It usually takes 6 weeks to move from local treatment to the highest echelon of residential treatment. The specific needs of each alcoholic must be considered so that he can be referred to the type of program which is best for him. The flight surgeon should become familiar with the facilities available to him as soon as possible. There will be an opportunity for him to involve himself in the local program, perhaps making presentations to the patients or consulting with the staff. Unlike other services, the treatment approaches in all naval alcohol Level III treatment facilities are uniform, the patient usually being on a restricted status for the first two weeks of residential treatment.
Patients receive a complete physical examination and a psychological evaluation upon admission.
After detoxification, if this is necessary, the patient will not be treated with any medications other than disulfaram and multivitamins. The residential facility populations are made up of recovering alcoholics of all ranks and both sexes. The day is filled with group therapy sessions, educational movies on alcohol and alcoholism, didactic lectures, psychodrama, family treatment, couples' therapy, physical fitness, and nightly attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings both on board and in the local community. The treatment philosophy is that the patient is entering treatment because his life is becoming unmanageable because he has lost his ability to use alcohol without causing harm to himself and others. Every effort during the six-week rehabilitation is aimed at bringing him in touch with feelings which he has not been aware of, usually for years, and making him somewhat more aware of the mental defenses which he characteristically uses.