Alcoholism is a devastating illness that cripples your ability to live happily. Finding your way to recovery can begin at any time but most people need a jolt of some sort to realise just how unmanageable life has become. This realisation might place things into perspective and prompt the alcoholic into looking for help in overcoming this illness from an alcohol rehab center. Alcoholics may feel despair at their lives but it is key to offer them a ray of hope. People do recover from this illness when they receive professional attention in alcohol rehab centers and the support of those around them.
How do I get started?
Many alcoholics feel overwhelmed when they first decide to stop drinking. This is an entirely new experience and they often don’t know what to expect from sobriety. Joining a fellowship like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) can help to provide you with a supportive group of peers who have been in the same situation and managed to stay sober. However it is key to consult with a medical doctor as well. Withdrawal from alcohol, particularly if very large quantities have been abused, can be dangerous. You might need to be admitted to a detoxification (detox) center so that the risks and discomfort of alcohol withdrawal can be medically managed. Your best bet is to find an alcohol rehab center and speak with a consultant. Many centers offer free assessment and advice and will be able to map out a comprehensive alcohol treatment plan for you.
How do I determine how serious my problem with alcohol is?
People who have a drinking problem will regularly drink too much. Problem drinking leads to problems in their own life and can present danger to others. A problem drinker is unable to limit his/her drinking despite these consequences.
Alcoholism is the disease of being addicted to alcohol. An alcoholic is unable to stop drinking no matter what the consequences may be. Alcoholics can incur very serious physiological damage but this won’t discourage them from drinking. They can lose jobs, wives and all self-respect but will still be unable to stop drinking. If you suspect that you are an alcoholic then please consider taking this self-assessment test or consulting with a professional in an alcohol rehab.
Alcoholism usually requires medical help
Many alcoholics try to stop drinking by themselves but fail. This leads to despair and may even worsen the drinking. If you have previously tried to stop drinking then it is best to see a doctor or alcohol rehab professional. Withdrawal from alcohol can produce symptoms such as sweats, shakes, cravings, headaches, nausea, vomiting, hypertension, seizures, hallucinations and delirium tremens. Alcohol withdrawal can be life threatening and you should always seek medical attention when stopping drinking.
Emergency rooms in South Africa are usually reluctant to perform alcohol detoxifications and it is best to find a specialist alcohol detox facility instead. There are many such facilities throughout the country. When you are admitted the medical specialists will take a case history so that they can prepare for any contingencies that may arise. If they are confident about your situation they may allow you to detox on an outpatient basis.
Alcoholics Anonymous
Although they do not keep a register of meetings, AA estimates that it has more than 2 million people attending its groups across the world. AA meetings are facilitated by fellow alcoholics and are free to attend. Their members are people who have had a drinking problem and found sobriety through working the 12-step program. This means that they have been in similar situations to you and have experienced similar problems. They support each other by sharing strength, hope and experience amongst themselves. There are no requirements for membership other than a desire to stop drinking. 12-step.org provides a good resource that will introduce you to this program.
The twelve steps guide you through a process of coming to terms with the damage that alcohol has caused to you and finding ways to resolve past destruction and avoid future problems. The 12-step approach includes a spiritual component that is not linked to any specific religion or philosophy. They rather encourage members to develop a spirituality of their own understanding and to use that as a recovery resource.
The 12-step program encourages complete abstinence and maintains that alcoholism is very likely to reoccur if a recovering alcoholic drinks again. They focus on staying sober “just for today” instead of worrying about staying sober “forever” which may be a daunting prospect.
Other support groups
There are other support groups that assist alcoholics in taking responsibility for living sober. They try to create self-acceptance and self-esteem as tools to help the individual in maintaining sobriety. These programs also help the alcoholic to understand the danger of drinking and provide support for difficult times of craving.
SMART Recovery® is based on a four-point method that teaches self-empowerment. Alcoholics learn skills to cope with cravings, enhance their motivation to stay sober, deal with problems without drinking and prevent relapse by living a healthy lifestyle.
SOS (Secular Organizations for Sobriety/Save Our Selves) was developed as an alternative to AA for people who feel uncomfortable with the spiritual aspect of the 12 step programs. They offer a sobriety toolkit which promotes taking responsibility for your sobriety. They encourage avoiding dangerous situations and interrupting thoughts that lead to drinking.
Inpatient treatment
Inpatient treatment is usually recommended for the detoxification period. An alcohol detox center will usually require you to make an appointment for assessment before admission. If you have already stopped drinking and now have a serious problem then admission to an emergency room should be arranged as withdrawal from alcohol can be life-threatening. Inpatient alcohol detox will usually last 3-5 days in a medically supervised detox treatment center. A minimal program is provided to patients while they are in detox. The alcohol rehab team will often use this time to perform assessments, obtain a history, speak with the family and start developing a comprehensive alcohol treatment plan.
South Africa has several alcohol treatment facilities that offer long-term residential programs. The treatment period at these alcohol rehab centers can last from a few months to as long as a year or two.
Treatment will be provided on a continuum of care so that the alcoholic progresses between levels according to his/her progress. This means that for the last few months of treatment he/she will have significant freedom and be able to pursue work opportunities while in the early time of treatment he/she might be restricted to not leaving the alcohol rehab center alone.
Inpatient alcohol rehab centers typically create a “therapeutic community” of peers. Being part of a supportive community offers the alcoholic a chance to hear feedback and receive encouragement. It also gives patients a sense of affiliation (a sense of belonging) which is of tremendous benefit.
Long-term residential alcohol rehab is usually recommended for people who have relapsed after trying shorter term programs. There are several ways that an alcoholic can work a program in order to avoid relapse, read this article for more details.
Outpatient treatment
There are several forms of outpatient treatment on offer but the common theme is that the alcoholic lives at home and comes in to the alcohol rehab center for program activities.
Outpatient alcohol treatment typically involves a range of counselling activities (one-to-one, group, couple and family). These counselling sessions allow the alcoholic to start addressing emotional hurt and to start identifying the root causes of alcoholism. A counselling session usually lasts about 50 minutes to an hour. Experience has shown that they are most effective when they are offered once a week.
Each outpatient alcohol rehab center will have its own unique counselling paradigm. Many people believe that the relationship between the therapist and client is more important than the specific counselling techniques that are employed. Finding a therapist should involve looking for somebody that you feel comfortable with.
Medical management of alcoholism
This nascent field is still under research (like this for example). There are already several medications that are used to help you stop drinking.
Aversive drugs such as Disulfiram (Antabuse) are the oldest sorts of medication used to combat alcohol abuse. These drugs will make you feel very sick if you drink alcohol. They don’t do anything to treat the behaviour of alcoholism and won’t reduce cravings. Professionals in alcohol rehab centers usually agree that aversive medications shouldn’t be necessary afer successful alcohol treatment.
Anti-craving medications such as naltrexone (Revia and Depade) help people by reducing the urge to drink. They block certain pleasure receptors in the brain that are associated with alcohol. These drugs are only useful if the person has already stopped drinking.
Acomprosate (Campral) is a newly developed drug and actually restores chemical balance in the brain. It works to reduces the emotional and physical discomfort of people in early alcohol recovery. This drug cannot be used to ease withdrawal symptoms.
Sometimes patients will be prescribed short-term medications in the detoxification (detox) center to help them overcome emotional and physical symptoms associated with the withdrawal process. These medications will usually be discontinued before the alcoholic is discharged from the detox center.
At the moment medication is only used in conjunction with behavioural treatment. We have no pill to “cure” alcoholism and are only able to ease or reduce certain symptoms. Proper professional treatment in an alcohol rehab center will help the alcoholic to live free and sober, medication just makes it a little easier to do so.
How to choose an alcohol rehab center
We Do Recover offers expert and independent advice on choosing an alcohol rehab center. Contact us today for free advice. Careful attention must be paid to the credentials of the caregivers who will be providing the alcohol treatment. Questions that you might ask are:
1) Is the facility accredited and licensed appropriately?
2) What data are available concerning the effectiveness of the treatment methods employed at the facility? Was this data compiled by an independent third party or drawn up by the alcohol rehab itself?
3) What sort of aftercare program do you offer? For how long can I expect to be able to attend sessions and groups to help me avoid relapse?
4) What health insurance options do you support?
What happens after alcohol detox?
Detoxification (detox) is the first step in a comprehensive alcohol treatment program. In the majority of cases admission to a residential alcohol rehab is recommended. Outpatient treatment programs will also be discussed. You should join a 12-step meeting or find another type of support group offered in your area. If you elect not to receive treatment for your alcoholism then maintaining sobriety will be that much more difficult. You should nonetheless attend 90 12-step meetings in 90 days and get a “sponsor” in those meetings who will help you learn the program. Surround yourself with people who are supportive of your sobriety and avoid going back to the places where you used to drink. If doctors in the detox center prescribed medication make sure that you follow their advice. Eat healthily and exercise regularly.
Living without alcohol
The early stages of alcohol recovery are not easy. It is fundamental for you to have support so that if you feel overwhelmed you have somebody to lean on. Alcohol abuse affects your brain chemistry and this will take a little time to be restored to normal balance. Alcohol also masked your emotions and these will start to resurface. You will need to learn how to cope with emotions without reaching for the bottle. Doing a relapse prevention course will help you to identify the triggers that may cause you to drink alcohol again. Learning to avoid these dangerous situations and thoughts while making better decisions will allow you to deal with life’s challenges more effectively.
Participating in a social support group of some sort will improve your chances of staying sober. People who attend meetings regularly also claim that their quality of life is improved by their affiliation within these support groups. It is not enough to attend meetings, it is key to become involved and make use of the recovery advice the members offer. Learning a new way of life from people who have similar experiences to you will make relapse less likely.
Relapse happens to the best of people. The best thing to do is to phone your recovery support friends and get back on track. Don’t spend excessive time beating yourself up about it as this might perpetuate the drinking. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and resume your attendance at meetings. Usually people can learn something from their relapse as it highlights something they may have been overlooking. Relapse doesn’t have to mean the end of your recovery! It is just a temporary setback.
Founded in 2008, WeDoRecover has evolved from an advisory service for addiction treatment into a comprehensive provider of care, following its 2019 merger with Changes Addiction Rehab in Johannesburg. Specialising in connecting patients to top-tier addiction treatment centers in the UK, South Africa and supporting individuals in recovery world wide.