Alcoholic Treatment Programs

What Are Alcoholic Treatment Programs?

Are all alcoholic treatment programs based on the 12-step model?

Alcoholic treatment programs range from unstructured outpatient settings of short duration to intensive inpatient rehabilitation facilities where an alcoholic might spend anywhere from one month to over a year.

In the United States alcoholic treatment programs are typically based on the 12-step model of Alcoholics Anonymous. In other countries, an alcoholic treatment program might include hard labor and confrontation, and may not have any theoretical underpinnings.

Alcoholic treatment programs typically assume that the alcoholic is “out of control” and that they need to surrender their life to the “program” and accept all beliefs of the senior members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

They must not only follow the 12 Steps of AA under close supervision, they must accept the idea that they are powerless over their destiny and turn their life over to a higher power.

These beliefs might not resonate with some who believe they do have control over alcohol and need to be empowered in order to change, or don’t feel the need to turn their life over to a higher power just to participate in an alcoholic treatment program.

Many people who are unsuccessful in the standard 12-step approach feel they have failed, although Alcoholics Anonymous and the 12-step-based approach was never meant to be a solution for everyone.

 AA alcoholic treatment program has remained unchanged since it was established in 1935, despite the wealth of new scientific information discovered over the past 70 years.

 Some of the most common reasons people drop out of 12-step groups – or simply refuse to attend them in the first place include:

• Difficulty accepting the ‘higher power concept’
• Disagreement that ‘addiction is a disease’
• Dislike the idea of lifelong group attendance
• Unable to identify with other members
• Public exposure and recognition at meetings
• Disagreement with the ‘powerlessness concept’
• Feeling shy or uncomfortable in large groups
• Dislike the label of “alcoholic” or “addict”

Don’t be discouraged if you have been unsuccessful in AA and feel that alcohol has had a negative impact on your life. If you are seeking treatment, there are many other contemporary alcoholic treatment options available to you that have nothing to do with the 12-step method.

HabitDoc is a cutting edge alcoholic treatment program because it respects the above concerns of people needing help to control addictive problems, and recognizes there isn’t a simple and convenient “one size fits all” approach for everyone.