Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Alcohol Rehab: How Rehab Centers Help Addiction Recovery (by Steven G)

Alcohol addiction is a serious disease. Not only can alcohol addiction tear a family apart and lead to financial ruin, it can also lead to the premature death of the alcoholic. Therefore, it is vital for person suffering from this disease to find help immediately. Without help, it is nearly impossible for a person with an alcohol addiction to recover and return to a normal, healthy life.

Choosing the Right Alcohol Rehab Center

An alcohol rehab center is the best source for a person looking for assistance with addiction recovery. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the type of rehab center best suited to the individual's needs.

There are two forms of help a person with an alcohol addiction can receive from a rehab center: inpatient and outpatient. With inpatient treatment, the patient remains on the premises of the alcohol rehab center. Outpatient treatment, on the other hand, permits the individual to continue with his or her regular life while still reporting to the rehab center for assistance and guidance. The majority of alcohol rehab centers offer both forms of treatment.

The Support of an Alcohol Rehab Center

Regardless of the type of program the person with an alcohol addiction follows, the basics of alcohol rehab remain the same. In all cases, the addiction and other difficulties the patient faces are kept confidential. In addition, the rehab center will also include five primary components: a medical evaluation, a psychological evaluation, therapy, detox, and extended care.

The Medical Evaluation

The medical evaluation conducted by the alcohol rehab center is meant to help the staff identify any physical problems the person with an alcohol addiction may have. Often, these physical problems are actually caused by the alcohol addiction. Problems with the liver, for example, may have developed as a result of the addiction. After medical problems have been identified, the staff of the rehab center can work toward making the patient physically healthy once more.

Improving the patient's physical health is an important component of addiction recovery. This is because it takes a holistic approach to get an addict back on the road toward recovery. This includes taking care of the patient's physical, mental, and emotional health. Without this three-pronged approach, the patient is more likely to fail in the process of addiction recovery.

The Psychological Evaluation

The psychological evaluation also provides the staff of the rehab center with volumes of important information about the patient. The psychological evaluation helps the team better understand the patient. In addition, the team of specialists can determine whether the person suffering from alcohol addiction is also struggling from certain psychological problems. For example, it is common for a person suffering from alcohol addiction to also suffer from depression. If this is the case, the program developed to assist the patient will also include a plan to address this issue.

Therapy

Generally, an alcohol rehab center will provide both group and individual therapy to its patients. The group therapy is designed to give the person with an alcohol addiction support from others who are experiencing the same difficulties. Being able to share in the struggles with those who can truly understand often makes the process easier for a patient to deal with.

Nonetheless, individual counseling is also critical to addiction recovery. Having the opportunity to work one-on-one with a counselor helps the patient work through his or her own individual conflicts. Through individual therapy, the patient can come to terms with his or her addiction and work through ways to resolve it by setting individual goals.

Detoxification

In addition the medical and physical evaluations, patients of alcohol rehab centers generally undergo a 24-hour medically supervised detoxification and withdrawal period. During this period, the patient is forced to go without alcohol. For many patients coping with alcohol addiction, this may be the longest time they have gone without alcohol in many years.

The detoxification period is difficult for the person suffering from alcohol addiction because it is accompanied by extreme withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms take their toll on the patient both physically and mentally. For this reason, an alcohol rehab center also provides close patient monitoring and assistance during this period.

Rehab Extended Care

Extended care, which is also sometimes referred to as aftercare, is vital to the success of addiction recovery. Through an extended care program, the patient continues to receive support and assistance from the alcohol rehab center after being released from the more intensive alcohol rehab program.

Extended care programs are designed to help monitor the patient's success in alcohol addiction recovery. To do this appropriately, the program staff watch over the patient to be sure he or she is utilizing the new skills gained during rehab. For instance, the extended care specialist may work with the patient to be sure he or she is staying away from specific crowds of people that encourage drinking. Or, the extended care specialist may check to be sure the patient is utilizing appropriate resistance skills. Without a strong extended care program, it is easy for the patient to fall back into the cycle of abuse.

The California Rehab Guide lists and reviews drug rehab and alcohol rehab facilities, lawyers and interventionist and has articles on alcohol addiction recovery and addiction treatment.

How To Select The Right Drug And Alcohol Rehab Center (by Steven G)

A person suffering from an alcohol or drug addiction needs help immediately. Without it, it is highly likely he will continue down a never-ending path of self-destruction that could ultimately lead to death. Unfortunately, drug and alcohol addiction are both extremely difficult to overcome. Therefore, the only way most addicts are able to truly fight the battle against drugs and alcohol is to receive addiction treatment through a reputable drug rehab program. Furthermore, it is essential that the addict find the rehab center that is best suited for him and his personality because if care is not taken to find a program compatible with his needs, a relapse is highly probable.

* The Specialty

Not all drug rehab centers specialize in every type of addiction recovery. Therefore, the first step in selecting the right drug or alcohol rehab center is to identify those that specialize in the drug the person is addicted to. For example, an alcoholic will receive little help from a program specializing in addiction treatment for those who abuse heroin. While the basics of addiction recovery are the same regardless of the type of drug that is abused, there are special considerations to be made with different drugs. The withdrawal symptoms can vary from drug to drug. In addition, the exact approach used to help the person recover from addiction can be different depending on the drug. Addicts may find a higher level of comfort treating in an environment where other addicts have shared the same drug experience.

* The Location

The location of an alcohol or drug rehab center can have an impact on its success with the addict. For some, it is best to find a rehab center that is located near to family and friends. In this way, it is possible for them to maintain more consistent contact with the addict. For others, it is better to find a rehab center that is further away from home because the memories and the people there make it too difficult to refrain from abusing drugs or alcohol. The proximity to home may cause triggers leading to early relapse.

* The Program

The first consideration a person must make when attempting to select the right drug and alcohol rehab center is the treatment program. Most drug rehab centers offer both inpatient and outpatient care programs, but careful consideration must be exercised when making the decision for the level of care. For some addicts, an inpatient care program may be the best option because they do not have the strength or ability to fight the addiction without receiving 24-hour care. For other addicts, outpatient treatment may be sufficient for overcoming the problem while still allowing the person to live a semi-normal life. A preliminary assessment by a physician or qualified counselor/therapist will help determine what level of care is most appropriate.

* The Approach

Nearly all alcohol and drug rehab centers provide physical and emotional care to help addicts overcome their disease. The exact approaches used by various rehab centers, however, can vary. For example, some centers place a greater emphasis on the physical aspect of the addiction while others focus more on the emotional impact. In addition, the way these rehab centers address both components of treatment may vary.

In some rehab centers, patients are provided with another drug in order to overcome the addiction. For some patients, however, there is a risk of becoming addicted to the replacement drug. Therefore, this type of approach may not be best for some addicts. Yet other rehab centers simply have patients go cold turkey, but this approach can be devastating for some patients and can even cause them to give up hope and want to quit.

In addition, the emotional approach used by rehab centers to assist with addiction recovery can differ. For example, some drug rehab programs may utilize less known approaches, such as music therapy and art therapy. Similarly, some centers may focus on hypnosis or acupuncture. Yet other programs may utilize only counseling and group therapy. For an addict, the approach used can make a huge impact on the overall success because if the addict does not believe in the type of therapy being utilized, they will likely be defeated before the recovery program even begins.

There are other questions that should be asked when making a decision about admission into an alcohol or drug rehab facility. Staff credentials, medical supervision, cost, typical length of stay, aftercare programs, 12 step philosophy, sobriety success rates, and family involvement are a few other important considerations to think about when making perhaps one of the most important decisions in the life of an addict.

The California Rehab Guide. Lists and reviews drug rehab and alcohol rehab facilities, lawyers and interventionist and has articles on addiction recovery and addiction treatment.

Rehab Centres (by Jason Gluckman)

Choosing drug addiction Rehabilitation is a positive step adopted by addicts in reclaiming their normal life. Choosing the right Rehab Center is crucial in the path to recovery.

There are many Rehabilitation Centers available in the country. But the motivation and program of each may be different. Any one center may offer different kinds of programs. If you are on the lookout for a Rehab Center you have to weigh factors like your level of need, severity of addiction, quality of care and aftercare, and also cost of care and expenses

Various types of Rehab programs exist and four of these are as follows:

Free Standing Inpatient Drug Rehabilitation Program - has effective short-term inpatient programs.

Drug Rehabilitation in hospital-based Rehabilitation Unit - suitable to those who have a severe mental or physical disability. The quality depends on the Rehab unit or the hospital.

Drug Rehabilitation in Hospital Detoxification Unit- where the most dangerous part of withdrawal from alcohol or detoxification under medical monitoring takes place. Increasingly, detox programs are being done on an outpatient basis.

Long-term Residential Drug Rehab program –These are suited to those patients, especially youth, who have a tendency to relapse after short-term treatment.

Detox is the first stage. It is the process of getting the leftover residues of the drug out of the body. It is designed to help with the physical pain of withdrawal. There are two kinds of detox programs- medical detox and physical detox. Medical detox helps to wean the patient away from the drugs. and physical detox helps in the physical recovery from the effects of residues of the drug.

The key to Rehab is to remember that drug addiction has some insidious causes, like unhappiness, hopelessness or physical pain. Rehab must be sought before the addict destroys his life step by step. The family has the responsibly to contact Rehab Centers and cooperate with Rehab programs.

In Rehab, relapse is a major problem. 75%-90% of all drug abusers will relapse within one year of release from a treatment facility. Drug relapse is heartbreaking for the family. Some Rehab Centers offer ‘peace of mind’ programs. It is long-term effective care, which treats the bio-physical cravings and underlying emotional causes of addiction. A 3-5 month program followed by a 4-6 month follow up is generally recommended for severe addiction.

Peace of mind programs readmit those patients who had left the facility after successfully completing the Rehab program, but are now facing relapse. They have to pay only for room and board.

Long-term aftercare also comes with the option of “work exchanges” for those who want long-term after-care. In this, after the patient has successfully finished his first Rehab program, he stays back in the facility for another six months as a helper for other Rehab patients in exchange for room, board, a small salary and aftercare.

There are many centers for drug Rehab. Some are genuine, but some may not look after your best interests and will be running on ulterior motives. They may make false claims and promises to dupe you. Hence, you must make wide enquiries, careful examinations and thorough checks before deciding on your Rehab Center.

Rehab provides detailed information about rehab, alcohol rehab, cardiac rehab, drug rehab and more. Rehab is the sister site of Medical Alert Bracelets.