Alternative Alcohol Rehab
What is alternative alcohol rehab? How does it differ from traditional alcohol treatment?
Traditional rehab generally consists of detox and residential treatment. By the numbers, most rehabs are 12 step based. That means they rely heavily on the 12 step program for the model that they teach and as a method of recovery.
For a variety of reasons, many people want alternatives to this traditional approach. There are a couple of possibilities for this:
1) They have tried 12 step programs in the past and failed to stay sober with them (remember the definition of insanity? Try something different if you want different results!).
2) They have social anxiety and do not do well in a group setting.
3) They believe other methods of recovery will work better for them.
And so on. Some people just want alternatives to the usual treatment model and that is just fine. To be honest, if you take a hard look at the numbers, traditional treatment models don’t fare so well anyway. Success rates have never been anything to brag about and in most cases the numbers are downright scary. It is probably nothing worth arguing in detail, but let’s just say that seeking out different forms of treatment is probably a good thing, especially if an alcoholic has typically struggled to stay sober with the traditional methods.
So, what are some alternatives to 12 step based alcohol rehab? Many of the ideas below can be combined to form an overall strategy for recovery. There is no one right path to sobriety.
1) Religious based programs – there are treatment models out there that are strictly religious based, and they work for some people. Obviously, these are not for everyone, but they have definitely worked for some.
2) Outpatient treatment - showing up for outpatient classes every day might be the type of support that certain alcoholics need in their life. You can also form support groups this way based on your peers in treatment with you.
3) Therapy or counseling – some people avoid groups and do better one-on-one. Having a therapist guide you through early recovery has worked for some people, but again…it is not for everyone.
4) Fitness and nutrition based programs – there are actually alcohol treatment programs that are based exclusively on good nutrition and fitness as a model for recovery. Definitely will not work for every alcoholic but sometimes you need to think outside the box, and there are people who are enjoying an awesome recovery based on this treatment model. It certainly differs quite a bit from traditional recovery models and challenges us to think about what we might be overlooking in our own recovery.
5) Holistic approach – This is primarily what I advocate for recovery.
* Try many different approaches to recovery and keep what works.
* Push yourself to grow as a person in many different ways.
* Find unique ways to reach out and help others in recovery.
* Push yourself towards better health on multiple levels. Consider fitness, nutrition, quitting smoking, etc.
* Create the life you really want by setting goals and living with purpose.
So you don’t necessarily need to find an alternative treatment center….you just need an open mind about recovery and a willingness to pursue a holistic model of health as you stay sober. If 12 step recovery works for you then that is awesome and you should take advantage of that model and incorporate it into your life. If it does not help you so much then you need to find other ways to recover. Basically, you need help, and you need to help others. Without those two elements you are flying blind in recovery and really don’t have a program at all.
Fawn Says:
hello. I have missed your writing and you definately have a positive affect on my life. Thank you for doing what you do. Here’s my take on todays post. I absolutely agree with your 5 holistic concepts of healing from addiction. There is no use for me to go thru hell getting sober and then stay the same emotional, spiritual, mental and physical ameoba that I was when I was drunk. This, to me, is hell on earth. I have certainly tried it many times and I can pretty well say that personal stagnation does not work as a recovery concept. As I continue to recreate myself in sobriety the weapons I use against the disease have gotten more numerous and more sophisticated. Somehow “don’t drink and go to meetings” is not enough. Neither is excersize, church, or quitting smoking. None of it on it’s own works. But combine these things in the right amounts and I’ve got a wonderful life and alcoholism has healed me from it’s self. Without the whip of a next life ruining drunk always beside me I probably wouldn’t make the huge effort to heal as I do. It’s the gift of the disease.
Patrick Says:
Hi Fawn
Thanks for the feedback, I always appreciate your input and I think we agree almost exactly on how good holistic recovery should work. I have a lot going on lately behind the scenes here so not posting as much anymore, but I am definitely still reaching out to others online. Thanks for reading and joining the discussion here…..
Sigal Adini Says:
Dear Patrick,
You are just one really amazing person. I truly appreciate the sincerity and open mind with which you address each topic.
I completely agree with you on many points. My particular favorite is the one about helping someone else. That is just so true. Many people don’t realize the amazing recovery and healing that can come from helping others. I often advise people to volunteer and get out there and help.
I also agree with your point of view on taking a holistic approach. So often I see people who were looking for answers only to find prescription drugs as an answer. It breaks my heart when I hear about it because I know that the road to increased awareness has just gotten longer for that person.
By the way, I found Magnolia through your blog and then I read her article about you. She is a great person and I really appreciated meeting her. After we met, I was really inspired and wrote about it in my blog.
So thank you for the great service you provide and I hope to continue to see your articles. They are very inspiring and helpful.
My best,
Sigal Adini
Patrick Says:
Thanks for the feedback and kind words, Sigal. Magnolia is great too, love her site!
Magnolia Says:
Well, can I wade in here? :)
I’m a huge proponant of whatever works. Life is so full of unknowns and difficulties and if living 52, nearly 53 years has taught me anything, it’s that what works for one, does not necessarily work for someone else.
My father was a raging alcoholic when I was a child. It cost him so much. Eventually, the life of one of his daughters. God bless him. He has a burden to bear that is hard for most to understand.
But, he didn’t do AA to quit drinking. He spent his time there, but said that it wasn’t for him. The thing that helped him stay sober was that he got completely and totally honest. He stopped the blame game. I believe that kind of honesty is what sets EVERYONE free from ANYTHING in life that is tormenting them.
My dad is a very unpretentious soul and I believe it is his humility that has brought hims through 30 years (or close to it) of sobriety.
I think the same principle can be applied in the dieting area too. There are so many diets. So many ways to lose weight. So many ways to get healthy. But, at the end of the day, if one does not have the “will” to carry out the program, nothing will work. On the other hand, if one does have the will, then any of those programs will work.
Hope you are well Patrick. I’m still trying to find the ground from the flurry of activity with my children. I’m too old for this.
Magnolia Says:
Hi Patrick,
It’s me again. I have a couple of questions. Given your experience and expertise, I will trust your answer. Here are my drinking habits. Tell me if I sound like a bono-fide alcoholic or some teetering dangerously close:
The past three years (or so) my wine consumption (which is pretty much all I drink. the occasional margerita and bloody mary when out at dinner) increased from 1 glass per day to 2 or 3 each time I sat down with a bottle of wine.
I used to buy a bottle of wine and take 4 to 5 days to drink it. If I ever felt I was thinking about it too much, I would stop buying it and literally go for months without drinking.
Then I got to where I was drinking 2 to 3 bottles/week. For a while I would back off and then after a couple of weeks, go back to it. The same habit began to emerge. 2 to 3 glasses instead of one.
A few months ago when I tried to quit I was drinking probably 3 bottles per week. It was a struggle to not buy it.
I went a month without drinking a couple of months ago. I do not crave alcohol in the sense that I feel I “need” it physically. There are times when I go….”boy, a glass of wine sounds reeeeally good” but if I fight that urge, it will pass.
In the past two weeks I’ve had 3 bottles of wine. Not in one sitting. One bottle over a two day period and then a few days later, another.
I don’t know why I’m concerned about this. I guess because I feel I’m relying on alcohol to relieve stress and that alone bothers the heck out of me.
Maybe I have more alcoholic tendencies than I think I do. But, I’m really in a serious head struggle over this and could use a little insight from someone who has btdt.
In all honesty, I would like to just give up drinking all together. It’s getting to be more of a distraction than anything else.
Anyway. Give me your best thoughts.
Patrick Says:
Well Magnolia my best wisdom on this is that no one can diagnose an alcoholic except for themselves. From a practical point of view this is all that matters.
Now to be honest I do not have a strong feeling one way or the other….my opinion is that you might become a serious alcoholic some day, but right now I don’t really know if you “qualify.” Sounds to me like you are more of a problem drinker. That means if you take away the alcohol, then the problem disappears.
And it sounds like you can go for long periods without drinking, and then when you do drink, I don’t think you are binging. Do you ever drink for more than 24 hours straight? It doesn’t really sound like it.
Now I am just thinking out loud here and exposing my opinion, but this does not matter much. What matters is not even how much you drink or how often. What matters is how it makes you feel and if alcohol is screwing up your life.
If drinking is not turning your life into a train wreck then there is probably no problem.
If it’s a problem, then it’s a problem! If not, not! Right?
So, is it a problem?
Magnolia Says:
I’ve never drank for 24 hours in my entire life. I cannot even imagine doing that. Do people DO that??? Okay. Dumb question. Of course they do.
I think what bothers me is that for the first time in my life I’m feeling a little bit “run” by something, rather then “me” doing the running.
No, it’s not turning my life into a trainwreck. Never has. But, because I drink more now than I ever have, I feel like it’s a problem. I think about it more than once every now and then and I want to drink it more than I used to.
So, to ME, that’s a problem.
Thanks for airing your thoughts outloud for me.
Sigal Adini Says:
Hello Magnolia and Patrick,
Just wanted to add my two cents if that is OK.
I made a personal choice a long time ago not to drink alcohol and not take any other mind altering drugs (unless I have some medical emergency the requires it). I consider my mind my most valuable asset — I was only given one and I feel it is my duty to protect it to the best of my ability. I know that being careless with this amazing part of my being will compromise my own survival potential. After all our ability to pose and resolve problems, be able to see differences and similarities is what sets us far apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. And our reaction time is super important when it comes to staying alive.
Regular alcohol use, does alter the way a person perceives themselves and their environment. This is what causes slower reaction time and the lessened ability to tell differences. That altered perception does not completely “bounce back” when the person is again sober. There is always a residual lessening in the person’s ability to have full perceptions. So there is an accumulation of damage over time.
Alcoholic or not may be the wrong question in your case, Magnolia.
Maybe the question should be, how alert and sharp do you want to be?
I suggest you focus on your amazing abilities, your spiritual intensity, your basic personality and decide if alcohol is going to enhance or lessen their quality.
Does that help?
Sigal Adini
Patrick Says:
Thanks for your input Sigal. That is a very non threatening way of putting it, not a very easy thing to do.
I like the idea of a 30 day trial as well. To do 30 days with no drinking and be especially mindful of how the sobriety works for you….might be worth a shot.
Magnolia Says:
Very good question Sigal and one that I find myself asking actually.
I can count the number of times I’ve been sloppy, in the gutter, don’t know my name kind of drunk on one hand. In fact, 3 fingers is more accuate. I remember all three of those incidences VERY well. I have not repeated them because frankly, I HATE the feeling of drunkeness.
I’ve never understood why anyone would seek such a horrible state. But, I digress.
Yes, the question should be, how sharp do you want to be? I’m a night time sipper. I’m not a binger, but occasionally I wouldn’t exactly call my mental state after a few hours of “sipping” exactly sharp.
I’m not a fan of hard liquor and rarely drink a beer. My drinking is primarily, nearly 100 percent, red wine.
So, here I go again, over-thinking and talking this stupid issue to death. (one of my short-comings – over thinking that is).
I think I need to just chill out and take Patrick’s earlier advice……..”determine if it’s a problem. If it is, it is. If it’s not, it’s not. Talking the stupid subject death is pointless.
Thanks, however, for your input.