How can someone make a full recovery from alcohol dependence?
KETHEA’s alcohol treatment is based on a personalized plan drawn up in line with the needs of the person concerned and designed not to cut them off from their environment and activities. KETHEA treatment programmes include individual counselling, group psychotherapy, psychiatric support, and family or couples therapy.
Participants usually attend the programme once or twice a week, depending on the treatment phase they are in. Drugs are not given as substitutes during the detoxification stage. The therapeutic interventions aim to address the causes of alcohol dependence, as well as to build a new alcohol-free lifestyle.
Therapeutic support focuses on:
- Exploring and understanding the addictive behaviour and processing issues associated with it
- Treating mental and physical health problems
- Reducing stress and managing it better
- Finding effective personal strategies to limit alcohol use or cut it out altogether
- Improving the individual’s psychosocial functioning
- Providing training in crisis management and relapse prevention
- Restoring relationships within the family
Services are provided confidentially and free or charge; anonymity is respected.
What are the signs of alcohol dependence?
The primary indication of alcohol dependence is that the person is only satisfied when they consume alcoholic beverages continuously. Some of the most common symptoms of addiction include:
- Alcohol tolerance
- Failed efforts to reduce consumption, even though the desire to do so is there
- Wasting a lot of time and money on locating alcohol
- A progressive reduction in family, social and professional activities
- Withdrawal symptoms (shaking hands and tongue, sweating, nausea, irritability, anxiety, headaches, insomnia, etc.)
- Drinking in order to avoid or soothe withdrawal symptoms
- Many of these symptoms can last for a month at least, or reappear for longer periods of time
How can the family help a member break their dependence on alcohol?
It has been shown that the participation of close family and friends in the treatment process helps participants to stay away from substances, wards off feelings of discomfort and depression in other members of the family, and reduces stressful situations. The support of family and significant others helps people with an alcohol dependency to acquire the skills they need to tackle their addictive behaviours in the family environment, and to motivate the addict to seek treatment and to stick with it.
The programmes KETHEA provides in support of family and significant others include seminars to raise their awareness of the negative effects of alcohol, individual and group counselling, family therapy and couples therapy.
Services are free and confidential; anonymity is respected.
For more information call 1145 or send email to ithakihelpline@kethea-anadysi.gr.
