Alcohol addiction is a terrible affliction that doesn’t receive much in the way of sympathy from the general populace. People are very quick to judge, saying that the alcoholic brought it on themselves and that the only thing standing between them and a complete recovery from alcoholism is their own lack of willpower.
Yes, it certainly is true that the alcoholic is responsible for abusing alcohol in an irresponsible manner but there comes a time during the addiction that the choice to drink alcohol becomes a need – a dependency of the body that cannot be ignored. It is during this time that the addict suffers most and needs all the help and support he or she can get in order to overcome this life-threatening addiction. So what causes people to succumb to alcohol addiction and keeps them coming back for more, in spite of the fact that they are well aware of how bad it is for them? The continuous abuse of alcohol causes changes in the body.
Once addicted to alcohol the chemical changes of the brain disease result in the alcoholic having to drink alcohol, despite their best intentions not to drink. The NMDA neuro-receptors in the body are inhibited by alcohol ingestion over time and when the intake of alcohol is stopped, these receptors are no longer inhibited causing hyper-excitability in the brain, which is uncomfortable and leads to strong feelings of anxiety and depression, coupled with physical illness.
This is known as alcohol withdrawal symptoms and makes it incredibly difficult for alcoholics to stop drinking without medical intervention and alcohol detoxification. Without quality addictions treatment many alcoholics will relapse before they’ve made much headway towards sobriety. This further undermines their belief that recovery from alcohol addiction is possible.
Even though they know it is bad for them, reaching for the bottle holds the promise of keeping these horrible withdrawal symptoms at bay. The problem is that alcohol withdrawal symptoms seem to get progressively worse during successive relapse and recovery cycles. Finding the right alcohol addiction treatment to meet your needs can be a very complex process. On the one hand, it’s likely that you’re in some form of crisis due to the chaos associated with active addiction and on the other, the multitude of choices in the marketplace can be overwhelming.
At WeDoRecover it is our purpose to match the most beneficial treatment to your needs, considering your budget, your specific addiction and treatment history, as well as your age and other risk factors. For more information on the service we offer, contact us.