Questions About Alcohol Rehab
Rehab is often a necessary step for treating alcohol use disorder (AUD), but many people have questions about what to expect while in treatment. Knowing the answers to some common questions can help you make the best decision for your recovery.
Common Questions About Alcohol Rehab
Having questions about going to rehab to get help for an alcohol addiction is quite normal. You want to know what to expect in alcohol rehab and what will be expected of you, and learning the answers can help you make the best decision for your recovery. Below are some common questions about alcohol rehab.
What Level of Care Do I Need?
The level of care required in the treatment of alcohol use disorders (AUD) refers to the intensity of services necessary to help you start recovery. The following are the levels of care options:
Inpatient Detoxification
Inpatient detoxification is the highest level of care. It is recommended for someone who needs supervised medical detox that includes treatment medications to ease alcohol withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
Inpatient Or Residential Rehab
Once stable after detox, most people transfer to an inpatient program. Inpatient rehab occurs in a hospital-like setting, with access to medical care around the clock. In contrast, residential rehab takes place in a home-like setting where you live with peers who are also in recovery. Both programs require you to attend individual and group activities and therapy to learn recovery skills.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
PHP is an outpatient program, but you spend five days a week, at least five hours daily, in individual and group activities supporting recovery. At night, you stay at your home. This level of care is recommended for those with a positive support system and home environment.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
IOP is another outpatient program that meets at least three days a week for several hours daily. Like PHP, you stay at home at night. IOP is often a preferred option for someone stable enough to continue working and taking care of family responsibilities when not in treatment.
Outpatient Detox
Detoxification doesn’t always require entering inpatient treatment. Someone with mild alcohol withdrawal symptoms, a positive support system, and access to other resources to help them stay sober can benefit from receiving medication-assisted therapy on an outpatient basis. Programs typically include methadone or suboxone clinics.
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What Is a Typical Day In Alcohol Rehab Like?
A typical day in alcohol rehab begins early with a healthy breakfast that gives you the nutrients you need that alcohol deprives you of. After breakfast, you can expect to participate in:
- Morning meetings, such as 12-step facilitation or peer support groups
- Morning class to learn about alcoholism, recovery, and skills to stay sober
- Lunch
- Individual counseling
- Group therapy
- Alternative therapy sessions, like art therapy, music therapy, meditation, or yoga
- Family therapy
- Free Time
- Dinner
- 12-step facilitation groups
Schedules may vary for each person based on their specific needs. For example, family therapy may not occur daily, and alternative therapy sessions will be chosen based on your preferences.
How Do I Pay for Rehab?
There are numerous payment options to help you cover the cost of treatment. Most treatment centers accept the following forms of payment, some of which can reduce or eliminate the amount you owe:
- State funding is given to county agencies to cover the costs of people without insurance
- Insurance coverage for alcohol rehab
- Scholarships and grants
- Payment plans
- Sliding fee scales
The cost of rehab fluctuates depending on what program you choose, what type of treatment you require, and how long you’ll be spending in their care. Given all those variables, no one number represents the cost of rehab. Alcohol rehabs will work with you and help you find a way to pay for treatment. They have a billing department trained to explore various avenues so you can get the help you need. Never let the cost of alcohol rehab treatment be a reason to avoid seeking help.
Alcohol Help is not affiliated with any insurance.
How Do I Choose a Treatment Center?
Choosing the right treatment center for AUD recovery means finding a facility that meets your needs so you’ll be motivated to stay and gain the skills you need to avoid relapsing.
Treatment centers offer inpatient and outpatient options, have qualified and licensed doctors and therapists, and prepare you for every step of the transition into sobriety. You can use the following actions to help choose a treatment center:
- Talk to your general practitioner or psychiatrist about a referral.
- Talk to an outpatient psychotherapist or counselor about a referral.
- Consult your insurance carrier about a referral or coverage.
- Talk to family members and close friends about helping you find treatment.
- Talk to someone who has received treatment for an alcohol use disorder.
- Read online reviews of various treatment facilities.
- Talk to your local county behavioral health agency.
- Explore our rehab directory and search by payment method, location, and level of care.
Choosing a treatment center means also looking at the programs they offer. If you need medication to help with withdrawal symptoms, make sure the facility you choose offers that service. They should also provide various individual and group activities, as well as family therapy and couples therapy.
How Long Does Alcohol Detox Take?
Detox is a necessary process to rid the body of alcohol, so the time you spend in detox depends on how long it takes for all the alcohol toxins to leave your body. For many people, this can happen in less than a week. For others, it can take two weeks or longer. Each person’s detox time will vary due to many factors, such as:
- How long you have had an alcohol use disorder
- The amount of alcohol you consume daily
- The severity of your withdrawal symptoms
- The type of withdrawal symptoms
Even after alcohol has entirely left your body, you may still have some withdrawal symptoms, like cravings or urges to drink. For this reason, you must remain in treatment to learn how to cope with cravings and any other relapse triggers.
How Long Does Treatment Take?
Like the cost of treatment, the time you spend will depend on your needs and which kind of treatment you choose. The more time you spend in treatment, the higher your chances for a successful, long-term recovery. A report from Drexel University claims treatment is most successful when people spend 90 days or more getting help.
Inpatient programs typically break up into month-long increments, so you’ll most likely be choosing between program lengths of 30, 60, and 90 days. Treatment can extend longer than these periods depending on what kind of support you need, and the type of treatment can change. A plan may be constructed to give you 60 days of inpatient treatment, and if you’ve improved enough by the end of that period, you could shift into outpatient treatment to adjust back into your community.
Treatment length is determined by the following:
- Individualized interventions
- Immediate needs
- Readiness to change
- The time it takes to reach treatment goals
- Co-occurring mental health conditions
Some people find it too difficult to avoid a relapse in early recovery. However, this does not mean they failed. Those who return to treatment immediately after a relapse can quickly get back to making positive progress in recovery.
Should I Travel for Rehab or Stay Local?
You should consider traveling for rehab if you need to mentally and physically distance yourself from the stressors and triggers of daily life. This can include distancing yourself from the parts of your life that contribute to your alcohol use disorder, like dealers, friends, or family who are still using or certain stores or bars that serve as reminders of drinking alcohol.
If you can commit to the time away from your daily life to attend inpatient rehab, then traveling for rehab may be a beneficial option. Spending time away from the environments where you engaged in your addiction could reduce the risk of outside influence disturbing your recovery.
Conversely, staying local for treatment allows you to have access to your support system. This means that supportive family members and friends will be able to visit and partake in family therapy, which is often a meaningful part of recovery.
Ultimately, both options are able to provide you with the support and resources necessary for successful recovery.
What Should I Bring to Rehab?
If you’ve decided to enter rehab, there are things you need for a smooth transition. Inpatient rehab requires full-time attendance, so any work-related obligations must be handled before entering treatment. Unless you are entering a luxury rehab center, inpatient rehab won’t allow you to work during your stay. Even if your job would let you work remotely, your days will be spent in various kinds of therapy, treatment, and other non-work-related activities.
Requirements change from center to center, but you’ll need to prepare the things you’ll bring to rehab, including:
- Casual clothing
- Approved toiletries
- Approved over-the-counter medications, unopened
- Cigarettes, unopened packages
- Assistive devices (braces, wheelchairs, or walkers)
- Medical records with important information for your treatment professionals
- Medications and your primary care provider information
- A notebook
- Contact information for people you want to be involved in your recovery
- Alarm clock
- A small amount of cash for vending machines
- Insurance cards
- Stamps
- Non-triggering photos of loved ones
Some rehabs may allow headphones and smartphones, but you may be limited to specific time frames for using the devices.
Every rehab center will provide you with a list of items you can and cannot bring. You must follow their guidelines or risk being removed from the program, further delaying your recovery.
What Can’t I Bring to Rehab?
The list of things you cannot bring to rehab will be more extensive and may include some items you may not realize can be distractions for recovery. Items you should not bring to rehab often include:
- Any recreational drug
- Prescription narcotics
- Pornography
- Food or drinks
- Cleaning supplies
- Candles or incense
- Computers
- Cell phones
- Weapons
- Video games or DVDs
- Revealing clothing
- Clothing depicting drug use or drugs
- Anything that could be misused for intoxication (products containing alcohol)
Some of the items that are not approved may seem surprising, but many can become addictions in themselves, like candy, food, energy drinks, or other caffeinated products. Also, rehabs won’t allow any items that may be used as weapons, like electric razors, nail clippers, or scissors. Because so many people have tried to sneak substances into their suitcases, you can expect treatment staff to inspect your luggage upon your arrival.
What Will Be in My Aftercare Plan?
While in treatment, you will be assigned a case worker to help you create an aftercare plan, a list of resources to which you can connect in the community after you leave treatment. The resources are designed to help you maintain recovery and may include:
- Sober housing options
- Community support groups
- Sober activities and events
- Outpatient counseling or check-ins
- Childcare options
- Transportation options
- Job search services
- Education opportunities
- Career counseling
- Medication maintenance appointments
The resources on your list will be based on your unique needs. The more resources you utilize, the easier it will be for you to maintain recovery.
Finding a Treatment Center
Finding a treatment center may seem overwhelming at first, but there are many resources available to help. If you are struggling with alcohol abuse and are ready to seek treatment, contact a treatment provider today. They can help answer your rehab-related questions and provide you with your treatment options.
