Alcohol Treatment Success Rates
Alcohol treatment facilities around the country have a tendency to boast that they have highest success rates in treating their patients. And while many do indeed find unique and innovative ways to help their patients achieve recovery, it is not illogical to ask what, exactly constitutes a high rate of treatment success, and how does this number stack up against national averages across a number of different alcohol rehab facilities.
What is Alcohol Treatment?
Alcohol treatment addresses the immediate issues of physical alcohol addiction as well as the root psychological causes behind the addiction. The physical part of the equation is handled through detox. Alcohol detox is a "drying out" period during which the individual will stop drinking cold turkey. Although this may induce discomfort in the form of withdrawal symptoms, the end result is a stronger individual who is ready to take on counseling and the rest of treatment.
Individual and group counseling help the individual assess the root causes of their addiction, and enact real world solutions to help them stay sober. During group counseling individuals get a chance to hear the experiences of other recovering alcoholics and gain strength from the knowledge that they are not alone.
The program is considered a success when the individual has completed treatment and is able to return to their daily lives without the use of alcohol.
How Successful is Alcohol Treatment?
Unfortunately, there is little hard data about the success rates of alcohol treatment programs across the United States. This information gap exists for a number of reasons, most prominent of which is the lack of a consensus on what "success" actually means. Also, many treatment centers do not make their records public, concerned about protecting the anonymity of their patients.
For a long time alcohol treatment success was measured by whether or not the individual relapsed once the program was complete. This method is misleading in some ways. Experts have found that alcoholism is a disease like any other – and the individual who goes into "remission" or a recovery stage may indeed relapse over the course of their life. Thinking about alcoholism in these terms, it is hard to judge a program based only on relapse rates. Instead, programs must be judged successful in terms of how well they help their patients manage their disease. If an individual leaves an alcohol rehab program with the tools to live a happier, more fulfilling life, then one would have to consider the treatment a success. It is harder to quantify, but remains the most important measure.
Longer Alcohol Treatment Programs lead to Better Results
A growing number of alcohol treatment programs are extending the length of the core program from 30 days to 90 days or more. This shift is due to the general consensus among professionals that longer programs are more effective in treating the root causes of addiction and lead to lower relapse rates when compared to month-long treatment.
In fact, a 1999 study first published in the Archives of General Psychiatry found that relapse rates were lower in those drug addicts who took part in 90 days programs (as opposed to 30 days programs). Specifically, the report stated that among individuals with a cocaine addiction who were surveyed, 35% of those in a program less than 90 days relapsed soon after the program was over. That relapse figure shrank to 17% when the individual was engaged in long-term alcohol rehab.
Michael's House is a residential alcohol treatment facility located in Palm Springs, California. The rehab professionals at Michael's House offer a unique, "whole body" approach to alcohol addiction treatment that enriches every aspect of the patient in mind, body and spirit. For more information, contact Michael's House today.
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