Treatment for alcohol use disorders (AUD) extends beyond the familiar Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and residential in-person rehab. As more is understood about AUD as a disease, treatment specialists are better able to assess individual needs and provide recovery tools based on a variety of factors. Alcohol rehabilitation must align with the individual’s needs, desires, and readiness when approaching long-term recovery. Years of addiction research and science have influenced treatment through evidence-based research, leading to a plethora of successful alcohol treatment options.
Why Is Alcohol Treatment Necessary?
Alcohol dependency isn’t a character flaw, although it’s often viewed as such. Becoming alcohol dependent can be a gradual process. As tolerance levels increase, the body becomes more dependent on consumption and the disease of AUD can quickly unravel from there. The treatment provides a method to address alcohol dependency, while simultaneously uncovering mental health problems that may contribute to or even exacerbate alcohol misuse.
Getting alcohol out of the body takes time. Additionally, alcohol is known to alter the brain which can make maintaining sobriety next to impossible. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) recommends seeing a trained healthcare professional or established alcohol treatment center for an evaluation and suggested treatment plans.
Alcohol addiction is a challenging disease. Without clinical support, it’s difficult to understand the best method to move toward recovery. There are many things an individual can do to help minimize the impact of alcohol use, however, the best option for recovery is to participate in an established rehabilitation program.
What Is Considered The Most Effective Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder?
Today, there are a number of different alcohol treatment options. Many will vary in duration and intensity, in addition to in-patient and out-patient care. The intensity of treatment is often based on the severity of an individual’s alcohol use and can be assessed during an initial evaluation.
It is often helpful to discuss personal goals, needs, and support with trained professionals prior to choosing a treatment approach.
Common Colorado alcohol treatment program approaches include:
- Community support groups
- Sponsorship
- Medication-assisted treatment
- Outpatient therapy
- Outpatient Intensive therapy
- Inpatient rehabilitation programs
What Are the Most Successful Alcohol Treatment Options?
All treatment options for alcohol use disorder are different. Each treatment may fit one person and not another. All treatment options are helpful and are designed by evidence-based practices to provide the best possible chance of long-term recovery.
According to WebMD, there are currently six different alcohol treatment options that are proven successful and they include:
- Detoxification
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
- Contingency Management
- 12-Step Facilitation (Alcoholics Anonymous)
- Treatment with Medication
A combination of multiple alcohol treatment options may even serve better.
Although not one treatment option is considered the best treatment option, there are some treatment methods that have a more proven history of success than others. Most successful treatment options include a combination of counseling services, skills building, and medication-assisted treatment. Many of these can be easily accessed through partial hospitalization or inpatient rehabilitation programs.
Is Hospitalization Always Necessary?
Hospitalization for rehabilitation is not always necessary, however, hospitalization can provide a higher chance of successful recovery especially if the alcohol use disorder is severe. Severe alcohol use often needs more intensive treatment options as there may be dangerous side effects from the discontinuation of alcohol without proper medical supervision.
Severe alcohol use may cause important bodily functions to become dependent on alcohol and discontinuing alcohol may have life-threatening side effects. It is always best to discuss your drinking habits openly and honestly prior to engaging in any alcohol treatment option. Trained professionals can guide you through this decision process safely and effectively.
Are Alcohol Counseling Treatment Options Successful?
Alcohol counseling is successful and is often incorporated as part of all treatment options. Alcohol counseling can provide awareness and insights into personal drinking patterns, reasons for drinking, existing mental health disorders, and family addiction history. This information is an invaluable piece to the overall success of rehabilitation services. Self-awareness of drinking behaviors and risk factors can greatly reduce the chance of relapse. Alcohol counseling can also help to uncover other mental health concerns which may be a root cause to an individual’s drinking. These underlying mental health conditions are often called comorbid disorders. Dual-diagnosis treatment is often the best method for addressing such comorbid disorders.
What is Alcohol Dual-Diagnosis Treatment?
Alcohol dual-diagnosis treatment is often used in the field of counseling and psychology to refer to the existence of two or more mental health disorders that may be present within an individual. Research has shown addiction is often considered to be part of dual-diagnosis as there may be multiple causes for addiction.
Understanding and becoming aware of all diagnoses is important when addressing addiction.
Common dual diagnoses include:
- Trauma/stressor-related disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- Depressive disorders
- Impulse control disorders
- Sensory processing disorders
It’s also important to understand alcohol addiction and separate facts from myths. Alcohol abuse currently afflicts millions of Americans each year with an estimated 95,000 deaths resulting from alcohol-related causes annually.
How Does Alcohol Recovery Works?
Alcohol treatment options may vary, however, the steps towards recovery often maintain the same concept. The concept of the “4 Steps of Recovery” is often used to guide all treatment options.
What Are the 4 Steps of Recovery?
The “4 steps of recovery” are a way to guide an individual through their recovery process. It can be helpful to keep these 4 steps at the forefront of treatment as they can help to provide awareness of progress throughout the recovery process.
The 4 steps include:
- Treatment initiation: First attempt to reach out for support; solving ambivalence for next steps.
- Early abstinence: A commitment is made to treatment; often associated with powerful cravings.
- Maintaining abstinence: 90 days of continuous abstinence; the main goal is to avoid relapse.
- Advanced recovery: 5 years of abstinence; the main goal is to integrate rehab into life.
If you or someone you love is showing signs of alcohol abuse or alcoholism, there is help. Find accessible alcohol treatment options today.
What Does AspenRidge Recovery Offer?
Rates of alcohol use and addiction continue to grow. In fact, alcohol sales increased by 400% during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020-2022. Alcohol use continues to have a tremendous impact on families and communities throughout Colorado.
AspenRidge strives to provide an environment free of bias and judgment for all members presenting for rehabilitation. The process for finding long-term rehabilitation begins with a safe and confidential assessment process along with insurance verification. Support staff at AspenRidge Recovery are available via telephone and can help assess personal needs and goals prior to beginning treatment.
Treatment programs at AspenRidge Denver may include outpatient therapy, intensive outpatient therapy, and partial hospitalization. The program demands work to address both mental health and substance use disorders.
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How Do I Contact AspenRidge Recovery Denver?
If you have been questioning your or a loved one’s drinking behaviors, you are encouraged to reach out to explore the AspenRidge website. Several resources are available including personal assessments to help guide you in your decision towards recovery.
Admissions staff are available to answer questions. AspenRidge Recovery is a top-rated treatment facility in the state of Colorado with multiple locations, contact us at (855) 281-5588. We are open 7 days a week. Recovery from drugs and alcohol can be confusing, AspenRidge can help provide clarity in the next steps.
