Protocols for Inpatient Alcohol Treatment

Inpatient treatment for alcoholism follows a variety of regimens. The most common is a combination of the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) 12-step method, medical treatment, diet, education and counseling. It is an integrated treatment program usually in an isolated setting that can range from bucolic horse farms to inner city residential settings. The recidivism rate at various intervals of recovery tend to be on the high side, no matter the protocol.

Alcoholism Is a Disease

• This view has been adopted by the American Medical Association (AMA), many other reputable scientific groups and has become generally accepted. Part of the reason for this is, at yet, inconclusive scientific study. A lot is known about the effects of alcohol and other drugs on serotonin and dopamine and how they act as neurotransmitters to the the pleasure centers of the brain, thus reinforcing the use of alcohol and drugs. But how and why alcohol produces such a high level of stimulus still remains unknown. Also unknown is why it reacts so strongly in some and not others. In other words, why isn't everyone an alcoholic?

Campral, as Close to a Wonder Drug There Is

• One of the most promising drugs used in an integrated inpatient treatment program is Campral. It disrupts the flow of pleasure sensations caused by alcohol and drugs to the pleasure centers of the brain. When used as part of an integrated treatment therapy. However, Campral should not be used as a method to prevent drinking. Its effectiveness lies only with those who have already been abstinent and are working toward future abstinence.

Results Are Inconclusive

• While most inpatient treatment facilities follow a traditional integrated approach of discipline, the AA model, a highly regimented counseling program, behavior modification and medical treatment, their long-term success rates are difficult to determine. Most programs are able to track the success (or failure) of their patients for three to six months. After that, self-surveys asked of those successfully completing the program drop off dramatically. In fact, most programs assume a recidivism rate as high as 70 percent after their intreatment program based on the most reliable information they receive. Many people return for repeated inpatient treatment.

An Unfortunate Reality

• The length of stay for many alcoholics are dictated by the insurance they have. Some have no insurance at all and must rely on personal finances. Depending on the facility, this can become very expensive in a short amount of time. While the AMA recognizes alcoholism as a disease, many insurance companies do not. As a result, they offer no insurance to rehabilitate yourself into sobriety. Some offer limited coverage, like a week, and some will cover 30 days. Unfortunately, the length of stay at an inpatient program is often determined by the amount of insurance which, as a result, limits the protocol necessary for successful recovery.

Unconventional Treatments

• There are some inpatient clinics that don't base their protocols on the presumption that alcoholism is a disease. For one, it implies that the patient is not responsible for his actions. It would be like saying that one is not responsible for eating too much or killing someone. The protocol at such facilities places the emphasis on a behavioral therapy program that reinforces empowerment, choice, analysis of past decision-making and developing a detailed program for moving ahead. These treatment programs, which boast great success rates, eschew the 12-step tradition, as well. While their boasts of success sound good, most have not opened their books for more scientific follow-up studies that would verify their success rates.