Treatment

Treatment Plan
The treatment will be an inpatient program for 30 days.

  • The program will include detoxification, individual and family counseling.
  •  Yoga, Group therapy, relaxation training, physical exercise.
  •  Educational talks, seminars on personality development, stress and Anxiety    management.
  •  Introduction to Alcoholics Anonymous and the 12-step recovery program will    be initiated.
  •  Regular attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step meetings will also be    encouraged.

Can an Alcoholic be Treated ?
Adapted from an article published in Vaartha news paper by Dr. Ramana Cherukuri :
It is difficult to trust or feel optimistic about an alcoholic getting treated and staying sober. The trust is lost because he has been telling lies and manipulating his family for years to get money and support, to continue his drinking. His promises to stop have been made so many times that no one believes his words anymore. To trust him to act differently now or retain any hope that he will make an effort seriously to stop his drinking is not easy for the family members.
For the alcoholic, this lack of trust and support from the family is another excuse to continue drinking. Alcoholics blame the circumstances and people for their habit and refuse to take personal responsibility for their actions. This Denial is often the main cause for the lack of effort. The excuses most often the alcoholic makes are, “I drink because of work related stress, Financial problems, wife who is always nagging, or parents who do not understand me”. The fault is always someone else’s, not his. This Denial needs to be addressed before an alcoholic can really change.
An acceptance that he is drinking excessively, that alcohol is harming him, that he has to do something to change and taking personal responsibility for bringing about this change are all necessary if treatment has to be successful.
Families and patients alike look for easy solutions to a complex problem. They look for a magic cure which doesn’t exist. There is no injection or some secret herb that can cure an alcoholic. All this does not mean there is no treatment for an alcoholic. There is treatment – only no easy way out. With efforts from the alcoholic and the involvement of the family in the recovery process, there is hope of recovery.
Recovery from alcoholism is a long-term process.
W.H.O, THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, AND THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION HAVE DEFINED ALCOHOLISM AS A DISEASE.
The disease affects the Body, the Mind, the Emotions, the Value systems and Relationships of an alcoholic. For an alcoholic to stay sober, all these areas of his personality need to be treated. It is a complex treatment procedure.

The treatment has to follow certain stages to be successful :
First Stage : Treatment of the Withdrawal Symptoms :
When an alcoholic stops drinking, his body craves for the drink, he will have sweating, shaking and lack of sleep, irritation and restlessness. There are certain drugs which can help him to cope with these withdrawal symptoms.

Second Stage : Maintenance treatment :
Once out of the withdrawal symptoms, the alcoholic is helped to stay off alcohol over the long term. He follows a routine; he disciplines himself to do things necessary to maintain his sobriety. He does introspection, he starts taking corrective actions to repair the mistakes of the past, he starts to reintegrate himself with his family and the society. Eventually, he starts becoming a productive and responsible member of the society.

Third Stage : Relapse prevention :
Alcoholics have to try several times before they succeed. Relapses are common with any habit. Certain techniques are helpful in avoiding a relapse. The alcoholic inculcates these methods and techniques to stay away from the first drink. He understands that it is the first drink that does the damage.