutions and strategies. This is why most programs have early meetings and physical therapy early in the morning. This is to introduce new habits and routines that can be used in post-rehab life. Most of the earlier sessions tend to be group sessions led by a licensed counselor, who is sometimes a former addict themselves and seeks to get clients to open up about their addictions in a group setting. More often than not, this includes the 12-step program as a part of their therapy.

Patients also receive individualized forms of therapy, based on their needs.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one of the most effective and most widely used methods to treat alcohol dependency. It works to identify triggers that lead to the use of alcohol and replace it with healthier and more beneficial responses. Alternatively, therapy could be adjusted to deal with anger or stress management, grief counseling, anxiety treatment, and others by offering coping techniques designed to help patients find healthier ways to cope with their problems.

Family therapy can be a huge help to recovering patients and involves the patient and their family resolving the issues around the addiction together. As addiction often affects those closest to the patient, this can be an extremely healthy way to resolve tensions and prep the patient for long-term success after they are discharged.

Other forms of therapy may include art or music therapy, exercise programs, equine therapy, or joining a sober living Austin community to build relationships and camaraderie.

Whenever you choose to deal with your addiction, rehabilitation centers offer an excellent pathway to developing healthy coping strategies, interpersonal relationships and help to keep patients away from behaviors that could affect their sobriety. If you or a loved one needs help, rehabilitation offers an excellent pathway to sobriety.