Alcohol Addiction Treatment

Alcohol Addiction Treatment: How to stop drinking?

Are you suffering from alcohol abuse? Seeking the right therapy program to get the best outcomes? Well you should consider the Alcohol addiction therapy programs that address alcohol use disorder.

Alcohol is one of the most abusive drugs found all over the world. Almost every club, sporting event, or café is packed up with alcohol. The people who drink alcohol while hanging out with their friends eventually become addicted to it. So be careful while using alcohol because this substance’s addiction rate is increasing progressively and destroying people’s lives.

According to a report, almost 50% of the people worldwide consume alcohol, and most of them belong to the northern hemisphere. And 86 percent of them ages 18 or older.

If you have become an alcohol addict and wondering about the top treatment options, this blog post offers you different treatment methods to pursue and maintain sobriety. Let’s get started.

What is alcohol?

A beverage prepared by the fermentation of honey, fruits, or grains is called alcohol. Ethanol is the main component within alcohol that imparts side effects. It acts as a depressant that induces changes in the brain—ethanol intake results in the reduced activity, slurred speech, motor impairment, and other cognitive abnormalities.

Alcohol consumption is significantly increasing due to its aggressive marketing and legal status. But you must be aware that the use of this drug can cause addiction and serious health issues.

Alcohol abuse

Alcoholism is the 4th leading cause of death worldwide. Alcohol abuse can be designated as the heavy alcohol consumption, i.e., 1 drink for women and 2 drinks for men.

The alcohol stimulates the receptors to release the neurotransmitters that generate the feeling of pleasure. The desire for this happiness and pleasure leads to the repetitive consumption of drug, which results in misuse. Frequent alcohol use affects the brain cells and built the dependence. So whenever you try to quit alcohol use, severe withdrawal symptoms appear.

Alcohol abuse affects the physical and psychological health of the person. It also comes with various other effects like weight gain, hepatic failure, lack of income, loss of a job, and domestic violence.

Statistics of alcoholism

All over the US, alcoholism has affected the lives of many people. A survey in 2018 suggested, over 15 million people in the US of 18 years or above have been consumed with alcohol abuse and diagnosed with alcohol use disorder. Of these, 5.3 million were females, and 9.8 million were males.

According to statistics, over 88000 people die every year due to alcoholism. Also, 5 percent of people worldwide die due to alcohol abuse. However, the death rate is increasing with every passing year. If your loved ones are struggling with alcohol use disorder, detox and rehabilitation can lead you to a healthy path. 

Signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse

The symptoms that indicate the abusive use of alcohol are as follows;

Physical and psychological symptoms

  • Blackouts with every episode of drink
  • Slow reaction to things
  • Inability to walk properly.
  • Inability to make decisions
  • Feeling guilty after alcohol consumption.
  • Confronting withdrawal symptoms
  • Continue drinking despite the physical and mental health problems.
  • Impaired memory and slurred speech

Behavioral signs

  • Elevated legal problems like domestic abuse, assault, and drunk driving
  • Remain intoxicated even at work, family gathering, and official meetings
  • Overreacting to criticism
  • Increased financial issues
  • Illogically take huge loans, selling any asset and depriving the cash account.
  • Stealing and robbery
  • Involving in risky activities

Warning signs of alcohol abuse

The warning signs of alcohol addiction are as follows;

  • Frequent intoxication due to increased consumption
  • Exclusion of other activities due to drinking
  • Every time Promise to stop drinking but fails.
  • don’t remember the things said during alcohol intake
  • Increased drinking
  • Loss of interest in work, relationships, and personal hygiene

Is alcohol highly addictive?

The consumption of alcohol in a large amount within a limited period leads to rapid alcohol addiction. There are different stages of addiction. The process starts with the first drink and affects the physical and mental health.

Endorphins release

Like other abusive drugs, alcohol affects mental health. After drinking alcohol, the endorphin releases that produce the sensation of pleasure. The endorphin rush often makes people happy.

Alcohol tolerance

When the alcohol effects wear off, the feeling of pleasure and happiness also diminishes. However, the repeated drinking takes the person to the same feeling. So they often drink to get back to the same state of mind. After the repetitive alcohol intake, one has to drink more quantity to get the same effects. This process of increasing the amount of alcohol with time is known as tolerance.

Physical or mental dependence on alcohol

As you continue to use alcohol to produce the effects on the brain and body, the release of endorphin heightens. This increase develop dependence. Means makes alcohol consumption vital for optimal body and brain functioning.

Alcohol withdrawal

If you quit alcohol use, you may experience withdrawal symptoms. The body and mind become so dependent on alcohol that it produces a volatile reaction, if the drug is stopped. The possible withdrawal symptoms are headache, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, depression, and much more. 

Treatment for alcohol addiction

Are you ready to cut alcohol consumption from your life?

As the most popular type of addiction, there are various methods and treatments for its recovery. Alcohol addiction treatment programs focus on addiction’s main reasons and then guide to safe and effective treatment.

If you are wondering to overcome the alcohol addiction, begin with the recommendation of a qualified doctor who can help you to know about the underlying disorders. As alcoholism is prevailing throughout society, so staying away from the triggers has become a difficult task. The treatment centers must have all the facilities that help the user to recover easily. They must effectively manage the triggers. 

Our  services related to addiction therapy and alcohol addiction treatment programs in Prescott Arizona include:

Medical detox and alcohol withdrawal:

If your dependency on alcohol increases with each passing day, you must seek medical help to deal with withdrawal symptoms—the physical prescription medicines help some users to achieve abstinence. However, the user must choose either treatment program such as, receive counseling sessions, get cognitive behavior therapy or attend self-health groups, etc.

Detoxification:

Either you attempt detoxification at home without medicines or in the hospital setting it is totally based on your level of dependency on alcohol. In mild situations, you can receive detox at home with minimal withdrawal symptoms.

If you drink a lot (over 20 drinks per day) or you have gone through the withdrawal symptoms, then detox at home with some prescribed medication may help you. However, if you are severely dependent on alcohol, you must get admitted to a rehabilitation center or hospital to detox. You may need specialist help due to the severe withdrawal symptoms;

Withdrawal symptoms:

During the first 48 hours, the withdrawal symptoms get worse. However, as you continuously adjust yourself to live without alcohol, your symptoms begin to reduce. This improvement occurs in 3 to 7 days from your last drink.

Another important withdrawal symptom is a disturbance in sleep. You may not get sound sleep throughout the night. However, after some time, your sleep pattern gets normalized.

  1. During detox, you should drink plenty of fluids (squash, water, and fruit juices); however, avoid the consumption of caffeinated drinks, such as coffee and tea, because they can worsen your sleep problems and increase anxiety.
  2. During the detox, you may not feel hungry often. Still, you must eat regular meals.
  3. When you are under the influence of medications, you should not drive.
  4. A detox might give you a tough time, but different ways can help you relieve stress, like listening the relaxing music, reading a novel, going for a walk, etc.
  5. Are you detoxing at home? Well, then you should regularly visit your health care professional. He may provide you the relevant information that you should need during the recovery process.

Do you have withdrawal symptoms? Yes? Don’t worry because having the withdrawal symptom indicates you are overcoming your alcohol addiction; however, the withdrawal must not be your top priority. You will need to look for other support and treatments. 

Treatment programs for alcoholism: 

Behavioral modification:

People who overuse alcohol get addicted to it. The act of drinking becomes everything in their life. Due to this fact, you may have to know the coping mechanism and skills to help you stay away from drinking. Once you have returned from the treatment center, the friend circle or family gatherings might trigger you strongly to drink, but you should learn to refrain from this bad habit. Your physician may direct you to a counselor or other alcohol addiction therapy program to aid you to learn those strategies.

Types of behavioral treatment:

Counseling:

Once you visit a counselor for one-on-one or group counseling, he will help you go smoothly to the treatment program. The support group can be beneficial to connect you with other people struggling with alcohol addiction. They can help you get answers to all your questions, enhance motivation and direct you to your right path.

Marital and family counselor:

In this type of counseling, the counselor incorporates spouses in the treatment program. This type of counseling plays a pivotal role in improving and strengthening family relationships. Studies indicate that strong family support during the therapy maximizes the chances of quitting drinking, compared to the people to go through individual counseling.

Self-help groups:

Many people facing alcohol addiction problems find it effective to attend self-help groups. The purpose of such groups is to provide the solution to alcohol-dependent individuals.

The treatment plan depends upon 12 step program characterize to aid you in overcoming your long-term progressive addiction.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy:

This type of behavior treatment can be held individually with the counselor or in small groups. The purpose of this therapy is to identify the situations and feelings that escorted you to heavy drinking. It aims to alter the thought process that urges you to drink and develop the skills important to deal with the triggering factors.

Motivation enhancement therapy:

This form of therapy is focused on developing and strengthening the thought process that keeps you motivated to quit drinking behavior. Although the therapy takes a short period, it perfectly determines the pros and cons of treatment, developing a plan for altering one drinking habit, boosting confidence, and developing the skills important to remain consistent with the plan. 

Inpatient rehab

For those dealing with alcoholism, inpatient rehab is the most organized treatment option. Normally, these rehab centers are compelled to treat long term alcoholism and geared to help the individuals stay on site until the therapy ends. The 30, 60, and 90 days treatment programs are highly common in inpatient rehab.

In this setting, the professionals are trained to provide the medical and emotional care that prepares them for the long life ahead. This may also offer them assistance to combat triggers, know the importance of sobriety and do their best. 

Government treatments

In the US, the government offers services to treat alcoholism. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is the most common treatment referral and information hub. Moreover, different states are establishing affordable treatment programs that ensure that everyone receives help. Unluckily, the government-funded programs ask for the financial and medical requirements from the individuals. 

Other treatment options

There is a huge range of treatment options. To choose the best for you, consider your mental health, values, and culture. Pick up any of thee that take you to the path of recovery.

Traditional alcohol treatment programs

Such therapy is based on evidence-based strategies like behavioral intervention, psychotherapy, a 12 step program, nutritional counseling, etc. Rehab starts with detoxification. This purifying process safely makes the person comfortable. After detox, the individual can go through a series of therapy to help him create a sober life.

Holistic recovery programs

The main purpose is not only to treat alcoholism but also to heal the mind, spirit, and body. There are different therapy options like the workout, meditation, yoga, acupuncture, massage, and art therapy that address the patients’ spirituality. It makes their life even more purposeful and rewarding.        

Steps to achieve sobriety:

Take good care of yourself:

To combat cravings and deal with the mood swings, focus on taking the right food and plenty of sleep. The workout is also an important way to release endorphins and enhance social wellbeing. So if you want to relieve stress, alter your lifestyle.

Create your support network:

Surrounding yourself with energetic and positive people boosts you up and makes you feel good. The more you live within positive influences, the more you will lead yourself to a sober lifestyle, helping you stay on the recovery track.

Engage yourself in new activities:

Search for innovative hobbies and volunteer activities that add meaning or goal to your life. When you engage yourself in such fulfilling things, you will stay motivated and keep yourself from drinking.

Continue therapy:

If you are involved in your inpatient treatment programs, your chances of adopting a sober lifestyle increase.

Healthily manage your stress:

You mostly drink alcohol to manage your stress but believe us; it is your misguided attempt to deal with stress. Instead, you should find healthier ways like the workout, meditation, and other breathing exercises to relax and keep the stress away. 

Long term care

Recovery from alcoholism is not a short term process. Instead, it’s a long-term journey. You may confront cravings and relapse most of the time. It’s also common that you slip out or into sobriety as you continue the therapy. Some motivated people combat addiction with their will power. At the same time, some others may go through the lifelong process. In short, your chances of success every time you try.

Alcohol dependency is often combined with certain mood swings and mental disorders. The behavioral interventions along with the treatment under the medical care can reduce the risk of complications.

Are you excited to struggle with your alcohol dependency? We have shared various treatment options, choose the best for you and get the desires of your life.

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