Outpatient Alcohol Treatment
Outpatient alcohol treatment is available for those alcohol addicts whose addiction to alcohol is not of a severe nature. These programs are also designed for alcoholics who have undergone the primary stages of inpatient treatment. A popular treatment for alcoholics all over the United States, there are plenty of facilities that provide this particular type of treatment, although there is not enough evidence to support the benefits derived through it.
Some outpatient alcohol treatment programs are made up of just weekly therapy sessions usually held during evenings, so that the recovering alcoholic may go about his or her day in a normal manner.
A typical outpatient alcohol treatment program would consist of counseling sessions, both as an individual and as a group member, alcohol education, support for near and dear ones, and case management. Though these programs do not ask for overnight stay at the facility, the sessions are as serious as the residential ones, often asking the addict for a commitment of four to five hours daily, all through the week.
Outpatient alcohol treatment programs make use of a number of different methods to treat the patient, like cognitive behavior therapy, the twelve-step recovery program, motivation enhancement therapy, problem-solving groups and specialized therapies like psychotherapy, as and when applicable on a case to case basis. Outpatient alcohol treatment programs encourage the patients to work closely in groups. This is an extremely beneficial approach since it allows the group members to receive and lend support, by sharing their personal stories, their triumphs and failures, dreams and troubles.
Almost all alcohol treatment centers in the United States have outpatient alcohol treatment programs, so locating one that is convenient should not be too much of a hassle. If you do have trouble finding one, you can call the 24-hour treatment referral service of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment or CSAT – their toll-free number is 1-800-487-4889. You can also turn to the American Council on Alcoholism for help by dialing 800-527-5344, since they can provide you with information on outpatient rehab centers anywhere in the United States. You can also dial 800-662-HELP for assistance from the National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing Service.
There are a number of alternate treatment programs that you can look at, apart from the traditional Alcoholics Anonymous ones. For instance, the Secular Organizations for Sobriety or SOS has outpatient alcohol treatment programs for those who are not comfortable with the spiritual leanings of AA programs.