In order to make the most of outpatient alcohol treatment, it’s important for people to realize what fuels their addictions. Avoiding triggers will make it easier to avoid drinking alcohol, and having tools in place to discourage continued drinking will bolster their efforts to get clean and sober. If you are trying to solve your alcoholism on your own because you cannot afford a residential program, consider an outpatient program. The following tips are just some of the support they have to offer.
Medical Intervention
The detox period is typically a week to 10 days where alcohol first leaches from your system. It is not counted as part of outpatient care because in many cases, hospital treatment is needed. This may or may not be feasible for your sobriety plans.
Remember to keep this as an option, however, because people who have been alcoholics for a long time may suffer serious physical consequences when they first stop drinking. Intensive chemical detox programs can help dramatically with this process. For others who are determined to beat this disease outside of a treatment facility, an outpatient alcohol treatment plan must make accommodations for a safe and effective detox period.
After this period of time, medical intervention can be a part of your outpatient program by way of prescription drugs and general health monitoring. Many alcoholics and drug addicts find they have been self-medicating to deal with undiagnosed conditions. Once they’re clean and sober, they are able to manage these problems in healthy ways. Other medications have been successfully used to prevent relapse by providing severe – but safe – interactions that help your body develop a drinking aversion. These medications have been proven to be extremely effective in long-term treatment of alcoholism.
Skill Building and Support
Another reason many people become alcoholics is because of the tendency to use substances to distract a person from life’s other problems. In order to successfully avoid returning to the bottle, tools need to be established for helping alcoholics deal with stress. Because of alcoholism culture, it’s important for people in outpatient alcohol treatment programs to work at making new social contacts. Quality programs will provide assistance in doing this outside of treatment circles.
In addition, facilitators will help to arrange social support groups for recovering alcoholics as part of a healthy outpatient alcohol treatment plan. People with drinking issues often cringe at the thought of life becoming a never-ending AA meeting. The right recovery plan will prevent this from becoming a reality, and help you on your way to achieving a healthy social life.
