This form of therapy can assist patients in the following areas:

• Persistence with other forms of treatment, such as medication
• Modifying behaviors and attitudes that are related to drug use
• Increasing healthy life skills

Generally, the forms of therapy include:

Multidimensional Family Therapy

MFT is for adolescents with drug abuse issues along with their families. MFT addresses a wide range of influences on drug use patterns; designed to improve the functioning of the family.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

CBT can help patients recognize and change any thoughts or behaviors contributing to their addiction. During CBT, the patient learns how to avoid and cope with situations where they are most likely to engage in drug use.

Building a Support Network Through CBT

Behavioral therapy treats underlying mental health disorders, such as depression or anxiety.

One common type of behavioral therapy is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

It can also teach them how to develop coping mechanisms to deal with stressful situations without turning to alcohol.

Contingency Management

Also known as motivational incentives, this therapy offers patients rewards for abstaining from drinking alcohol. Positive reinforcement is the encouragement to stop engaging in drug use.

Motivational Interviewing

This therapy helps patients explore the ambivalence they may have about changing their drinking behaviors. It makes the most of an individual’s readiness to change their behavior to attend treatment.

12-Step Facilitation

This form of therapy introduces patients to the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and helps them work through each step. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a well-known 12-step program that has helped people recover from alcoholism for over 75 years.

Sometimes, treatment is thorough at first; the patients attend several outpatient sessions weekly. After the patient completes intensive treatment, they can transition to regular outpatient treatment. Outpatient treatment meets fewer hours per week in an attempt to sustain recovery.

Patients can receive treatment in various settings with different approaches. Several behavioral therapies get used to treat those with an alcohol use disorder.

Medications can help treat alcohol addiction. Naltrexone is the most common; it helps reduce cravings and the urge to drink. Acamprosate and disulfiram can also be effective in treating alcohol addiction.

This treatment option can be less expensive than inpatient care and convenient for patients with work or school schedules. Patients typically meet with counselors a few times weekly but do not stay overnight at the facility.

Outpatient treatment can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on the patient’s needs. Partial hospitalization is a type of outpatient care that can be very intense, with patients attending counseling and therapy sessions for most of the day, several days each week.

Many inpatient and outpatient treatment facilities can help people detox and begin the road to recovery. Outpatient behavioral treatment includes a variety of programs for patients who attend a behavioral health counselor. Most of the programs involve individual and groups, or both.

This treatment option can be very effective, especially for patients with more severe issues, including co-occurring disorders. The licensed residential treatment facilities offer 24-hour intensive, structured care, including medical attention and safe housing.

Typically, these programs aim at assisting patients in living a crime-free and drug-free lifestyle after treatment. Examples of residential treatment settings include therapeutic communities and inpatient rehabilitation programs.

Therapeutic Communities

These are highly structured programs where the patients remain at the treatment facility. Generally, the stay is between 6 to 12 months.

The whole community, including patients in recovery and the treatment staff, acts as crucial agents of change. Meanwhile, the patient’s understanding, behaviors, and attitudes are associated with drug use.

Short-Term Residential Treatment

Typically, this focuses on detoxification and initial intensive counseling and treatment preparation in a community-based setting.

Recovery Housing

This option provides short-term, supervised housing for patients.  The housing can be transitional, which means that it can help patients ease back into society. It often follows other types of residential and inpatient treatment. Recovery housing can assist individuals in making the transition to a healthy, independent life.

Interim Housing

Interim Housing, known as Sober Living Homes, provides a safe, supportive environment for individuals in early recovery.

Long-Term Residential Treatment

Long-term residential treatment can last up to a year or more. It can provide intense, round-the-clock treatment. This treatment can be especially beneficial for people with chronic addiction who need more time to recover.

The residential treatment facilities might use various therapeutic approaches.  Some include:

• Dialectical behavioral therapy
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Motivational interviewing
• Experiential therapy

The length of stay can vary based on each patient’s progress in treatment. Most patients stay anywhere from 30 to 90 days. Some patients might require longer stays, depending on their individual needs.

After a residential treatment facility, patients will need to continue with care to prevent relapse. Aftercare can include different programs, such as sober living houses, outpatient treatment, 12-step programs, and continued individual and group therapy.

The main goal of aftercare is to help patients. Several resources are available to get you started on the road to recovery. Alcohol addiction is difficult to overcome, but treatment can help you or your loved one get on the path to sobriety and healthy life.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493181/
https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/treatment-approaches-drug-addiction