Understanding Alcohol Use Disorder
Alcohol use disorder is a medical condition, not a reflection of character or willpower. It exists on a spectrum from mild to severe, and the symptoms and impact of alcohol use can look different from one person to another.
Understanding that spectrum can help move the conversation away from whether someone has a drinking problem that is “bad enough” for treatment. Alcohol use may be worth addressing when it becomes difficult to control, continues despite problems it is causing, or begins to interfere with health, relationships, responsibilities, or other parts of daily life.
At Redstone Behavioral Health, we look at how alcohol is affecting your life rather than making assumptions based on a label or diagnosis. What we learn helps us understand the concerns that need attention and how treatment can support you in changing your relationship with alcohol.
Individualized, Evidence-Based Treatment at Redstone Behavioral Health
Alcohol treatment does not require everyone to begin with the same amount of support. At Redstone Behavioral Health, we use your assessment to understand your alcohol use, withdrawal history, mental health, daily functioning, and other factors that may affect treatment. From there, we can determine which level of care provides the structure you need while allowing you to return home outside of treatment hours.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
PHP is our most structured level of outpatient care. It provides more treatment time and clinical support during the week for people who need greater stability and consistency while addressing alcohol use. Your schedule may include individual therapy, group therapy, and other services included in your treatment plan, while allowing you to return home after programming.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
IOP provides regular treatment with more flexibility than PHP. You continue working on the patterns, triggers, and challenges connected to alcohol use while having more time outside of treatment for work, family, school, or other responsibilities. For some people, IOP is an appropriate place to begin treatment. Others may transition into it after receiving more structured care.
Outpatient Program (OP)
Outpatient treatment provides the most flexibility of our three levels of care. Sessions can focus on continuing the work you have already started, addressing new challenges as they arise, and strengthening the skills you use to manage alcohol-related triggers and other concerns in daily life.
There is no required order for moving through these programs. Where you begin and whether your level of care changes depends on what we learn during your assessment and how your needs change during treatment.

Therapy Approaches We Draw On
Core Approaches for Alcohol Use Disorder
Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, can help you recognize the situations, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors connected to drinking. You can then work with your therapist on different ways to respond to triggers, cravings, and situations where alcohol has become part of a familiar pattern.
Motivational interviewing, or MI, takes a different approach. Rather than telling you why you should change, your therapist helps you explore your own reasons for changing your relationship with alcohol, including any uncertainty you may have about doing so.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism identifies behavioral therapies such as CBT and motivational approaches as evidence-based options for treating alcohol use disorder. These approaches can address different parts of alcohol use, which is why more than one type of therapy may have a role in treatment.
12-step facilitation may also be part of treatment when it aligns with your goals. This structured therapeutic approach introduces principles and practices associated with 12-step recovery and can help you explore whether ongoing peer support has a place in your life outside of treatment.
Additional Support for Co-Occurring Needs
Alcohol use does not always happen on its own. If you’re also experiencing trauma-related symptoms, difficulty managing strong emotions, or another mental health concern, we may incorporate therapies that address those needs alongside your work on alcohol use.
Depending on what you’re experiencing, that could include dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), EMDR, Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), or holistic approaches. Each serves a different purpose. We consider how a particular therapy can help you address your concerns and how it may work alongside the other services involved in your care.
Treating Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions Alongside Alcohol Use Disorder
Alcohol use disorder can occur alongside mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other trauma-related conditions. The relationship between the two can look different from person to person. Mental health symptoms may be present before drinking becomes a concern, while alcohol use can also affect mood, sleep, anxiety, and other symptoms over time.
According to SAMHSA’s 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 21.2 million U.S. adults, or 8.1% of the adult population, had both a substance use disorder and a mental illness in the past year. When both concerns are present, we consider how they may affect one another rather than treating them as unrelated issues.
At Redstone Behavioral Health, our PHP, IOP, and outpatient programs can address alcohol use and co-occurring mental health needs within the same course of care. Your treatment may include therapies that address patterns connected to drinking alongside services focused on anxiety, depression, trauma, or other mental health symptoms.

Relapse Prevention Planning
Relapse prevention is part of the plan from the beginning, built collaboratively with your treatment team as you go. Early on, that might mean identifying the specific situations, people, or emotional conditions that tend to trigger your drinking.
Next, you’ll build coping skills you can count on when triggers show up. That might mean stress-management strategies, someone you can call, or a plan for tough situations. As your treatment needs change, your team can also help you plan for continued support after your current program ends.
This planning is shaped around your life and the situations you’re likely to face, so it looks different for everyone.