Erlanger Behavioral Health Hospital provides comprehensive care for adults and senior adults who are struggling with alcohol addiction. Erlanger is a leading alcohol addiction treatment center in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Learn More About Alcohol Addiction Treatment
Get the facts about treatment for alcohol addiction at Erlanger Behavioral Health Hospital
Alcohol addiction, or alcoholism, is a widespread problem in the United States. Alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction have been identified as among the leading causes of preventable deaths throughout the U.S.
Although many people are able to safely consume alcohol in moderation, for many others, alcohol use quickly leads to alcohol abuse, which progresses to alcohol addiction. Adults who struggle with alcohol addiction lose the ability to control the amount and frequency of their drinking. Treatment can help negate symptoms of alcohol addiction including physical, mental, and economic issues.
Thankfully, alcohol addiction is a treatable condition. When adults or senior adults receive effective age-appropriate treatment for alcohol addiction, they can experience significant improvements in the quality and substance of their lives. With the right treatment, you can make the lifestyle changes that will support successful long-term recovery from alcoholism.
How to Help a Loved One
Helping a loved one or family member get treatment for alcohol addiction
It can be hard to watch a loved one struggle with alcohol addiction. You might be feeling frustrated, scared, or even helpless. When someone you care about becomes addicted to alcohol, you may fear for their future and be at a loss for how to respond.
These feelings are perfectly understandable. The impact of alcohol addiction extends beyond the person who is directly affected. However, please know that the situation is not hopeless, and you are not helpless. You can play an important role in getting your loved one the help they need. Consider taking the following steps:
- First, it’s important to educate yourself about alcohol addiction. Visit reliable websites or contact reputable organizations. Learning about the signs, symptoms, and effects of alcohol addiction will help you understand what your loved one is going through and prepare you to provide the most meaningful assistance.
- Research local treatment centers and treatment options. Learn about the different types and levels of treatment for alcohol addiction, and make a list of the centers that you think would be a good fit for your loved one. Remember that there’s no such thing as one perfect alcohol addiction treatment center. What’s most important is finding the center that’s most capable of meeting your loved one’s needs.
- Trying to help someone who has been struggling with alcohol addiction can take a toll on your own physical and mental health. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. This help can come in the form of enlisting close friends and family members to assist you in your efforts. It may also involve scheduling appointments for yourself with a counselor or therapist. In order to be the best source of support for your loved one, you need to make sure you’re not neglecting your own physical or mental health needs.
- Talk with your loved one, and listen to them. State your concerns. Emphasize your love and support. Share the information that you’ve gathered about treatment.
- Be prepared for some pushback, or even anger. Don’t allow the conversation to devolve into an argument. Stay positive. This isn’t the time to make accusations or issue ultimatums. Keep the lines of communication open. It may take multiple discussions before your loved one is ready to enter an alcohol addiction treatment program.
- When your loved one does enter treatment for alcohol addiction, take part in family therapy or family support services, if possible. These opportunities can help you to process the impact that your loved one’s alcohol addiction has had, and can teach you how to be the best source of support going forward.
Above all else, remember that treatment is just one step on the long path of recovery from alcohol addiction. During your loved one’s recovery journey, they’ll experience both successes and setbacks. Manage your expectations, and prepare to be a source of ongoing support through it all.
Why Consider Treatment
Why you should consider receiving care at our alcohol addiction treatment hospital
Alcoholism can lead to serious health concerns. Being addicted to alcohol can affect a person physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and socially.
Alcoholism can cause liver and kidney damage, lead to cognitive issues, and increase your risk for developing certain cancers. Someone who struggles with alcoholism might also develop other mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety.
Alcohol addiction can also lead to strained personal and professional relationships, financial instability, arrest and incarceration, social withdrawal, loss of hope, homelessness, thoughts of suicide, and even death.
But treatment is readily available for anyone who struggles with alcohol addiction. When you enter an effective comprehensive treatment center for alcohol addiction, you reduce your risk for continued harm and can begin to heal from past damage. Entering treatment for alcohol addiction can put you on the path to a much healthier and more hopeful life.
Types of Treatment
Learn about therapies used in alcohol addiction treatment at Erlanger Behavioral Health Hospital
Located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Erlanger Behavioral Health Hospital is a state-of-the-art, inpatient mental health and addiction treatment facility. Our high-end treatment center serves multiple cities and states, including Tennessee, North Georgia, and Alabama, offering acute care for patients who need crisis stabilization in a safe and secure setting.
Surrounded by trees, fields, and seasonal flora and fauna, our hospital provides a welcoming respite for patients to begin healing from alcohol addiction. Comfortable care rooms, courtyard areas for relaxation, and a large gymnasium for exercise and recreation offer a well-rounded treatment experience.
At Erlanger, patients receive the most innovative approach to alcohol addiction treatment, with programming that is customized to meet their individual needs.
At Erlanger, our mission is to deliver excellence in the treatment of alcohol addiction, and to improve the quality of life for those who are affected by its symptoms. We strive to deliver compassionate, effective care that empowers our patients on their unique paths to healing from alcohol addiction.
Our alcohol addiction treatment center takes great pride in our ability to provide care in a manner that best meets the needs of our patients. One way that we do this is by offering four distinct programs that allow our patients to receive treatment for alcohol addiction in a setting and amidst a population that is most reflective of their needs and stages of life.
These programs include an adult psychiatry program for patients age 18 and older, an older adult psychiatry program for patients age 65 and older, and a dual diagnosis program for adults age 18 and older. All programs offer a fully comprehensive approach to care, incorporating a variety of evidence-based therapeutic interventions into each patient’s treatment plan. When a patient receives care for alcohol addiction at our treatment center, they have access to the following:
Medical care: If a patient has a chronic, but stable, medical condition in addition to alcohol addiction, we are able to offer the additional attention they need. Doctors, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses provide medical care for those patients who require these services. Patients have the ability to meet with our medical staff daily.
Medication management: Medication is often a beneficial component in treating alcohol addiction. The use of medication, however, is always determined on a case-by-case basis. For those patients who will benefit from medication, our alcohol addiction treatment center has psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses who provide medication management services. Patients can expect to meet with a psychiatrist daily.
Detoxification: For patients who are struggling with addiction concerns, we offer nonmedical detoxification services on-site. Detox at our treatment center typically lasts between three and seven days. During this time, patients are also able to participate in therapeutic programming so that all of their needs are being met simultaneously. Medication-assisted treatment is also available as part of our detox services, including the use of Suboxone and Subutex. Each patient will work with their treatment team to determine whether to use these medications during detox.
Individual therapy: Licensed social workers and counselors provide confidential one-on-one individual therapy sessions for patients who are struggling with alcohol addiction. These sessions offer patients the opportunity to discuss their concerns, process their experiences in treatment, and celebrate successes as they begin recovering from alcohol addiction. The frequency of individual therapy sessions at our alcohol addiction treatment center is determined throughout the patient’s treatment planning process.
Group therapy: Group therapy is an important part of the healing process at our alcohol addiction treatment center. Our highly qualified staff members, including nurses, social workers, counselors, and activity therapists, lead several groups each day and encourage patients to actively support one another in treatment. There are a variety of groups offered, including the following:
- Recovery groups
- Community groups
- General processing groups
- Psychoeducational groups
Family therapy: When patients are struggling with alcohol addiction, it can be extremely beneficial to include their family members in the treatment process. At our alcohol addiction treatment center, licensed social workers and counselors lead family therapy sessions with patients and their loved ones. Not only does this give family members an opportunity to learn more about alcohol addiction, what their loved one is going through, and ways that they can help, but it also provides them with a safe space to discuss how their loved one’s concerns have impacted them as well.
Continuing Care
Continuing care options for alcohol addiction treatment
Treatment does not simply end once your stay at Erlanger Behavioral Health Hospital is complete. From the time that you are admitted into our alcohol addiction treatment center, your treatment team will begin creating your discharge plan, which will be updated as you progress through treatment. This plan may include referrals to step-down levels of care, information on community resources that are available to you, referrals to support groups, and anything else that your treatment team believes will help you remain successful in healing from alcohol addiction.
If you believe that you or your loved one could benefit from the care provided at our alcohol addiction treatment center, please do not hesitate to contact us today. Our knowledgeable, compassionate staff members are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer any questions you may have, explain more about our programming, and get you started in the admissions process.