Getting help for alcoholism doesn’t have to be a confusing process. This alcoholism treatment guide will walk you through the process of getting ready to reach out for help, from recognizing when you have a problem to treatment options and how to pay for them. There’s no better time to begin recovering, so let’s get started!
Alcoholism affects the lives of millions of people every year. Almost 16 million people age 12 or older had a diagnosed alcohol use disorder (AUD) in 2015, yet fewer than 2.5 million received the treatment they needed1. That’s almost 13.5 million alcoholics that didn’t seek help for their addiction despite the numerous available treatment options.
So, what does it mean to be an alcoholic? Well, alcoholism can take many forms—from the stereotypical alcoholic who needs at least a bottle of hard liquor per day just to get by, to the “high-functioning” alcoholic who gets wasted every week, sometimes even on weekdays, yet refuses to accept that there is a problem. Maybe you fall somewhere in between.
No matter how and when you drink, excessive alcohol consumption will take a destructive toll on your physical, psychological, social, and even personal functioning. Alcohol is at the top with regard to the most dangerous recreational drugs, with some suggesting that, overall, it is more deadly than even heroin or cocaine.2 In 2012, nearly 6% of deaths from all around the world were related to drinking.3
Distinguishing alcohol use from alcohol abuse can be tricky. Alcohol abuse isn’t easy to define because it varies by person, but the main way to determine if you have a problem with alcohol is by simply asking yourself this question: Is my drinking consistently leading to negative life consequences?
The medical and psychological health problems that arise from alcohol abuse may be the most obvious consequences, but there are also social repercussions. Alcohol may drive wedges between you and friends or family, result in job loss, cause you to lose interest in your hobbies, and make you distance yourself from the things that used to make you happy.
If any of these sound familiar, you should seriously consider getting help to stop the cycle of alcoholism before it’s too late.
Signs and Symptoms: How to Recognize Alcoholism
Recognizing and acknowledging alcoholism can be difficult, especially in yourself, but confronting a drinking problem is the first step to recovering from it. If you’re questioning whether or not you have a problem, there’s a good chance you do.
There are some specific ways to determine if you have an alcohol use disorder, based on criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). If at least 2 of these statements fit you, seek help4:
I drink more than I intend to.
I want to cut down or stop drinking but can’t seem to follow through.
I spend a lot of time drinking, trying to drink, or recovering from drinking.
I crave alcohol.
I have a strong urge to drink.
I have neglected my obligations at work, home, or school due to my drinking.
I continue to drink even though my personal life has been negatively impacted by my drinking.
I have given up or reduced my important social, occupational, or recreational activities because of my drinking.
I consume alcohol before or during physically dangerous situations (for example, while driving).
I keep drinking even though I know I have physical and/or psychological problems that have been caused or worsened by my drinking.
I often need to increase the amount I drink to get drunk, or I feel less intoxicated by the same amount.
I drink to prevent alcohol withdrawal symptoms, or when I don’t drink I start going into alcohol withdrawal.
Again, if you’ve checked off 2 or more of these boxes, it’s time to consider your treatment options. Sobriety may seem like a far-off dream, but it is well within your reach.
Lesser-Known Consequences of Alcoholism
Drinking will take a major toll on your body and mind, but with help, this damage can be prevented or even reversed5. What alcohol actually does is reduce and slow communication between your brain cells, causing the typical signs of drunkenness:
Slurred speech.
Poor control over your body.
Emotional swings.
Memory problems.
In extreme cases like alcohol poisoning, you may even fall into a sort of trance, unresponsive to the world around you6.
One of the scariest consequences of chronic drinking is the extensive damage that alcohol can cause to your brain, which can, in turn, feed the development of alcoholism5. Alcohol is known to damage areas of the brain related to memory and learning, movement and body control, and higher thinking (like problem-solving)5. In fact, alcoholics have been found to have significant impairments in visuospatial abilities, such as understanding and remembering the location of objects within a space, which can affect skills like organizing items and driving a car5.
Another alcohol-related damage that alcoholics can suffer from is impaired higher cognitive functioning5. This includes impairment in the abstract thinking required to organize a plan of action, enact the plan, and alter it as needed. In other words, alcoholics may have brain damage caused by their drinking that decreases their ability to recognize that they need help, create a plan to get treatment, and follow through on their plan.
On top of these cognitive ability changes, many alcoholics also see a shift in their mental health as the addiction disease progresses. Many people start on the alcoholic path by using alcohol to cope with underlying issues like insomnia8, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)9, anxiety10, 11, depression, and bipolar disorder12, 13—but here’s the problem: alcohol can actually make these problems worse in the long run.
Negative mood, poor impulse control, and increased mental distress (such as stress, depression, and emotional problems) are all likely consequences when you drink too much14, 15, 16. These effects feed the alcoholism and further amplify your drinking problems. This is why it is so important to get help to break the cycle of abuse; it can be difficult to overcome these issues on your own.
Here’s the really great news: abstinence can reverse this damage! When you get sober, your brain will continually recover from the damage alcohol caused, and you’ll see significant improvements in previously impaired skills5.
The sooner you get help, the more damage you can prevent and even reverse.
Physical Consequences of Alcoholism
Alcoholism also causes countless problems in the body. You’ve probably heard many of these before, but we can’t emphasize the risk enough: these problems can, and eventually will, kill you if you do not get help.
That said, abstinence and treatment can help you stop this damage in its tracks and allow you to recover—it is possible to escape the trap!
Problematic drinking can cause7:
Serious heart and circulation issues, like high blood pressure and strokes.
Extensive organ damage, like liver problems and pancreatitis (a condition where the pancreas gets so inflamed that it can affect digestion and release toxic digestive fluids into the body).
Severe immune suppression, meaning you are more susceptible to diseases and viruses, such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, and even something as common as the flu.
Alcohol abuse has even been linked to various types of cancer, including mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and breast cancer7.
All of these physical effects are considered primary effects because they are a direct result of drinking too much, too often. There are other, more hidden, health dangers that are considered secondary effects of alcohol abuse because they are an indirect result of alcoholism. These include:
Infections.
Irregular periods.
Loss of appetite/poor nutrition.
This is the main cause of one of the most severe forms of alcoholism damage: Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, an extreme form of alcohol-related brain damage that results in severe dementia, loss of memory, hallucinations, loss of balance control, and a general inability to live independently17.
Once Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome takes hold, it’s extremely difficult to treat; some people have lasting neurologic problems that only partially respond or don’t respond at all to treatment. But you can stop this vicious cycle before it takes away your life! Getting help, no matter what stage of alcoholism you’re in, can stop these effects in their tracks and allow your body to heal. Don’t wait to hit rock bottom before reaching out to someone.
What Are the Treatment Options for Alcohol Abuse?
Treatment for alcoholism involves multiple stages: detox, treatment, and aftercare.
Alcohol Detox Programs
Detoxification, or detox, from alcohol means clearing all of the alcohol out of your body, a process that can actually be deadly when not done right. Alcohol is one of the few substances that has a potentially lethal withdrawal syndrome, so make sure you get medical care when you detox.
This is so important that we cannot emphasize it enough. GET MEDICAL HELP. Doctors know how to treat the serious symptoms that can accompany detox from alcohol. You alone cannot manage the symptoms that may arise, which include seizures.
Detox from alcohol will be extremely unpleasant. You’re likely to experience a wide range of discomforts due to alcohol withdrawal. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms occur because your body gets so used to having alcohol that it destabilizes and starts to need alcohol just to feel “normal”. This is a major reason many alcoholics do not seek help: the risk of relapse is extremely high during alcohol withdrawal, and many people experience symptoms that are so hard to deal with that they’re willing to turn back to drinking simply to make them stop.
The best way to handle the discomfort and danger of withdrawal is medical care. Again, this is extremely important. Doctors can prescribe medications to ease the distressing withdrawal symptoms to make detox a little easier and a lot more approachable for an alcoholic who wants to take back their life. They can also monitor you for any complications and take care of you if something serious should happen. Detox is always the first, and often the most unpleasant, step when it comes to alcohol recovery, but you don’t have to go through it alone.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can occur within hours of the last drink, depending on the severity of the alcohol addiction18. Withdrawal symptoms tend to peak by 24 to 72 hours, but can last for weeks18. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms include18:
Exhaustion.
Nightmares.
Difficulty thinking clearly.
Irritability.
Mood swings.
Anxiety.
Depression.
Jumpiness.
Headache.
Insomnia.
Nausea.
Vomiting.
Sweating.
Clammy skin.
Body shakes.
Symptoms from detox and withdrawal from alcohol will definitely be uncomfortable but they might also be serious and life-threatening.
In cases of severe alcoholism, a serious, dangerous, and potentially deadly form of alcohol withdrawal can develop called delirium tremens. Delirium tremens can cause18:
Fever.
Hallucinations.
Profound confusion.
Agitation.
Seizures (which can be fatal).
Everyone’s body reacts differently to alcohol detox, so make sure you are safe when you decide to get clean. We understand it’s difficult, but trust us (and the many others who are in recovery)—it’s worth it.
Different Levels of Care for Detoxing from Alcohol
There are varying levels of care offered in detox programs, such as:
Outpatient detox.
Hospital detox.
Inpatient detox, which includes medically-assisted therapy.
Outpatient detox is when you work through program-guided detox while still living at home. These programs require that you check in regularly with the program for treatment sessions. How often you go to these treatment sessions will vary by your own needs and treatment plan. Some, like intensive outpatient programs (IOPs), even require that you take urine tests to ensure that you are staying sober throughout the process.
Hospital detox is exactly what it sounds like: you detox in a hospital. The close medical supervision that a hospital can provide is good for alcohol detox, but the lack of high-value one-on-one psychological care can leave a recovering alcoholic soaking in the negative psychological state that alcohol detox can cause. That being said, in cases of extremely severe or complicated withdrawal, an intensive hospital setting, at least initially, might be the only way to stabilize and guide a patient through a safe detox.”
Inpatient detox is the safest option for a withdrawing alcoholic because it offers around-the-clock medical and psychological care to make sure you are as comfortable as possible during the process. Many inpatient programs offer medically-assisted detox, which means they can give you medicines to help ease the unpleasant side effects that those first few days of sobriety can bring. These medications can make a huge difference for an alcoholic working through detox. All-in-all, inpatient care is the safest and most comfortable option for detox from alcohol.
Alcohol Treatment Programs
Treatment for alcoholism comes in many forms to fit the many different individuals that struggle with this disease. Not only will programs differ in terms of the type of program (inpatient vs. outpatient), they will also vary in their therapeutic approach to treatment, meaning the methods they utilize to treat the addiction.
When selecting a program, one of the first choices you’ll have to make is whether you want to go to an outpatient program or an inpatient program. Outpatient treatment means that you continue to live and sleep at home, checking in on a regular basis for treatment sessions at the facility. This means you may still be living in the same environment that you were drinking in, so outpatient programs require that you have strong self-motivation to stay sober.
On the other hand, inpatient treatment provides you with a sober escape as you work through recovery. When you enter an inpatient program, you will be staying at the facility for the duration of treatment. This means you will have medical and psychological care 24/7 in a totally alcohol-free environment.
It is important to take the time to find a program that fits your own treatment needs. For example, maybe you know that staying at home could trigger you to start drinking again. In this case, you’ll probably want to go into an inpatient program, where you’ll have a welcome escape from the temptations of day-to-day life while you work through recovery.
Types of Therapy for Alcoholics
There are many types of therapy that alcohol addiction treatment programs may use. Rarely does a single approach work for everyone, so consider what motivates and inspires sobriety for you before saying yes to a program.
Some common therapeutic approaches used in treatment for alcoholism include:
Cognitive behavioral therapy: Helps you examine your drinking problem by looking closely at the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that led you to drink.
Contingency management: Also known as “motivational incentives,” this approach gives you direct rewards for achieving treatment goals, and the rewards get better the longer you stay sober.
Family therapy: Some programs insist that you involve loved ones in the healing process, because alcoholism affects the people around you almost as much as it affects you and it can be tough to stay sober amid troubled relationships. Often, alcoholism relates to interpersonal issues, so it can make a lot of sense to include the people you love (and whose lives have been impacted by this disease) in your therapy sessions.
12-step integration: Many programs encourage attending 12-step meetings at the same time as working through the treatment program. These programs follow 12 steps toward accepting and coping with the disease of alcoholism and provide an excellent source of community support for recovering alcoholics.
Aftercare Options for Alcoholics
Recovering from an addiction to alcohol doesn’t just happen. It takes constant work, and it doesn’t stop when you complete your formal treatment program. Many treatment centers will help you find good quality aftercare programs to engage with once you leave rehab. Aftercare can help you resist relapse and stay sober longer19. There are even free aftercare options that can provide solid sobriety support as you re-adjust to day-to-day living.
One of the aftercare options that many recovering alcoholics have found especially helpful is sober living, or halfway houses. These are safe housing options that are drug- and alcohol-free so you can ease your way out of the treatment program rather than jumping back into your daily life which is likely to be full of temptations to drink. Unfortunately, alcohol is such a huge part of socializing for many people that it can be difficult to jump into non-sober living when you’re still fresh in recovery. Sober living can provide a community of recovering people where you feel understood and supported in your abstinence.
Another excellent, and very helpful, option for aftercare is to continue to attend therapy. You may want to work one-on-one with a therapist in individual therapy, or perhaps the group counseling worked better for you. Some people find that each of these helps in a different way, so they attend both individual and group therapy. Working through therapy even after treatment can help you maintain your momentum in staying sober by continually developing your skills to resist relapse, analyzing your own drinking habits to find ways to make different choices, and healing interpersonal relationships and issues that may have contributed to your alcohol abuse in the first place.
The cheapest rehab aftercare option is to enroll in recovery support groups, which are often entirely free. Many of these programs are organized and run by former addicts and alcoholics, so you will find a community of other people in recovery that can understand your struggle and support your abstinence. 12-step groups—specifically Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous—are examples of one type of recovery support group, but many non-spiritual groups are also available, including:
SMART Recovery.
Recovery International.
Recovery 2.0.
Moderation Management.
How to Pay for Treatment for Alcohol Abuse
The cost of rehab can seem overwhelming, but there are always ways to help you afford treatment, and this price will be much less than the price you will pay if you allow your alcoholism to progress—hospital bills, legal fees, bar tabs, bottle costs, and the countless health and personal issues that will undoubtedly arise. And remember if you keep abusing alcohol, the ultimate price could be your life. Always remember that your recovery is worth so much more than a price tag.
You have options when you need to pay for alcohol rehab. Some very fortunate people can afford to pay the full bill upfront, but most will need to work out a payment plan to help them cover the costs. The first thing you shouldcheck is whether your insurance (if you have it) covers substance abuse treatment. Many plans will cover at least some part of treatment, so be sure to call your provider and ask them about your specific plan coverage.
If you do not have insurance, there are many ways that you can afford to get the help you need. Many programs have financial policies that can help to either lower the cost of treatment or to help spread the cost out over time so you can begin your recovery right away but pay for it over multiple months. These policies can help ease the financial burden of getting help to keep rehab accessible. Be sure to ask the programs that you’re considering about their payment plan options.
You may also want to ask about sliding scale costs, which means the program will adjust the total cost according to your ability to pay. This means that people with a lower level of income will have their treatment costs lowered to help them afford treatment. These kinds of policies work toward evening the playing field for all people seeking help, regardless of income. Treatment isn’t only for the rich.
Beyond payment and cost adjustments, you might consider paying for alcohol abuse treatment by credit card or loan. Depending on your credit limit, you could cover all or at least part of the treatment costs right away so you can pay off the cost over time. This is also true for loans, and there are specialized credit cards and loans relating specifically to healthcare costs. Just make sure you pay these debts off as quickly as possible because the interest rates for these kinds of debts tend to be very high, meaning in the end you will likely have paid much more than the original cost of treatment.
Another option to help you cover treatment costs is to look for scholarships or grants. Some programs offer scholarships, so be sure to ask the treatment center about any financial aid options you can apply for. On top of this, there are other public and private organizations that offer financial help for recovering alcoholics. The extra effort of searching for available scholarships can make a huge difference in your final cost.
FAQs About Alcoholism & Treatment
Can an alcohol treatment program cure my alcoholism?
As of now, there is no known cure for addiction. The good news, however, is that there is recovery and remission from active alcohol abuse through various proven, evidence-based treatment methods. An alcohol rehab will help you work through various types of therapy so you can learn how to live without alcohol. It will also focus on teaching life skills and relapse prevention techniques, both of which are key to staying sober in the long-term.
Do I need to go to detox before going to rehab for my drinking problem?
Almost always, those with a significant history of abusing alcohol will need to go through medical detox before entering an alcohol rehab program. Alcohol is one of the few drugs where a person can die from withdrawal, so it is important that you get supervised care during this time, whether at a treatment facility or other medical setting. Safely weaning your body off alcohol is an absolute must, and you should not attempt to do it alone.
What happens during detox?
During the detox process, you can expect to be seen by a medical doctor who specializes in detox protocols and who can safeguard your health as your body goes through alcohol withdrawal. The doctor might prescribe sedative medication—such as Librium or Valium—to help you safely wean off alcohol. Understand that these medications will help to decrease the intensity of your symptoms but they won’t completely stop the discomfort of withdrawal. You’ll still likely experience some level of distress in the first several days.
Don’t worry; the withdrawal symptoms do not last and you will eventually feel better. Adopting a healthy diet and consuming the nutrients your body has likely been missing will help make for a quicker physical recovery.
If I don’t drink every day and I still have job/pay all my bills, do I still need rehab?
It’s not our place to tell you whether you are an alcoholic and need rehab, but there are various signs and symptoms that we have reviewed in this guide that can help you conclude whether you need treatment. There are many ways that alcoholism can affect a person’s life, and even if you do not fit the image of the stereotypical alcoholic, you might still have a problem. While you may be able to juggle your life for a while as your drinking progresses, the feelings and cravings that come with addiction to alcohol can be difficult or impossible to manage, and this is when you may need to seek help.
If you’re worried you’re an alcoholic, there’s a good chance you probably have a problem with drinking. Take a look at your life. Is your drinking causing problems with your health, your personal life, or your relationships? If it is but you’re unable to stop, you might be an alcoholic. Call our treatment support specialists at
1-877-490-4739
Who Answers?
if you’re thinking that you might need to reach out for help. They can discuss your options with you and get you started on a path to sobriety once and for all.
How can I pay for a rehab program? Will insurance cover it?
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), substance abuse treatment must be covered to the same extent as other medical treatments. This means that the level of care can vary from state to state and by insurance plan. If you do have private health insurance (including plans through the ACA Marketplace) call us today at
1-877-490-4739
Who Answers?
and one of our treatment support specialists will help you find a program that works with your insurance policy and fits your individual needs.
If you do not have insurance, don’t worry! There are various options such as cash pay, sliding-scale fees, payment plans, financing services, and fundraising options to help you pay for an alcohol treatment program. Visit our How to Pay for Rehab page to learn more about these options.
How long does alcohol rehab last?
In the past, most treatment programs were known for being 28 days, but now you can expect to be in an alcohol rehab program for anywhere from 30-60 (sometimes even 90) days for a short-term inpatient program. That doesn’t include the detoxification period, which can last approximately 7-14 days, depending on whether you used any other drugs while drinking, how long you’ve been drinking, and your overall health.
Longer-term programs that last anywhere from 3 months to a year are also available for those who wish to remain in treatment for an extended period while they work out issues that led to their alcohol use. These programs are especially great for those with severe alcohol addictions who feel that returning home too soon may lead to a relapse and who need continued support in an alcohol-free environment. They are also good options for people who have completed short-term treatment in the past but returned to drinking.
Should I travel for alcohol treatment? What are the benefits?
Many addiction treatment professionals believe that traveling for treatment can be very beneficial to the recovery process. People, places and activities associated with your home environment can be extremely triggering, and getting far away from the daily environment that nurtured your drinking can help you to focus completely on getting and staying sober. Apart from that, sometimes the best program for you simply isn’t in your current location, and you should never sacrifice your recovery for the sake of convenience.
If you want to get out of your environment but you find that you cannot travel due to financial limitations or family obligations, you can still find a program within your state but outside the area where you have been living (and drinking). Your recovery is your number one priority, so don’t hesitate to travel if it means getting the right care!
How do I know if inpatient or outpatient treatment is right for me?
When it comes to determining the level of care that is right for you, it may be best to seek guidance from a treatment consultant or addiction professional, although there are other factors that can determine which level of care will be best for your unique situation. Many times, insurance companies will dictate which level of care you qualify for, based on criteria and coverage for each.
When it comes to alcoholism, often some form of inpatient detoxification will be essential due to alcohol’s dangerous withdrawal syndrome. After detox, whether you continue on with an inpatient or outpatient program will depend on factors like how much care you need, how long you’ve been dependent on alcohol, whether you can leave your home to get 24-hour care, your ability to pay for rehab, and your insurance coverage.
Contact one of our program support professionals today at
1-877-490-4739
Who Answers?
to discuss the type of treatment that is right for you.
Can I talk to/see my loved ones while I’m in treatment for alcoholism?
Most alcohol rehab programs aim to limit your amount of contact with the outside world so you can give 100% attention to your recovery. However, each facility has their own rules and regulations regarding correspondence and visitation.
You can typically expect to be able to speak with your loved ones in the presence of a therapist or treatment center employee in limited time spans, but for the most part the point of alcohol treatment is to help you begin your personal journey of recovery from alcoholism without distraction.
Will I get fired if I tell my employer I need treatment for alcoholism?
If you are struggling with alcoholism, there’s a pretty good chance your boss already suspects something is wrong. The truth is, you’re more likely to get fired if you don’t get treatment than if you do. Oftentimes, employers will be supportive of your recovery efforts if you reach out for help, and many companies offer employee assistance programs (EAPs) for employees struggling with personal hardships, including substance abuse. Generally, if you take the initiative to use your company’s EAP, you can get help without disclosing your problem to your boss. But if you wait to seek treatment and your work suffers because of your drinking, you could lose your job.
Another option is to take treatment leave time protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which allows for 12 work weeks of unpaid leave in a 12-month period for serious health conditions. Many employers qualify substance abuse as a serious health condition under FMLA, so make sure you ask about this option. Don’t hesitate to tap into your company’s resources for getting help! It’s always better to go to treatment (even if you’re embarrassed about admitting your problem) than to let addiction destroy your life.
What happens once I leave rehab?
An alcohol treatment program is just the beginning of overcoming alcoholism. Many facilities utilize self-help recovery program education and participation as part of their treatment programs. This can include introduction to 12 step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or other, non-12-step recovery programs like SMART Recovery. Engaging in aftercare programs while you work through continued therapy increases your chances of achieving long-term sobriety. Another option that many have found useful for preventing relapse is living in a sober home, which is a specialized living space free of alcohol that holds its residents accountable to living by house rules and staying sober, while continuing to teach life skills that enable long-term abstinence. Sober community living can also help you overcome cravings and provide a structured environment to help you relearn how to live without alcohol.
Along with a personal program of recovery, many people who seek treatment for alcohol abuse also participate in an alumni program. These programs allow clients to continue to share their journey of recovery with each other and provide opportunities to partake in weekly or monthly alumni meetings and occasional alumni events.
Get Help for Alcoholism & Find Recovery Today
While alcoholism rates remain frighteningly high, there is hope on the horizon. The number of people suffering from alcohol dependence decreased by almost half a million between 2014 and 2015, and we hope to see this trend continue1. On top of this, nearly 2.5 million people got help for their alcoholism in 20151! There is always hope for you, all you have to do is reach out. We are available 24/7 at
1-877-490-4739
Who Answers?
and will help you find the best treatment program so you can break the cycle of alcoholism. Don’t wait any longer; call us today and get started on your recovery journey!
