Inpatient Treatment Programs For Alcoholism example essay topic

Alcoholism, also known as "alcohol dependence", is a disease that is characterized by the following symptoms: Craving - a strong need, or compulsion to drink Loss of control - the inability to limit one's drinking on any given occassion Physical dependence - the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness and anxiety, when alcohol use is stoped after a period of heavy drinking Tolerance - the need for increasing amounts of alcohol in order to get "high" Alcoholism is a chronic, often progressive disease with symptoms that include a strong need to drink despite negative consequences, such as serious job or health problems. Like many diseases it has a generally predictable course, has recognized symptoms and is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Alcoholism is an equal opportunity disease, striking persons of every economic class and race, both genders and many ages. Private treatment for alcoholism and drug abuse expanded greatly beginning in the late 1970's. Between 1978 and 1984 the number of beds in private alcoholism treatment centers more than quadrupled.

In the 1980's, hospitalization of adolescents in private psychiatric facilities for drug and alcohol jumped 450 percent. This has resulted in a tremendous cost, to individuals and the nation. Alcohol is a contributing factor in up to 1/3 of road traffic accidents and complicates up to 20 percent of general hospital admissions. Alcoholism is the third leading health problem in the United States.

Inpatient treatment programs for alcoholism are basically approached using similar methods among all facilities. Facilities utilize a multi-disciplinary team of certified counselors and medical professionals to achieve two main objectives, 1. Arrest the disease 2. Provide the needed support to the recovery process Inpatient length of stays can range from twenty-one to ninety days. Inpatient treatment only for detoxification is generally three to four days.

Following are the six main components of inpatient treatment programs. 1.) Assessment and Treatment Planning 2.) Education 3.) Individual Therapy 4.) Group Therapy 5.) Family Therapy 6.) Introduction to Self-Help Programs Quitting drinking is only the first step in recovering from alcoholism. Learning to live without alcohol requires adjustment in attitudes, values and lifestyles. Abstinence is the absence of alcohol, sobriety is a way of life. Recovery begins where formal treatment leaves off, and this lifelong process never ends. ONLINE SOURCES Betty Ford Center, web Quest Publishing Co., Inc., web The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information, web National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NI ), web University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center, web ARTICLE, MAGAZINE The Harvard Mental Health Letter, December 1996, 38-50. (no vol. or issue number).