Can you imagine checking into an alcohol rehab for treatment of your alcoholism and be told that you will be taught how to control your drinking. Truly, that is the dream of every true addict and alcoholic and it suffices to say, this alcohol rehab would be the most popular in the world.

These alcohol rehabs actually existed 25 – 30 years ago. therapeutic communities used to try and teach recovering heroin addicts how to drink socially. The end result was each heroin addict abused the alcohol and quickly returned to their drug of choice. Of course there was always the exception. The one person out of many that managed to control their drinking. The problem was that no person could tell who that individual was and with the downside being so horrendous, the risk was not worth the reward.

Today, most reputable alcohol rehabs recognize alcoholism for what it is, a chronic, progressive and fatal disease that can be treated. It is also an illness that with one sip of alcohol can be brought to life again with devastating consequences. When you find an alcohol rehab, be sure it is not one that teaches the art of social drinking. For any “real alcoholic” the art of social drinking always seems to end waking up the next day and saying something like ” I can’t believe this happened again”.

For help with alcohol abuse or alcoholism, contact an alcohol rehab or call the national alcohol abuse helpline at 1-800-99-DETOX.