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What are alcohol services?

Alcohol services refers to services for alcoholism. Alcohol services can come in various forms which are usually broken down into biological alcohol services, psychological alcohol services and social alcohol services. A comprehensive plan will include elements from all the forms of alcohol services.

Biological alcohol services

Biological alcohol services involve the prescription of medication. Alcohol detox is the commonest form of biological alcohol service. This involves the prescription of sedative medication to prevent and control alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Although often unrealized, alcohol withdrawal may be fatal if not treated with detox medication. Other biological alcohol services include the prescription of medication to prevent relapse to alcohol use. Two medicines are commonly used in this context in the UK – disulfiram (Antabuse) and acamprosate (Campral). Increasingly naltrexone is used in alcohol services, as is topiramate.

Psychological alcohol services

Psychological alcohol services involve the provision of various forms of counseling to help the individual reduce harm or maintain abstinence from alcohol. The most proven forms of effective counseling in alcohol services are cognitive-behavioural therapy and motivational interviewing. However 12 step alcohol services (alcoholics anonymous model) are increasingly evidenced as highly effective, especially in a residential setting. Residential 12-step alcohol services are probably the most effective form of services to help an individual achieve and maintain long-term abstinence from alcohol.

Social alcohol services

It is usually considered vital that the social circumstances of the individual are taken into account when planning a return to normal life after a period of residential alcohol service. An unplanned return to the same situation as existed for the individual before admission for alcohol services may be responsible for relapse. Various forms of alcohol services have been devised around this theme, aimed at modifying the alcohol user’s social network, employment opportunities or financial situation for example.

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