Online Therapy for Alcoholism: Breaking Free
Online Therapy for alcoholism at CATCH Recovery London is an effective way to benefit from our addiction treatment programme for alcohol addiction without needing to leave your home. Our flexible, confidential, and research-informed online therapy offering is a great option if you think you might be struggling with your alcohol consumption but aren’t able to commit to a traditional inpatient stay.
Do I Need Help? The Signs and Symptoms of Alcoholism
In order to assess whether online therapy for alcoholism is right for you, first alcoholism itself must be understood.
Alcoholism is a disorder characterised by a persistent urge to drink in order to alter mood, despite harm and negative consequences. Consistent misuse of alcohol often alters the functionality of the brain, specifically it’s reward system which can lead to craving.
The signs and symptoms of alcoholism, also known as alcohol addiction or alcohol use disorder vary depending on your physiology, personal history, if you have co-occurring disorders, how much you drink, how often you drink and how long you have been drinking. Some of the symptoms of alcoholism may be obvious to you and others not so obvious. Nevertheless, alcoholism is a serious and life-threatening issue. If you are (what is known as) a functioning alcoholic, it may be harder for you to see how the illness of alcoholism is affecting you and your life.
Behavioural Symptoms of Alcoholism
- Being secretive about drinking
- Lying about drinking or how much you are drinking
- Drinking heavily or binge drinking
- Minimising your behaviour around alcohol when challenged by others
- Drinking on your own
- Drinking at inappropriate times such as first thing in the morning
- Withdrawal from your friends and family
- Avoiding your everyday responsibilities
- Absenteeism from work or school/university
- Losing interest in your hobbies or activities that were once a source of joy and pleasure
Physical Symptoms of Alcoholism
- Needing to drink increasingly higher amounts of alcohol to achieve the desired effect
- Excessive sweating
- Unexplained tiredness
- Headaches
- Changes in your appetite and by extension changes in your weight
- Difficulty sleeping
- Inability to care for yourself physically – appearance and health
- Experiencing symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome due to the cessation of drinking for a period of time
Am I an Alcoholic?
Denial is one of the main hallmarks of addiction which means it is an illness that tells you that you don’t have the illness. If you have a problem with alcohol, it is likely that you don’t realise it. There are some helpful tools to make use of if you suspect you might have a problem with alcohol.
CAGE Questionnaire
If you seek professional help, you might be asked to complete the CAGE questionnaire which has proved useful in helping to make a diagnosis of alcoholism. Answering yes to two or more of these questions may suggest you have a problem with alcohol, and our online therapy for alcoholism programme may be of benefit to you.
- Have you ever felt you should Cut down on your drinking?
- Have people Annoyed you by criticising your drinking?
- Have you ever felt bad or Guilty about your drinking?
- Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover (Eye opener)?
AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test)
Another helpful tool for identifying problem drinking is the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). AUDIT is designed to help in the self-assessment of alcohol consumption and to identify any implications for your health and wellbeing, now and in the future. It consists of 10 questions on alcohol use.
Is Outpatient Rehab Right for You?
When to Seek Help for Alcohol Addiction?
The time is now. Alcohol addiction is an illness that requires treatment. If you feel that you might be struggling with alcohol use, that you should cut down, or that drinking is negatively impacting your life, it is time to seek professional guidance on treatment for alcohol addiction and if it is appropriate for you.
This might seem like a frightening prospect, but everyone deserves help with their health. Alcohol addiction is not a moral issue. If you are struggling with alcohol use, it does not make you weak or a bad person. Alcoholism is an illness, one that can be arrested and recovered from with the right support.
Online therapy for alcoholism means that it’s never been easier to access high-quality addiction treatment from any location at affordable rates.
At CATCH Recovery our team is here to make the recovery process less daunting for you. Please feel free to contact us for a relaxed chat.
What Is Online Therapy? Can It Help Me With My Alcohol Problem?
Online therapy for alcohol abuse, also referred to as ‘online rehab’, is an alternative to in-person treatments, whilst still receiving the same type and quality of care.
At CATCH Recovery we will collaborate with you to create a bespoke online therapy programme that works around your needs and schedule. Our alcohol addiction treatment methods are delivered by an expert team of addiction therapists, who specialise in a variety of recovery techniques.
In the absence of a physical environment in which to recover, the CATCH Recovery team will tailor its approach to help you find sobriety, provide a high degree of personal attention, educate you on the nature of the illness, and help you to build a life free from addiction.
How Does Online Therapy Differ From Inpatient and Outpatient Treatment?
As experienced addiction professionals, we know that structure is effective when it comes to helping you overcome the psychological aspects of addiction, avoiding relapse, and continuing a stable life after rehab. What this structure looks like will depend on your specific needs. This might mean attending inpatient rehab at one of our sister clinics Castle Craig or Smaremore Castle, or outpatient treatment at CATCH Recovery. Our online therapy for alcoholism programme is part of our outpatient offering.
Outpatient Treatment for Alcohol Abuse
If you can’t commit to a residential stay in rehab due to personal or professional commitments, outpatient treatment at CATCH Recovery may suit you. Our programme works well if you have a strong support network and don’t require round-the-clock care that inpatient options provide.
Outpatient treatments are characterised by individual counselling and support groups, and you may attend once a week or several times per week depending on your needs.
Inpatient Treatment for Alcoholism
If you have a need for more intensive support and perhaps you choose to go through a detox process on the advice of a clinician, it will most likely be recommended that you stay at one of our inpatient treatment centres for the duration of your care.
Inpatient treatment can last anywhere from 30-90 days. During inpatient treatment, you will participate in a range of therapies such as individual counselling, group work, 12-step meetings and holistic treatments like acupuncture or yoga.
Is Online Therapy for Alcoholism Effective?
We are spending increasing amounts of time online whether this is for recreational, administrative, or professional purposes. The COVID pandemic has also made us far more comfortable operating online, and for many, it made therapy more accessible and practical.
Online therapy has shown to be just as effective and in some cases more so than in-person programmes. The meaning of success will vary depending on the individual, although for us the desired outcomes of our treatment programme for you are:
- Completing the CATCH Recovery online rehab
- Finding and maintaining sobriety
- Continuing to stay sober as part of a continuing care plan
Whatever your background, age, religion, gender, and sexual identification, if you are struggling with an addiction to alcohol, online therapy for alcoholism can help you. However, it is important to note that the effectiveness of any addiction treatment programme that you partake in is contingent on your full participation and commitment to finding and protecting your sobriety on an ongoing basis.
Our continuing care programme and 12-step meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous can aid with relapse prevention.
When is Online Rehab for Alcoholism Appropriate?
At CATCH Recovery, we want everyone to receive the care they need for alcoholism and are committed to creating treatment plans that facilitate this, whether that’s on an inpatient, outpatient or online basis.
Online rehab for alcoholism is appropriate if you would like to find freedom from the illness of addiction but are unable to commit to in-person treatment. This might be that you are living outside the UK but would like to benefit from our local experts, travel often, have everyday responsibilities that cannot be taken on by someone else, are unable to take time off work, or perhaps a residential stay to receive treatment is unaffordable for you.
You are welcome to contact us and speak to a member of our team who can tell you more about online rehab at CATCH Recovery.
What are the Pros and Cons of Online Therapy?
The pros and cons of online therapy for alcohol addiction are personal to you. The positives of receiving treatment for alcoholism online means:
- Your programme is accessible from home or work, and wherever you are in the world (time zones depending)
- Treatment is more affordable
- You will benefit from access to leading addiction experts based in London when you are not in the UK or in the capital.
- Treatment is a confidential, secure, intensive and effective way to recover from alcoholism without the need for group work.
However, if you are finding your life is becoming increasingly unmanageable and that you can’t cope, it might be that online rehab doesn’t meet all your needs and you would benefit from receiving your treatment as an inpatient. This means you are protected from the demands and triggers of everyday life and kept safe while you find recovery.
Not Sure How to Proceed?
Everybody is different, and addiction is a complex disease.
CATCH Recovery offers comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments where our expert team will evaluate your condition, and develop a treatment plan that would have the greatest chance of helping you or a loved one.
What Happens in Online Rehab?
Our online therapy programme for alcohol addiction generally consists of 10 one-to-one therapy sessions, twice a week for five weeks and once a week for 10 weeks. Scheduling of these sessions can be flexible to work around your schedule.
As with any other addiction treatment programme offered at CATCH Recovery or our sister centres Castle Craig and Smarmore Castle, individualised treatment plans are created and will most likely include:
- Therapies that target the specific causes of the addiction you are struggling with and help prevent relapse
- Clinically proven, intensive treatment that produces lasting results.
- Learning to cope more effectively with life’s ups and downs.
- Quality care from our therapeutic team includes a thorough clinical assessment to ensure your treatment is focused and appropriate diagnoses are made.
- A chance to build a healthy and open relationship with the therapy team that’s based on trust.
- An introduction to 12-step recovery.
Our therapists work with different therapeutic modalities such as trauma-based therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT), or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). They also speak a multitude of different languages including English, French, Spanish, and Russian.
During a CATCH Recovery assessment, we will evaluate your alcohol use and medical history to create a personal programme of care and match you with a therapist who we think is best placed to help you recover.
Find Out if Outpatient Therapy Is Right for You
CATCH Recovery’s Addiction Treatment Model
CATCH Recovery addiction programmes offer treatment and support for not only alcoholism but various other addictions and mental health disorders. Our staff are experienced, qualified, and world-renowned specialists who strive daily to help clients overcome addiction and build a happier life that is full of meaning.
Our treatment programme for alcohol addiction is based on the 12-step philosophy which will familiarise you with the 12-step programme and local groups. This means when you finish treatment, you are set up with a community and 12-step meetings to benefit from the global recovery fellowships of Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, and Gamblers Anonymous, among many others.
If you would like to find out more about our online therapy for alcoholism programme and the support we provide, call us today to discuss your treatment options. We know the recovery process is a lifetime commitment, and we are here to help you find freedom from alcohol addiction.
Alternatively, complete the form below and someone from our team will be in touch to offer you the help you need.