What is Alcoholism?
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a medical condition present when individual drinking habits cause distress or harm. Alcohol addiction can range from mild to severe, based on many factors. For example, these can include drinking excessively, not cutting down, and everything in between.
When people that suffer from alcoholism try to cut down, they often feel withdrawal symptoms.
For instance, some common alcohol withdrawal symptoms are:
- insomnia
- shakiness
- irritability
- anxiety
- depression
- restlessness
- nausea
- seizures
If you have any of these symptoms, you should discuss your drinking habits with a knowledgeable physician. Therefore, one can guide you safely towards an alcohol treatment center that will work for you. The more symptoms you feel, the more urgent is the need for professional help. Additionally, a doctor can perform a comprehensive assessment of your medical history and withdrawal symptoms to guide you properly. If you are not sure you are suffering from alcoholism and would like an online evaluation of your condition, go to RethinkingDrinking.niaaa.nih.gov. Although seeking a private consultation with a doctor is also the best treatment option, you can also start an online assessment.
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Alcoholism is a medical condition that affects many different organs and bodily functions. A medical condition needs to be treated by doctors, especially one that disrupts how the brain communicates with the rest of the body (pathways).
These interferences directly affect someone’s mood and behavior, making it difficult to think clearly or behave normally. Continuous drinking also causes direct damage to essential organs such as the heart, liver, and pancreas.
Common Health Risks Related to Alcohol Addiction:
- Cardiomyopathy
- Irregular heartbeat
- Stroke
- High blood pressure
- Fatty liver
- Hepatitis
- Fibrosis
- Cirrhosis
- Pancreatitis
As shown above, alcoholism is a medical condition with serious health risks. Therefore, detoxification in a medical environment is always the best and safest treatment option.
Choosing the Right Alcoholism Treatment Program
Choosing to get help for alcoholism is one of the most significant decisions one can make in their lifetime. Before selecting an alcoholism treatment center near you or one that a friend heard about, you should understand each program’s different services. For instance, is the program focusing on “addiction” or the individual? Are there pre-set treatment protocols regardless of the patients’ unique needs? How much is medical assistance immediately available? Let’s start from the beginning.
How to Identify an Alcohol Use Disorder?
Before seeking an alcohol treatment program, one must recognize an issue. Furthermore, the desire to quit drinking and the will to live life on life’s terms must be present.
Acceptance of having a drinking problem and needing professional help is usually one of the biggest challenges for abusing alcohol. Moreover, roughly 95% of people struggling with alcohol abuse in the USA do not feel they need professional help for their condition. First, because of the shame, and secondly, because of the inability to process information accurately.
How to Help Someone with an Alcohol Addiction?
Discussions about treatment and support options are usually much more successful when it comes from a place of love and compassion.
Furthermore, extensive knowledge of alcoholism and available treatment options is crucial to convince a loved one to get help.
To illustrate, here are some warning signs of alcoholism:
- Binge drinking
- Radical mood changes
- Excuses for poor performance at work or school
- Neglecting responsibilities
- Denial of excessive drinking
- Aggressiveness
- Decreased interest in gatherings that exclude alcohol
- Defensiveness
Call now to speak confidentially with an addiction expert.
Ultimately, treating alcoholism is the best and wisest investment you can make. It will improve your life and the lives of those around you. Take the first step today!Call 1-866-713-3869
The Three Phases of an Alcohol Treatment Program
Alcohol Detoxification
Although a safe and successful detox is a necessary first step towards treating alcoholism, it is rarely enough in helping a person maintain sobriety. Alcohol treatment should involve a combination of therapeutic interventions designed to help someone safely get through a withdrawal while identifying emotional issues that could lead to a relapse.
Before entering a detoxification program, patients should fill out a preliminary intake. This intake should collect information regarding the patient’s history of alcohol use, previous withdrawal attempts, or rehab center experiences. It also should contain medical and psychiatric history in order to the best treatment approach.
Those at risk of severe, life-threatening withdrawal symptoms should undergo detoxification in a hospital under strict medical supervision. At a hospital, patients have immediate access to several specialists to supervise, assist and manage the detoxification.
Other inpatient options include residential treatment, where withdrawals are managed with oral medications such as benzodiazepines to help reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms and prevent the progression of potentially serious and fatal consequences. Anticonvulsants are also commonly used to reduce the possibilities of convulsions, a dangerous and common occurrence during alcohol withdrawal. Additionally, antipsychotics and muscle relaxants are also given to patients to manage agitation, hallucinations, and delirium during alcohol withdrawal.
Alcohol Detox Recovery
After alcohol detox, you will begin a regulation phase because the body gradually acclimates to the absence of alcohol. Also, you might feel emotionally raw or hypersensitive to any stressors. Hence, it’s important to spend a few days in a safe environment while giving yourself time to ease back into the swing of things.
Once the acute withdrawal is behind you, a transitional phase begins. After detox, you will be able to move forward with other treatments and therapies.
Having adequate and around-the-clock professional support throughout this phase is critical to sustaining sobriety. Overcoming alcoholism is not just a physical process, but also an emotional one requiring patience, compassion, and guidance.
At Domus Retreat, people have the peace of their private rooms and a team of fully supportive and caring staff. Also, therapeutic services are available, while the doctor prescribes supportive medications for further comfort. Therapy is individualized, and so is every step of the WAISMANN TREATMENT™ for alcohol dependence. Domus may also help alcohol users learn how to overcome triggers, the importance of healthy habits, and what to do in the event of a relapse.
Individual Therapeutic Support
Having a psychotherapist helping you handle urges and identifying triggers can be one of the essential supports necessary to maintain sobriety. A good therapist can also teach you new coping skills for everyday situations. Given these points, there are no exact answers, but there are available options, and finding the right one for you can make all the difference in the world.
When alcoholism is left untreated, it can trigger a wide range of additional problems. These can include health, financial, relationship issues and even professional problems. Don’t wait anymore because your life is worth fighting for. Contact an alcohol treatment expert now for the best detox program available. Above all, the Waismann Method and Domus Retreat teams are here to put together a comprehensive recovery plan that will provide the best chance for long-lasting sobriety.
