Is Residential Alcohol Treatment Right for My Spouse?

Encouraging your spouse to get the help they need can help you both lead happier and healthier lives!

Living with a loved one, such as a spouse, who has an alcohol addiction problem causes many difficulties to occur. If your spouse suffers from an alcohol addiction and has decided to get help, you may wonder if residential alcohol treatment is best suited for them.

About residential alcohol treatment 

If your spouse is drinking heavily every day and has been an alcoholic for many years, they will most likely need the help of a residential treatment center.

Residential treatment centers are equipped to handle the physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms that an avid alcoholic will have to face once they begin to detox from alcohol.

At a residential treatment center you spouse will have to live at the facility. There they will have to detox from alcohol because they will not have access to the alcohol at all while they are there. At a residential treatment program your spouse will have their meals prepared for them to meet their dietary needs, they will have doctors overseeing their detox, they will have therapy sessions provided for them and they will have staff available 24/7 to help them if they need assistance with anything.

Factors you need to consider

Residential alcohol treatment centers have a high success rate at helping people overcome their addictions, but that does not mean it is the best choice for everyone. If your spouse loves their job or if your spouse is the main source of income in your house, they may not be able to pick up and leave their job for a few months or a year, and because of this you may want to consider other options.

In addition, if you have children, it may not be in your spouse’s best interest to leave them for long periods of time or to explain to them why they have to leave.

Moreover, residential programs are more expensive than other treatment options such as outpatient programs and the cost of them may not be financially acceptable to you.

At a residential alcohol treatment program it is a sure fact that your spouse will become clean while in the program, but in the long run, it really matters if they stay clean once they leave the program.

If your spouse is ready to stop drinking and feels as though they can do it by going to individual or family therapy then you may want to opt to admit them into an outpatient program before going to a residential treatment program. This works for some people and many people join an Alcohol Anonymous group once they stop going to their outpatient program that seems to help provide them with the extra support they need. However if your spouse does not think they can quit through an outpatient program and stay away from alcohol on their own, or if they have tried this and failed, a residential alcohol treatment program may be your best option.

According to www.drugabuse.gov, addiction is a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and behavior, and scientific research since the mid–1970s shows that treatment can help patients addicted to drugs stop using, avoid relapse, and successfully recover their lives.

If you decide to get help for your spouse at a residential alcohol treatment program you should make sure that the program’s activities, location, and resources are suitable to your spouse’s needs. There are numerous programs available to help people overcome their alcohol addiction and you should make sure to pick one that your spouse will feel comfortable and secure in.