Top alcohol rehab centers place plenty of emphasis on the causes of alcoholism and less on its outward symptoms. Of course the addiction itself has to be addressed and the individual rehabilitated physically from any withdrawal symptoms, but getting clean is hardly the same thing as getting well. If you are looking for lasting recovery, you may need to work with more experienced mental health professionals.

These days, more alcohol rehab centers have begun offering individualized care such as this, combining decades of experience in peer group therapy with over a century of psychoanalysis . The result is a promising hybrid that gives each addict better tools to understand where the drive comes from and how to address such feelings more directly.

Proper care is essential throughout any stay in rehab, so you may want to avoid any treatment program that doesn't include 24/7 nursing care, dual diagnostic ability and other features. The point is to care for your body even as you engage your mind—even if this means working through uncomfortable and even shameful feelings. It may not surprise you to learn private therapy tends to yield better results with this sort of thing than a public forum.

Look around the Web for treatment centers that offer custom-designed individual care and you may be thrilled with what you discover. Tough emotional work such as this can go a long way toward addressing a lifetime of powerful feelings.