Detoxification is often the starting point to getting an alcoholic on the road to recovery.
Detoxification treats primarily the physical effects on the body of consuming alcohol over a prolonged period of time.
However it does not technically treat the disease of alcoholism.
Once detoxification is over with it is very likely that a person will relapse if no other from of treatment is put into play.
Often rehabilitation (or rehab) can occur in either an inpatient setting or by way of an outpatient setting of a hospital or clinic.
The need for detox varies from person to person and ifs often dependent on a variety of factors such as a persons age, their history of alcohol consumption and their medical status.
Once detoxification has been successfully completed it is time for group therapy and/or psychotherapy.
There are a number of different kinds of group therapy and psychotherapy but they are all methods of learning how to cope with psychological issues and problems in an individuals life that are in one way or another connected to the addiction of alcohol.
Group therapy and psychotherapy sessions often provide relapse prevention skills to the people who attend.
These methods have been found to bring success and to also help assure individuals that they are not alone in their life predicament.
The form of group therapy that appears to be of the most benefit to people is the mutual-help-group-counselling approach that is often put on by a variety of helpful organizations, either by themselves or in combination with others.
These include Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Women For Sobriety, Rational Recovery, Smart Recovery and LifeRing Secular Recovery. Another from of treatment for alcoholism is rationing and moderation.
It is important to note that rationing and moderation programs do not mandate that total abstinence from alcohol is the only way to be.
One of the common side effects of drinking is to impair a persons judgement, which in essence means that the more drinks a person consumes, the harder it is for them to realize that yet another drink is not a wise idea.
If those individuals who are predisposed towards becoming alcoholics are taught to drink in moderation then this will have the positive consequence of strengthening the endorphin-based addiction.
You can use self-help books where the alcoholic is taking responsibility for his own health. This can work well because once the person knows of the problem it becomes easier to resolve.
This is what a rationing and moderation program seeks to do. Not all alcoholics can learn to drink in moderation but many can, and when they put this form of treatment into play it can help to avoid many of the hardships associated with other forms of alcohol treatments such as the physical, social and financial costs.
This is especially the case when a person is in the beginning phase of alcohol recovery.
Research done by the United States National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) shows that on average 18% of people who have been drinking for one to two years are able to be taught how to drink in moderate quantities.
Recent studies have determined that genetics plays a vital role in the development of alcoholism but the exact genes or genetic pathways to addiction have not been found.
There are many avenues for professional help if this is a type of treatment that interests you.
For example there is the Moderation Management Program that is put on by a variety of organizations and might even be available at a hospital or clinic near you.