Alcoholism is a chronic, progressive disorder. Alcoholism is characterized by problems regulating the amount of alcohol consumed, preoccupation with alcohol, requiring more alcohol to achieve the same level of intoxication, and continuing to drink despite the negative consequences in your life. Some people who try to cut down alcohol consumption after long-term drinking may experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.
Our culture places immense value on bonding over drinking, so many people associate drinking with having a good time. However, for some people occasional drinking can turn into alcohol addiction or alcoholism very quickly, especially when trying to numb out emotional pain or relieve stress. When this happens, you may feel powerless over your drinking despite the problems it has caused.
Alcoholism can lead to many devastating consequences in your life. You may lose your job, get kicked out of school, have problems in your relationships, and develop health problems. It may seem impossible to crawl out of the bottle. At Abilene, we understand that alcoholism is only a fraction of the problem and we’re ready to help you crawl out of the bottle and face your life a newly sober individual.
Why Choose Inpatient Care at Abilene
At Abilene, we understand the complex nature of alcoholism and dual diagnosis – the combination of alcoholism and another mental illness. We understand how these separate problems combine to create a much bigger challenge for you and we’re ready to help you get to the root of your problem drinking.
The prospect of entering an inpatient detox and alcoholism program can be daunting and we’re here to guide you through every step of your recovery. We’ll do our best to alleviate your fears and help you feel comfortable as you explore your issues with us.
When you come to us, we’ll spend a good deal of time getting to know you and all of the underlying problems you face in a safe and supportive environment. We’ll help you to create a comprehensive treatment plan that includes appropriate aftercare and relapse prevention techniques to ensure your continued treatment and sobriety.
If you require detoxification, you will receive it under the care of experienced medical professionals to maximize safety while managing any co-occurring disorders and health-related concerns you may have. At Abilene, we strive to ensure that your treatment and recovery works for you. Our chemical dependency program is designed after the 12-step model for addiction and we strongly encourage your continued participation in A.A and N.A. meetings during your recovery.
At Abilene, we will treat you with the utmost dignity and respect as you work toward a sober life. We’ll be behind you every step of the way.
Program Philosophy and Benefits
At Abilene, we aim to treat each person who comes to us as an individual who requires quality and supportive care based upon their needs. We work hard to restore hope to those who may feel powerless over their condition in our warm, empathetic environment.
Our goal is to make sure that we understand you and your unique situation, include your family and loved ones in your treatment and teach you constructive ways to manage your life stressors so that you can return to your community a happy and healthy individual.
Treatment for Alcoholism at Abilene
At Abilene, our dual diagnosis program has been created for people who have a chemical dependency and psychiatric diagnosis and our focus will be to treat both disorders as you work toward recovery. Studies show that the best way to begin treatment of alcohol abuse is to use a combination of medication therapy along with traditional therapeutic modalities.
When you come to us, you will first be assessed to ascertain whether or not you are physically dependent upon alcohol or other substances. If you require our detoxification program, we will supervise your withdrawal from alcohol or other substances and manage the associated symptoms as your body is rid of these substances. Our medical team will work to ensure that you are medically stable before transitioning into our inpatient program.
Medication may be used at the beginning of your treatment to help reduce symptoms of withdrawal and to manage co-occurring disorders. This medication regime may be used in the short-term, until you learn better coping skills, or long-term, if your co-occurring disorder dictates. You will work with your treatment team to determine what is best for you.
In addition to medication management, your treatment team will work alongside you to determine which types of therapeutic management will work best for your conditions. Our chemical dependency program is based upon the 12-step model for addiction. It’s likely that your treatment plan will include a variety of therapeutic approaches.
Individual therapy will be used to help teach you more about your alcoholism and help you identify triggers that may induce a relapse. We will work with you on steps to prevent a relapse as well as teach you more positive coping mechanisms.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy that takes the negative ways in which you may view the world and turns them into more productive thoughts. Rather than think, “Recovery is hopeless, I will always be an alcoholic,” your therapist would help you see that thinking, “I am working on my recovery one day at a time.” By changing your negative thought patterns, you can change your behaviors.
Rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT) is another form of empirically-based therapy we use at Abilene. REBT focuses upon resolving emotional and behavioral issues and disturbances so that you can lead a happier and more fulfilling life.
Group therapy is a very important part of our dual diagnosis program at Abilene as it allows you to connect with other individuals who are experiencing similar problems. We offer process-based groups that will allow for a safe discussion of co-occurring disorders and alcoholism and psychoeducational groups that will teach you more about your addiction and relapse prevention.
Family therapy is a very important part of our therapy as we know chemical dependency is a family disease. Family sessions will focus on the problems addiction has caused in the family as well as family dynamics that may have contributed to the development of the addiction. Your loved ones will have a chance to share their feelings and learn coping mechanisms for dealing with alcoholism. We will connect your loved ones with community resources such as Al-Anon to allow for continued healing.
At Abilene, we believe in treating the whole person and provide alternative complimentary programs in addition to traditional therapeutic modalities. These include:
- Yoga
- Music therapy
- A.A. and N.A
- Spiritual counseling
- Recreational programs
Continuing Care – What Happens Next?
From the moment you arrive in our center, we will begin evaluation to determine how best to proceed in your aftercare plan. Many individuals opt to join our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) or Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) which are used as a step-down for our inpatient treatment. These programs are adjusted to meet the needs of our population and meet the needs of your specific treatment plan.
We strongly encourage individuals who struggle with alcoholism and other chemical dependencies to participate in 12-step programs such as A.A. and N.A. as these programs have much empirical support to prove efficacy. If you are discharging straight to home, we will provide you aftercare in our outpatient center or connect you with a local provider to allow for continued treatment and healing.
If you or someone you love are struggling with alcoholism, please call Abilene to speak to one of our licensed clinicians for a free confidential assessment. We can help determine your next steps.