Getting Started in Alcohol Rehab: What to Expect

Published On: October 13, 2021|Categories: Addiction Treatment|709 words|3.5 min read|

Alcohol rehab is one of the leading treatment methods for alcohol addiction, and “rehab” itself is an overarching term that refers to alcohol addiction treatment. There are many different treatment modalities and levels of care that are effective at treating alcohol addiction.

How to treat alcohol addiction

Depending on the severity of the addiction, whether withdrawal symptoms will need to be managed, and the level of care needed depending on your specific needs, there are many ways that alcohol addiction can be treated.

Before beginning alcohol rehab, it’s important to become familiar with what to expect, emotionally, from treatment. For some, hitting “rock bottom” is the push they need to get help. For others, they may be seeking treatment at the urging of their loved ones. In any case, the underlying motivation for seeking alcohol addiction treatment is to live a happy, healthy and sober life.

This is an arduous process, though. Recovery is in no way a linear journey, and while there will be plenty of days with accomplishments worth celebrating, there may be just as many days of setbacks, challenges and disappointments. Alcohol rehab requires unfathomable vulnerability and honesty – with yourself, with those leading the treatment, and with others receiving treatment. It will feel very difficult for a long time, but with time and effort and progress, it will start to feel less foreign.

Recovery begins at the bottom and works its way up, and this notion will be palpable throughout each stage of alcohol addiction. There will come an inflection point, though, where the fog lifts and you are able to see past all of the pain and withdrawal symptoms and suffering you have endured; moving forward, you will be able to focus on healing your mind and body, on committing to living a sober life. Alcohol rehab benefits you and your recovery every step of the way.

There are many different pathways you can take in finding the alcohol rehab program that is right for you, including:

Partial hospitalization program

A partial hospitalization program is a happy medium between full-time residential care and less structured outpatient programs. A partial hospitalization program operates at a relatively high level of care as it tends to partially take the place of the participant’s school or work schedule for the duration of the program.

In a PHP, participants can learn and grow from the guidance of psychiatrists, therapists, counselors and holistic experts through – psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, recreational therapy, psychoeducation, mindfulness, trauma-focused therapy, exercise and group and individual counseling sessions. Partial hospitalization allows for enriching opportunities to focus almost solely on recovery after detoxing.

Intensive outpatient program

An intensive outpatient program is a step down from a partial hospitalization program. It requires less of a time commitment than partial hospitalization, however outpatient groups still meet for approximately two hours, four days per week. This allows time for small group and individual counseling sessions while living at home and coalescing back into daily life. Coping skills and psychoeducation aimed specifically at alcohol addiction are also integral components of the program.

Family intervention

The Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) method is an effective technique for enabling families to thoughtfully engage with their loved one facing drug or alcohol addiction. CRAFT encourages and teaches friends and family members how to understand the root cause of addiction, and the ways in which concern and care can be expressed in an empathetic, loving way. CRAFT is beneficial to both individuals struggling with addiction and their families in that it facilitates open communication between the two and provides a solid foundation for recovery.

SMART Recovery

Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART) Recovery is a recovery program built upon four core goals:

Building and maintaining the motivation to change;
Coping with urges to use;
Managing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in an effective way without addictive behaviors;
Living a balanced, positive, and healthy life.

The SMART methodology can be applied towards treatment for any kind of harmful addiction or habit. It is a gradual approach towards confronting substance addiction while promoting self-empowerment, self-reliance and self-supported sustainable recovery.