Alcohol Addiction and the cost of alcohol addiction treatment in Canada can vary widely. Alcohol is considered a drug and an addiction to alcohol can creep up slowly on someone that becomes dependent on its usage. Alcohol itself is a nervous system depressant and has effects on a user’s mind, body and emotions.  It also can affect relationships, careers, and the general personality of someone that overuses it and becomes alcohol addicted. Alcohol that is used can slow reflexes, cause poor judgment and coordination and can lead to accidents and even blackouts when overly consumed. 

When alcohol becomes a dependency problem, individuals can be referred to as alcoholics, alcohol dependents, or alcohol abusers. The severity of the problem can also fluctuate but what is standard, is that alcohol abuse does escalate throughout the lifetime of someone who is abusing it regularly. The body becomes used to the alcohol, more alcohol is needed to maintain a “buzz” and there are withdrawal symptoms just as with every other drug when the alcohol is stopped suddenly.  That is why anyone with an alcohol abuse problem needs alcohol addiction treatment. Alcohol addiction treatment when the use of alcohol becomes a problem should start as soon as possible. Treatment approaches do differ, however, as do the alcohol addiction treatment costs.

There are 30-day programs, 60-day programs, and 90-day programs and a care management plan is immediately put into place, depending on the overall addiction of the alcohol abuser. Just as alcohol addiction treatment costs can vary, the economic losses and costs of overuse of alcohol abuse can be widespread also and the sooner someone recognizes that they have a problem with alcohol, and begin treatment, the better the chance of success of overcoming the addiction. 

According to Statistics Canada, almost 50% of individuals entering a rehabilitation center for addiction are doing so because of alcohol addiction.  Alcohol addiction according to the statistics are steadily on the rise and this has given rise to more centers and more affordable options within the territories of Canada.

Because alcohol changes the way the nerves in the brain communicate, withdrawing from alcohol suddenly can cause severe anxiety, sweating, vomiting, shakiness, nausea and stomach problems. Insomnia can also occur as well as headaches. When drinking alcohol, the nerves in the brain try to keep the brain functioning and therefore speed up, so when the alcohol stops, this “sped up” brain function continues, causing the withdrawal symptoms.

Hallucinations and delusions may also occur if the individual is used to consuming large quantities of alcohol each day. There are individuals that drink heavily and can go about their daily lives but these are few and far between and are known as high- functioning alcoholics. While they might be able to go about their daily activities seemingly not impaired it’s because they do smuggle drinking in whenever they feel withdrawal starting, and their bodies are so used to the alcohol that many noticeable symptoms may not be apparent to others.

While there are many levels of alcohol addiction, the signs and symptoms are relatively the same when it’s becoming a problem. These signs and symptoms can be withdrawal symptoms, a craving for alcohol, drinking alone, not just in a social setting, and drinking early in the day as a way to start the day feeling normal. The amount consumed can also be a forewarning of a problem, as the alcoholic will start to drink more and more as time goes on.

A good alcohol addiction treatment center will focus on an individualized plan, depending on the depth of addiction and how many years the addiction has been present. A good treatment center takes into account the emotional, psychological and physical symptoms and causes of the disease, but the best alcohol addiction treatment centers can be a bit expensive. In the past years, however, these costs have been offset by insurance companies now covering expenses many times, since alcoholism is a disease, and employers also many times contribute to the cost of the rehabilitation of the individual. More government programs are also springing up to assist with the overall alcohol addiction treatment costs in Canada and treatment centers are now oftentimes offering financing options.

Since alcohol abuse can so negatively affect health and an individual’s life, it is important to start treatment at the first sign of a problem. The less time spent in an alcohol treatment program, the less costly and the more effective it becomes.  Since so much is at stake with alcoholism and so many options now exist to assist with the costs of alcohol addiction treatment in Canada, individuals with a problem with alcohol should seek treatment as soon as possible with the best center they can locate for their individual needs.

Time is of the essence as alcohol addiction does not clear up on its own and alcohol addiction treatment costs increase the longer the problem is ignored. Although alcoholics may feel hopeless and overwhelmed there are really no cases that are truly hopeless.  But intervention in the problem must occur as soon as possible. Time IS of the essence!