What Happens In An Outpatient Alcohol Treatment In California?

What Happens In An Outpatient Alcohol Treatment In California?

The outpatient alcohol treatment in California is a convenient treatment program for alcoholism. This treatment program is only for the people who are mild alcoholics or those who drink frequently and go overboard sometimes but not to extent which can be harmful. Also patients who have undergone a detox program for their alcohol abuse can use this program. This treatment can be used as method of aftercare and maintenance as during this phase, the outpatient treatment seems to work the best.

The alcohol treatment is popular due to the outpatient treatment program. In case of this treatment the patient can have a regular life along with the program. This method of treatment does not isolate the patient from friends and family as other treatment programs do. This can be possible only because the patient has to visit the treatment center only twice or thrice a week.

Below are the different approaches of an outpatient alcohol treatment in California:-

1. Group Education: The group education program is a motivator type of program. In this approach, around six to twelve people who are in the alcoholism treatment program come together and form a group. After forming the group, people are educated the about the bad effects of alcoholism and how it can have repercussions on various aspects of their life. They are also made to realize that alcoholism can be dangerous in more ways than they are aware of. At many outpatient centers for alcohol treatment in California, group education has become an integral element in the treatment program. People are educated about how they can actually come out of their addiction and lead a normal life.

2. Therapies: Many outpatient treatments programs for alcohol in California include therapies. These therapies include breathing exercises, simple forms of meditation, relaxation methods and even some forms of spiritual and faith based healing. These therapies train patients on how to inhibit their craving for alcohol. The main purpose of these therapies is to help people reduce the consumptions of alcohol and be relieved from their strong urges for alcohol.

3. Maintenance Medication: Medication is universally present in all the treatment programs in California. Medications such as Antabuse, Naltrexone, Campral and Topamax are the common medications that are provided during the treatment. The usage of Naltrexone and Topamax is useful in reducing the urges for alcohol in the person, while using Antabuse and Campral is important in stabilizing the balances of the body that have been disrupted due to the addiction to alcohol. Therefore, the complete medication therapy in the outpatient alcohol treatment program helps reduce the impulses of the substance and also helps in preventing and curing the health conditions that it causes.

4. Counseling: Counseling is an important aspect of the outpatient treatment for alcoholism. Counseling is required to analyze and fight emotional problems such as depression, stress, phobias, etc. that may be responsible in inducing patients to consume alcohol. If this is found to be the cause of alcoholism, then treating the condition can lead to the alcoholic either quitting or at least reducing the usage of the substance considerably. Thus, counseling can greatly help the alcoholic in reducing their addiction.

5. Family Counseling: A family supports the addictive to take up the Alcohol treatment and plays an important role in an outpatient alcohol treatment. They also monitor the recovery process of the patient. A family may not always know how to take care of the patient and therefore, this brings up a need for family counseling. Counseling helps the family to plan ways that are helpful for the patient to overcome their addiction to alcohol.

Alcohol treatment in California in the outpatient format is not suitable for everybody. This treatment is only advisable for people who are into mild alcohol. People who are into habit of intense drinking and cannot do without the alcohol single day cannot be treated through the outpatient treatment program. Even people who have some kind of physical or mental condition that complicates their treatment will not be able to get through outpatient alcohol treatment successfully.

The above mentioned treatment is a general pattern that outpatient programs for alcohol treatment in California follow but, it may vary from one center to another. Hence, it is advisable to verify with the centers before arriving at a conclusion.