Does Rehab Cure Addiction to Alcohol?
ON THIS PAGE
Many people enter treatment hoping that alcohol rehab will cure their alcoholism. It’s an understandable wish—alcohol addiction devastates a person’s health, relationships, and self-respect. But while alcohol rehab can be life-changing, it isn’t a cure. Recovery from alcohol addiction is not that simple. Effective treatment must repair both the damage caused by alcohol and the underlying reasons a person began drinking.
The Need for a Multi-Faceted Approach
True rehabilitation requires a comprehensive program. Outpatient programs may not provide the 24-hour support needed to prevent relapse. Short-term treatment may not allow enough time to break habits formed over years or decades. Choosing the right alcohol rehab for a loved one demands careful thought.
Why “Cure” Isn’t the Right Word
Addiction isn’t like the flu that fades after treatment or a wound that can be patched up. It requires unlearning destructive behaviors and healing guilt and loss of self-respect. Recovery must go deep because cravings can override the lessons learned in treatment.
Relapse is common. Studies show that only about 20% of people remain abstinent for a full year after treatment, and most who ultimately recover go through several failed attempts before achieving lasting sobriety. This doesn’t mean treatment fails—it means recovery depends on having the right environment, an effective program, and enough time to make lasting changes.
Could Medication “Cure” Alcohol Addiction?
The word “cure” is often associated with medicine, and some rehab centers use medications like disulfiram, naltrexone, and acamprosate for treatment. However, these drugs can produce significant side effects:
- Disulfiram (Antabuse): Headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, chest pain, vertigo, fainting, low blood pressure, and fatigue.
- Naltrexone: Insomnia, anxiety, muscle aches, liver damage, depression, and in some cases, suicidal thoughts or paranoia.
- Acamprosate (Campral): Nausea, dizziness, insomnia, depression, confusion, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.
A long-term, residential rehab can allow a person to recover both from alcohol addiction’s damage and from the issues that led to drinking. When these are fully addressed, medications are unnecessary.
The Long Road to Recovery
Recovery takes many people far longer than is either safe or ideal. This reflects how deeply addiction embeds itself—and why effective, long-term rehab is essential. A program with proven success can finally end the “revolving door” of repeated rehab and relapse.
Why Long-Term, Residential Treatment Works
Short-term programs can stabilize someone and help them stop drinking, but long-term, residential programs go further. They give people time to focus fully on recovery. It gets them out of their alcohol-fueled environment, often surrounded by drinking buddies.
Starting on the Path to Sobriety
The Narconon program is long-term, residential, and holistic. A holistic approach addresses the whole person—not just the physical addiction but the underlying causes that triggered the drinking or drug use in the first place. Many participants who have already been through other rehab programs choose Narconon because of this comprehensive method.
Narconon's approach uses drug-free and comprehensive methods of addressing the physical, mental, and emotional roots of addiction. This well-rounded approach can offer a true, lasting solution to alcohol recovery.
The Origins of the Narconon Program
Since its founding in 1966, the Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program has helped tens of thousands of people overcome their addiction. This program is based on the discoveries of L. Ron Hubbard, an author and humanitarian who dedicated his life to helping people. Mr. Hubbard also founded the Scientology religion. However, Narconon is not a religious program. It is a secular, public benefit program that teaches or requires no religious principles or beliefs.
Today, there are over 30 Narconon residential facilities in 16 nations, with more centers being established to meet the needs of increasing drug and alcohol addiction.
What the Narconon Program Provides
Real rehabilitation restores a person to the stable, healthy condition they enjoyed before addiction. Narconon provides rehabilitation through several stages of care:
- A well-supported, drug-free alcohol withdrawal protocol
- A sauna detoxification step to alleviate cravings
- Life skills and communication training to build self-control
- Courses that strengthen decision-making and protect sobriety
Each step occurs in a safe, supervised residential environment. With no fixed timetable, participants can progress at their own pace and resolve each area of life affected by addiction. All staff delivering these services have been specially trained in the theory and practical application of what they are delivering.
Easing Withdrawal Naturally
Before arrival at a Narconon center, each person receives an evaluation by a qualified medical professional who is specifically trained on substance abuse and knowledgeable about the Narconon program. If the physician decides it is necessary, a referral to a medically-supervised detoxification is made. Alcoholics are more likely to be referred to a medical detox due to potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms such as seizures and severe tremors. A medical detox is done at a separate medical detoxification facility. This step must be completed before starting the Narconon program.
Once at Narconon, the person goes through the Drug-Free Withdrawal, which is supervised by trained specialists 24/7. This protocol includes a special regimen of nutritional supplements to help repair the body’s depletion, physical assists that ease the discomfort of withdrawal, and orientation exercises to help bring the person out of the fog of alcohol use and into their present time environment. Many people, upon completion of this step report that this was the most tolerable withdrawal they’ve ever experienced.
A Sauna Procedure to Help Reduce Cravings
Cravings can drive relapse even when motivation is strong. The New Life Detoxification addresses cravings through a combination of moderate exercise, nutritional supplementation, and sweating in a low-heat sauna. The targeted nutritional supplements of vitamins, minerals, and oil help the body dislodge accumulated alcohol and other toxic residues, and sweating in this controlled regimen helps to flush them away.
The end result is often described as a body cleansed of toxic residues, clearer thinking, and an improved outlook. Many also state that their cravings are alleviated. It is finally possible to focus on recovery.
Restoring Self-Control and a Fresh Outlook on Life
For years, alcohol has dominated a person’s life and decisions. Through Objectives, a set of guided, practical exercises, the person regains focus, communication skills, and control over their own thoughts and actions. As they complete these steps, the trauma of the past can finally fade away—an essential development for lasting recovery.
Life Skills to Maintain Sobriety
Once thinking is clear and cravings are alleviated, individuals can learn to navigate life without alcohol through three practical courses:
- Overcoming Ups & Downs in Life: Learn how to identify safe friends and those who are unsafe. This helps each person stay steady and stable.
- Personal Values: Discover how to regain self-respect and experience relief from guilt caused by years of addiction.
- Changing Conditions in Life: Gain the simple tools to improve any situation at home, at work, or in life.
These skills are applied immediately, enabling students to achieve new stability and direction.
Preparing for Lifelong Sobriety
We're here. We're ready to help you.
Call us at
1-800-737-5250
or Get Help Now.
Before graduation, each participant works with a Narconon Graduate Officer to plan their transition home—where to live, how to rebuild relationships, and how to use their new skills. After graduation, follow-up continues for two years to help maintain sobriety and stability.
How to Help Someone You Love
When it comes to alcohol addiction, time is critical. Each day brings new risks—from accidents to alcohol poisoning. The Narconon program offers a safe, supportive environment from the moment your loved one arrives, and provides the tools needed for lasting recovery.
Don’t wait—contact Narconon today and learn about this drug-free, long-term alcohol rehab program.
) on our articles for the most up-to-date and accurate information.