If you are suffering from alcoholism, alcohol rehab could be the way to get your health and life back on track. For many people it is the best way to kick their alcohol dependency permanently.

It’s understandable that there may be some questions you’ll have about alcohol rehab and we’ll address the most common ones here.

What is alcohol rehab?

Rehab is short for rehabilitation. During alcohol rehabilitation individuals usually undergo a personalised programme of treatment which helps them to get alcohol out of their system, stop drinking and to readjust to a life without alcohol.

Alcohol rehab is usually undergone in a specialist rehab clinic but it can also be undergone on a non-residential basis.

Who is rehab for?

If alcohol is causing problems in your life, alcohol rehab could well be for you.  If you’re drinking too much, drinking alone, drinking in the morning or feel that you have generally lost control of your drinking habits, a period in a rehabilitation centre could help you end alcohol’s hold over you.

If you’re concerned about your drinking, it is well worth talking to your GP or an alcohol support worker, who will provide advice and guidance and may refer you to a rehabilitation clinic. In many cases you can refer yourself to a rehabilitation centre.

What is detox?

Most alcohol addiction treatment programmes will include a detox process. Detoxing is necessary at the start of the recovery programme because it rids the body of toxins and alcohol. Detoxing can help to reduce the cravings for alcohol, although these are, at least initially, likely to be minimised rather than eliminated.

Once alcohol is out of the system, individuals can focus on changing their behaviour and habits relating to alcohol.

Detox can have some unpleasant side-effects such as feeling sick and vomiting, trembling, sweating and hallucinating. Detox should always be undergone with medical advice or supervision. If undergone in an alcohol rehab centre, there will be a medical professional on hand to constantly monitor and support you throughout the process.

What happens after detox?

Alcohol rehab does not end with detox. Patients will also receive therapy and counselling to help them change their behaviour and habits and to make sure they have the best chance possible of quitting drinking permanently.

Can I stay in touch with my family?

The specific rules around visiting and contact vary between individual clinics. However, in most cases visits will be allowed during allocated times and telephone calls are permitted. However, there will sometimes be a level of monitoring (which patients will be made aware of) to make sure that there is no drinking going on.