Dealing With the Disease of Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a chronic disease that gives a person a feeling that they have a physical need to consume alcohol. In some cases it may be passed along genetically from parent to child, but it can appear in people who have no family history of alcoholism as well.

Alcoholism is different from a problem in alcohol as someone who is only a problem drinker does not have the compulsion that gives an alcoholic the urgent cravings and symptoms of physical withdrawal that are present in an alcoholic. When left untreated, alcoholism can spiral out of control quickly and destroy a person’s life and tear apart friends and families. There is help for those suffering from alcoholism.

How Alcoholism Develops

When people become addicted to drugs, it is typically because they tried it once and became physically dependent. The situation is a little different when it comes to alcoholism. Most people do not become physically dependent on the alcohol. Instead, they develop a psychological and emotional dependency that causes them to utilize alcohol as a coping mechanism and a self-medication of sorts. They end up turning to drinking as a way to deal with problems.

The truth of the matter is, however, that alcoholism is not going to fix anything. Drinking your problems away only numbs you to them rather than actually dealing with them. As such, you are never going to get away from what ails you if all you do is try to push it away with a drink or perhaps six. If you are dealing with alcoholism, you need to get help (800-303-2482).

Diagnosing Alcoholism

When is a social drinking habit going to become a problem? When do you know you’ve become an alcoholic and are no longer simply drinking for fun and sport? It can be hard to determine when your drinking habit has become a serious drinking issue. For many people, it takes an intervention or some other sit down, and it takes loved ones to say hey, you have a problem. But for some alcoholics, it takes admitting the problem to your own self in order to get the help that you truly need.

Dealing With a Drinking Problem?

If you think that you are dealing with an unhealthy alcoholism problem, then the best thing that you can do is to seek professional help. There is a lot of help out there if you are willing to reach out for it. If you are willing to make a commitment to getting better and overcoming your addiction, then there are counselors and therapists and other professionals out there who will provide you with guidance and care through every step of the process.

If someone that you know is dealing with substance abuse involving alcohol, then it might be your job to help them get the support and care that they need. Many alcoholics are lacking the ability to admit that they have a problem. They need a trusted loved one to push them in the right direction. You can be this trusted loved one if you feel that you can be strong enough to help someone that you care about get through the detox and rehabilitation process. Sometimes all an alcoholic needs to complete the journey is a friend who will walk down the path with them.

Here are some of the things that you are going to want to know about detox, rehab and the healing and recovery solutions that are available to you.

Detox and Withdrawal from Alcoholism

Detox is the first part of going through a recovery program. Detox is designed to address the physical aspect of the hold that alcohol has on you. When you go through detox, you should expect to experience a number of withdrawal symptoms. These indicate that your body is trying to rid itself of the toxins that you put into it.

Detox can be uncomfortable when you go through the process alone. When you go through the process with the help of a drug or substance abuse recovery center, however, it can be a lot more comfortable and a lot more accommodating. Some of the symptoms involved in withdrawing from alcoholism include:

Going through these withdrawal symptoms with professional medical help and counseling is a much better idea than trying to go through this process alone. Once you get through the entire detox process and the alcohol is no longer in your system, the next course of action is the rehabilitation or recovery part of the process. This is the longer part of the process but also the part that is going to have the greatest amount of impact on your ability to really and truly overcome your addiction.

Developing New, Healthy Habits and Modifying Behaviors

Rehabilitation and recovery is going to make use of a number of different types of counseling and therapy to help you overcome your addiction. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT, behavior modification training, counseling, group therapies, role playing and similar therapy methods are going to be employed to teach you new healthy habits and ways of thinking.

The goal here is to get you past whatever led you to be an alcoholic in the first place so that you can prevent a relapse from occurring. Relapse is unfortunately a common occurrence among people who quit drinking but who do not treat the underlying causes that led to the drinking in the first place.

Every experience is different when it comes to rehabilitation and recovery. Whatever you are willing to put into it is what you are going to get out of it. If you are willing to put everything you have into your therapy and counseling because you really, truly want to overcome your alcoholism, then you are going to get that and so much more out of the process. You can overcome your alcoholism and never have to worry about relapse in the future, but what it requires is the right mindset, the right preparation and a complete willingness to get past the addiction and move on with your life.

So now that you have learned about the treatment options that are available, now is the time to take the first step on the path to recovery. If you are serious about ending your dependency, the longer you put off contacting someone about a rehab facility that just means the more of your life that you’ll watch fly by under the grip of alcoholism. A new life is within your grasp, all you need to do is reach out to someone who can help you. So grasp the moment and take back control in your life by choosing a rehab facility (800-303-2482) that meets your needs and can provide the help you need.