Alcoholism is probably the most common disease of addiction in Poland. It is estimated that there are, in fact, not even hundreds of thousands of people in Poland with this problem, but probably millions. Where is alcoholism treated? In alcohol addiction treatment centers, however, a very small proportion of these people find help. Alcoholism is by no means necessarily a form of alcoholism, when a person turns into the proverbial jerk.
There is a very large group of functioning alcoholics who somehow manage to cope in life up to a certain point, which does not change the fact that they are struggling with an addiction problem. Many people, of course, realize that they are addicted, but as long as they are somehow functioning and no one suspects them of being addicted, for example, they try to hide the problem, if only because, for example, going to therapy might be discovered, which is not desirable for such people. We will consider how we can treat alcohol addicts.
Various forms of treatment for alcoholism
At the very beginning, we will tell ourselves a little more about the fact that in order to successfully cure any addiction including alcoholism, it must actually be the decision of the addict. Compulsory therapies usually do not work or, in other words, they do work, but in a fairly negligible percentage of cases. A very good example of the fact that treating alcoholism of one’s own free will is effective are the successes of such groups as AA groups, among others, when, of course, each person who signs up for such a group, begins to attend meetings, does so of his own free will and then such alcoholism treatment therapy is effective.
Forced treatment of alcoholics, for example in a closed alcoholism treatment center, is not an effective method, although sometimes there is no other choice if the alcoholic is already addicted to such a degree that he is actually endangering himself, his family and basically his entire environment. Sometimes there is simply no way out. Forced treatment in a closed alcohol treatment center, we can try, but there must be a court order to do so.
As we mentioned, there are various types of centers in Poland where you can go and try to cure alcoholism. These include both private alcoholism treatment centers and state-run centers. Of course, not always such a method works as well as is effective, in some cases you simply have to go, or be referred to a center for alcohol addiction. Such centers are divided into long-term alcohol treatment centers and short-term centers.
First of all, when we find ourselves in such a center, we will have to undergo alcohol detoxification, as well as count on esperal implantation. In some cases, this is a very hard and sometimes even health-threatening process, so it’s a good idea to do it in a center, as we are then under constant medical supervision. It can be a private alcohol treatment center, as well as a state-run one. The procedures in them are the same. It happens that simply during detox, patients need to be given various other kinds of drugs or substances that will be able to replace alcohol in order for the body to cleanse itself from alcohol.
Can we forcibly treat alcohol addicts?
Now let’s talk about the topic of forced treatment, because in Poland some people are referred to such therapies. An alcoholic who drinks pathologically is a person who, as we mentioned, can endanger himself, his family or other people. Most often he threatens in such a way that, first of all, he is not in control of his finances. Let’s imagine such a situation that in a marriage one of the people drinks pathologically and all the time, has access to a joint account and to joint money.
In addition, he is able to spend any amount of money on alcohol. This, of course, threatens the functioning of the entire family after all. In such a situation, in order to save the marriage or try to save the marriage, we can make a special application to the Municipality where we live to refer such a person for compulsory alcoholism treatment. The municipality, on our behalf, submits the application to the court, and the District Court may issue a ruling that allows such treatment to be carried out.
Why is alcoholism treatment therapy not always effective?
Very many people who have recovered from alcoholism return to alcoholism. This doesn’t always happen right after it’s therapy is over or the esperal stops working. It happens many years even after we have stopped drinking. There are many reasons for this, but as one of the most important many specialists cite, first of all, the availability of alcohol and our cultural attitude in Poland towards alcohol.
In Poland, we drink always and on almost every occasion. Non-drinkers are treated as freaks or are always suspected in advance of apparently having a problem with alcohol. This is changing over time, of course, but the changes are quite slow and most often, however, in Poland, people with an alcohol problem are increasing rather than decreasing.