Alcoholism Help Is Available For Those Who Seek It
Alcoholism is one kind of addiction that is fairly easy to recognize, but what makes it difficult to treat is the fact that most alcoholics are unaware of their alcohol dependence.
As a progressive disease, it has symptoms and effects that become more severe over time. Therefore, the longer a person refuses to believe that he has crossed the threshold of alcohol abuse, the more damage he inflicts on his health and social being.
Alcohol drinking per se, is not considered harmful. In fact, alcohol beverages have been around since time immemorial and are considered staple drinks in social events in almost all cultures in the world. But, as in anything that is not taken moderately, drinking too much alcohol can have detrimental effects.
Most alcoholics start out as occasional drinkers. They may have been engaged in some social drinking from time to time or just plainly savoring the intoxicated feeling that allowed them to momentarily forget their personal woes.
Their alcohol dependence starts when they get intoxicated more frequently and they begin to develop a pattern of heavy drinking even amidst dangerous situations (such as while driving or doing other activities that require mental alertness).
There are various alcohol rehabilitation centers that provide alcoholism help to those who seek professional attention. However, before alcohol rehabs can be of much help, the alcohol dependent himself must first recognize the fact that he has become an alcoholic and that he seriously needs professional assistance.
How can an alcohol drinker draw the line between occasional drinking and alcoholism? There is such a thing as a safe level of alcohol consumption. Having one to two drinks per day is considered moderate drinking, with one drink equivalent to either a 12-ounce bottle of beer or a five-ounce glass of wine. However, when a person starts drinking more and develops a habit of getting too intoxicated to think clearly and reasonably, he is subjecting himself to alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence.
Alcohol abuse becomes apparent when a person continues to drink despite recurring problems that result from his excessive drinking. Examples of these problems can be drunk driving, missed deadlines, work absenteeism and law violations.
Any harmful use of alcohol is considered alcohol abuse. The more a person neglects the signs that he has indeed become an alcoholic, the deeper damage he inflicts on himself and the people around him. There are alcoholics who develop a violent nature when drunk.
They lose all signs of reasoning and the ability to control their emotions, which make them either hurt themselves or the people who “get in the way.” More often than not, they end up regretting their drunken rage once they get sober, especially when their violent actions entail personal, financial, or legal consequences.
Sadly, alcoholics who remain in denial of their true condition will continue to drink more, get themselves in more trouble, hurt more people, and cause more damage to their health and their life in general. True healing must start with acceptance, because no amount of alcohol rehabs can yield positive results until an alcoholic learns to embrace the truth about his illness in all honesty.
Alcoholism treatment can start when the client has accepted the need for rehabilitation and when he or she has made a commitment for behavioral change. WebMD says that there are three conventional stages of alcohol treatment:
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Detox
During this time, alcohol use is discontinued. The person becomes at high-risk for withdrawal symptoms like seizures, hallucinations, confusion, and even death in rare cases.
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Rehab
Counselling and medication are part of rehabilitation. The client develops skills to say no to alcohol when rehab is over. This may be done in the inpatient or outpatient setting.
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Sobriety Maintenance
The client’s internal drive is crucial here. It is important that the client receives support from others.
For some people who have not been alcoholic for a long time, the withdrawal symptoms are mild, such as anxiety and insomnia. On the other hand, withdrawal symptoms of chronically dependent users may be as serious as uncontrollable shaking, spasms, panic, hallucinations, delirium tremens.
Without professional health care, mortality rate from delirium tremens exceeds 10%. Detox from chronic alcoholism should not be attempted without the care of a doctor in an inpatient facility.
Hence, if you’ve decided that you want to stop drinking alcohol, the safest first step is to call an alcohol rehabilitation center like Hawaii Island Recovery, which is located in beautiful Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The facility is 3,000 miles away from everything and everyone and is proud to launch the world’s first wild dolphin therapy program for alcoholics.
Alcoholism Help & Information From The Web
5 Stages of Alcoholism
There are, and have been, many theories about alcoholism. The most prevailing theory, and now most commonly accepted, is called the Disease Model.
It is a disease with recognizable symptoms, causes, and methods of treatment. In addition, there are several stages of the disease which are often described as early, middle, late, treatment and relapse. Read more…
Alcoholism Help & Information – In The News
CSU men’s basketball coach Eustachy up front about past struggles with alcohol. He is an alcoholic and Eustachy still must address it daily. He attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings a couple times a week and talks regularly to his sponsors as well as to other alcoholics he is trying to help through their own issues.
If you need more information about alcoholism or if you are looking for a substance abuse treatment program call Hawaii Island Recovery at 866-515-5032.
