Alcohol Rehab and Alcoholic Detox Centres in South Africa

The term “rehab” (short for rehabilitation) is used to describe the period of time that an individual spends at a treatment centre in the hopes of assisting him/her with his/her alcohol dependence – an individual’s inability to control his/her urges in respect of alcohol consumption and the excessive consumption thereof. is important because the alcoholic (referred to in rehabilitation centres as a patient) is taught behaviours pertaining to how to interact with members of society without having to resort to drinking alcohol. This form of therapy takes on many forms and there are different types of programmes.

Whether an makes use of quitting models that are based on medicine, programmes based on religion, a twelve step rehabilitation programme or community efforts they share certain commonalities; although patients are allowed to smoke tobacco they cannot use drugs or alcohol and elements of educational therapy, psychological therapy and social therapy are drawn on in order to change behaviours and equip the patient with alternative coping mechanisms. The aim of the therapy is to enable the patient to go back out in to the world and lead a life devoid of the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

The more common forms of therapy are listed below:

• Learning new behaviours in respect of rational thought, reasoning and perceptions.
• Psychiatric interviews where motivational techniques are used.
• The kind of strategies that can be used to cope in the event that the patient should relapse.
• Counseling groups and individual therapy.

The less common forms of therapy involve journaling and creative writing, acupuncture, reflexology and art therapy. These creative outlets are designed to help the patient find enjoyment in activities other than, and which are not related to alcohol consumption.
At the start of each treatment programme an assessment is conducted in an attempt to ascertain whether or not there the lack of alcohol results in physical withdrawal symptoms. Where this is the case, the patient is made to take medicine which detoxifies the body and is a critical component of the programme because it is dangerous to have the patient stop drinking immediately.

Alcohol rehab is a concept that has become very popular in Western society, but if we dig deep into what it is, who needs it and what services can it provide to them? Going into rehab is not a decision to be taken lightly and when it comes to entering into this process, there is no getting out until the healing is done.

So how do you know it’s time for rehab? Well for one thing, you may find that you need alcohol to get your through a day, or that you reach for wine any time a problem arises. Many people think they have a problem when they get drunk every weekend, but this is not the same thing. People drink a lot for a few reasons. At times they will drink to try and bring on a certain feeling, a lack of caring and a confidence that they cannot find when they are sober. In other cases, they drink to hide from their problems, preferring to be drunk than to face what might be going wrong in their lives.

When you are an alcoholic or suspect you may be, you should see a medical professional. They will advise you on the necessity of rehab, how to deal with the problem and what steps you need to take. This is the first step towards asking for help and once you have taken that step, you can enter rehab knowing that you are well on your way to healing. However, the process is not an easy one. Being in rehab means committing to the healing process and this may seem difficult and confusing at first.

When you first arrive, you will need to go through detox, which in a nutshell means that your body will be deprived of the alcohol it has become so used to. This may be a painful and scary time, but once it is over, you can go into therapy and start working on the issues that made you turn to alcohol in the first place. This is where healing begins and where it ends is up to you.