When an individual is addicted to alcohol i.e., when they continuously consume the drug despite the negative consequences, it is vital that they attend some form of alcohol rehabilitation.
Addictions can have serious and long-term consequences for an individual, often severely impacting their physical and mental wellbeing, as well as their social life and those around them.
This is why seeking suitable rehabilitation as soon as the individual is able is essential.
Boston alcohol rehab helps individuals overcome the effects of their addiction and, although an addiction can never be truly ‘cured’, rehab allows individuals to cope with the effects of this long into the future.
When individuals are affected with serious impacts of alcohol addiction and consumption – so much so that it induces hospitalisation, attending rehabilitation can massively decrease the chances of rehospitalisation if an individual commits to this type of programme.
This has been shown specifically with alcoholic hepatitis (1) – a common disease that can occur as a result of regular and high consumption of alcohol.
What makes alcohol rehabilitation different from other forms of rehabilitation?
However, there are some different factors that can influence how effective alcohol rehabilitation will be for different cases.
For example, it is important that any type of alcohol rehabilitation recognises that alcohol is a physically addictive substance and is treated as such.
This refers to how alcohol affects the body, often becoming a part of everyday processes and functioning. This is known as a physical dependence and therefore makes it more difficult for individuals to withdraw from during a rehabilitation process.
When alcohol is a part of everyday functioning, it is also required to be continuously and regularly consumed in order to maintain this, inconsequentially to the other effects that it may be having on the individual’s overall wellbeing.
The alcohol detoxification stage will be explored later in this article, but it is first important to understand how a physical dependence makes alcohol addictions dangerous and life-threatening if not properly treated.
Other substances that are physically addictive include opiates such as heroin, codeine and morphine, as well as benzodiazepines such as Valium and Xanax.
Following a 3-stage approach to alcohol rehabilitation
If an individual is in need of alcohol rehabilitation i.e., if they are struggling with an addiction, then they should seek a provider of care that ensures that the three main stages of rehabilitation are followed.
These three stages are designed so that individuals progress naturally from one stage to the other, all whilst being in the correct mindset and physical capabilities.
Though this will differ slightly from individual to individual, depending on the substance(s) they are addicted to and their history of this, but can generally be categorised into these three stages:
- Detoxification
- Therapy/rehabilitation
- Aftercare
As well as these three stages, it is important that an individual seeks a suitable source of care, complete with a full assessment process that will occur before any final decisions are made about the future of a person’s care programme.
These assessments are essential for ensuring that an individual receives the most beneficial and accurate advice and care for their specific situation.
Failure to be open and honest during the admissions and assessment process will result in significant delays in effective care, as well as increasing the dangers that an individual faces as a result of their addiction itself.
Detoxification
This is the first stage of rehabilitation an involves the individual withdrawing from the substance that they are addicted to.
In some cases, with non-physically addictive substances such as cannabis and cocaine, it may be possible to simply stop usage of the substance all of a sudden i.e., going ‘cold turkey’, but in most situations, it is always recommended to slowly withdraw.
With an alcohol withdrawal specifically, it is vital that individuals have full medical supervision and support at all times of their recovery due to the physical impacts that an alcohol withdrawal can have on the body.
A common disorder to occur as a result of long-term and heavy alcohol abuse is the development of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS).
The symptoms of AWS can vary from insomnia and slight tremors but can quickly develop and worsen into alcohol-induced seizures and delirium tremens (2) – a rapid onset of confusion, shaking, hallucinations, and high body temperature.
In some cases of alcohol withdrawal, it may be necessary to transition the individual away from alcohol and onto another substance such as Librium to manage their symptoms.
However, as a benzodiazepine itself, Librium should only be prescribed and administered by medical professionals during a withdrawal and then separately withdrawn from at a later date.
Therapy/rehabilitation
This is the stage in which an individual will spend most of their time during an alcohol rehabilitation programme.
This is because this is the stage in which an individual will partake in the majority of their treatment programmes, including specialised therapy sessions and more holistic and community-based treatment sessions.
Some of the most common forms of treatment programme include the following:
- Individual counselling/therapy i.e., cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- Group talking therapy
- Holistic treatments i.e., art, music, meditative, and equine therapy
Not every individual will undergo the exact same treatment programme as another individual, regardless of whether or not they are struggling with the same addiction, as every individual is different and therefore has different requirements of care.
Some individuals may not be suited to a specific form of treatment, so this would never be recommended to them, and some treatments may only become evident as being effective after the individual has begun care, stressing the importance of a flexible and tailored approach to rehabilitative care.
Aftercare
After an individual has progressed through various specialised treatments and therapies during the bulk of their rehabilitative programme, it is important that they do not stop their journey to recovery here.
This is the stage at which it is more vital than ever that these individuals continue to learn and develop their treatment programme, focussing on the key teachings and coping mechanisms that they learned during their rehabilitation treatments.
This is known as aftercare and refers in general to any additional and further treatment or therapy that an individual continues after leaving their primary source of alcohol rehabilitation.
Some individuals may prefer a more supportive approach to this stage, including progress meetings with an aftercare support officer, for example.
This would support an individual’s ongoing learning process, but this can also be achieved through a more independent approach, meaning that this is another stage that can be highly specialised and tailored toward each individual case.
Finding suitable alcohol rehabilitation today
If an individual feels as though they, or someone they know, is in need of alcohol rehabilitation, then it is vital that they take action as soon as they are able.
For most regions, this involves contacting local healthcare services or directly contacting different rehabilitation providers and/or referral services in order to ascertain what kinds of support are available and if this is suitable for the individual and their individual needs.
Take action today to have the best possible chance at a full and effective recovery.
References
[1] Kamath, P.S., Karpyak, V.M., Davis, B., Desai, V., Liangpunsakul, S., Sanyal, A., Chalasani, N., Shah, V.H. and Simonetto, D.A., 2020. Alcohol rehabilitation within 30 days of hospital discharge is associated with reduced readmission, relapse, and death in patients with alcoholic hepatitis. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 18(2), pp.477-485.
[2] Bayard, M., Mcintyre, J., Hill, K.R. and Jack Woodside, J.R., 2004. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome. American family physician, 69(6), pp.1443-1450.
