In Canada, roughly 19% of children who are aged 12 years old and over, are heavy alcohol users. 240 million people across the whole world have alcohol problems. Alcoholism is where a person cannot go a day without drinking. They rely heavily on alcohol to be able to function and get through a day.
Alcoholism can develop over many reasons such as problems at home, money problems, stress at work, and much more. Mostly people feel like alcohol helps them, when in fact it is doing the opposite. Most people realize that they need help, while others are not so lucky. The death rate from alcohol is roughly around 2% of the population each year.
What does alcohol rehab involve?
Firstly, a doctor must examine you and assess your situation. This involves looking at your medical history, mental state, and physical state. They carry our tests such as drug tests, alcohol level test, and a urine test. This is mainly to see how much of an alcohol level you have in your body.
After all this, they put together a alcohol rehab programme most suited to your needs. They go through this with you, and you decide whether you are happy to proceed. Medication is prescribed to help you and you are monitored the first few days as you go through your alcohol detox.
Once the detox is complete, there are various programmes you will go through. One on one counselling is always offered to you. There are anger and stress management programmes, meditation, nutrition, music and art therapy, fitness therapy, journaling and much more. All of this helps you in your journey to recovery.
What does alcohol detox involve?
Alcohol detox basically removes the toxins from the body through complete withdrawal from alcohol for a few days. Some people can get through it easily, but others find it extremely difficult. It is not something that is recommended to do by yourself at home or with family, as it can get quite dangerous.
People can go through seizures, brain damage, and even death while on the detox, hence why a professional should be overlooking you during this part of your recovery. There are other symptoms your body goes through while on the detox, such as cold sweats, diarrhoea, tremors, fever, and vomiting.
Sometimes people can have psychological symptoms too, such as hallucinations, insomnia, confusion, and anxiety. It is best to be watched over by someone with experience who will be able to help you when any of these symptoms happen. They can also prescribe certain medication to help you get through the detox easier.
How long do you have stay in rehab?
This depends on the clinic and what they offer, but also on you and how much help you need. There are programs that last 30 days, 60 days, or 90 days. Depending on your case, you could end up staying in rehab for 90 days.
The point of rehab is that you reach the goal at the end, which is to be in a better mental, physical, and health state. You want to have the alcohol completely out of your body and reduce your cravings for it. Some people may only need the 30 days and be able to go home, while others who have had alcohol problems for many years, may need to stay longer.
What are the costs involved?
There are public and private rehab centres to choose from. The public centres have long waitlists, which may not be suitable for you as you might need treatment urgently. If you can wait, most of these are covered under your insurance or OHIP in Canada, so you will not have to pay anything.
For private clinics you are looking at paying roughly around $300 to $600 a day. The benefit here is that there is no waitlist, and you can start straight away. This isn’t suitable for everyone as it is extremely expensive, especially if you must stay for 90 days.
What are some of the best rehab centres in Canada?
Some of the best clinics include the following:
- Inspire Change Wellness – one of the best facilities in Canada. It is a luxurious facility which provides treatment for 30 to 90 days.
- Valiant Behavioural Health – a cheaper facility at $11,500, which provides treatment from 30 to 120 days. They have a 9-bedroom home that provide individualized treatment for their patients.
- Addiction Rehab Toronto – they cost $17,000 per month and provide for 30 days and over.
Most of these are quite expensive, but there are public clinics which can be looked into also. As advised, you would need to be referred over to them and placed on a waitlist before being able to get treatment.
What are the benefits of the rehab facility for alcoholism?
There are many benefits of rehab facilities for alcoholism. People are given a chance to overcome their struggles with alcohol through therapy and counselling. Many of these facilities provide grief counselling. They teach the skills necessary to live a normal life and how to survive without alcohol.
Through therapy, people learn that alcohol is not something they need to rely on, that they can live without it and handle stressful situations in different ways. There is 24/7 supervision at the facilities, which means that people will not be able to leave and get alcohol anywhere. They can talk through their feelings and worries. They learn how to communicate better with people around them.
Alcoholism is a severe problem all over the world. There are many facilities and programs which can help you in overcoming your problem and learning how to live without it. Canada has various clinics to choose from, both public and private, whatever suits your needs most.