Compassionate Recovery Treatment For Alcoholics
At Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI), our Addiction Recovery Services offer high-quality treatment for adults struggling with alcoholism. Our team treats you as a whole person. It addresses all your physical, mental, and emotional health needs by providing a full range of treatments, therapies, and aftercare support. Our specialists are trained in both addiction medicine and psychiatry. They include:
- addiction psychiatrists,
- advanced practice clinicians,
- senior residents,
- addiction fellows,
- therapists,
- case managers, and
- pharmacists.
HMHI has an on-site pharmacy to help ensure your medications are filled and accessible to you when you need them. We also offer injectable medications to treat alcohol abuse.
Inpatient Treatment Program
Our inpatient detoxification program at HMHI provides a safe place to detoxify from the effects of alcohol on your system. If alcohol use has been extremely heavy, you could risk severe health consequences or even death if you attempt to detoxify without medical assistance.
At our inpatient treatment program, you’ll detoxify under the care of a psychiatrist, nurses, and social workers. We’ll provide medication, monitoring, and support during the withdrawal period. Group therapies and activities throughout the day will help you address the causes of alcohol addiction. Detoxification usually lasts from two to five days.
When you leave the hospital following successful detoxification, we’ll create a customized discharge plan to help ensure appropriate follow-up care.
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
Detoxification from long-term alcohol use should be done under medical supervision. Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include:
- shaking,
- increase or decrease in blood pressure,
- rapid breathing,
- sweating,
- vomiting,
- increased irritability,
- difficulty sleeping,
- rapid heartbeat,
- anxiety,
- hallucinations,
- seizures, and
- delirium tremens (a rare but serious and potentially deadly set of severe reactions).
These symptoms usually peak within 24-48 hours after your last drink. Your withdrawal symptoms should subside after five days, which is the longest average stay in our inpatient treatment facility.
Intensive Outpatient Program
Recovery Works is an intensive outpatient addiction recovery program for adults, including those with alcoholism. It provides the structure and support you need as you transition from inpatient treatment to an outpatient program. It is also effective for individuals who are struggling with outpatient treatment but are not ready for residential care. You will attend treatment in the evenings while you continue to work, go to school, and care for your family during the day.
Our intensive outpatient program groups meet four evenings a week for about eight weeks. Our specialists who oversee the groups focus on relapse prevention, mindfulness, and coping skills.
Outpatient Recovery Clinic
Our Recovery Clinic offers a range of outpatient services to help you navigate your recovery journey.
- Medication Management — Our psychiatrists can prescribe medications to reduce cravings and decrease your chances of relapsing. They may also prescribe medications to treat the underlying causes of alcoholism, such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.
- Individual therapy — If you would like additional support in your recovery, individual therapy with one of our counselors can help address underlying issues that may have caused your alcoholism such as abuse, trauma, stress, anger issues, and harmful relationships.
- Group therapy — If you’d like to process your recovery experience in a safe environment with supportive peers, join one of our recovery support groups. Each group is led by experienced therapists who help you learn the skills needed for recovery.
Sometimes, people come to the outpatient clinic and realize they need more intensive help. We can direct you to the right program to best serve your needs.
Medication to Treat Alcoholism
Medications can be prescribed as part of your treatment plan. They are non-addictive and may be used alone or combined with other treatments or therapies. Medications we use are:
- Suboxone — This medication is taken two to three times daily to help reduce cravings and lessen ongoing withdrawal symptoms.
- Vivitrol (Naltrexone) — This can be taken daily as a pill or monthly as an injection. It reduces cravings and blocks the high you experience when drinking alcohol and using other substances. Monthly injections work well if you forget to take pills or don’t want to take a daily medication.
Alcoholism Recovery Rate
Overcoming an alcohol addiction is difficult. The success rate for people who quit drinking without assistance, or who only attend weekly meetings, tends to be low. Our customized therapy programs, support groups, and prescription medications can increase your ability to recover.
How to Help an Alcoholic
If your loved one is suffering from alcohol addiction, it’s important to support them on their recovery journey. You need to let them know that you’re concerned about their drinking. Ask questions and listen to what they have to say. Encourage them to seek help.
Letting them know your concerns is important, but the person who has the addiction needs to take the first step toward seeking treatment.
Effects of Alcoholism on Families
The effects of alcoholism extend beyond the individual. Alcoholism can cause family members to feel anxiety, depression, shame, and become the victims of emotional or physical outbursts.
Families affected by alcoholism are more likely to have low levels of emotional bonding, emotional expressiveness, and independence. Many alcoholics lie or blame others for their problems and deny they have a drinking problem. Lying erodes trust, which is important to have between family members.
Alcoholism can also strain family finances. Issues related to drinking like being arrested for driving under the influence can cost thousands of dollars in fines and cause transportation problems. Alcoholism also worsens verbal arguments and increases the risk of domestic violence.
Our Addiction Recovery Specialists
When To Seek Help For Alcoholism
If you think you might have a problem with alcohol, it’s time to seek help. Our addiction recovery services at HMHI offer an array of treatment programs for all levels of excessive alcohol consumption.
Call 801-583-2500 to learn more about how to get started on your recovery journey. We also schedule free consultations to help you find the program that best fits your needs and life circumstances. Our treatment programs are usually covered by health insurance. Our office staff will help determine your level of coverage with your insurance carrier.
Addiction Recovery Resources
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- Salt Lake Alcoholics Anonymous
- Utah Alcoholics Anonymous
- United Wasatch Area of Narcotics Anonymous
- Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA)
- Crystal Meth Anonymous
- SMART Recovery
- Recovery Dharma
- LifeRing
- Fit 2 Recover
- OpiCure Foundation
