Needing to have a drink or two every day is termed as alcoholism or alcohol dependency. This is a serious condition that if left untreated, can be fatal. The first step to treating alcoholism is for the person to realize and accept, he or she has a problem that is beyond their control. Many people try and treat themselves but doing so is extremely difficult and in some cases can have serious side effects as well.

Most alcohol rehab centers offer many different types of alcohol detox programs.

Residential rehab programs: In such programs, the person must commit to staying in the rehab center for anywhere between one month to a year. Initially, contact with family members may be limited but once the person has detoxed and is in the later stages of his treatment, they may be allowed more contact with people outside the facility and may even be allowed to go out.

Partial hospitalization treatment: People who want to take part in such alcohol detox programs must visit the hospital or clinic for four to eight hours on a daily basis for three months. This form of treatment works ideally for people with a supportive family and safe home environment. However, this form of treatment does not suit everyone as it is easy to relapse with.

Outpatient programs: Working people may not be able to take a lot of time off to be part of an inpatient program and neither can they take off every day to attend partial hospitalization treatment. In such cases, they may participate in outpatient programs run by hospitals and health clinics. Such alcohol rehab center have their own rules for attendance with many of them operating in the evening and on weekends to accommodate schedules.

Intensive outpatient programs: If a person has high level of self-control and is truly motivated to quit alcohol, he or she can participate in an intensive outpatient program. These programs run from two months to a year and require the participants to dedicate nine up to twenty hours for treatment every week. To be part of such programs, it is essential for the person to have loving and supportive family and friends.

Once a person is admitted to any of the above programs, he is assessed to ascertain the level of dependency and general health. A plan is then formulated to help him overcome this dependency and deal with factors triggering the intake of alcohol. In some cases, medication may also be used to help counter the withdrawal symptoms. Doctors, counselors and psychologists will then work with the person during one on one and group therapy sessions to learn new skills and ways of dealing with their problems. Patients who are part of an inpatient program are often advised to participate in an outpatient program once their detox is over to help avoid a relapse.