Rehab Helps Addicts to Recover
Overcoming an addiction to alcohol isn’t easy because there are harsh withdrawal symptoms that the alcoholic will go through. Many people assume that someone can quit drinking cold turkey if they want to beat their alcoholism, but that isn’t the case. The body becomes used to the alcohol. When it stops getting it, seizures, shaking, and an increase in heart rate can occur.
Rehab is a great option to consider for any alcoholic. In rehab, medical professionals monitor their recovery so that if any withdrawal symptoms become dangerous to the person’s health, the proper treatment can be administered right away. There are many steps you can take to begin the process of getting admitted to rehab. The first is you want to check your insurance coverage.
Does Rehab Really Work?
Rehab can help someone overcome their addiction if they are really ready to quit. For rehab to be successful, the person must realize that they have a problem and want to make changes. Alcoholism rehab won’t work if someone is forced to go to the treatment and isn’t committed to their sobriety.
Rehab is very successful for many people because it provides them with the tools they need to tackle their addiction now and in the future. They can detox in a safe environment and avoid the temptations that come to life in a caring, warm environment.
While someone is in rehab, they get to meet with counselors who can help them learn why they use alcohol to self-medicate and develop a plan for what they can do to avoid using alcohol as a tool in the future. Many addicts are battling co-occurring disorders. Some people have depression or anxiety and don’t even know it. They self-medicate with the alcohol to numb the feelings they have, only to become addicted to the alcohol.
How Rehab Works
Rehab facilities offer both inpatient and outpatient treatment options to addicts. The inpatient treatment options require the people to stay on-site to overcome their addiction for an extended period. Some medications can be given to minimize withdrawal symptoms to make the detox period easier.
The medication they are often given includes Naltrexone, Disulfiram, or Acamprosate to minimize the detox symptoms they experience in the inpatient treatment program. During the program, they are involved in individualized therapy and participate in group therapy sessions that can help them realize that they aren’t alone in their battle.
The length of time that people stay in an inpatient treatment program varies because many people need to stay in a program for an extended period of time to reap all of the benefits that it has to offer.
What Comes After Rehab?
The struggle for sobriety doesn’t end after rehab. Many alcoholics need to go to outpatient treatment after graduating from rehab to stay on the right path.
Outpatient treatment allows them to meet with counselors regularly and go to group therapy sessions so that the trials can be discussed and managed properly.
Sober living communities are also a great option for anyone afraid they may fall back into their old ways after leaving rehab. In sober living communities, people must follow the same guidelines they were given in the rehab center coupled with the freedoms living in the real world.
People can get jobs, go out with friends and see their family without having to live independently. They will be surrounded by others struggling with the disease and be held accountable for their actions, which can help many alcoholics stay clean and sober.
Once someone is ready to move out on their own, they can go to a 12-step program to continue the care that they need. They meet regularly with other alcoholics to discuss what is going on in their life and what steps they have taken to avoid alcohol.
Bill Wilson, also known as Bill W., started Alcoholics Anonymous, a 12-step program for alcoholics to maintain their long-term sobriety. He knew that it would be very difficult for people to maintain sobriety on their own and thought that being able to come and open up about what struggles they were having would help alcoholics get clean from alcohol and start their lives on the right path.
The program is designed to walk people through 12 steps of recovery. Each step is designed to help them take accountability for their life, rebuild bridges they may have burned, and help people productively manage the stresses of life.
Being able to get sober when battling an addiction to alcohol is never easy. Supporting an alcoholic who wants to get clean starts with providing them with the right environment and family structure they need. Remove all alcohol from the house and keep alcohol away from anyone who is in recovery.
The temptation to drink will be great for them, and taking the time to remove all temptations from their path can be a great way to provide the support they need.
It will take time, but once the person is clean, they may be around alcohol without feeling tempted to use it, but that will take quite a while, and nonstop support within the family and outside of their family will be key.
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