Types of Alcoholism Treatment

Published September 2, 2010

Types of Alcoholism Treatment

In many alcoholism rehab clinics, your treatment programme will encompass numerous different types of therapies. Following your assessment, a bespoke treatment programme will often be designed for you personally.

The types of alcohol addiction treatment include:

Counselling
Group sessions
Alternative therapy
Meditation
Aftercare
Discussions with staff

Counselling and therapy

Individual counselling is often available from a professional counsellor. The counsellor should be registered with a professional body such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

It’s likely you’ll be able to meet with the counsellor between one and three days per week. As well as addressing your alcohol problems in these sessions, you’ll also be able to talk about any other issues which may be contributing to your alcohol dependence problems. These issues may include:

Stress
Depression
Anxiety
Guilt
Bereavement
Trauma
Relationship difficulties

Meeting with a counsellor will give you a chance to open up and explore problems in an open and confidential setting of trust.

You may well also have the opportunity to have therapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy, where you focus on breaking habits, interrogating why you behave in certain ways and developing ways to manage your own behaviour better.

Group sessions

As well as undergoing individual counselling and therapy, many rehab clinics also provide and encourage group sessions.

Group sessions help clients to be aware of the widest range of possible triggers and also to share experiences and coping strategies.

Alternative therapies

Many alcohol addiction treatment centres offer alternative therapies as well as traditional ones. These include:

Indian massage
Reflexology
Reiki
Aromatherapy

Depending on their approach, some rehab centres also offer meditation. Many people find this helps them to focus, and to understand and fight cravings.

Aftercare

Aftercare is an important part of any alcohol treatment programme as it helps people to adjust to an addiction-free existence in a real-life setting. Aftercare support includes individual and group sessions, as well as meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous.

In addition to real-life meetings, many clients find it useful to get involved in online forums and support networks once they are back at home.

Contact individual rehab clinics to find out exactly what therapies and treatments they offer as part of their alcohol addiction programme.

Abbeycare Foundation is a large residential alcohol treatment clinic based in the tranquil Scottish countryside. It is the only alcohol-specific private addiction centre in the UK.