Alcohol Addiction Treatment - A New Lease of Life

Beyond the bottle, an alcoholic's life is miserable, painful and lonely. The few moments he is sober, the reality of what his life has disintegrated into causes so much pain and suffering. Although most alcoholics do not admit that they have a problem, those who suffer most are their families and close friends. They are left to feel the gap left behind by the alcoholic. If you are living this life, do not lose hope because there are alcohol addiction treatment programs that can help you control the habit. Here are the steps you should take if you want to recover from the addiction.
Admit That You Have a Problem
You do not expect to start an alcohol addiction treatment program if you are not ready to acknowledge that you are addicted to alcohol. If you cannot stay for more than a few hours without looking for a drink or your family members and friends keep on telling you that you need to control your drinking then it's high time you admit you have a problem. Once you realize you have a problem, it will be much easier for you to get a solution.
Seek Help
It might not be easy for you to get over the addiction easily. Depending on how serious it is, you may even need medical intervention. For a start, let your family, workmates and friends know of your intentions. Ask them to help you as much as they can. Ask them not to invite you to any parties where alcohol is likely to be served. You should also ask your family members not to stock any alcohol in the house. This will reduce the temptation to get back on the drink. It will also be better if you drop all your drinking buddies as well.
Having supportive family members may not be enough. You may need to connect with other people who are also under an alcohol addiction treatment program. These people go through your struggles, setbacks and share the same joys and tears with you. They are more likely to understand you better because they too are on the same journey with you. You will learn a lot from them. Learn from their failures and achievements. They will teach you how to make the recovery process more bearable and quicker. Join an alcohol addiction recovery forum or a local alcohol addiction support group.
Seek Medical Intervention
If you have a serious case of alcohol addiction, you should not try to stop the addiction on your own. Talk to your family doctor. He will analyze your situation and decide whether you may need to be hospitalized, detoxified or whether you need any prescriptions. In case of a serious addiction, the withdrawal symptoms can be life threatening. Even if you do not have a serious addiction problem, you still need to inform your doctor of your intentions.
You also need to decide whether you want to cut back or completely get off the bottle but for an addict, it will be better if you completely get rid of the habit.

Alcohol Detox - Symptoms and Treatment

Drinking alcohol is a dangerous habit that ruins the life of not only drunkards but their loved ones too. Alcohol severely harms the body and results in its malfunction and in some cases, may lead to total failure of some vital body organs, particularly the kidneys and liver. This effect is not only observed in drunkards but in occasional drinkers too (where the effects of alcohol are a bit slow) and may sometimes be life-threatening and in certain cases even fatal. To stop the damaging effects of alcohol to the body, one must undergo detox. Alcohol detox, also referred to as alcohol detoxification, is a procedure of gradually reducing and completely eliminating alcohol addiction of a person. Before getting treated for alcoholism, it's vital to undergo an alcohol detoxification process to completely remove any alcohol residue in the body. It may be challenging to attain full recovery from alcohol addiction, if any residue remains in the body, since it may trigger cravings for alcohol.
Alcohol detox emphasizes on abstaining from alcohol consumption whenever possible, changing the diet of the patient and use of medications. Alcohol detox may be a bit tedious as the patient may undergo psychological and physical trauma with regards to total withdrawal from alcohol.
Symptoms of Detoxification
The severity of detoxification symptoms may vary from mild to severe as well as from one person to another. The mild symptoms often develop during the early stages of the detox process while the severe ones are observed within 2 days to a week of abstaining from alcohol. The symptoms include:
Mild symptoms
- Nausea induced vomiting
- Irritability and bad temper
- Headache, which can vary from mild to severe
- Loss of appetite
- Excessive sweating, observed particularly on the hand palms
- Feeling of shakiness and nervousness
- Deprivation of sleep or insomnia
Moderate symptoms
- Increased heart rate
- Getting nightmares
- Sudden changes in moods and depression
- Trembling of limbs
- Twitching of eyelids
- Dilated pupils
- Pale and sweaty skin
- Fatigue
Severe symptoms
- Inability to think constructively
- Convulsions or seizures
- Blackouts and fainting spells
- Hallucinations
- Fever
- Sudden emotional changes triggered by anxiety
Treating Alcohol Detoxification
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can tire one emotionally and physically. To stop the consumption of alcohol fully, it is essential to undergo treatment offered by Alcohol detox centers. There are several detox remedies such as drinking a lot of water and vegetable or fruit juices to keep the body hydrated and enhance cell functions, engaging in yoga and practicing meditation among others. Vegetable juices such as carrot and beet-root juice help cleanse the liver and strengthen the immune system.
On the other hand, there are also several herbs and supplements used to reduce stress caused by the withdrawal symptoms. For severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms, some medications are used for treatment such as benzodiazepines. This treatment method is referred to as pharmacological detoxification. Alcohol detox centers also use medications like diazepam and chlordiapexide to treat heavy drinkers. Alcohol withdrawal is a very challenging process for an individual, both psychologically and physically, as the body reacts to the abrupt decrease of alcohol level in the blood. Dedication and patience, as well as the support of family, is the key factor to accomplish this process.

Addiction Treatment Process

Drug addiction is a complex illness characterized by intense and at times uncontrollable craving for the drug. Drugs can lead to physical as well as psychological dependence when taken in larger doses for a longer period of time. This leads to addiction. Some of the symptoms of addiction are cravings for drug, inability to abstain from the drug, physical symptoms, and inability to recognize the deterioration of relationships with friends and family, inappropriate emotional response and other behavioral problems. Drug or alcohol addiction frequently involves cycles of relapse and remission, even with long term treatment.
Addiction Treatment
The main aim of addiction treatments is not just removing or reducing drug or alcohol use. Their main goal is to help addicted people change their habits, lifestyle and core values so as to prevent them from returning back to the problem of addiction.
Quitting a stimulant addiction is not an easy process; the painful withdrawal symptoms may force the patient to relapse. Hence, it is advisable not to quit abruptly. Addiction treatment consists of three stages:
Detoxification
Detoxification is the process where an addict undergoes withdrawal of the stimulant under medical supervision. As the withdrawal is associated with several physical and psychological symptoms, detoxification is done under the supervision of medical professionals. During the detox process, medical professionals may prescribe low potency drugs in tapering doses to wean you off drug or alcohol. Weaning helps you to cope with the withdrawal symptoms so that you can carry out daily routine activities.
Along with the medications, addicts are evaluated for nutritional status. Nutrients, vitamins and a healthy diet - all of them are the part of detox process.
Behavior Therapy
Behavioral therapy help patients modify their attitude and behaviors related to drug abuse and increase healthy lifestyle skills and coping skills. They also help in enhancing the effectiveness of the drug. Therapy treatment can be delivered in many different settings:
In-patient addiction treatment- Those who are having severe addiction problem or have a previous history of drug addiction are recommended for in-patient addiction treatment. Here, the patient remains in the rehabilitative centers for at least one month to one year depending upon each case. Each day, patient/user spends 6 to 8 hours of the day in learning coping skills that can be used to reduce the reliance on the drugs/alcohol. Various types of therapeutic activities and therapies are taught to the addict.
Out-patient addiction treatment- Out-patient addiction treatment is recommended for patients, who have strong network of family and friends support, and who have no previous history of drug addiction; it includes a variety of programs for patients who visit a clinic at regular intervals. The therapy includes group or individual counseling. While the individual sessions are important to understand why the addict began using the drug, group sessions help him by relating to other addicts who have gone through the same addiction suffering.
After Care
As the patient/addict is most vulnerable to relapse during the first few months, continuing care services are designed to monitor the emotional health of the recovering patient.