Does Alcoholism Treatment Work?

Alcoholism treatment works for many people, and compares favorably with outcomes for many other chronic medical conditions. Alcohol treatment programs strive to give alcoholics the support and tools needed for maintained sobriety after treatment has been completed. It is important to remember that many people relapse once or several times before achieving long-term sobriety. Relapses are common and do not mean that a person has failed or cannot eventually recover.

Effective Treatment Approaches

Detoxification.  Alcohol detoxification is the process of letting the body rid itself of alcohol while managing the withdrawal symptoms in a safe environment.  Alcohol detox treatment is typically done under the supervision of a medical doctor and is frequently employed as the first step in an alcoholism treatment program.  Due primarily to the relatively long time-frame for the Detox process, these approaches are typically part of an inpatient alcohol rehabilitation program. 

Behavioral Treatments.  These rehab methodologies focus on initiating change in an alcoholics' behaviors and actions.  Examples include Alcoholics Anonymous, Motivation Enhancement Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.  It can be noted that a study that was recently undertaken by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism discovered that each of these behavioral treatment approaches greatly reduced drinking in patients the year after treatment.  Although all of these programs were determined to be "successful," none of them was classified as "the best" alcoholism treatment program. 

Therapeutic Medications.  Numerous alcoholism researchers claim that alcohol dependent individuals who cannot continue their sobriety need to receive therapeutic medications to manage and treat their alcohol withdrawal symptoms.  Not only this, but individuals who are addicted to alcohol are less likely to experience possible brain damage and/or seizures when they receive various alcoholism medications.

Outpatient Alcoholism Treatment and Counseling.  These approaches usually employ counseling that teaches alcoholics how to become aware of the psychological and situational "hot buttons" that trigger their drinking behavior.  Equipped with this information, alcoholics can then learn about different ways in which they can cope with circumstances that do not include the drinking of alcohol.  These treatment approaches to alcoholism, unlike the detox programs, are usually offered on an outpatient basis. 

Residential Alcohol Treatment Programs and Inpatient Alcohol Rehab.  If there's a need for alcohol AND drug abuse treatment, if outpatient and support-oriented programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous are ineffective, if an individual needs alcohol poisoning treatment, or if the individual's withdrawal symptoms are extreme, the person typically needs to enroll into a hospital or a residential alcohol treatment facility in order to receive inpatient alcohol rehabilitation.  Such programs are earmarked for alcoholism inpatients and usually include doctor-prescribed medications to help the alcoholic through detox and through the alcohol withdrawal process in a safe manner.