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Alcohol Rehab in Atlanta, GA

Written By: Erika Dalton, LCSW
Medically Reviewed By: Dr. Rahul Gupta, MD
Last Updated: February 27, 2023

Home » Alcoholism

At Buckhead Behavioral Health, our alcohol rehab in Atlanta offers safe, effective treatment that changes lives. We treat alcoholism so you can get back on your feet and move towards a better, brighter future today. Our outpatient alcohol rehab programs use evidence-based therapy and holistic treatment that helps people understand how they developed an alcohol use disorder. From there, they can begin the process of living life sober and heal themselves physically and emotionally. As well, their personal and professional relationships begin to blossom in a healthy manner.

Atlanta is a vibrant city known for its growth, innovation, and resilience. Unfortunately, it is not exempt from the nation’s ever-growing alcohol abuse problem. Alcoholism, also known as alcohol addiction, occurs when a person is unable to stop their alcohol use despite the negative impact it has on their life. Alcohol addiction can pose serious risks to a person’s mental, physical, and emotional health as well as their personal and professional relationships.

What is Alcoholism?

Although alcohol is a legal drug, it still causes some of the same long-term effects that other illicit drugs have. The only difference in alcohol is that because of their attainable access due to being legal, thus making the abuse of the drug become more addictive. Last, but not least, there are many physical, mental, and behavioral symptoms of alcohol abuse.

Alcoholism, or an alcohol use disorder, is a chronic disease characterized by uncontrolled drinking and the overuse of alcohol. This is a common disorder that shows up in over 3 million US cases per year. Drinkers have been often known for losing control and forming a physical and emotional dependency on alcohol.

In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition (DSM-5), the term ‘alcohol use disorder’ is used to replace ‘alcoholism’ and appears in the Substance-Related and Addictive Disorder chapter of the book. Granted, when someone is drinking too much alcohol, there are clear physical signs. Some of these symptoms include slurred speech or trouble walking because of poor motor function and coordination. Consequently, there could also be signs of aggression or agitation, compulsive behavior or lack of restraint, or self-destructive behavior.

Moreover, a drinker’s mood can shift from anxiety to euphoria, or hysteria and fear. Someone may also express guilt, loneliness, depression, and other severe emotions that they have trouble controlling. Once they start experiencing these wide ranges of emotions, this will lead them to self-medicate with more alcohol thus only making the problem worse.

How Do I Know I Need Alcohol Rehab?

When alcohol has become a problem, most people have some idea of it, even if they feel tempted to pretend that they are alright, and other’s may be wondering, “am I an alcoholic?“. The Signs and Symptoms of Alcoholism section below provides answers related to specific indicators. Once a person acknowledges that drinking has become an issue, they still may think they can control it. 

Anyone struggling with alcohol addiction will need to get professional help. If you find you cannot stop drinking on your own or you experience withdrawal symptoms when you do not regularly consume alcohol, it’s time to look into going into alcohol rehab. Our alcohol rehab in Atlanta provides multiple options to help people overcome their addiction.

What to Expect During Our Alcohol Rehab in Atlanta

At Buckhead Behavioral Health, we customize our alcohol rehab plans to fit each of our client’s unique needs. No matter the severity of their alcoholism, we have a level of care to help get them get back on track to a healthy and fulfilling life. Outpatient program options for our alcohol rehab in Atlanta include:  

Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

Partial hospitalization programs are the most structured level of outpatient treatment. In a PHP, clients are treated in a clinical setting. Sessions happen five or more days per week for several hours per day. 

Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

An intensive outpatient program provides a high level of support but requires less of a time commitment than a PHP. It is designed for those who have completed a higher level of care, have less severe alcoholism, or have schedule constraints. IOPs require three to four days of attendance for a total of nine to twenty hours of treatment per week.

Outpatient Drug and Alcohol Rehab

Those in outpatient rehab attend sessions once or twice a week for a couple of hours per session. This can take place in person as well as through telehealth platforms such as video conferences, text messages, and phone calls.  

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

When combined with traditional treatment interventions, medication-assisted treatment is potent in helping an individual get sober and stay sober. MAT includes medications that can ease cravings and lessen the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms associated with alcohol detox and the early stages of recovery.

The Symptoms of Alcoholism

When someone has developed an alcohol use disorder, certain indicators begin to occur. While they may vary per person, common signs and symptoms of alcoholism include:

  • They drink a sizable amount of alcohol over a longer time than they planned
  • Feeling powerless in regards to their level of drinking
  • They spend a lot of time finding, purchasing, drinking, or recovering from alcohol
  • Turning down social activities, events, or forgetting about hobbies that they used to enjoy
  • Wanting to stop drinking, but they find it almost impossible to stop
  • Drinking in dangerous situations like driving or swimming
  • Building a strong tolerance to alcohol over time, which will require more liquor to achieve the same buzz
  • Extreme urges to drink other than partaking in different beverages at the event
  • Problems may soon arise at home, work, and school because of the alcohol abuse
  • Feeling the urge to drink in order to feel better when trying to slow down and having withdrawal
  • The inability to not stop their alcohol abuse even though it’s causing physical, mental, social, and relationship problems

Experiencing even just two of these symptoms can mean a person has developed an alcohol use disorder. Professional alcohol rehab in Atlanta can perform a full assessment to determine if a person requires treatment.

Alcoholism Statistics

A 2019 report by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism provided some alarming information. The number of individuals in the U.S. age 12 and older with an alcohol use disorder (AUD) totaled approximately 14.5 million people. Within the age group of those 12 to 17, approximately 414,000 young people had an AUD. The same study showed that in 2019, about one-fourth of adults age 18 and older binge drank in the past month.  

Further statistics about alcohol abuse include:

  • Only about 7.2% of those ages 12 and older who have an AUD received treatment for it in the past year.
  • People with an AUD prove more likely to seek help for a medical condition related to alcoholism, rather than the addiction itself.
  • Each year, nearly 100,000 people die from alcohol-related causes, which makes this the third-leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. 
  • Fatalities from alcohol impairment while driving numbered just over 10,000 per year.

How Long Does Alcohol Rehab Last?

How long alcohol rehab lasts depends on a few factors. The first involves what type of program the person attends. Detox usually lasts from five to ten days. Residential programs typically require at least 30 days of living in a facility but can be extended to a 90 day rehab program.

Outpatient care allows a person to receive care during the day while still living in their homes. Sessions range from one to seven days per week, depending on which outpatient program the person uses. Those with a more intensive need for treatment usually spend several hours per day in sessions for five to seven days per week. Alternatively, those who are further along in their recovery may just spend an hour or two a day in sessions one or two days per week.

Other considerations that contribute to how long a person stays in alcohol rehab include how severe their addiction is and how long it has been going on. As well, their specific withdrawal symptoms and the rate at which they progress through treatment influence how long they need rehab.

Behavioral Alcohol Addiction Symptoms

Denial is common in every one of us, and alcohol users are no different. Since it’s so common to deny overuse of alcohol, you may not feel you have a problem at all. You can spot alcoholism by looking out for some of these symptoms. If friends and family are talking to you or someone you know about your drinking problems, then that’s a good time to seek help.

Once someone starts disregarding major health damages such as liver disease to indulge in alcohol, then that is the time they need to seek help. If they are engaging in dangerous activities like drunk driving or experiencing a black out, these are telltale signs of alcohol use disorder.

If you or a loved one are experiencing any of these symptoms, they may be suffering  from alcohol abuse and have not received treatment. Message us and let us know, and we’ll tell you more about some of the available treatments that could help.

Physical Alcohol Addiction Symptoms

When someone is drinking too much alcohol, there are clear physical signs. Some of these symptoms include slurred speech or trouble walking because of poor motor function and coordination. There could also be signs of aggression or agitation, compulsive behavior or lack of restraint, or self-destructive behavior.

Some physical signs hide in the body, as the alcohol penetrates your blood vessels this causes induced stress to the heart. Thus, causing long-term damage and cardiovascular disease.

Psychological Alcohol Addiction Symptoms

Someone suffering from alcohol addiction has the possibility of experiencing blackouts or memory impairments, which are often the results of binge drinking sessions. Too much drinking, for example, can cause irrational behavior which may include drunk driving with no regard for potential harm.

A drinker’s mood can shift from anxiety to euphoria, or hysteria and fear. One may also express guilt, loneliness, depression and other severe emotions that they have trouble controlling. Unfortunately, once they start experiencing these wide ranges of emotion, this will lead them to self-medicate with more alcohol thus only making the problem worse.

Services Offered at our Alcohol Rehab

Alcohol rehab in Atlanta means receiving several types of evidence-based and holistic treatment designed to help people overcome alcoholism. Individual and group therapy provides the backbone for necessary treatment for addiction and any co-occurring mental health disorders. In addition, we provide the following types of services:

Alcohol Rehab In Atlanta, GA

When alcoholism takes hold of a person’s life, they end up just existing, rather than fully living. Have you decided enough is enough and you want expert help to stop drinking? Buckhead Behavioral Health can help. We offer alcohol rehab in Atlanta that teaches you how to identify the triggers that make you drink and how to stop letting them have power over you. We provide several options for outpatient treatment that allow you to get professional help while still living at home. 

Visit our admissions page today and take the first step in getting control of your drinking. Our friendly staff is ready to answer any questions you have about how we can help you.

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