Getting Help for Alcohol Addiction in Virginia (Part B)

Types of Alcohol Treatment Programs

There are several ways that alcohol addiction programs are structured, though they can generally be divided into 3 categories:

• Outpatient programs allow the patient to continue living at home while attending regular treatment sessions.
• Short-term residential programs provide lodging for the patient for a finite time period (usually 15 to 30 days) during which they undergo intensive treatment.
• Inpatient programs treat and house the patient for an indefinite period of time, usually several months, to help the patient learn valuable therapeutic and coping mechanisms before they can begin living independently again.

Many times, a judge will order a DUI offender to enroll in and successfully complete one of these programs as a condition of their sentence.

Support Programs for Alcohol Addiction

Even after a person completes alcohol detoxification and rehabilitation, their healing process is not complete. In fact, no one is ever really "cured" of alcohol addiction, but instead must battle the disease throughout their lifetime. That's why there are so many addiction support groups throughout the state of Virginia.

Many of these groups employ what are known as 12-step programs. These programs urge participants to follow a list of 12 guidelines, each of which represents a progression in their battle against alcohol.

The 12-step program model was pioneered by Alcoholics Anonymous (or AA), which is the most visible support group for alcohol addicts in the country today. AA hosts hundreds of meetings in Virginia every week, and they are open to whoever has a drinking problem. The organization is not funded by any government agency.

If you feel that you may have a problem with alcohol addiction, contact the Virginia chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous or a local substance abuse clinic or support group.

If You are Charged With a Virginia DUI

No state is faster at moving cases through the system than Virginia. When facing a criminal charge, the decision of choosing who will be your lawyer will be one of the most important decisions you make in your life. Before you speak to any lawyer, get a FREE copy of Bob Battle's consumer guide, How to Choose a DUI Lawyer in Virginia.

Virginia DUI attorney Bob Battle aggressively defends criminal defendants who have been charged with felony crimes such as repeat DUI charges. For proven legal help with your criminal case, contact Bob Battle to schedule your legal consultation today - 804-673-5600.

• If you want to try to get your license back, you have less than 5 days to hire a lawyer.
• Your trial date is almost always less than 2 months from the date you were charged and, thus, waiting just 14 days to hire a lawyer could severely handicap your defense

• Who is going to be my lawyer at trial?
• What are his/her qualifications?
• Are they AV rated? "AV" = Highest rating possible for Legal Ability and Ethics
• Are they a former prosecutor?
• Where did they prosecute?