Is an Alcohol Treatment Center Similar to a Mental Hospital?

If you are considering going to an alcohol treatment center, you will want to know more about how they work and what you will experience. Is it similar to a mental hospital? The answer is a loud and distinctive NO; we will tell you why alcohol abuse treatment centers are very different from the mental hospital setting. What is a Mental Hospital? In the past they were called “asylums”; they are now called psychiatric hospitals or mental health hospitals and are used for serious mental disorders, such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. You my be in a plain and barren room, devoid of things to do. This place may be called a “psych ward.” Although there may be some similar therapies, if therapy is available in a mental hospital, an alcohol treatment center offers an array of options and often includes a beautiful and serene homelike setting and amenities. Treatment centers have the goal of recovery from substance abuse and make use of psychiatric therapy as well as abundant other methods; they encourage positive growth.

Treatment and Recovery From Alcohol Abuse Have Many Options

With withdrawal from alcohol being the first step, a treatment center may have several therapeutic options, such as:

  • Inpatient
  • Partial hospitalization
  • Intensive outpatient
  • Outpatient

The primary step in alcohol abuse treatment is detox; this is the part could include some symptoms that might make you think of a mental hospital, but these issues are medically supervised in a treatment center. Withdrawal symptoms may include:

  • Anxiety
  • Tremors
  • Nausea
  • Hallucinations
  • Headaches
  • Seizures
  • and other symptoms

You will be watched and symptoms monitored or medication given by a professional doctor or nurse. A highly trained medical staff is available 24/7. Accommodations are comfortable and safe. This phase can last from four to five days after the last drink. Once you have completed detox, or while you are in the last stages, you will receive therapy to address any underlying issues that have lead to your abuse of alcohol. A dual-diagnosis program often treats both abuse and the emotional issues that have lead to addiction. They may also treat PTSD and trauma along with abuse of alcohol. Therapeutic treatments are varied and may include:

  • Individual counseling
  • Group therapy
  • Family therapy
  • AA meetings
  • and more

Therapies used include CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), DBT (Dialectal Behavioral Therapy) and others. CBT helps with coping skills that will be valuable even after recovery. EMDR has been used recently to treat trauma which may be the cause of addiction. In addition to traditional effective therapies, an alcohol treatment center may offer yoga, meditation, mindfulness, physical exercise, such as nature walks or hiking, massage, equine-assisted (horse) therapy and more. The purpose of alternative therapies is to teach you that there are other ways, besides alcohol, to be happy and enjoy your life. Growth through coping skills is encouraged, as you head towards a brighter and more fulfilled life.

You want to be in a setting, so different from a mental hospital, that treats you while encouraging your growth and new behaviors. Having the caring and compassion of a team of professional medical staff is the first step in accessing your strengths. Treatment programs are individualized according to the needs of the patient; therapies are customized and could include AA meetings as well. Anyone over the age of 18 can benefit from a treatment center; many clients are between the ages of 18 and 30. Recovery begins with the admission that there is a problem. We can help you after that. If you are tired of the cycle of alcohol addiction and now know that an alcohol treatment center is very different from a mental hospital, it is time to get started on the path to recovery. Call us today at 833-846-5669, and we’ll get you on the right road to recovery from alcohol addiction. We have caring counselors available 24/7 to help you.