If you can’t stop drinking alcohol, then it’s clear that there is a problem at hand and that help is needed. “Why can’t I stop drinking? This may seem like a simple question to some but to alcoholics, it’s a question that carries lots of distress. While many will say that it’s wrong and unfair to just focus on the bad things about alcohol without mentioning the enjoyment and pleasure that comes with safe drinking habits.
However, when someone is addicted to alcohol, enjoyment and pleasure is rarely felt. The individual simply can’t stop drinking, despite seeing and/or feeling the negative effects it’s causing. The inability to stop drinking as well as the denial to having a problem will only increase the chances that addicts could lose their families, careers and most importantly, their lives. The fact that many fail to realise is that alcohol is a narcotic drug, just like heroin, marijuana and cocaine. Like other addictive substances, drinking changes the way you feel, act and think. It has the ability to change personalities, for example, people who are usually quiet and shy may suddenly become loud and confident.
Drinking causes alcoholics to feel more powerful and in better control of the things around them. It also helps people forget any issues they have, such as problems at work or at home. Alcohol is a brain stimulating drug which makes people feel happy and this one of many reasons why many simply cannot stop drinking. Some people might not even need a reason to drink but will continuously search for new ones to justify their decision to excessively use alcohol, until they reach the point where they cannot live without it. If you or a loved one can’t stop drinking alcohol, it’s highly advisable to refrain from quitting on your own. The best way to treat alcohol abuse or alcoholism is by getting professional medical treatment in an addiction rehabilitation centre.
In the alcohol rehab clinic, patients will receive a supervised medical detoxification, which helps in removing any withdrawal symptoms that may be experienced now that the substance is no longer available. Once that has been completed, recovering alcoholics will be required to become involved in various types of counselling and therapy, such as individual counselling as well as 12-step group meetings. These counselling and therapy methods will help educate patients about their addiction and how they can avoid using alcohol in the future. The length of stay in rehab will be determined by the nature and severity of the illness, however, all addicts are required to stay a minimum of four weeks in treatment.
For people with unavoidable daily responsibilities or for patients fresh out of rehab, secondary care is available and comes in the form of outpatient treatment or a stay in a halfway house. Secondary care serves as a continuation of the counselling and therapy that was taught in rehab, just in further detail. Tertiary care is also available for people looking to safely enter back into the real world and also to ensure that they remain focused on the path to recovery.
For those who can’t stop drinking, we offer access into the best private alcohol rehabilitation centers all over South Africa, the United Kingdom and Thailand. Call us now and let one of our qualified addiction counsellors assist in finding the best treatment available for you.