The Alcohol Treatment Clinic
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Historically, traditional alcohol rehab programs have been modeled on the 12-step methodology that was
developed and put into operation by Alcoholics Anonymous.
Other less mainstream alcohol treatment programs, it might be added, have emerged and have
been taking place rehab hospitals and in an alcohol treatment clinics and have been providing alcohol abusers
and alcoholics with alcohol treatment that is not based on the 12-step alcohol recovery program.
The Alcohol Treatment Clinic: Medications and Counseling
Numerous, non-12-step alcohol treatment programs are undertaken in alcohol rehab centers,
rehab hospitals, or in an alcohol treatment clinics and provide alcohol treatment that is rooted in the
administration of doctor-prescribed medications in conjunction with broad-based counseling, support, training, and
education.
What is more, quite a few non-12-step approaches treat alcoholism and alcohol abuse from an emotional as well as
from a physiological vantage point.
Not only this, but due to the fact that some of the more productive and successful alcohol treatment programs
are more intensive and more wide-ranging than others, they pay particular attention to alcohol abusers and
alcoholics and how they will manage their financial issues, relationships, and employment status once they finish
treatment, get sober, and go home.
Finally, more than a few successful alcohol treatment clinics operate from a holistic standpoint that helps
alcoholics and alcohol abusers identify and deal with various fundamental issues that were more likely than not
instrumental in the origin and continuation of their problem drinking.
Illustrations of these basic issues include: poor interpersonal relationship skills, unemployment, poor
anger management skills, spirituality issues, grief, poor financial management skills, pain, a sense of loss,
career indecision, and poor coping skills.

Follow-Up Treatment is CriticalWhen an individual enrolls in
alcohol rehab, it is critically important to address what the alcoholic or alcohol abuser will be doing after
he or she completes the treatment regime.

Stated more specifically, while getting through alcohol detox and prevailing over one's alcohol withdrawal
symptoms are major components in the rehabilitation process, so is the “follow-up” education, counseling, and
training that successful alcohol treatment clinics usually implement as soon as the inpatient portion of the rehab
process is completed.
In fact, some of the more effective and better known alcohol treatment clinics, for example, provide follow-up
outpatient education, training, and counseling for one year after the individual has finished his or her
residential treatment.
In short, many of the results-oriented and more comprehensive alcohol treatment clinics provide rehabilitation
that has been established and implemented for long-term success rather than on short-term, band-aid therapeutic
methods.
| As people age, it takes fewer drinks to become intoxicated, and organs can be
damaged by smaller amounts of alcohol than in younger people. Also, up to one-half of the 100 most
prescribed drugs for older people react adversely with alcohol. |
The Significance of the Treatment Atmosphere
The treatment atmosphere in which a problem drinker finds himself or herself is a key treatment
consideration. As a consequence, many of the higher quality alcohol treatment clinics, for instance,
foster a challenging, positive, supportive, and safe therapeutic environment that frequently leads to
long-lasting sobriety and alcohol recovery.
In spite of the fact that most alcohol treatment clinics provide alcohol rehab and counseling that are
relatively expensive, especially when inpatient, residential rehab options are taken into consideration, many of
the more efficient and successful alcohol treatment clinics place financial matters down on their priority list and
actually limit the number of problem drinkers they accept for treatment.
While this is usually more of a "treatment" issue and less of a "profit and loss" consideration, such an
emphasis allows staff to center their attention on the effort, time, resources, compassion that competent,
top-shelf alcohol treatment demands.
| Research shows that about 20% of alcoholics are able to abstain from alcohol
permanently without the help of formal treatment or self-help programs such as AA. Of those
patients who attend AA, 44% who remain abstinent for one year probably will remain abstinent for
another year. This figure increases to 91% for those who have remained abstinent and attended AA
for five years or more. |
Features of a Successful Alcohol Treatment Clinic
The following
represents some of the characteristics of an effective and productive alcohol treatment clinic:
- A caring, professional, and results-oriented staff
- Hospital and non-hospital treatment options
- Competitive pricing
- Hotel or rehab facility suites for out-of-town patients or guests
- Outpatient methods that are individualized to “fit” the personality, financial resources, and the needs of
each client
- The employment of medications to help clients refrain from alcohol relapse
- Treatment options with different time frames and length of treatment options that are tailored to the needs
of each client
- Extensive day and night counseling and educational programs
- Success rates well beyond the national averages
- Private detoxification services
- Doctor prescribed medications to help control and manage alcohol withdrawal symptoms
| Acute alcoholism is strongly associated with very serious pneumonia. One study on
laboratory animals suggests that alcohol specifically damages the bacteria-fighting capability of
lung cells. (Chronic alcoholism also causes changes in the immune system, although in people
without any existing medical problems these changes do not appear to be significant.) |
The Alcohol Treatment Clinic: Conclusion
From a historical perspective it can be seen that many of the mainstream alcohol rehabilitation programs have
been based on the 12-step treatment approach that was initiated and put into operation by Alcoholics
Anonymous.
Other,
less traditional, non-12-step alcohol treatment programs, nonetheless, have surfaced and have increased in
number and in acceptance. The vast majority of non-12-step rehab approaches are less concerned about
group support, a "higher power, or the number of meetings a problem drinker attends and more focused on
empirically validated, scientific data.
What is usually found in such an orientation is that when doctor-prescribed medications are employed in tandem
with a supportive staff, comprehensive training, counseling, and education, and feasible and practical follow-up
treatment, long-lasting sobriety and alcohol recovery frequently result.
Many of the broader-based non-12-step alcohol treatment approaches take place in rehab hospitals, alcohol
treatment clinics, or in rehab centers.
These non-12-step alcohol rehabilitation facilities are commonly staffed with top-quality, supportive, and
considerate healthcare professionals who do everything in their power to help problem drinkers learn more effective
coping, “life,” relationship, and decision-making skills; help them recover from their abusive, unhealthy, and
damaging drinking; and help them learn how to reclaim their lives, remain sober, and continue their alcohol
recovery.

| Even moderate amounts of alcohol can have damaging effects on the developing fetus,
including low birth weight and an increased risk for miscarriage. High amounts can cause fetal
alcohol syndrome, a condition that can cause mental and growth retardation. One study indicated a
significantly higher risk for leukemia in infants of women who drank any type of alcohol during
pregnancy. |
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| One study indicated that intensive care patients with a history of alcohol abuse
have a significantly higher risk for developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) during
hospitalization. ARDS is a form of lung failure that can be fatal. It can be caused by many of the
medical conditions common in chronic alcoholism, including severe infection, trauma, blood
transfusions, pneumonia, and other serious lung conditions. |
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