Inpatient Alcohol Rehabilitation Programs

Although few alcoholics consider the option, entering an inpatient rehabilitation program offers their last real chance of addressing the physical and psychological traumas of their illness. Most programs are based on the 12-step model promoted by Alcoholics Anonymous, which outlines a course of action toward recovery. The techniques used to advance that goal diverge greatly, though the central goal--promoting a comprehensive approach to change attitudes and behaviors--does not waver.

Definition

• Alcohol abuse or addiction accounts for 21 percent of all public rehabilitative program admissions.

  The traditional definition of inpatient rehabilitation refers to treatment and detoxification from alcoholism. In reality, the term has come to mean full-time residency for any form of rehabilitative treatment, which lasts an average of 28 days, according addict-help.com. An estimated 23.6 million Americans struggle with alcohol or drug dependency, yet only 10 percent will enter an inpatient program, according to rehabinfo.net.

Detoxification

• Antabuse is considered an effective deterrent, because it produces dizzines, nausea and vomiting whenever alcohol is consumed.

  Detoxification follows an initial evaluation of the patient's medical history and personality. Depending on the length and severity of the patient's alcohol abuse, detoxification can take three to 14 days to complete, according to addict-help.com. This process may be augmented with medications for treating alcohol withdrawal symptoms--such as benzodiazepines--as well as drugs intended to prevent the patient from returning to drinking, such as Antabuse, according to about-alcohol-rehab.com.

Behavioral Rehabilitation

• Many inpatient rehabilitation programs take their counseling cues from the 12-step approach pioneered by Alcoholics Anonymous. The patient must admit powerlessness over alcohol, seek salvation from a power greater than themselves and make amends to anyone they have hurt, according to about-alcohol-rehab.com. This approach is known as behavioral rehabilitation, which focuses on teaching methods to break the patient's psychological dependency on alcohol.

SMART Program

• Twenty-six percent of men and 8 percent of women acknowledge at least one binge drinking episode after 30 days.

  Not all alcoholics flourish under the 12-step model. Some inpatient clinics build their approach around the Self Management and Recovery Training (SMART program--which holds that everyone finds his or her own recovery path, according to about-alcohol-rehab.com. Patients learn coping skills to reduce the urge to drink, manage thoughts and feelings more effectively, and balance urges for immediate gratification against other ongoing needs.

Treatment Expectations

• The severity of the dependency dictates how long an average treatment stay lasts, according to about-alcohol-rehab.com. Short-term detoxification and stabilization can go five to seven days, while long-term rehabilitation averages 60 to 90 days. Key expectations for treatment focus on getting an alcoholic to see how his behavior has affected others. This issue is especially relevant for patients with alcohol and drug addictions, who account for 18 percent of program admissions.