Alcoholism is a real disease that affects the alcoholic, their friends, and their family. According to recent studies and recent statistics about 7% of Americans suffer from alcohol use disorder, which is nearly 17 million adults and about 855,000 teens. Alcoholism is when the person drinking drinks too much, too often, and lets it negatively affect their health and their relationships. Here are some tactics to help you manage alcohol addiction.
1) Seek Help
It may be difficult to know when you or someone you love needs help to treat their alcohol abuse disorder. Realizing that you need help may take a long time, however, if you notice that your alcohol use is affecting your health or your relationships with friends and family it is time to get help. The best place to start is to meet with your doctor. Your doctor can help you find the best treatment program, explain the process of getting help to you, and explain in depth how alcohol affects your health. A doctor can help explain the symptoms you are going through and what you can expect in the future.
2) Know The Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
In order to recover from your alcohol addiction, you will need to enter a recovery program and detox. Before entering a program your doctor, a counsellor, or a therapist will likely explain the entire process to you so that you know what to expect. Overcoming an alcohol addiction is extremely difficult but it can save your life.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms include agitation, anxiety, headaches, shakes, nausea, disorientation, tremors, high blood pressure, insomnia, fever, sweating, and occasionally seizures. Even if you think you can manage your addiction on your own it is highly recommended by all health care professionals that you enter a program so that your detox process can be monitored by professionals.
3) Enter a Recovery Program
Various rehab and medication facilities such as the Edgewood Treatment Center offer recovery programs for people looking to beat their alcohol addiction. You can talk to your doctor about finding a program that is right for you. All programs offer different things to their patients so it is crucial that you find one where you will feel comfortable. You should look into finding one that takes your insurance, is in the location you desire, has therapy sessions, closely monitors your detox, and is in the format you want, either inpatient or outpatient. Each recovery program wants to help their patients stay sober but you should enter a program that has a high success rate.
4) Detox
After entering a recovery program you will begin the process of detox. While in recovery you will not be allowed to drink any alcoholic beverages so that you can begin the path to staying sober. The professionals at these locations are there to ensure that you can safely overcome the detox. The first few days are difficult because your body will be in shock without alcohol.
Your body has become dependent on drinking alcohol and without it, your body will be in stress. The detox process is difficult and this is why you should not try and do it on your own. You should be in a safe area with trained professionals that can monitor your health.
5) After Care
After detoxing you will stay in recovery for about a month or more depending on the progress you make. Depending on your situation you will be entered into an inpatient or outpatient program. During your care, you will consistently meet with therapists and counsellors to discuss your progress, goals, care, future plans, and emotional state. Your therapists will meet with you individually and in groups to help you overcome your addiction.
You will learn strategies to help you avoid drinking in the future and ways to avoid dangerous situations that could cause you to relapse. During your recovery program, you will be able to learn more about yourself, understand your addiction, and make plans to stay sober in the future.
6) Long Term Care
After leaving a recovery centre you will still need long term care to ensure that you do not relapse. Your long term care will likely consist of attending AA meetings, going to a therapist on a regular basis, and visiting your doctor frequently to monitor your health. Recovery cannot happen in a month because beating your addiction is a lifelong process. You will constantly need to work on being sober in order to achieve the life you want without alcohol. Every person will be placed in situations where it is difficult to refuse alcohol, but the tips and strategies that you learn during recovery can help you manage your addiction and stay sober.
