Alcoholism treatment is needed for many people in the country and around the world. Not surprisingly, there are many untreated people who ignore the warning signs and continue to drink. If you or someone you know is looking for methods to treating alcoholism, you have a lot to choose from. There are many varied ways to approach alcoholism treatment. Many doctors feel that the best method would be a rehabilitation program – this would be a type of inpatient approach.

Regardless of what treatment you decide to take, it is important to look at the basic “building blocks” of the treatment. Generally speaking, there are three main components to an effective method of treating alcoholism:

First, the individual abusing alcohol must be advised to stop drinking entirely. There is no changing this around – you cannot adjust your drinking, or slow your drinking, or anything even remotely close to it. The definition of an alcoholic includes someone who cannot control their alcohol intake, so if your treatment involves controlling the alcohol consumption, leave and seek better advice. Removal of alcohol is the first and foremost principle behind treating alcoholism.

Second, there must be a form of detoxification involved. Alcohol abuse wreaks havoc on both the mind and the body. Physically, there may be diseases that have been caused by alcohol abuse affecting the body. It is crucial that these diseases are treated before they do further damage. Treating alcoholism is not as simple as flipping a switch to “OFF”. The abuser must be treated medically for the damage that excessive alcohol intake has caused.

Third, and finally, there must be a long-term solution and treatment involved. Alcohol abuse damages the mind and the emotions as well as the body. It is imperative that the mind is treated as well. An alcohol abuser must be taught and shown how to feel fulfilled in life apart from alcohol. Normal life may not feel satisfying immediately upon release from a treatment center. There needs to be follow up and support offered to the recovering alcoholic to prevent relapses back into alcoholism.

Treating alcoholism is a long and very involved process, but if done correctly and including these components, treatment can be incredibly effective and successful. Keep these in mind the next time you or someone you love is considering treatment for themselves or someone else. Following these guidelines can ensure a strong approach to treatment.

What is family addiction treatment? The treatment involves using a family’s strengths and resources to find ways for the person to divert his dependency on drugs and alcohol. The impact is then put on the family to help bring the person through it. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says that it is an effective mode of treatment for substance abusers.

Family addiction treatment has a two-fold effect. First, the intentional effect is that it can be a way to bring a person out of the depths of addiction through the love and care of a supporting family. The second, maybe not so obvious, effect is that the family as a whole is educated and involved in the substance abuse treatment. This fosters knowledge and interaction among the family that can prevent addiction from slipping through from generation to generation.

The impact that addiction has on a family is harsh, and family addiction treatment will help all involved:

• The traditional family runs into trouble when the sober spouse tries to protect the children, assuming the roles of both parents. Studies have shown that children suffer very direct problems as a result of an abusing parent.

• The blended family fights through integration problems. A member of the family suffering from addiction may be cast out or separated by some, and divisions can arise as a result.

• Someone simply living with a spouse or partner could require both to enter into treatment. Codependence is a major issue among households such as these.

• An adolescent abuser in a family will necessitate family addiction treatment through siblings who may need attention and parents that attempt to balance it out, or parents that focus all the attention on one of the children.

Now, family addiction treatment does have some warnings, and the main one is to watch out for the endangerment of family members. A family cannot go through therapy together if there is physical abuse and battering taking place. In that situation, the abuser needs to be separated from the rest of the family, and treatment needs to be administered to family members separately.

The impact that an addiction can have on a family of any kind is monumental. It is important to not assume that merely the addict is the only one that needs professional help. Often, the family as a whole needs assistance in coping with the problem and dealing with it in an open and healing fashion. In situations like these, family addiction treatment can be effective and maybe even necessary.

Hope For A Sober Tomorrow

If you feel your friend or family member is steeped in a dangerous addiction, staging an intervention can be an effective way to get that person to seek help. The key is it has to be done well. Here are a few tips to ensure that you put together an effective intervention:

Plan it out.

Go to the people around him or and speak to them privately about the idea of an intervention. You want the people closest to him, who care about him, and who he cares about as well. Even if you do not like someone who he cares about, it’s important to let these biases be put aside for the purpose of this. If he doesn’t care about the people confronting him, it won’t work. He has to respect these people, and value their opinions. The threat of these people walking out on him needs to have great impact. Keep the group on the smaller side: no need to invite the whole, extended family. Try to keep the number in single digits, if you can. A more intimate group will be more effective. It also has to be clear that this intervention is a surprise, to keep the addict from avoiding the situation.

Seek additional help.

It may be beneficial to talk to an interventionist, who can guide you through the intervention process and, if requested, be present during the intervention. Having an addiction specialist present can help moderate the group if the group does not know what they are doing.

Prepare in advance.

With or without the interventionist, the group should meet beforehand to lay out how they will approach the addict and what they will say to him. Treatment options should be researched in advance, so that help can be suggested and offered immediately. It may be good for everyone to have a speech or something to say written out beforehand, so that everyone’s impact can be felt on the person. That way, everyone can adjust their speeches if they sound too blaming, rather than loving. The tone of the intervention is extremely crucial. Everyone then also should offer an ultimatum to push the addict to action. It may be difficult to do this for many, but it is one of the keys to an effective intervention. Preparing in advance can also clue in the group to any rejections or resistance that the addict may show towards the group.

Be careful during the intervention.

Keep the atmosphere positive. You want the addict to know you are here to help, not to blame. Also, keep the discussion about “I” and not “you.” By doing this, you are speaking about your feelings, and not pointing fingers. This person will be defensive, so don’t insult or berate him. If the interventionist is there, he can help talk through the objections.

Take immediate action.

Following the intervention, the addict will either admit it or deny it. If he admits it, escort him to his place, help him pack a bag, and take him to a treatment center for admission. If he denies it, unfortunately, the ultimatum’s consequences must begin immediately. Hopefully, the lack of his loved ones supporting him will prompt him to take action in a few days.

What does a Certified Employee Assistance Professional do?

A Certified Employee Assistance Professional, or CEAP, provides support and counseling to employees and their families on a wide range of workplace and personal problems that may affect job performance. They also can provide organizations with consulting and training.

How do I become a CEAP?

To become a Certified Employee Assistance Professional, you must get CEAP certification. To obtain this, one has to go through an employee assistance program and work towards a certain number of continuing education units, such as the ones offered through the Treatment Solutions Network’s two-day CEAP training conference. This conference helps you cover the advisement and personal development hours by providing continuing education units towards your certification.

Many sites also offer online continuing education for EAP’s.

What happens after I become one?

Support for a Certified Employee Assistance Professional is provided through the Employee Assistance Professionals Associations, or EAPA. Your membership in the EAPA provides you with guidelines and connections to keep you current on proper workplace policies and treatments in regards to workplace problems and issues. The workplace in today’s world is ever-changing and evolving, and support through the EAPA is a valuable way of keeping up on the latest and most effective treatments and procedures.

Why should I become a Certified Employee Assistance Professional?

There are many benefits to becoming a CEAP:
1. It benefits both your career and your income. Employee assistance needs are in high demand. Studies show that CEAPs that are employed to fill these positions are compensated at better rates than non-CEAPs filling the same positions.
2. The CEAP certification demonstrates knowledge of employee assistance issues. Being a Certified Employee Assistance Professional shows that you know all the basics to provide effective counseling and case management for your client.
3. Having CEAP certification shows that you are continuously developing your knowledge of employee assistance through continuing education opportunities. As mentioned above, CEAPs work to increase and develop their working knowledge of workplace issues through continuing education courses and conferences, like the above-mentioned one offered by the Treatment Solutions Network.
4. Becoming a CEAP is a rigorous process. If you are a Certified Employee Assistance Professional, you are demonstrating to potential employers that you are a dedicated worker and that your profession is important to you.

Becoming a Certified Employee Assistance Professional is a rewarding experience, and it is one that will put you in the position to assist workplaces and employees for years to come. Contact the Treatment Solutions Network at their website to take part in furthering your career as a CEAP.

If you want to be a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP), it is required that you go through special training to be certified. However, it is important that you do not simply choose any course: here are a few things to keep in mind when deciding which SAP training course is right for you:

Do they cover the DOT’s Substance Abuse Professional training rules and regulations?

The DOT requires that all courses cover the following information:

• The DOT’s drug and alcohol testing program: its background, rationale, etc.
• Key drug and alcohol testing requirements, including collection, testing, and the problems in drug and alcohol testing
• Reporting requirements and what is expected of your recordkeeping
• Issues that Substance Abuse Professionals confront on the job
• Does the trainer teaching the course know the topic?

It is essential that, like any class, the instructor knows the topic well and is not simply teaching out of a handbook. You need an instructor with experience and is very knowledgeable about SAP standards and qualifications.

Does the training go beyond the qualifications?

A good SAP training course will include things like case studies, stories, and other situational problems that SAPs find themselves in regularly. Try to find an instructor who communicates with current SAPs on a regular basis for updated information and new situations and problems.

Will the training cover reporting requirements?Reporting and recordkeeping requirements are strict. Your course must include these requirements and teach you how to keep effective and proper records that follow these guidelines.

Does the course teach you how to get work?

Being trained to be an SAP is about more than simply learning the requirements: your training course should cover how to set up your own SAP practice, or how to market yourself in your community.

Will the training show you how to get answers?

You will not be in class forever, and you will not leave the class with answers to all of your questions. You need to learn where to look, either in your manual, your notes, or on the web, to find answers to questions that come up.

What is the instructor’s reputation?

Try to talk to others who have taken his/her course. People who have experience should be willing to help you choose.

Do they claim to be approved or endorsed by the DOT?

The DOT does not endorse any SAP instructional course, nor do they endorse instructors. Be careful of any class that claims this.
Like any class, it’s important to review what it claims to teach you and the subject matter it will cover before enrolling. Take note of some of these tips before you look at your SAP qualification training course.

Who is qualified to act as a SAP, info on the DOT Website