Alcohol Treatment
Alcohol addiction is a treatable disease and there many alcohol treatment programs and approaches that are available to support alcohol addicts and those who have decided to get help. However, there is no proven medical cure for alcoholism. Regardless of how you have been diagnosed, as an alcohol dependent or how you have come to realize that you have a drinking problem, the first step to take in alcohol treatment is to be sincere and to have a desire to get help.
Most addicts are pressured into alcohol treatment by either social pressure or are forced to quit by circumstances. Even those alcohol addicts who seek help on their willingness have one relapse at the least before they obtain any long term sobriety. Alcohol treatment may vary depending on the circumstances. The treatment may involve a brief intervention, group or individual counseling, a residential in-patient stay or even an outpatient program.
Detoxification and withdrawal- alcohol treatment may begin with a detoxification program that generally takes a few days, seven at most. You may have to take sedating medications in order to prevent confusion, hallucination or shaking or other such like withdrawal symptoms. This process of detoxifying the body is normally done at a hospital or at an in-patient center.
Most alcohol addicts who have been chronic or heavy drinkers, experience some level of withdrawal symptoms after they stop drinking. It is therefore at this point, for heavy and long-time drinkers to seek medical assistance to avoid autonomic instability or even worse, death.
Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Facilities
There are several alcohol treatment and drug rehabilitation facilities available in different countries. These offer a wide range of services from short term residential or in patient hospitalization to long term outpatient counseling and therapy. These are meant to help alcohol addicts in their detoxification stage especially the psychological bit of the treatment. They also serve to prevent a relapse of too much drinking and to help alcoholics learn how to always remain sober and to resist from excessive drinking.
Oral medication- the drug disulfiram, commonly known as Antabuse may help to prevent excessive drinking even though it does not act as an alcohol treatment drug. However, the drug produces some physical reactions that include nausea, flushing, vomiting as well as headaches. Another useful drug for alcohol treatment is the Naltrexone. This drug, also known as Revia, is effective in blocking the good feeling caused by alcohol, and may prevent excessive drinking and reduce the thirst of alcohol. The Acamprosate, also Campral, has been proven to be effective in combating alcohol cravings.
Get psychological support- counseling and therapy, support from friends and family, recovering addicts, healthcare providers or the community people and others, form an excellent team of support options. The psychological aspect in alcohol treatment is a very crucial factor that plays a very huge role in the recovery process. Do not try and do the treatment on your own, recovery from alcohol addiction is very easy if you have people who can be of great help, particularly those who can offer mental support.
Proper diet and nutrition for alcohol treatment
Poor nutrition is heavily associated with excessive drinking of alcohol. One ounce of alcohol carries about 200 calories that has no nutritional value at all. Ingesting these in large amounts tells the body that it does not require any more food. This is one of the unhealthiest lifestyles that alcohol addicts live. They are often deficient of folic acids, magnesium, Vitamins A, B and C, zinc, selenium and other essential antioxidants and fatty acids. Restoring these nutrients in the body through providence of thiamine and multivitamins can significantly help in alcohol treatment, especially during detoxification.
Maintain Sobriety and prevent relapse
It is difficult to pinpoint when the alcohol treatment phase ends and when a person enters the maintenance stage of the treatment. During the treatment, most alcoholics learn what they need to do in order to stay sober and to also develop skills that they will deploy in avoiding relapse. When an alcoholic enters the maintenance phase, it is believed that they have acquired all the skills and hence they can remain sober for quite some time. At this phase, maintain a sober lifestyle and avoid relapse at all costs.