Common symptoms of alcohol abuse or dependence include neglecting responsibilities, putting yourself in dangerous situations when drinking, and getting into trouble related to your drinking. Outpatient treatment centers offers counseling, group therapy and alcohol abuse education to people who have a desire to stop drinking.
What is Outpatient Treatment
Outpatient alcohol treatment is a daytime program that offers people the opportunity to receive counseling and alcohol-abuse education so that they can achieve sobriety. You do not have to be an alcoholic to go to outpatient treatment; you should have a desire to stop drinking.
Why You May Need Outpatient Treatment
Most people cannot quit drinking on their own. Hazelden, one of the world’s largest drug-treatment facilities, recommends using a process called CAGE for determining whether you think you should seek treatment. CAGE is an acronym for: cut down, annoyed, guilty and eye opener. Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking? Are you annoyed by comments people make about your drinking? Have you ever felt guilty about your drinking? Have you ever needed to take a drink first thing in the morning as an eye opener to steady your nerves or treat a hangover? Answering yes to at least two of these questions, according to Hazelden indicates, “You are at risk of having a problem with alcohol."
According to Helpguide.org, a not-for-profit organization developed by therapists and social workers, more than seven drinks per week for a woman and more than 14 drinks per week for a man is considered problematic.
What to Look For in a Treatment Center
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers a list of questions to consider when looking for a treatment center. Ask the facility if they accept your insurance or if they will work with you on a payment plan. Be sure that the program is state-accredited and staffed by professionals. Find out what their long-term and aftercare plans are like. Does the program offer medication if appropriate for your treatment needs?
What to Expect at a Treatment Center
When you check in to an outpatient program, you will have an intake interview with a substance abuse counselor. She will evaluate the level of your problem and determine your treatment plan. Note that if you experience certain withdrawal symptoms, the facility may recommend that you first complete detoxification prior to outpatient treatment.
Your counselor will determine how long after reducing alcohol intake you begin experience symptoms of withdraw and what your symptoms are. StopDrinkingAdvice.org explains that you’re likely to feel restless, lack concentration, experience hand tremors, fatigue, irritability, depression and more.
How Treatment Will Help
In outpatient treatment, you will be among peers: people who also abuse alcohol and desire to stop drinking. Peers play a large role in helping one another achieve sobriety. In an article published in 2008 by News Times, a newspaper in Danbury, Conn., addiction counselor Liz Jorgensen reports, “I have found that positive peer support is the difference between people staying sober and … those who chronically relapse from the disease.”
Sources:
National Institute on Drug Abuse, *"Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction" (accessed on July 14, 2010)
HelpGuide.org, *"Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse" (accessed on July 14, 2010)
New Times, *"Peer Support Vital in Overcoming Addictions" (accessed on July 14, 2010)
Shannon Marks - Shannon Marks is a writer living in Austin, Texas. She spent most of the 90s and 2000's living in New York City where she was an editor at ...
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