Successfully Addressing Alcohol Treatment

It's reported in many credible studies that nearly 700,000 Americans are practicing or receiving alcoholism treatment each day. Most experts agree that aggressive detoxification, a closely monitored program for a period of time, followed by a twelve-step program are most effective in treating alcoholism. Alcoholics Anonymous is the most well known and respected twelve step program available. Those participating in a twelve step program, especially when used as part of a tiered approach, are more successful in abstinence than those who choose to not participate.

But before entering a program such as this, those who are seeking sobriety often enter into either an in-patient or out-patient alcohol treatment program that will lay the foundation so that they may successfully abstain once they're away from the structured environment these programs provide. But what are the most successful alcohol treatment programs and how does one make the right choice?

There's been a recent interest in interventions, partly due to recent televised programs that outline how these gatherings work. Again, success rates vary, but when carried out properly and with the right goals in mind, many families are able to convince a loved one they need help. These interventions include family members and close friends who come together with the shared goal of convincing a loved one he or she has a problem that can benefit from professional addiction help.

Usually, the alcoholic denies there being a problem and only when forced to take a step back and reconsider do they agree to go into therapy or any kind of program geared toward alcoholism. Once the loved one agrees to go into treatment, they're quickly whisked away to a pre-determined facility. The purpose of having the plans in place prior to the intervention is to keep any downtime to a minimum. The shorter the window of time available, the less chance of his refusing to go into alcohol treatment or attempting to change the agreement.

Once in alcohol treatment, the alcoholic undergoes extensive detox to rid the body of the physical remnants and all traces of alcohol. Afterwards, during extensive therapy, the alcoholic can then begin to understand the reasons for taking that first drink, how and why it became a problem and triggers that can be pinpointed to specific times when he or she was most vulnerable. Most alcohol treatment facilities agree an in-depth understanding and uncovering of "layers" can only lead to the right tools to effectively deal with problems and lessen the risk of further damage. Finally, they are able to understand it's not about reducing the amount of alcohol consumption, but rather, total abstinence being the only way.

As mentioned, experts say an approach that incorporates a combination of methods is the most successful. Usually, after successfully completing the aggressive in-patient or out-patient programs, alcoholics are strongly encouraged to enter into a twelve-step program. Indeed, those who have successfully mastered abstinence for many years agree their success was greatly enhanced by attending daily meetings.

Regardless of which combination one chooses, the point is find the best suited alcohol treatment program that will save your loved one's life. There are many avenues that offer hope to the loved ones and help for the alcoholic.