Help for Alcoholism

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Compassionate Outpatient Help for Alcoholism

Becoming an alcoholic is not on anyone’s bucket list.  Who would ever choose to live a life of misery and ill health, to lose everything one cares about?  Alcohol use disorder (AUD) may take hold in ways no one can foresee.  From enjoying the craft beer craze a little too much or too-frequent wine tastings at local wineries, acquiring a problem with alcohol gradually sneaks up on a person.  As tolerance ramps ups, so does the need to consume more alcohol, and as a result AUD has one it its grip.

Alcohol addiction can happen rather swiftly when certain risk factors are present, such as a genetic propensity for it.  Other risk factors that can fuel alcohol abuse might include a high stress job, a co-existing mood disorder, marital or family discord, financial problems, or loss of a loved one.  Alcohol can become a panacea, a tool used to smooth out the emotional upheavals in life.  No one sets out to become an alcoholic.

About Alcohol Use Disorder

Alcohol use disorder covers the spectrum of alcohol abuse—from excessive drinking that causes negative consequences in one’s life to full-blown chemical dependency on alcohol.  According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, nearly 16 million Americans suffer from problem drinking—15 million adults and over 600,000 adolescents were diagnosed with AUD in 2015.  Compulsive drinking that results in alcohol addiction has devastating consequences for the individual and their families.

The diagnostic criteria for AUD states that individuals must possess any two of the eleven criteria within a 12-month period.  The number of the criteria met will determine the severity of the AUD.  The DSM-5diagnostic criteria include: In the past year have you:

  1. Had times when you ended up drinking more, or longer than you intended?
  2. More than once wanted to cut down or stop drinking, or tried to, but couldn’t?
  3. Spent a lot of time drinking? Or being sick or getting over the after effects?
  4. Experienced craving, the strong need, or urge, to drink?
  5. Found that drinking—or being sick from drinking—often interfered with taking care of your home or family?
  6. Continued to drink even though it was causing trouble with your family or friends?
  7. Given up or cut back on activities that were important or interesting to you, or gave you pleasure, in order to drink?
  8. More than once gotten into situations while or after drinking that increased your chances of getting hurt (such as driving, swimming, using machinery, walking in a dangerous area, or having unsafe sex)?
  9. Continued to drink even though it was making you feel depressed or anxious or adding to another health problem? Or having had a memory blackout?
  10. Had to drink much more than you once did to get the effect your want? Or found that your usual number of drinks had much less effect than before?
  11. Found that when the effects of alcohol were wearing off, you had withdrawal symptoms, such as trouble sleeping, shakiness, irritability, anxiety, depression, restlessness, nausea, or sweating? Or sensed things that were not there?

Outpatient Help for Alcoholism

It is never too early to get help for an alcohol problem.  The sooner an individual with an AUD gets intervention and treatment, the less fallout will occur in one’s life.  An outpatient treatment program for treating AUD is an excellent option for the individual who needs flexibility that allows them to continue with work and family obligations.  During outpatient treatment, the client is able to remain at home, or to work or attend school, outside of treatment hours.

During the initial assessment and intake interview the level of participation in the outpatient program is determined based on the treatment needs of the client.  Help for alcoholism involves a multi-pronged approach that will begin after the client has detoxed from the alcohol in his or her system.  At that point, active participation in the various treatment modalities begins.

Outpatient Treatment for AUD

During the period of outpatient treatment, the client may opt to continue to reside in their family home or residence or live in a sober living environment.  Making this choice will depend upon the level of severity of the AUD, personal resources, and whether there is a supportive home environment.  Following detox and withdrawal, the client will participate in the following therapeutic activities:

  • Individual talk therapy.  These one-on-one sessions with a professional psychologist help to examine the various factors that can be contributing to the addiction to alcohol.  These might include past traumas, deep-seated emotional pain from childhood experiences, grief and loss, dysfunction in the family, marital problems, or financial stress.  It is important to delve into these causal factors to be able to heal and move forward in recovery
  • Group counseling.  Group sessions provide an opportunity for peer interactions that are facilitated by a counselor.  The counselor will introduce a topic and the group can exchange thoughts, experiences, advice, and even gentle criticism in a safe, supportive environment.  These group interactions foster personal growth and important insights about their behaviors, choices, and thought processes.
  • Addiction education and relapse prevention.  Help for alcoholism includes teaching clients the physiological and neurological elements of how addiction works in the brain.  Knowledge of how the brain’s reward system works and adapts to the alcohol helps change destructive behaviors.  Relapse prevention is essential to a successful recovery.  Identifying triggers—situations, people, places, and things—that lead to the compulsive behavior to drink is intrinsic to an effective relapse prevention plan.
  • Participation in a recovery support group.  Clients are encouraged to actively participate, versus just showing up to fulfill an obligation, in a 12-step or non 12-step recovery support group.  These groups provide an additional layer of support and accountability in recovery, and foster new sober friendships.
  • Experiential therapies.  Mindfulness, yoga, art therapy, and other experiential adjunct therapies enhance personal growth and enlightenment, which deepens their understanding of self.  These insights can lead to psychological breakthroughs in addiction treatment.

Addiction Therapeutic Services Provides Compassionate Help for Alcoholism

Addiction Therapeutic Services (ATS) is an outpatient recovery program based in Rancho Mirage, California.  This program is unique in its blending of authentic compassion for those who suffer from AUD with evidence-based treatment program elements.  Clients are assigned a customized treatment plan created uniquely for them, as ATS firmly believes that in addiction treatment, one size does not fit all.  

Their outpatient program offers help for alcoholism that is designed to heal all aspects of the individual, mind, body, and soul.  Family counseling, life skills, anger management, art therapy and psychodrama, mindfulness training, and spiritual care round out this highly effective program.  Reach out to our compassionate staff today at (760) 349-7007.

The Importance of an Effective Addiction Therapist

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The Benefits of an Addiction Therapist in The Treatment Process

Addiction counselors hold an intrinsic and essential role in the treatment team of a drug and alcohol rehab program.  Without the help of an addiction therapist, treatment would only touch the superficial aspects of the substance use disorder, those things you can see with your eyes.  In order to delve into the possible drivers of the addictive behaviors, targeted psychotherapy along with group therapy help identify causal factors—such as trauma, mental health disorders, grief and loss, for example—that can be parsed out and treated.

The important skills of an addiction therapist Los Angeles are powerful tools that can help show the individual struggling with substance abuse and addiction how the painful deep-seated issues can be resolved.  Offering someone a new way of thinking about and responding to certain triggers that have held power over their subsequent behaviors is one of the most effective skills therapists provide for a successful recovery.

Psychological and Social Factors Addressed by Addiction Therapist

The most challenging aspect of addiction therapy is not getting the person off drugs and/or alcohol, but the identify and make productive changes in the factors that threaten recovery.  Many who battle addictions have used the substance to soothe emotional discomforts caused by psychological and social factors.  These root causes, which contribute to subsequent compulsive substance use, must be addressed and treated if therapy is to be successful.

An effective addiction therapist understands how stress, difficult relationships, social influences, and emotional strife can quickly undo the efforts to become sober and lead to relapse.  Arming their patients with new coping skills and interpersonal tools is key to a sustained recovery.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Addiction Therapists

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a short-term and highly effective therapy that is used widely in addiction treatment.  A CBT therapist will meet one-on-one with the client to guide them through the process of identifying the thoughts, moods, and situations that can result in them using a substance as a coping mechanism.  Once the root triggers of the using behavior are examined, the therapist will show the client how to change the thought and behavior patterns towards positive, productive ones.

CBT skills, once adopted and practiced, can assist the individual for a lifetime, not only in avoiding drugs and alcohol but also useful in situations that may come up in other areas of life.  With CBT tools, instead of a substance being the reflexive response to a difficult person or dilemma, rational, healthy responses will be.  CBT coping skills also help build a strong relapse prevention blueprint.

The Roles of Group Therapy and Family Therapy in Addiction Treatment

Addiction therapists serve in many capacities in addition to individual counseling.  Group therapy and family therapy are two very effective therapeutic settings that allow the therapist to observe the client’s social dynamics and communication style.  During group sessions, peers discuss a topic presented by the therapist, who will guide and moderate the discussion.  The peer session is important in early recovery, providing both social support and fraternal correction when needed.

Family relationships can be a primary source of both loving support and serious challenges.  A family therapist can identify dysfunctional behaviors among family members and help make productive changes, especially with regard to communication techniques.  Helping the family restore trust with the addicted family member is a vital role of the family therapist, which involves making amends and steps that demonstrate trustworthiness.

Addiction Therapeutic Services Provides Effective Addiction Therapists in Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Cathedral City

Addiction Therapeutic Services is an intensive outpatient program located in Rancho Mirage, California.  ATS provides CBT, an evidence-based therapy that helps clients change their disordered thoughts and behaviors that fuel addictive behaviors, replacing them with new, healthy responses.  ATS clinical team includes master level therapists, a physician, and licensed counselors to help guide you or your loved one to a healthy, productive life.  For more information about our program, contact ATS Admissions today at (760) 349-7007.

Evening Outpatient Treatment for Addiction Recovery

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Evening Outpatient Treatment offers More Flexibility

These days, people are often strapped for time, cash and support that meets their unique needs for addiction recovery.  The corporate and government employment scene generally keeps people very busy from 8AM to 5PM not including a sometimes lengthy commute.  School schedules are often replete with a variety of course options in the morning but sparse selections at night.  Finally, most people with children simply cannot or will not put their kids on hold during the day, even for much-needed treatment.  These tight and varied schedule demands have caused the need for a paradigm shift in treatment. Many treatment providers have already started offering Outpatient programs to respond the issues of affordability, time and other clinical reasons. Even still, treatment centers are having to continually change how and what they are providing to their clients.

Evening Outpatient Option

Evening Outpatient Programs are one example of customizing treatment for the busy client. It can be extremely helpful for those who want to keep focused on their job or educational aspirations during the day rather than having to shift gears.  EOP, like other outpatient programs, offers clients the opportunity to dig deep into the root causes of addiction with a counselor.  One of the best aspects of EOP is that it’s a great way to close out the day with a recovery-oriented perspective in a group offering lighter fare, like Life Skills.

On another note, these customized programs help to cut the excuses.  For example, there are many high-functioning users out there who have managed to maintain employment, even successful employment, with their substance abuse issues.  These people may find that EOP serves their needs without severely hindering their career dreams. Of course, whether an individual will be best-served by an Evening Outpatient program is a clinical decision and should be determined only by clinical staff.

EOP Treatment Option

While EOP sounds like an easier and more convenient way out of addiction, the program should mirror daytime Outpatient in terms of quality of treatment and the “work” that clients engage in to start and maintain a successful path to recovery.  The number of hours spent in facilitated groups is also the same between EOP and daytime Outpatient.  If a person has opted into EOP, he or she may need to go through drug and alcohol detox and/or residential treatment before starting the program.  Detox and residential programs usually do not have an evening only option, but could save an addict’s life.  They are usually recommended when the severity of the addiction warrants a higher level of care.  Even if you are a busy person, detox and residential care should not be avoided. Like day Outpatient treatment, EOP usually involves process groups and psycho-education classes. At Addiction Therapeutic Services, we are now offering Evening Outpatient Treatment. Our groups include: Relapse Prevention, Family Support Group, Healthy Boundaries, Process Group, and Life Skills which are facilitated by stellar therapists or counselors.

Outpatient Treatment at Addiction Therapeutic Services

ATS believes that treatment is for everyone, and that the program schedule should reflect that. Contact us at (760) 322-1777 for more information on whether Evening Outpatient is the right program for you.