To be effective, treating alcoholism comes down to providing the right care and meeting the personal needs of the individual.
For this reason, alcohol treatment programs have changed and evolved a great deal. It is a process of providing the right treatment plan for alcohol abuse and caring therapies to connect with the person. We hope to help you in your search for care by providing information and answers on what is available and where to start.
In searching out types of alcohol treatment for you or your loved one, we encourage you to be a questioning consumer. By asking questions you can gain a better understanding of what a program has to offer and how it will be able to help. When you contact us at Cirque, we put you in touch with a member of our staff here at the facility. They will honestly answer your questions and help you determine if we are the place. If not, let us use our professional resources to find you an appropriate rehabilitation program.
Detoxification – Most situations with alcoholism will require a period of detoxification to start treatment. Withdrawal from alcohol should not be taken lightly as some of the symptoms can have serious and life threatening consequences. Alcohol detox uses approved medications and treatments to stabilize the individual and get the alcohol out of their system.
Residential – Typically when folks think of rehabs, they are thinking of this type of setting. It is an inpatient facility where the alcoholic stays on campus during treatment. Residential alcohol programs usually start with a 30-day program, but can extend from there. Studies have shown that longer residential treatment stays have better outcomes. Due to these results, a 90-day program has become more of an industry standard.
IOP / Outpatient – This setting allows the alcoholic to stay at home during treatment. Intensive outpatient programs can vary in their time and involvement, but still provides effective care and services for alcoholism. These types of programs allow an individual to stay employed or at school as they get help.
Private Counseling – There are many professionals in private practice that offer personal and family counseling for those struggling with alcohol. Usually this type of effort is used as a follow-up to a residential program or IOP.
Sober Living – After a residential program, or while undertaking an outpatient program, a sober living home provides a therapeutic environment for recovery. You live with fellow alcoholics and the living environment is centered on relapse prevention and the support needed to undertake the transition to sobriety.
A Combination – Long-term recovery is actually a combination of all these types of rehabilitation programs. It can start with a 30-day residential stay that transitions into an IOP. Private counseling and sober living is also often prescribed as aftercare for those who have gone through a treatment program.
With the many alcohol treatment programs available it can be confusing.
A web search provides you with a number of beautiful places and therapeutic environments to get help. However, not all these centers offer the same care. Here are some things you should look for in a program.
Licensing / Accreditation – Make sure that the facility you are interested in is properly licensed and accredited. Most states require licensing to function as an addiction facility. Healthcare accreditation is also an effective standard you can look to for licensure. These facilities have put forth the effort to be accredited as a healthcare provider, which holds the facility to a higher standard. It is also important to make sure that those who provide therapy and counseling have proper licensing.
Personal Care – Addiction programs must also meet the personal needs of you or your loved one. To do this, a program will individualize their approach in counseling and through therapy sessions. Treatment planning will constantly be changing with recovery and with needs beginning to change as well. Personalized care can also involve family care, couples therapies and additional individualized support.
Dual Diagnosis – Nearly half of those that struggle with drinking can also be diagnosed as having a co-occurring mental health concern. These are things like depressive disorders, anxiety, bipolar disorders and PTSD. You should always look for alcohol programs that offer dual diagnosis treatments and integrated therapies for alcoholism and any mental health concerns that may be present.
Aftercare – Even after going through treatment for alcoholism, one must stay focused on their recovery effort. Relapse is always a possibility, especially during those initial months of sobriety. A good rehabilitation provider will offer further help through long-term aftercare. This can involve an IOP, further counseling, sober living, alcohol monitoring/testing, and involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous. 12-step programs like A.A. provide a fellowship of support and involved services to further strengthen your recovery.
We offer what we believe is one of the most comprehensive alcohol rehabilitation efforts available today.
It begins with the efforts of compassionate personalized therapy from fully licensed and experienced addiction professionals. We are accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations. And all of this is offered in a serene and therapeutic mountain environment. In addition to this, we feel we offer further help for the struggling alcoholic through experiential efforts and family programming.
Experiential Therapy – we believe experiential therapy has a powerful ability to change lives. These activities take place within a spectacular mountain backdrop! We go hiking, biking, and snowshoeing. We have equine therapy, challenge ourselves in a ropes course and even go for mountain flights in our private helicopter. These spiritual places can be an environment for the alcoholic to heal and to come to terms with their struggles.
Family Programming – When it comes to family programming in addiction care, we believe we do not have an equal. We realize that the support of family and loved ones is critical to sobriety. However, family members are not always prepared to accept this role. Through our family program, loved ones are educated and taught the tools they need to assist and support recovery.
Alumni Programs – When you come to Cirque Lodge for addiction treatment, we will always consider you one of ours. To this end we are always actively working with alumni to stay connected to the mountain. We offer a number of ongoing alumni programs and events. One such tool is our Guesting Privilege. We invite alumni to return and stay with us a few days whenever it is needed. This is free of charge and provides the opportunity to redouble the efforts of recovery.