Treatment For Anxiety And Alcohol Dependency In Rehabilitation Centers

August 14, 2012 0 Comments

People with anxiety disorders will find ways in dealing with the anxiety and they may find comfort to the sedating effects of alcohol. People who are alcoholics often develop anxiety on the process. It is difficult to predict which illness occurs first when medical practitioners make a diagnosis but we are certain that both disorders can be dealt with simultaneously in alcohol treatment programs.

Information

Dual Diagnosed clients are suffering from addiction to a substance coupled with a mental disorder. In dealing with dual diagnosed clients, medical practitioners should deal with both conditions to obtain success in treatment. If the alcohol addiction is treated, it would be likely that anxiety would trigger relapse and vice versa. Targeting both symptoms will make it easier to cure them.

Types of Treatment

Alcoholism requires an intensive treatment plan compared to anxiety disorder. Alcohol treatment centers include detoxification, individual counseling, group counselling, family therapy, and support groups. Treatment methods could be residential, inpatient, or outpatient treatment plans. The length of stay could be short or long depending on the severity of the case. The treatments for anxiety disorder focus on pharmacology and psychotherapy. Medications used in anxiety include anti-depressants and benzodiazepines. The pharmacological treatment starts when the patient stops drinking. Doctors oftentimes don’t use benzodiazepines in treating anxiety because these medicines are habit-forming.

Plan of Treatment

The plan of treatment will vary depending on the patient’s needs and the severity of the case of alcohol addiction and anxiety disorder. For example, the patient has moderate anxiety and is taking alcohol but not dependent to it may only need a weekly counselling from a psychologist, family therapy and a support group. A patient who has PTSD may include detoxification and six months of residential therapy.

Considerations

Choosing a treatment facility that will fit the needs of the client is not an easy task. Make sure that the center you choose is equipped to treat the alcoholism and anxiety disorder. There are treatment centers that specialize in treating dual diagnosed clients. Medical health practitioners focusing on mental health are trained to treat both symptoms but some alcohol rehabs aren’t equipped to deal with mental issues like anxiety disorders.

Warning

It would be best to seek the help from medical practitioners in dealing with your addiction. The withdrawal symptoms brought about by a sudden discontinuation of an addictive substance could be life-threatening. As listed by the Mayo Clinic, withdrawal symptoms include vomiting, fever, seizures, sweating, and black-outs. Assistance and constant monitoring by healthcare professionals in the detoxification is essential to establish a safe recovery.

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