Personal guidance on the way to recovery
Alcohol admission: when is it needed?
Not everyone who drinks too much needs a residential admission. For some people, outpatient guidance is enough. Still, there are signs that point to the need for a more intensive programme.
During an intake conversation we look together at what is going on and which form of guidance is most appropriate, without judgement and in complete discretion.
When is an admission for alcohol appropriate?
Not everyone who drinks too much needs a residential admission. For some people, outpatient guidance is enough.
An admission may be appropriate when:
- you have tried to stop several times, but keep starting again
- alcohol has more and more influence on your relationship, family or work
- you notice that you are losing control over your drinking
- you need alcohol in order to relax, sleep or function
- the people around you are increasingly worried
- alongside the drinking there is also trauma, depressive feelings, anxiety or other difficulties
- your daily surroundings make it hard to break your drinking pattern
During an intake we look together at what is going on and which form of guidance is most appropriate.
Not sure whether this fits your situation? Read more about the signs and causes of alcohol addiction.
Voluntary admission for alcohol
A voluntary admission for alcohol means that you consciously choose to stay in a treatment centre for a while and work intensively on your recovery.
At Affect2U, a residential admission usually starts with a programme of 28 days. Depending on your situation and the advice of the clinical team, a longer programme may be appropriate.
You stay in a warm and homely environment in a small group. During your admission you receive individual guidance and group therapy, and you work on addiction patterns, emotions, relapse prevention, relationships and the underlying causes of your drinking, among other things.
Family and loved ones can be involved in the programme as well.
First step or professional help?
Alcohol self-help or professional guidance?
Many people start with alcohol self-help. They keep track of how much they drink, agree on alcohol-free days or try to stop altogether. That can be a first step.
But when you notice that you keep drinking despite the negative consequences, or that earlier attempts to stop keep failing, professional guidance may be needed. Especially when alcohol has become a way of coping with stress, grief, trauma or other difficult feelings, simply taking away the alcohol is often not enough. At Affect2U we therefore look not only at how you can stop, but also at what you need in order to sustain that change.
Alcohol admission in Belgium
If you are looking for an admission for alcohol in Belgium, Affect2U offers a residential programme in Vosselaar. Our Belgian location is deliberately small-scale and homely. You do not stay in a classic hospital setting, but in a place where calm, discretion and personal guidance come first.
Alongside an admission in Belgium, there are also residential options through partner clinics abroad.
What if alcohol causes relationship problems?
Problem drinking rarely stays limited to the person who drinks. Perhaps arguments come up more and more often. Promises are made and broken again. There is lying about how much someone has had to drink. Or a partner takes on more and more responsibilities to keep the household running.
Alcohol and relationship problems can then reinforce each other. A partner with an alcohol problem feels stress, guilt or shame and reaches for alcohol again. Meanwhile, the other partner becomes increasingly angry, worried or powerless.
That is why at Affect2U we also involve partners and family in the recovery process, wherever this is possible and appropriate.
Not sure whether an admission is needed?
You do not have to decide on your own which programme you need. Every treatment at Affect2U starts with an intake conversation. We listen to your story, map out your situation and look at which form of guidance is most appropriate. That may be a residential admission, but also outpatient guidance, or medical support first while you stop drinking.
Alcohol admission
FAQs
