5 Reasons to Choose Inpatient Alcohol Treatment
Most of us know that drinking alcohol excessively can lead to accidents and unwanted behavioral or physical health problems. There can be short-term consequences and long term consequences and yet, alcohol is a part of our culture. It’s legal to buy and consume, and surely, drinking in moderate levels is safe. Not true. Sometimes, even the smallest amount of alcohol can affect judgment, reasoning, motor skills, and physical or mental health, putting others at risk as well as the user.
Alcohol Dependency and Alcoholism
Research shows that alcohol affects everyone differently and there is no absolute way of determining who will develop a dependency to alcohol, or alcoholism, and what the effects from one drink to the next will be. Alcohol dependency results after the person’s body begins to rely on the chemical of alcohol to keep itself in balance.
Alcoholism is defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism as “a chronic disease involving a strong need to drink, the inability to stop drinking, the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms, and tolerance.”
Who Needs Inpatient Alcohol Treatment?
Alcoholics drink despite the risks to themselves or others, deny or fail to acknowledge their problem, and are unable to control their drinking habits. They may lose their families, jobs, freedom, or health, and still, will continue drinking. Without help, there is little possibility that an alcoholic will ever quit drinking on their own and inpatient alcohol treatment should be considered.
Why Choose Inpatient Alcohol Treatment
- Detox safety – With long term consistency or heavy drinking, cravings and withdrawals can become intense and even dangerous for an alcoholic. Around the clock access to doctors and clinicians during detox is critical for the safety of the alcoholic as they become stabilized. These professionals can provide support and medications when necessary to alleviate the severity of withdrawals and prevent further health risks.
- Time – Complicated of alcoholism take time to unravel and resolve. Inpatient alcohol treatment programs can provide the time necessary to think clearly and analyze these issues, with immediate support from professionals. The longer the alcoholic remains free from alcohol, the greater their chance of recovery, so time is important.
- Counseling and therapy – Alcoholism changes thought patterns and the way the alcoholic responds to them. Talking and analyzing these issues with people you can trust to be knowledgeable and experienced, gaining feedback from others, and learning copings skills to deal with them is a key benefit to inpatient alcohol treatment.
- Specialized treatment programs – Some alcoholics need more specialized programs because they have dual diagnosis of physical or mental health issues, or are poly drug abusers. Inpatient service s can work with all of these conditions in continuum.
- Intensified treatment programs – Alcoholics with a history of repeat relapse can benefit from intensified treatment programs in an inpatient setting where environmental “triggers” to use can be eliminated or minimized.