If you’ve never been through the process of recovery from alcohol abuse, you might think that treatment programs are one size fits all. You detox, have a bit of therapy, maybe attend some meetings – it’s all the same, right? Actually, different people can have vastly different needs, and some treatment facilities might not be equipped to handle more complex cases.
The treatment center that you’re considering should do an assessment before you get started. There are a variety of questions they might ask to determine what treatment would be best for you, including:
- How severe your drinking problem is
- Whether you abuse any other drugs
- Whether you’ve previously had treatment for drug or alcohol abuse and what about it did or did not work for you
- Any medical conditions that you might have, whether they’re related to drinking or not
- Any mental health conditions you might have, such as depression
- Your living situation, particularly whether it’s stable
- Whether you have friends or family who can act as a support network
- Whether you have access to transportation
- Whether you have any other special needs, such as being pregnant or not speaking English
It also might be relevant if you have any ongoing legal troubles. For example, if you are going to need to meet with a parole officer or leave to do community service every so often, the treatment program would have to take that into account. In that situation you might have to do outpatient treatment, simply because residential wouldn’t be effective if you keep leaving the facility.
You also might be a good candidate for outpatient treatment if you have a stable place to live, a job, supportive family, are in decent health, and can easily travel.
On the other hand, if you’re in an unstable living situation or homeless, have medical problems that need monitoring, have a severe alcohol use disorder, and don’t have anyone to provide support, you’d be better off in an inpatient setting. This more structured treatment is also helpful for people who do better with a fixed schedule.
You’ll want to look into what sort of medical personnel a treatment facility has. If you’re living with a serious illness that needs around the clock monitoring, you’ll probably be better off in a hospital setting. If you have a manageable condition – diabetes, for example, – you can make sure that there’s a medical professional and a chef or nutritionist on staff who can work with you to stay healthy. If you have any mental health disorders, you’ll want to make sure that there are therapists or psychiatrists who will be able to help you work through these problems while you’re working on your alcohol use.
If you or a loved one need help with quitting drugs or alcohol, consider Asana Recovery. We offer medical detox, along with both residential and outpatient programs, and you’ll be supervised by a highly trained staff of medical professionals, counselors, and therapists. Call us any time at (949) 438-4504 to get started.
