Alcohol rehab requires commitment from those who are dependent on alcohol and they will be helped and supported to stop drinking by qualified and dedicated staff. Choosing the right alcohol rehab centre and programme is very important and doing so increases the chances of successfully stopping drinking.

Various alcohol rehab treatments are available, depending on the level and length of your addiction, different centres’ approaches and, to an extent, your own personal preferences.  The first step when you contact an alcohol rehab clinic or are referred by your GP is for your situation to be assessed.

During your first triage assessment, an addiction professional will assess the level of your addiction and the type of care that will be most appropriate for you. It’s also a chance for you to assess the facilities and decide whether the centre feels right for you. You’ll also be assessed on your drinking patterns and your overall health. After your assessment alcohol rehab staff will prepare a personalised diagnostic report for you, detailing your current position and the treatment required.

Treatment you may be prescribed includes preventative treatment if you’re concerned that your regular drinking could be on the verge of becoming problematic. Treatment in this area will help you understand how close you are to alcohol dependency and how you can avert this. You’ll be encouraged to think about why you drink and what your triggers are. You’ll be introduced to techniques to help you stop drinking too much.

Alcohol detox treatment is also available if dependency is more advanced. It’s important that detox is managed or it can be dangerous. An alcohol rehab clinic is the safest place to detox. Medication is prescribed to minimise the negative side-effects of detox and round-the-clock supervision and monitoring is provided. Complementary therapies are sometimes used too. In some scenarios accelerated alcohol detox programmes are available, where faster results can be achieved.

Rehabilitation helps individuals stop relying on alcohol to function in day-to-day life. It’s about learning to live an alcohol-free life, change your relationship with alcohol and preparing for potential relapses.

Aftercare is also an important part of alcohol rehab. It will provide support at times when you feel vulnerable and help you avoid relapsing into drinking alcohol again. You will learn specific tactics and techniques to control drinking and undergo training to help you cope with situations which may prompt you to drink again.

When recovering from alcohol addiction, in-patient alcohol treatment centres are an advisable option. These are supportive environments where trained professionals can manage detox and rehabilitation programmes for patients.

Those suffering from severe alcohol addiction need this level of support because unmanaged detoxification from heavy use of alcohol can have potentially fatal side effects. Trained professionals can create a treatment plan for patients including medicated withdrawal and stabilisation.

These recovery centres allow patients to stay for a number of days or weeks and concentrate on their recovery, without the distractions from the outside world. Where as if someone uses out-patient services, they are still living at home and can be more easily distracted.

In-patient alcohol treatment centres need to be calming and relaxed and are often decorated in neutral colours, with comfortable furnishings that allow the patient to de-stress. The aim is for in-patient facilities to be homely not clinical.

As patients are often sharing in-patient facilities with others, there also needs to be a welcoming and inclusive feel. Work is often done in groups to encourage social interaction, but there must also be room for privacy when needed.

The overall aim of in-patient treatment centres is to encourage recovery and offer support so that patients can develop the strength to leave their alcohol addiction behind and start a new chapter in their lives.

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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.

by Matt Niemi

Choosing the right alcohol rehab clinic can be difficult and confusing but it is important and can be a key factor in whether a treatment programme succeeds or fails.

Each individual rehab clinic will have their own approach to alcohol treatment so you’ll need to do some research about different clinics and your needs. Research clinics yourself and seek out reliable information both online and from others. Someone else who’s been through alcohol dependency may be able to recommend a good clinic or give you advice on choosing one.

Obviously you’ll need to consider the price. Think about how much you can realistically afford and try not to overstretch yourself as this could make things worse, particularly if alcohol problems are linked to stress. A lot of people get help from their family or from some kind of loan but again, tread carefully to avoid debt problems.

Think about where the rehab centre is located in relation to your friends and loved one. If it’s too far away it may be difficult to receive visitors. It’s true that some people prefer not to have visitors, though. If quiet and isolation is important to you find out if the centre offers that.

What kind of accommodation does the rehab clinic offer? Some offer single rooms, whilst others are shared. Some people in treatment like to share a room but others want to have their own room.

Some types of treatment suit some people more than others and it’s important to know what’s on offer. Different clinics will offer different treatments. Ask at the clinic what treatments they offer and how each person’s treatment programme is decided.

Questions to ask

When you’re getting more information on rehab clinics you’ll probably want to go armed with a list of questions. Questions you might like to consider asking include:

What kind of treatment programmes does the centre offer?
What are the prices?
How long is the recommended stay?
What is the success rate?
Do you have any case studies/testimonials?
Are visitors allowed?
What are the rules?
What are the consequences of rule-breaking?
What is the detox process?
What detox medication is offered?
Who will work with me?
What qualifications do the staff have?
What is the ethos of the clinic?
What kind of aftercare is on offer?

Choosing the right alcohol rehab clinic can be difficult and confusing but it is important and can be a key factor in whether a treatment programme succeeds or fails.

Each individual rehab clinic will have their own approach to alcohol treatment so you’ll need to do some research about different clinics and your needs. Research clinics yourself and seek out reliable information both online and from others. Someone else who’s been through alcohol dependency may be able to recommend a good clinic or give you advice on choosing one.

Obviously you’ll need to consider the price. Think about how much you can realistically afford and try not to overstretch yourself as this could make things worse, particularly if alcohol problems are linked to stress. A lot of people get help from their family or from some kind of loan but again, tread carefully to avoid debt problems.

Think about where the rehab centre is located in relation to your friends and loved one. If it’s too far away it may be difficult to receive visitors. It’s true that some people prefer not to have visitors, though. If quiet and isolation is important to you find out if the centre offers that.

What kind of accommodation does the rehab clinic offer? Some offer single rooms, whilst others are shared. Some people in treatment like to share a room but others want to have their own room.

Some types of treatment suit some people more than others and it’s important to know what’s on offer. Different clinics will offer different treatments. Ask at the clinic what treatments they offer and how each person’s treatment programme is decided.

Questions to ask

When you’re getting more information on rehab clinics you’ll probably want to go armed with a list of questions. Questions you might like to consider asking include:

What kind of treatment programmes does the centre offer?
What are the prices?
How long is the recommended stay?
What is the success rate?
Do you have any case studies/testimonials?
Are visitors allowed?
What are the rules?
What are the consequences of rule-breaking?
What is the detox process?
What detox medication is offered?
Who will work with me?
What qualifications do the staff have?
What is the ethos of the clinic?
What kind of aftercare is on offer?

For those suffering from alcohol dependency there are many treatment options to suit the individual. In many cases, particularly serious ones, patients will need treatment at an in-patient alcohol rehabilitation centre in order to get well. This is the sensible option for those misusing large amounts of alcohol as unmanaged withdrawal can cause fatal complications.

There are many in-patient alcohol treatment facilities around the UK. These centres offer a comfortable and safe environment where clients can slowly withdraw from alcohol misuse under the management of trained professionals. Each person is cared for individually whilst being taken through a practiced and managed series of medical and psycho-analytical interventions.

Treatment normally consists of a planned and managed alcohol detoxification or detox, followed by a rehabilitation program that allows the client to learn the skills needed to stay sober. Aftercare is also normally offered in order to support the individual on the road to long-term recovery from alcohol dependency.

As an alternative to in-patient alcohol treatment, some people prefer to use out-patient clinics. These are centres that an individual will visit regularly in order to follow an alcohol detoxification program administered by doctors or trained professionals.

Treatment at an out-patient facility allows the person to continue with their day-to-day lives, fitting their detox around other commitments. This type of treatment option is suited to less severe cases of alcohol misuse and to those people that do not have the time to spend staying at an in-patient clinic.

There are many alcohol rehabilitation centres across the country, particularly in bigger cities such as London. Certain facilities, like London-based Wellington Lodge, specialise in purely treating alcohol addiction. This means their knowledge and expertise is focused on alcohol treatment and so they can provide the best service possible.