Alcohol rehab is an incredibly helpful lifeline to individuals suffering from an alcohol dependence. Assessing your alcohol intake and dependency is required to determine your particular level of alcohol abuse. The lines are often very blurred between alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction, but what’s important to note is that they are both centered around problem drinking.
Alcohol use is widely accepted in the United States as a normal part of an otherwise productive existence. From television and movies to work functions and entertaining friends and family members, alcohol is an ever-present part of the social landscape. This undoubtedly blurs the lines for many between alcohol misuse, abuse and dependence. Alcohol addiction counseling can play an integral role in deciphering what stage of your alcohol use you’re in, as well as shed some light on where you’re heading.
Physical dependence on alcohol includes having an increased tolerance to the substance, i.e. requiring more and more of it to reach the same level of intoxication as well as drinking more and longer than planned while having trouble reducing your intake. But just because you have not reached the physical dependence stage of your alcohol abuse does not mean that you don’t have a problem with alcohol and couldn’t benefit from an alcohol rehab facility.
Do I Need Alcohol Dependence Counseling?
Taking advantage of the benefits of counseling does not necessarily mean that you are an alcoholic – but you may be heading in that direction. Alcohol abuse is characterized as engaging in behavior that is harmful to the drinker as well as those around them, but a physical and psychological dependence is not a prerequisite. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, indicators of alcohol abuse include the following:
- Drinking more or longer than you planned
- Missing work or skipping childcare responsibilities because of drinking
- Drinking in situations that are dangerous, such as before or while driving
- Giving up activities that you used to love
- Being arrested for DUI of alcohol or for hurting someone while drunk
- Continuing to drink even though there are ongoing alcohol-related tensions with friends and family
Counseling can have as profound an effect on the alcohol abuser as it can the full-blown addict. This is why alcohol counseling is being handed down by more and more judges to those who have committed non-violent crimes under the influence or related to alcohol. Many of these individuals are not addicts yet but are engaging in risky behaviors. Specialty treatment can help them realize how to change them before things progressively get worse.
Alcohol Rehab Helps Prevent Relapse
Quitting any substance of abuse without the necessary help and supervision is not easy and sometimes unsafe too. Some addicts will be able to curb their drinking for a short time, however these occurrences are almost always temporary, and they remain prone to relapse. Admitting oneself into an alcohol rehab treatment center can increase a person’s chances of maintaining long term sobriety upwards of 70 percent!
Treatment centers can aid in your recovery efforts dramatically for a variety of reasons. For starters, they provide a controlled environment and, therefore, there is no alcohol allowed on premises at any time. Secondly, effective treatment programs are designed to find and treat the underlying cause of the alcohol abuse, rather than just the symptoms associated with the addiction.
Therefore, there is usually a co-occurring mental disorder like depression or bipolar disorder to name a few, further complicating the recovery effort. Clinicians and therapists should be trained to screen for all of these possible conditions so they can be properly diagnosed and treated simultaneously. Without treating both co-occurring illnesses simultaneously, getting control of either is extremely unlikely. Quality alcohol rehab facilities employ the clinicians needed to do this.
Addiction is a crippling illness that can bring your life to a screeching halt. Unable to move forward, you find yourself sinking lower and lower into its grasp until escaping from it seems impossible. Destination Hope is a premier drug, alcohol and dual diagnosis treatment facility in Florida. If you or someone you love is struggling with alcohol abuse or dependence, do not hesitate to contact us. Destination Hope provides various levels of care and programs to ensure a treatment plan that best fits you and provides you with the resources to overcome your addiction and live a healthier and happier life.
