Alcoholism is a disease and in order to start the road to
recovery, the alcoholic must recognize the characteristics of this
malady. Alcoholics do not always comprehend that they have a problem
because their genuine feelings of understanding, and the comprehension
of the effects the illness is having on their lives, is clouded by the
urge to drink. This disease affects an estimated 17.6 million Americans
every year. With that being said, three million young people are
out-of-control drinkers and several million more have abused alcohol on
more than one occasion.
Long-term substance abuse rehab has the highest success rate of sobriety after treatment because of the three-pronged methodology that is employed. The first prong is detoxification or the process where alcohol leaves the body and the individual is alcohol-free. Abstaining from alcohol can cause serious withdrawal symptoms and the detoxification process should only be undergone with the supervision of trained medical personnel. Pharmacological treatments for withdrawal require, at times, specific medications to help the patient and those medicines can only be dispensed by trained medical personnel.
The second prong addresses the spiritual needs of the alcoholic. Many people resort to alcohol and eventually start to abuse it because of loneliness and a feeling of emptiness. Long-term rehab facilities that incorporate a 12-step program to help address this issue have higher success rates. The 12-step program also prepares the alcoholic for life outside of rehab by having the recovering alcoholic participate in group meetings that are similar to the meetings they are to attend after treatment, while at the same time addressing the spiritual needs of the individual.
The third prong focuses on behavioral therapies that teach the skills needed to maintain abstinence from alcohol for the rest of the alcoholic’s life. Behavioral therapies include but are not limited to dealing with peer pressure, handing stressful situations, understanding triggers and finding a person or coach to go to for help.
The signs of alcoholism can vary by person to person but long-term alcohol treatment is needed to ensure a life of sobriety for all people that abuse this dangerous substance. Maintaining sobriety without specialized treatment has a low success rate and relapse will happen again. Long-term alcohol rehab is the best solution.
Warning Signs of Alcoholism:
There are many different warning signs of alcoholism and those signs show major discrepancies from person to person. However, there are ten questions that a person can use to assess whether they are abusing alcohol or not.- Do you drink alone?
- Are friends and/or family concerned about your drinking?
- Have you been involved in arguments and fights while you were drinking?
- Have you ever forgotten what happened while you were drinking?
- Do you feel the need to drink in order to have a good time or to celebrate?
- Have you missed classes, work, a date, or an important meeting because of drinking or a hangover?
- Do you think about drinking often?
- Have you tried to quit or cut down on drinking but could not?
- Have you experienced alcohol-related medical issues or behavioral problems?
- Does it require more and more alcohol to reach the desired effect?
What to do when Someone is Abusing:
When someone is abusing alcohol or has become reliant on the substance, long-term alcohol rehabilitation is needed to help the alcoholic learn how to live a sober life. Studies have shown that the reason a person enters into an alcohol treatment center does not influence the success rate in regards to long-term treatment. Thus, whether the court mandates the time spent in treatment, a parent places his or her child in treatment, or a person voluntarily enters into an alcohol rehab center, the success rate is not affected.Types of Treatment:
Short-term treatment facilities only have the time and ability to help with alcohol detox. What this means for the alcoholic and the family of the alcoholic is that once the person leaves short-term treatment and enters into society, he or she will not have the behavioral skills needed to maintain sobriety and the probability of a relapse increases significantly.Long-term substance abuse rehab has the highest success rate of sobriety after treatment because of the three-pronged methodology that is employed. The first prong is detoxification or the process where alcohol leaves the body and the individual is alcohol-free. Abstaining from alcohol can cause serious withdrawal symptoms and the detoxification process should only be undergone with the supervision of trained medical personnel. Pharmacological treatments for withdrawal require, at times, specific medications to help the patient and those medicines can only be dispensed by trained medical personnel.
The second prong addresses the spiritual needs of the alcoholic. Many people resort to alcohol and eventually start to abuse it because of loneliness and a feeling of emptiness. Long-term rehab facilities that incorporate a 12-step program to help address this issue have higher success rates. The 12-step program also prepares the alcoholic for life outside of rehab by having the recovering alcoholic participate in group meetings that are similar to the meetings they are to attend after treatment, while at the same time addressing the spiritual needs of the individual.
The third prong focuses on behavioral therapies that teach the skills needed to maintain abstinence from alcohol for the rest of the alcoholic’s life. Behavioral therapies include but are not limited to dealing with peer pressure, handing stressful situations, understanding triggers and finding a person or coach to go to for help.
The signs of alcoholism can vary by person to person but long-term alcohol treatment is needed to ensure a life of sobriety for all people that abuse this dangerous substance. Maintaining sobriety without specialized treatment has a low success rate and relapse will happen again. Long-term alcohol rehab is the best solution.
