Choosing The Right Alcohol Treatment Center

When choosing an alcohol treatment center, the first thing to keep in mind is the type of alcohol treatment program you or your loved one may need.  The type of alcohol treatment can vary based on the severity of the case of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), otherwise known as alcoholism or alcohol abuse.

Levels of Alcohol Use Disorder

There are three levels of AUD: Mild, Moderate, and Severe. The level of AUD is based on the number of criteria an individual meets.  A licensed professional may use question-based criteria to determine the level of AUD during a formal assessment.  Some of these questions may include:

• Have you drank more or for a longer period of time than you originally intended to?
• Have you tried to cut-back or quit drinking altogether more than once, but couldn’t?
• Do you spend a lot of time drinking or recovering from the aftereffects of drinking?
• Have you wanted a drink so badly that you couldn’t concentrate on anything else?
• Have you found that drinking or being sick from drinking is interfering with your job?

A complete list of questions can be found here.  The more questions to which a person answers “yes”, the more severe the case of AUD may be.  However, only a licensed professional can determine the actual level of AUD and recommend the best type of alcohol treatment program.

Types of Alcohol Treatment

There are two distinct types of alcohol treatment programs available: Outpatient and Inpatient.

If the level of AUD is mild or moderate and the individual does not require medical detoxification, they can get help by attending an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP).  Its a part-time program in which they visit a treatment center 9 to 12 hours per week, but continue to go to school or work as needed.

If the level of AUD is more severe, then an inpatient treatment program is needed.  Inpatient treatment is often referred to as residential treatment because it requires an individual to stay at a facility for an extended period (usually several days to weeks) with 24-hour medical supervision.

For individuals with a severe level of AUD but whom are more medically stable, a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) may be a better fit.  This type of program requires an individual to visit a treatment center every day (between 25 to 35 hours per week) but can return to their home at night.

Alcohol Treatment at The MODE

If you’re unsure of what type of alcohol treatment is best, call The MODE @ (330) 991-5480 for a free consultation to talk with a licensed addiction counselor.

The MODE is an outpatient addiction treatment center located near Akron, Ohio, that specializes in the treatment of alcoholism and alcohol abuse.

To learn more about the types of outpatient alcohol treatment programs The MODE offers, visit our Programs page here: miraclesoccur.org/programs