What is Alcohol Rehab?

What is Alcohol Rehab?

Alcohol rehab is the process of helping individuals overcome their physical and psychological addiction to alcohol. During this process, the individual will go through three different stages of treatment: alcohol detox, counseling and aftercare. Each one of the processes is designed to treat a different component of addiction – be it physical, psychological or social aspects of the condition.

The Primary Elements of Alcohol Rehab

Alcohol Detox. This is the initial part of the recovery process. Detox involves stopping the consumption of alcohol and giving the body the time it needs to cleanse itself of the harmful toxins associated with wine, liquor or beer. During this process, the individual may experience a series of withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawal symptoms during alcohol detox, include:

• Depression and anxiety
• Sharp mood swings
• Sweats or chills
• Relapse into alcohol use
• Irritability
• Seizures or blackouts (in severe cases only)

The alcohol detox process generally last several days to two weeks. The withdrawal symptoms above are known to reach their peak after the first few days into the process.

Counseling. The core of any alcohol rehabilitation programs is counseling. During sessions with a counselor or therapist, the individual learns relapse prevention skills, receives education about alcoholism, and discovers the triggers that cause their unwanted behavior. Counseling in alcohol rehab takes two forms: individual and group sessions.

• Individual counseling. During these regular sessions, the individual takes part in one-on-one private therapy with an addiction treatment counselor. These sessions are a chance to explore the issues in the individual's life that have brought about their alcoholism – and find some real solutions moving forward.
• Group counseling. These sessions involve meeting with other recovering addicts in the program. Group counseling is a wonderful opportunity to share stories with others, gain support from one another and break down the walls of isolation brought on by alcohol addiction.

Aftercare. When an individual "graduates" from alcohol rehab, they must then return to the outside world. This is not always as easy as it sounds, as individuals face a number of challenges when they return home after treatment, including:

• Temptation. Seeing old friends or acquaintances can quickly lead to old behaviors concerning alcohol abuse.
• Stress and distraction. Work or school can get stressful, as the individual tries to play catch up after missing time because of their condition. This can easily trigger relapse behavior.
• A lack of understanding. Those who have never been through drug rehab or alcohol rehab don't know what these intense processes are really like. Therefore, they may have trouble communicating with the individual who has been there and back.

To help address these situations, aftercare features things such as 12-step programs and additional counseling give the individual a place to talk through what they are experiencing - while developing solutions and getting much needed support in their efforts.

Alcohol Rehab and Mental Health Issues

Many alcohol rehab programs have historically strictly provided alcohol rehab without attention to other mental issues. However, given the impact of addiction on other life issues, it is no surprise that mental health complications are very common among those who participate in alcohol rehab programs. In fact, more than 44% of alcoholics have mental health complications prior to the onset of alcohol dependence and many others develop mood-related complications, such as depression and dysthymia, after the onset of the addiction. The finest alcohol rehab centers incorporate mental health treatments in addition to alcohol rehab services in an effort to treat these co-occurring disorders.

Different Types of Alcohol Rehab

Alcohol rehab programs come in two basic types: outpatient and residential. While both offer similar programs (detox, counseling, aftercare, etc.) there are some significant differences in the way that they deliver these treatments.

Outpatient Alcohol Rehab

• Individuals attend treatment during the day and return home (or to a sober living facility) in the evening.
• Better suited for individuals who are the head of household or have work and school that need to be attended.
• A good choice for individuals who have a non-life threatening form of alcohol addiction.

Residential Alcohol Rehab

• The individual moves into a dorm-like setting and receives round-the-clock care.
• A great choice for those who need a place to focus solely on the alcohol addiction and the recovery process.

alcoholism rehab

what is alcohol rehab?
Alcohol rehabilitation is, simply put, an alcoholic's best shot at starting a healthier, happier new life. The path won't always be easy - the process begins with an alcohol detox period of several days, during which the body is cleansed of the toxins that come from wine, liquor or beer. The cleaning process can include unpleasant withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, depression, sweats or chills, but it is a necessary step in combating the disease of alcoholism.

Alcohol Rehab is a residential treatment program that helps those who abuse alcohol. After initial detox, the client is assessed for any underlying issues that may be impacting their decisions and issues related to the use of alcohol or other mood-altering substances. Through therapy and with the use of effective treatment methods, you can develop a strong foundation for recovery from alcoholism

what is alcohol detox?
In short alcohol detox is the process of ridding your body of all alcohol. Alcohol detox generally describes the time from the last drink, through the next 5-7 days. Detoxification is needed when your body becomes physically dependant on alcohol. You may or not be physically dependant on alcohol, however there are some symptoms that can cue you into whether or not you are suffering a physical addiction.

What happens after that?
Once the detox is complete, the patient will continue with intensive, inpatient counseling that provides a chance to get to the bottom of the issues that caused the alcoholism in the first place. This is sometimes done through group therapy sessions where the patient can receive emotional support from others also starting a new life in recovery.

Choosing an alcohol rehab can be an anxiety-provoking experience. However, if you are one of the lucky few who have admitted to yourself you have a problem and want help, you have taken the first step. Here are some tips on how to choose an alcohol rehab.


Sometimes the best way to choose the right alcohol rehab for your needs is to work with a clinical professional (psychologist, therapist, or social worker) who has some experience with addiction treatment. Often these professionals have taken the time to research various alcohol rehabs and assess the quality of their clinical program. However, there is an enormous amount of information available on the Internet to help you research the different alcohol rehabs. You should take into consideration your own specific needs when researching these treatment programs:

1. Do I have a dual diagnosis? Or do I suspect I have a dual diagnosis? You might have clinical depression, an anxiety disorder, a past traumatic event that is still causing you problems – a dual diagnosis basically means there is something else going on besides the abuse of alcohol. It is critical that you address these other problems as they are the most common triggers for relapse.

2. Will I be comfortable enough at a particular facility that I will stick with it for 30 days? For example, if you feel lost in a crowd, or hate hospital-like environments, you might focus on smaller, more boutique types of alcohol rehabs. These tend to limit the number of patients to under 30 at a time. You get more one-on-one time with therapists in this type of environment, and it tends to feel less clinical and more home like. Such rehabs do tend to cost more because of the one-on-one focus.

3. Should I stay close to home, or is it actually better to go someplace out of town? This varies for each person, and there are good reasons for each choice. Some people feel being farther away from home protects their privacy more; some want family to be able to visit easily so they want to stay close by. Avoid staying close to home if you think you are doing it only to make it easy to leave if therapy becomes challenging.

You should also call an alcohol rehab directly and ask them specific questions about your treatment and about the rehab in general:

1. How long has the facility been treating alcoholism?

2. What are the qualifications of the staff?

3. What will a typical day be like – group therapy (generally the best type of recovery treatment), recreational activities?

4. What is their therapeutic philosophy?  Do they use cognitive behavioral therapy?

5. How much of a foundation of the alcohol rehab is built on 12-step philosophy (critical for long-term success)

6. Do they have a strong alumni network (this will be important in the months after treatment)

7. What sort of after care do they offer?

8. If you have any special needs, how will they help you (e.g., dietary restrictions; bipolar or other co-occurring disorder)

9. How will they assess you for any underlying issues such as depression, ADHD, chronic pain, or trauma? Once they have an assessment, what sort of treatment modalities do they offer to handle those issues?

Choosing an alcohol rehab is somewhat akin to choosing a doctor. You want a treatment program with the best clinical program, highly qualified staff, and one that is respected in the treatment community.