Alcohol addiction accounts for around 21 percent of all admissions to rehab programs in the US, according to statistics from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). With high prevalence of alcohol abuse or addiction, the demand for quality alcohol rehabilitation center is on the rise. However, choosing one for your near and dear ones could be a daunting task.
Is there any parameter to measure the effectiveness of an alcohol rehabilitation program? What are the essential traits and components that an ideal rehab centre should have? May be you are seeking answers to these questions, so that you can make an informed decision when choosing a rehab center for one of your friends or family members who is suffering alcohol addiction. Read on this article to know what to consider when choosing an effective alcohol rehabilitation program.
Things to Consider when Choosing an Alcohol Rehabilitation Program
Because there is a wide variety of alcohol rehabilitation programs available, asking the right questions and assessing the quality and effectiveness of such facilities is necessary. Following are the important things to consider when choosing a program.
Program accreditation and licensing – Ensure that the program you choose is accredited and recognized by the state it is in. Check whether the services offered are recognized by any regulatory organization. A treatment centre that is accredited by the Joint Commission or is a member of National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers would be a good choice.
Comprehensive Assessment and One-on-one Rehab Plan – Different alcohol addicts require different types of treatment. The methods of treatment should vary depending upon the requirement of a patient. As such, it is advisable that you should avoid a program that claims to offer one-size-fits-all solutions. Simply put, you should choose an alcohol rehabilitation center that offers more than one kind of alcohol rehabilitation methods to suit variable needs.
Care Management- A patient needs to be carefully managed during and after a treatment phase for getting effective results. Consider choosing a rehab centre that specializes in patient care management and looks after every aspect in minute details. Each step of the treatment is crucial and thus requires perfect management. Sometimes, it may also be required to involve the family members or friends of the patient. This makes the patient feel secured at the rehab centre, seeing many known faces around him or her.
Treatment Duration – The duration of the treatment needs to be chosen carefully as it plays an important role on the overall success of the alcohol rehabilitation process. Depending on the mode of treatment, whether inpatient or outpatient, the duration may vary. It is believed that an outpatient treatment method takes a longer time than an inpatient method does.
Choosing Alcohol Rehabilitation Program: How They Tackle Relapse
Although the treatment method for different alcohol addicts should be different, almost all patients face one common problem. The addiction usually relapses after they complete the program successfully and get back to normal life. This problem is common in most alcohol addicts, even in those who responded to the treatment, when staying under controlled rehab environment. There is a scientific reason behind this, say experts at the River Source, a holistic alcohol treatment center. When alcohol gets into the human body, it breaks down into certain metabolites. These metabolites in turn get stored in the fatty tissues throughout the body. If the body starts to lose fat due to some reason, the metabolite starts getting circulated back to the system. This can cause an effect known as ‘flashback’ of the original alcohol encounter.In addition, the body can also show serious craving for the prohibited substance, called alcohol. This is the sole reason why people return to alcohol even after doing well a recovery session. Thus, an effective alcohol treatment plan should have a holistic approach to meet the physical, mental and emotional needs of a patient, so as to limit the chance of a relapse. The program should include strong patient motivation, both during and after the treatment phase, so that a relapse doesn’t occur.
