Alcohol Center

The following information on alcohol centres has been prepared under the supervision of Consultant Addiction Psychiatrist Dr Bruce Trathen MBBS MRCPsych, and Senior Addictions Therapist David Goodlad FRSPH MA Dip. MBACP (Snr. Accred) UKRC NCAC CADC.

Accessing reliable and accurate information on alcohol centres can be confusing and time consuming. Triage Advisors are here to help you make fully informed and accurate decisions. Call 0117 339 0080.

What is an Alcohol Center?

An alcohol center is where an alcohol dependent individual will go in order to receive a treatment for their addiction. Typically, individuals who access an alcohol addiction clinic are physically dependent on alcohol. This means that it is not safe for them to stop drinking without any medication or medical support; such support is available at alcoholic clinics. An alcohol center aims to deliver a medicated detox to people who require it, and makes the detox period as safe and as comfortable as possible.

An alcohol center accessed on a residential basis will differ from other forms of treatment as it is on an inpatient basis. This is because people will have access to help from highly trained medical, therapeutic and support staff throughout the day and night at alcoholic clinics. This is not typically something that can be provided when trying to detox from alcohol at home. Therefore, treatment at an alcohol center is always the preferred option for alcohol addiction.

Following a detox an alcohol center can offer intensive psychological support and therapy. Individuals may have some access to this during their detox, however the longer they are able to commit to treatment at an alcohol clinic means the longer they can access support for the psychological dependence that is present in all addictions.

The psychological and therapeutic support offered at most alcohol clinics comprises a mixture of one-to-one therapy and group therapy, reflection activities (e.g. journal keeping), and education around addiction, amongst others. Most alcohol centres will also offer holistic and relaxation therapies, such as acupuncture, reflexology and yoga. Some alcohol clinics will also have access to leisure facilities on-site or nearby.

The majority of alcohol centres will also offer aftercare as part of their programme package. Aftercare is a vital part of the recovery process. This is because individuals need ongoing support upon leaving an alcohol clinic in order to continue making progress and reiterate relapse prevention strategies. Similarly, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings should also be attended after treatment at an alcohol clinic for ongoing peer support. These meetings will also offer a continuation of work on the 12 steps programme offered in the majority of alcohol centers.

Alcohol addiction centres will vary in terms of the programmes offered. As well as following the 12 step abstinence based model, most alcohol addiction centres will also provide clients with additional cognitive behavioural and motivational interviewing therapies. Other programmes available at some alcohol addiction clinics include Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprogramming (EMDR) and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). Some alcohol addiction clinics will also offer equine assisted therapy because of its benefits in rebuilding trust and confidence in people with an addiction.

The majority of alcohol addiction clinics will also cater for drug addictions as well, such as heroin, cannabis and cocaine, amongst others. An alcohol addiction clinic may also cater for behavioural addictions such as gambling, gaming and shopping addictions. Other problems that an alcohol addiction clinic can sometimes provide treatment for include eating disorders, anxiety and depression. Call us now for further advice on treatment options for addiction. We will help you find an alcohol addiction centre that can cater for your needs.

When should someone be admitted to an alcohol Abuse Center?

Alcohol centers should be attended if someone is physically dependent to alcohol. Typically, women who drink more that 70 units and men who drink more that 100 units of alcohol in a week are at risk of physical dependence to alcohol and may experience withdrawal symptoms.  According to Trathen et al. (2008) in Guidelines for the Best Practice Treatment of Substance Misuse, these symptoms can include sweating, shaking and nausea, amongst others. These can progress into seizures, hallucinations and other symptoms of delirium tremens if left untreated. Alcohol centers are necessary in these cases because these symptoms are potentially life-threatening. The medication and continuous support offered at alcohol centers is done so in order to minimize and effectively cope with these risks.

Even if a physical dependence is not present, individuals will still benefit enormously from the psychological and therapeutic support available at alcohol centers. Staying in an environment that people associate with alcohol rather than the supportive setting of an alcohol addiction clinic can be extremely challenging when trying to quit. The secure, professional and peer supported environment provided at alcohol centers is an excellent way in which this can be overcome.

If you suspect that you or your loved one has a physical and/or psychological dependence to alcohol and needs help from alcohol abuse clinics, then call us now. Our trained advisors can provide expert advice about alcohol abuse centers and other treatments that can help you overcome your dependence.

How long is an alcohol detox program

Detox at an alcohol clinic can take around 7 to 10 days. An alcohol clinic will not often recommend less time than this for medical purposes. Alcohol clinics will also offer psychological and therapeutic support during and after this. Therefore, the minimum recommended length of stay at an alcohol clinic is four weeks. People have the opportunity to stay for 12 weeks and longer at most alcohol clinics as well.

Where to find Alcohol Addiction Clinics in the UK

Triage Healthcare work with private alcoholic centres throughout the UK and abroad. Therefore, wherever you are and whatever you are looking for, we can help you find a way to access the support and treatment required to start your recovery. We have an in-depth knowledge of the full range of treatment services and programme options, and will advise you independently of any particular alcoholic centres.

Whilst it would clearly be preferable to have access to alcoholic clinics without having to pay for them, it is important to remember that there is an imbalance between availability of alcoholic clinics in the NHS and the demand in the community. Therefore, there can often be long waiting lists involved when trying to access alcoholic clinics. However, community based treatments and the attendance of fellowship meetings certainly stand individuals a better chance of recovery than by accessing no help at all although support via alcohol abuse centers would still be preferable.

In some cases, individuals may also be offered a home-based rehabilitation programme instead of treatment at alcohol abuse clinics. This may involve the prescription of detox medication followed by community-based psychological support opposed to inpatient alcohol addiction centre treatment. Although a choice some people may consider, detox at a private alcohol abuse centers is always advised primarily as it provides much more intensive medical, psychological, therapeutic and peer support, and its effectiveness over community based treatments is evidence-based (NTORS).

We understand that there may be concerns regarding treatment at an alcohol addiction centre, particularly in terms of cost, location and success. That is why we are here. We can advise you on alcohol addiction centres running individually tailored programmes. We can help all concerned decide on alcohol abuse clinics that are affordable to your budget. You can telephone to speak with us straight away in confidence or email us with the guarantee of a timely response about alcohol abuse centers.

We are staffed by highly experienced and expert professionals in addiction medicine and counselling and alcohol abuse centers, who are ethically bound to give you advice according to the latest evidence of what works, and who are not allowed to advise you according to a profit motive. Rather we will find you the best value alcohol addiction centre given your particular circumstances and wishes.

References

NTORS The National Treatment Outcome Research Study: Summary of the project, the clients, and preliminary findings: First Bulletin. (1996). Gossop, M., Marsden, J., Stewart, D., Edwards, C., Lehmann, P., Wilson, A., & Segar, G. Department of Health: London.

Guidelines for the best practice treatment of Substance Misuse (2008): Triage Healthcare: Canterbury, UK.