Author: James Anderson

Alcohol use disorder Treatment

Know that your provider will be there to support you, not to judge you. Your health care provider or mental health provider will ask additional questions based on your responses, symptoms and needs. Preparing and anticipating questions will help you make the most of your appointment time. Treatment for alcohol use disorder can vary, depending on your needs. Treatment may involve a brief intervention, individual or group counseling, an outpatient program, or a residential inpatient stay.

Residential rehab, where you live at a center, usually runs for 1-3 months. These are good if you have a more serious problem and struggle to stay sober. Be prepared to discuss any problems that alcohol may be causing. You may want to take a family member or friend along, if possible.

The symptoms can range from mild to severe, with the most severe being life-threatening. For example, if you have a medical or mental health condition, you’ll want services for that. Or if you’ve struggled for years and don’t have a strong support network, an inpatient program might make sense. Intensive outpatient treatment involves a scheduled series of visits that are longer and more in-depth than a traditional outpatient program. You may do this after partial hospitalization, detox, or residential rehab.

Intensive inpatient medical rehabs offer the highest level of care and monitoring. These programs can keep you safe and medically stable while you taper off dangerous drugs. Outpatient care, also called ambulatory care, might include medication-assisted withdrawal to make the process easier. If you’re detoxing from opioids, you might get methadone or buprenorphine. The main benefit of an outpatient detox program is that you get to stay in your own home but still have professional support. Outpatient programs also tend to be less expensive than inpatient ones.

Addiction: What to Know About Detox

In recent years, as the opioid epidemic has exploded, more hospitals have expanded their addiction services. Some people prefer to detox in the comfort of their own home. This option might also seem preferable if you don’t have insurance and can’t pay for a treatment program. Most addiction experts caution against the cold turkey approach. They suggest tapering, or slowly weaning off the drug, instead.

It affects about 50% of people with alcohol use disorder who stop or significantly decrease their alcohol intake. AUD is the most common substance use disorder in the U.S., affecting 28.8 million adults. But it may be possible to detox in a hospital without going through the ER.

Care at Mayo Clinic

Your health care providers will then taper you off these medications. Some people who don’t require a lot of supervision might simply check in with their regular doctor’s office or a home health agency at scheduled intervals during their detox. Some people attend a daytime program at a hospital or substance abuse treatment facility but go home at night. Severe and complicated alcohol withdrawal requires treatment in a hospital — sometimes in the ICU. While receiving treatment, healthcare providers will want to monitor you continuously to make sure you don’t develop life-threatening complications.

Inpatient medically monitored programs tend to be the most expensive option. But, if you don’t have insurance or the money to pay for this type of care, some inpatient detox programs serve people who can’t pay. If you have alcohol use disorder and want help, a healthcare provider can guide you to resources and rehabilitation programs to help you quit.

1. AUD is the most common substance use disorder in the U.S., affecting 28.8 million adults.
2. Intensive outpatient treatment involves a scheduled series of visits that are longer and more in-depth than a traditional outpatient program.
3. About 5% to 10% of people with this complication die from it.
4. If you aren’t a danger to yourself or others, and you can stay sober when you go home, other types of rehab may be a better fit for you.
5. It typically affects people with alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Inpatient usually offers more services, but it tends to cost more. Outpatient is a less-expensive option that’s generally safe and effective for people with mild or moderate alcohol withdrawal. It works best if your physical and mental health is good, your home is stable, you have support at home, and you don’t have a long history of problem drinking.

Charitable Care & Financial Assistance

Once you get back into the swing of your normal life, it might be easy to relapse and start drinking again. You have lots of options, including 12-step programs, private therapy, and group counseling. A program gives you support to guide you through the withdrawal. That often includes medicine to help ease symptoms as well as care for medical and mental health conditions.

Alcohol withdrawal can range from very mild symptoms to a severe form, known as delirium tremens. Your symptoms may last a week or more, typically hitting their worst within hours. You’re more likely to stick with a detox program when you have lots of help. Detox alone isn’t treatment, but it’s the first step to getting better for people who are dependent on alcohol. The taper period varies depending on how long you’ve been using the drug and how much you’ve been taking.