Alcohol treatment
Alcholism is the state of being physically and mentally addicted to alcohol. Chronic alcohol abuse can be linked to serious neurological and physical conditions as well as having implications for the social wellbeing of the problem drinker. Alcholics are often secretive about their drinking and deny that they have a problem which may need them to seek treatment in a rehab. Alcoholism may be accompanied by other mental disorders such as depression. Detox from alcohol can be complicated and should be undertaken under the supervision of a medical doctor, preferably in a drug rehab with nursing staff.
Alcoholism treatment is most often provided in a drug rehab where similar methods of treatment are applied. Drug rehab is psychotherapeutic in nature because it attempts to address behaviours (compulsive drinking) through psychological means such as by counseling or group process work.
Treating alcoholism is a difficult task that needs to address many complicated issues. Alcoholics are typically under a great amount of stress by the time they seek treatment at a drug rehab.
A patient should expect to spend their first week or two in detox from alcohol. Once they are medically fit they may join program. Programs differ from rehab to rehab but will typically last at least a month and will involve a range of psychotherapeutic activities. This may be followed up with admissions to "secondary care" drug rehabs that continue therapy but at a deeper level.
Detox
Detoxification from drugs and alcohol is the first essential step in the treatment process. Recovery from drug addiction and alcoholism starts once you have been detoxified. Most detox programs will include an introduction to recovery principles. Drug detox is usually a short program and will normally last between 3 and 10 days.
Drug Detox can be a very difficult undertaking that may require medical supervision because when one abruptly discontinues using drugs and alcohol, patients may experience the onset of alcohol withdrawal and drug withdrawal symptoms. This is why it is better to undergo detox in a drug rehab where doctors will be at hand to perform the detox. It will require the willingness of the person who is abusing drugs to enter drug rehab. Admitting that he/she has a problem with drugs is the first step and shows willingness to recover. To get an addict to admit to a drug problem is difficult and may require the intervention of friends and family who should suggest that the addict be admitted to a drug rehab for treatment. Usually the drug addict will feel defensive and react either angrily or by withdrawing from the people suggesting that they go to drug rehab. However the addict will need to accept the problem for himself/herself and an intervention can only help them on the way to realizing the problem and being admitted into drug rehab.
Eating disorders
A person with an eating disorder may also have depression, anxiety, or some other problem. This means that a rehab program must include a careful psychiatric assessment of the patients mental health. Since mood can affect appetite it is also important to be aware of this variable in a treatment program. Anorexia Nervosa means 'loss of appetite because of mental reasons (and not physical)'. Anorexics lose a lot of weight by reducing their calorie intake. They accomplish this by starving themselves, excessive exercising, using diet pills, or abusing laxatives (although some of these symptoms may indicate the presence of a different form of eating disorder. Anorexics will feel that they are fat even when they are so underweight they require hospital care. A central theme in an anorexics food restriction is the sense of control they feel from refusing food. There are specialist eating disorder units that offer rehab tailored especially to people with an eating disorder. The rehab aims to firstly stabilize the eating disorders weight. Once the patient is no longer in medical danger treatment can begin. Eating disorder rehab will help a patient with self-growth and help them to feel comfortable with themselves. Learning self-acceptance in rehab is essential to maintaining recovery from an eating disorder.
Drug rehab
Drug rehab can include cognitive behavioral therapy (using methods such as counseling, group work, or psychotherapy), medications, or their combination. Counseling strategies in drug rehab aim to help people to learn strategies for coping with drug cravings and to avoid situations that are associated with drug use. Teaching a patient to be self-sufficient in order to enable them to help themselves is an important goal of drug rehab. Ultimately nobody can keep a person from using drugs but that person himself/herself. Engaging patients in a drug rehab treatment program is essential to success as this will allow them to learn the new tools. Drug rehab is essentially psychotherapeutic treatment but can include a range of methods. Drug rehab tries to address the abuse of drugs, alcohol, and prescription pills. A drug rehab program will address both physical and psychological dependency. If you think a family member may need drug rehab it is best to immediately consult with us as to finding a proper rehab. Don't leave the problem to get worse - act now! Let us help you gain knowledge about drug rehabs and the problem of drug addiction. South African drug rehabs are more affordable than UK/USA rehabs and so patients can stay in rehab for longer. We recommend that a person expect to spend at least a month in rehab, but would ideally hope that somebody could spend at least three months in rehab followed by a few months in a step-down facility. There is no quick cure that any drug rehab can offer. Drug rehab can be a long process, and the longer you spend in rehab the better your chances. Behaviour takes time to unlearn and so give drug rehab at least a few months.