5 ways that alcohol rehabilitation can benefit your lifestyle
1. Gaining knowledge about your alcohol addiction
There are 5 ways that alcohol rehabilitation can benefit your lifestyle, and understanding your addiction is one of the most important ones. Understanding your addiction helps you to understand how the disease affects different aspects of your daily life. We help you to recognise these aspects and how to manage these situations to maintain sobriety. The more you know about your addiction, the better you know what to do in recovery.
Many times when a person goes to an individual therapist to deal with problems caused by heavy drinking the addiction might be overlooked because mental health issues mask the underlying addiction. With rehabilitation, the addiction and mental health issues can be separated and treated individually. If an addict deals only with the symptoms of their addiction, they may never fully understand their addiction nor recovery. They might mistake the good feeling from therapy as a cure for their problems.
Addiction begins with experimentation with a substance. There are many reasons why someone initially tries a drug; curiosity, peer pressure, stress and problems at work or home.
Alcoholism goes much deeper than craving and use. It is a personal struggle impacting each individual in a completely different way. An effective alcohol rehabilitation program needs to individualise its treatments to match the person’s specific needs. Individual therapies are the place for dealing with the internal struggles and the reasons why we self-medicate with alcohol.
Warning signs of addiction
These are some warning signs that may indicate that you are suffering from an alcohol addiction. If these describe you, then rehabilitation may be suited for you.
- Ignoring commitments or responsibilities
- Problems at work, school or at home
- Unexplained absences
- Appearing to have a new set of friends
- Considerable monetary fluctuations
- Staying up later than usual or sleeping in longer
- Lapses in concentration or memory
- Being oddly secretive about parts of personal life
- Withdrawal from normal social contacts
- Sudden mood swings and change in behaviour
- Unusual lack of motivation
- Weight loss or changes in physical appearance
2. Alcohol rehabilitation can benefit your lifestyle through peer support and motivation
One of the ways that alcohol rehabilitation can benefit your lifestyle is in gaining peer support and motivation in a community. In spite of what your brain and “stinking thinking” may believe, you are not alone in your addiction. When you come to alcohol rehabilitation treatment you are surrounded by many others. All have the same common goal; to learn to understand, recover and be free from the shackles of addiction.
Alcohol rehabilitation is built on peer support and finding comfort in those that are dealing with similar struggles to you. Peers at a rehabilitation program can provide a unique level of support. Hearing the stories of others, learning from their mistakes and their successes, and having someone to talk to when times get rough are all benefits of professional rehabilitation treatment.
During your time in rehabilitation you will be part of support groups. Support groups allow you to form strong bonds with the place and the people that you share your time with. Support also extends beyond your time in rehab, through family, friends, and community and in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Continuing to work the alcohol rehabilitation programme once you have left rehab is very important. Formulating a relapse prevention plan is crucial to identifying which support groups will be available and best suited for you once you have completed rehabilitation treatment. Just like with alcohol rehabilitation treatment, the continuing plan is specific to meet your recovery needs. Central to this is further involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous and working with a sponsor.
Alcohol rehabilitation treatment centres may also offer “aftercare”. These programmes provide a way for you to continue what you started in alcohol rehabilitation treatment. They help you stay connected with your rehab facility, as well as some peers that you shared your journey with.
3. Alcohol rehabilitation can benefit your lifestyle by becoming healthy
A specific benefit to in-patient treatment is that medical and clinical supervision is available 24/7 at the facility. This can be extremely critical for preventing relapse in those with severe addictions. Addicts in recovery are vulnerable to health problems shortly after stopping use of the substance that they were addicted to. During this time, you may experience unpleasant symptoms as your body copes without the alcohol consumption it was used to. Even after the initial withdrawal symptoms have passed, the stress on the body and mind can aggravate other physical and mental illnesses.
With heavy alcohol use one of the major negative effects is withdrawal. With continuous access to doctors and constant care, you can feel safe as you become sober again. For this reason it is not advisable to stop using alcohol abruptly or “cold turkey”. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms may require medical attention or assistance. The first part of any alcohol rehabilitation treatment program will start with a detoxification. Although there will be some discomfort that cannot always be avoided, we try make this period as comfortable as possible.
The value of a healthy diet and exercise
alcohol rehabilitation can benefit your lifestyle by focusing on health and the education on living a healthier lifestyle. This entails education on the negative effects of alcohol on your organs, balanced dietary requirements and exercise. We also explore co-curing disorders that may exist with your alcoholism.
Regular consumption of alcohol deprives the body of many nutrients. Unhealthy diets can cause headaches, sleep problems, and low energy levels, which are all factors that can inhibit proper recovery. In rehab, meals are planned and balanced to ensure that you receive all the nutrients your body needs. A balanced diet improves both mood and overall health, which can reduce drug cravings and help prevent relapse.
Exercise also provides a variety of advantages for you during your treatment. Alcohol rehab centres often offer and encourage exercise with a trainer or in a gym setting. Exercise has the advantage of being quantifiable and measurable. Exercise can be beneficial to your mood and help you see that you don’t need alcohol to feel good. Visible improvements in your physical body becomes an example of a “healthy mind and body”, proving that you can do it without artificial boosts from drugs. Exercise is also very beneficial for regaining your sleeping pattern. Often we think alcohol aids in having a better night’s sleep, however this is not the case. The inability to sleep during recovery could in itself be a trigger to relapse.
4. Improvement of relationships with loved ones
Addiction is really a family disease. A good rehab centre encourages all members to take part in the treatment process, helping them deal with the disease. Seeking treatment as a unit will show you that you have support and love from your family. This can go a long way to helping you (and your family) to fully heal. Family treatment provides you and your family with the tools to help you with recovery and lifelong changes in behaviour.
The behaviours and actions you portray under the influence of alcohol affects your loved ones. Your time in rehab is the prime opportunity to work on mending these relationships. If you and your loved ones are willing, rehabs might offer additional therapy sessions to help repair your relationships. Therapy sessions for your loved ones may teach them how to cope with the stress of caring for an addict. They can provide clarity and guidance on how they can help you once you have successfully completed rehab.
Once you have completed alcohol rehabilitation treatment, family support and boundaries can be the very thing that keeps you going. It is through family treatment, therapies and by going to Al-anon where your loved ones learn how to help. It is important that the whole family seek treatment for the damages that addiction has placed on each individual in the family. This process is especially important for any family members who have enabled the addiction.
Alcohol rehabilitation can benefit your lifestyle by improving your relationships with those around you. Involvement of your family will show you how committed your family is to helping you get clean and stay clean. Shunning your family may only increase the possibility of a relapse once you have completed treatment.
5. Financial stability
Alcohol addiction can be very costly. You may be taking food from your family, or spending your entire month’s income on alcohol and entertainment. Due to your alcoholism, your children may receive inadequate education. Your family may struggle with budgeting and time management while your salary is being used to support your addiction. Children may even mimic your habits and develop addictions themselves; something no one wants for their children. Your alcohol addiction can even create poverty in future generations.
Addiction is heavily associated with poverty, not because substances are expensive, but because addiction is often a means of escape. Many people living in poverty abuse substances to avoid the serious problems they may be facing in their lives. When you’re living hand to mouth and struggling to make ends meet, alcohol can provide an instant gratification and escape.
Alcoholism can also influence your productivity. You may start to call in sick to work more often and when you do make an appearance, the quality of your work is not great. Poor work performance can mean you miss out on promotions or bonuses, a cut back on shifts, or you could even lose your job. Many addicts lose their jobs and remain unemployed as a result of their addiction. Some end up in jails, prisons, or long-term rehabilitation facilities, which can result in years of lost productivity. It can be difficult to get yourself back in the workforce after years of unemployment due to alcohol addiction.
Sobriety makes it easier to hold down a job, and therefore ensures your financial stability. It also means that you can spend your salary on things that make a positive difference in your life.
Take the first step to sobriety today
Rustenburg Addiction Care provides top class addiction treatment, with a holistic and comprehensive treatment programme. If you or a loved one needs to seek help for addiction, do not hesitate to contact us for guidance on the next steps.
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