Alcohol substance abuse treatment begins with detox. Medical detox is the time you spend removing alcohol from your system physically. This time can last anywhere from a few days to over one week, depending on how long you have been abusing alcohol and how much you have been drinking. The withdrawal period can be physically hard, and this is why it is important to go to a substance abuse treatment center to be supervised throughout the process. You aren't safe if you try to withdraw on your own, and you are taking risks with your health if you try to withdraw alone. Detox programs understand that the withdrawal process is hard, and you will be supervised throughout to make sure you are safe and get the services you need.

The Types of Alcohol Substance Abuse Programs You Will Find

While detox is the first step and kind of program you will find, the treatment you receive doesn't stop there. You can go on to a short-term rehabilitation program, then to a long-term rehabilitation program. These are residential programs that help teach you about the emotional and behavioral aspects of addiction and how to move forward with your life. For individuals who are new to recovery, residential treatment in a program can make all the difference. Sober living communities exist for individuals who need further support after a long-term rehabilitation program because they don't feel safe returning home. The type of program you go to will depend on your specific needs and where you are in your recovery process.

Is an Intensive Outpatient Program the Right Decision?

When you are in detox, you will work with a counselor to develop a treatment plan. If you have a safe home environment that is supportive of your sobriety, an Intensive Outpatient Program could be right for you. If you are interested in a structured program during the day, an IOP may be the perfect program for you to learn about sobriety and to take your life back. You'll still get to go home each night, but you will be in groups and get therapy throughout the day to be able to focus on your sobriety and your life moving forward.

Strategies to Help You Prevent a Relapse

Relapse prevention strategies are anything that helps you stay sober. While this seems easy, you'll have to discover the new ways in which you want to manage your stress and engage with others in life. The ways in which you learn to live a healthier life can be diverse, and you should always be willing to try new things to manage your stress levels. Relapse prevention is about learning how to cope with the difficult times in your life. You may be able to learn a new exercise routine or find out how to use mindfulness as part of your everyday life. When you are open to new activities, you will discover that it becomes easier to manage the more difficult times in your life.

Building a Support Team Around You

Your support team are those people you feel confident in calling when you are feeling low and need support to avoid a relapse. You are going to meet all kinds of people when you begin going to treatment for an addiction to alcohol. For those with alcohol substance abuse issues, finding people you can trust makes a big impact on your overall sobriety. You will find that the people who are in recovery are the ones that understand what you are going through the most. While your family and friends who already love you will want to help, it is those who are going through the same problems who are going to be able to help you. Don't be afraid to reach out to people when you are in recovery, as this is encouraged every step of the process.

What Alcohol Substance Abuse Looks Like

Alcohol substance abuse looks much different than social drinking. An individual who likes to drink socially can stop at any time. For those with an addiction to alcohol, there's always a way to rationalize the continued abuse of alcohol. For example, if your doctor tells you to stop drinking or you are risking your life, social drinkers are going to stop. A person with an alcohol substance abuse issue is going to rationalize this and be able to continue drinking despite their doctor's warnings. Social drinkers don't worry about their next drink, while those that abuse alcohol are always thinking about the next time they can drink.

The Process of Treatment for Alcohol Substance Abuse

You start in a detox facility to rid your physical self of the alcohol you are addicted to. Trying to withdraw at home almost never works, because to stop the difficult withdrawal symptoms you have to start drinking again. Once you have made it through the period of detox, you'll begin to work on the emotional and behavioral aspects of addiction. This means that you will learn what your triggers are that led to your addiction. You will talk about your behavior and your choices that fed into the addiction. You will look for ways to change your behavior one step at a time with the help of professional staff. The process of treatment may begin with detox, but it continues on as you learn how to live a productive, happy life without abusing substances.

Is There a Difference Between Social Drinking and Alcohol Abuse?

There is a big difference between social drinking and alcohol abuse, but the line can be difficult to draw at times. Consider a bunch of college kids at a frat party, and there almost is no line between social drinking and the abuse of alcohol. When this behavior continues long after college and you are always looking for the next opportunity to go out and get drunk, you are probably abusing alcohol.

People who drink alcohol socially can stop at any time. They find that a few drinks help them relax. They might drink a beer with dinner but not drink anything further. People who abuse alcohol have a very hard time stopping. They will drink to excess, and they will make poor decisions such as driving after drinking, even if they are intoxicated. Social drinkers either stop, or they make sure there is a designated driver in order to get home. A person who abuses alcohol is more likely to state they are fine and start driving a car. Alcohol abuse can stem from social drinking, but not everyone who socially drinks abuses alcohol.

Committing to a Program of Recovery

Once you decide that you need help for alcohol substance abuse, you have to determine what your next step is. If you are actively drinking, you'll need a treatment program for detox to safely stop abusing alcohol. Once the detox is over, it's important to talk over your options with a counselor. Together you will develop a treatment plan that outlines what your goals are, your strengths, and how you are going to measure your progress. Take a step back and look at your life. Think about how much you can accomplish once you are sober. Believe that you are worth it and make a commitment to getting your health back from the ravages of an addiction to alcohol.

Understanding How Alcoholics Anonymous Works

When you are in recovery, you may hear plenty of people talking about Alcoholics Anonymous. This is a program where you attend meetings in the community to learn more about addiction, to get support from your peers, and to find your support network of people. It is a peer-run group, and you may eventually be an individual who is asked to speak at a meeting or run a meeting when you feel comfortable.

Some of the thoughts behind Alcoholics Anonymous is that giving up your addiction to a higher power is going to help you manage easier. You'll work through the twelve steps of the program with the help of a sponsor. The first step is letting go and letting God take care of you. As you proceed through the program, you will discover how your drinking has impacted your life and those that you love around you.

There is no timeline for your recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous. You receive coins for 30 days of sobriety, 60 days, 90 days, and then yearly. These are physical reminders of how far you have come, one day at a time. As you work through the steps, you will begin to see your true self and how you can live a healthier life.

The Time for Treatment Is Now

If you are waiting for treatment, it's time to find an alcohol substance abuse treatment facility today. You deserve to heal, and waiting is only going to stop you from getting better. Take back your life from addiction and begin the treatment that is ready to help you find your sobriety now. When you wait until your life is completely out of control, you give yourself a bigger hole to dig back out of. Go for treatment before your life spirals out of control and you will thank yourself later.