Alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence is a treatable illness, but successful alcohol treatment requires the active participation of the employee, a professional alcohol treatment counselor, the employee’s supervisor, and family members or friends. Alcohol treatment may involve one to four weeks of intense alcohol rehabilitation at an outpatient or inpatient alcohol treatment facility following by six to twelve months of “aftercare” consisting of periodic individual, group, or family counseling. The recovery process typically requires the employee’s regular participation in a community-based self-help group such as Alcoholics Anonymous. 

One key to successful alcohol treatment is admission of the problem and motivation to beat it. Studies of alcohol treatment programs show that completion of the full aftercare program is the strongest predictor of alcohol treatment success. 

Relapse is a common occurrence after all addiction treatment, but the risk of relapse diminishes with the passage of time and continued abstinence. The first relapse occurs most commonly during the first three months after completion of alcohol treatment. One study of alcohol treatment outcomes found that if one gets through the first three months without relapse, the chances for long-term abstinence improve dramatically, and the chance of a relapse that affects work performance is small. 

If you are looking for an effective alcohol treatment program, call the national alcohol abuse helpline 1-800-511-9225 or go to www.lakeviewhealth.com.