Alcoholism
How to Spot and Fight Alcoholism: The Importance of Support from Family and Friends
It's very difficult to spot alcoholism, let alone fight it off, when you're the one suffering from the addiction. The support of your family and friends is a must throughout all of the stages of your recovery. Spotting the addiction can already be a problem, since a drinking problem can impair your ability to think rationally. You may need to depend on the people around you to tell you to stop abusing alcohol, or even seek professional help for you.
Some of the most blatant manifestations of alcoholism are behavioral changes. A person who's abusing alcohol substance will tend to be more aggressive, easily irritable, may have sleeping disorders and may lose focus in work or school. Most people who are suffering from alcoholism get into fights for no reason, lose their jobs or scholarships and destroy their friendships and intimate relationships with the people around them. Alcoholism may also lead to promiscuity and even death.
Unless a friend or a family member of an alcoholic intervenes to seek professional help, the addicted individual may end up ruining his or her life. Alcoholism does not necessarily root from escapism, so the person might not be initially depressed before she or he became an alcoholic. Sometimes, alcohol abuse simply roots from moderate, social drinking.
When the individual develops a special liking to the taste of alcohol, she or he may start treating alcoholic drinks like a non-toxic beverage. This can be spotted when individuals start spiking their fruit juices and coffee with alcohol, and find that they simply cannot live without tasting the substance for a day.
Even simply liking the substance too much can lead to dependence, and when this happens, the habit can be hard to quit. A person doesn't have to be depressed for the bad effects of alcohol to kick in. Prolonged alcohol drinking affects the physiological structure of the brain, which causes long term behavioral changes, usually the loss of inhibitions, which is not always a good thing.
If you have a loved one whom you suspect is suffering from alcoholism, you should try to talk to him or her during his/her lucid moments. Try to convince the addicted individual to seek professional help. If the addiction to alcohol is already severe, and the individual is already violent or uncontrollable, you can also call rehabilitation centers to help you detox the addicted party speed up his or her recovery.
The road to recovery from alcoholism is a long and trying one. Detox treatments can help individuals get rid of the alcohol substance in their system, but it doesn't get rid of the habit completely. Counseling and the support of family and friends will play the greater part in an alcoholic's recovery.
There's also the danger of regressions and relapses because alcoholism is triggered by external factors as well. As a friend or a family member of the alcoholic concerned, you will need to be his/her support system once he is released from the rehab center. You need to protect your recovering loved one from peer pressure and other factors which may tempt him to go back to being an alcoholic.
Choosing a Facility
Questions to Ask When Choosing a Facility for Treatment for Alcoholism
If this is your first time seeking treatment for alcoholism for yourself or a loved one, it would be helpful to know which questions to ask when searching for possible programs. RecoveryNowTV.com will guide you in making the most appropriate decision based on your individual needs.
When researching treatment for alcoholism programs, consider the questions below to help guide you to making the most appropriate decision for treatment:
- Will the facility work with your health insurance company? If you have health insurance, please click here or scroll to the bottom of the page to access the complete Insurance Guidance Information page.
- Where is the facility located? Oftentimes facilities will urge you to travel out of your area to receive treatment. Consider the list of pros and cons below for traveling out of the area for treatment.
Treatment out of the area-
- PRO- Getting out of the area for treatment for alcoholism will help an alcoholic or addict to focus on themselves rather than their familiar surroundings.
- PRO- Going out of the area for treatment for alcoholism creates a mindset where a client is taking a journey for their recovery.
- PRO- If the going gets tough in treatment, a distance between the home and the treatment facility might affect a person's decision to not give up and to stay in treatment.
- CON- Going to a treatment for alcoholism program out of the area puts distance between you and your loved ones. Most treatment programs offer a family component and a long distance could make it difficult for supportive family and friends to participate in the treatment program.
- CON- Going to a treatment for alcoholism program out of the area might make it difficult to return to the home environment. If you choose to go out of the area for treatment, it is crucial to make sure that the treatment facility has a discharge planning process which includes assistance in finding outpatient and Twelve Step Support systems for when you return home.
- What governing body is the treatment facility licensed through? All treatment for alcoholism programs providing therapeutic services and treatment planning, must be licensed by a State governing body. If one of the facilities that you are considering is NOT part of the RecoveryNowTV network, then you will need to make sure that the facility is licensed through the state.
- Is the facility accredited? If so, what is the accreditation agency governing the facility? Accreditation is a true sign of a quality and safety assurance plan for a facility. While accreditation is not mandatory for a facility, it does provide a higher level of standards for a facility to adhere to. The two major accrediting bodies are The Joint Commission (JCAHO) and Commission on Accreditation of Treatment for alcoholism Facilities (CARF). Both accrediting organizations ensure that the facility actively participates in rigorous quality and safety improvement protocols.
- What does a typical day entail? Ask the treatment for alcoholism facility go through the daily schedule and feel free to ask questions of each item on the schedule. This will give you an understanding of all of the services offered. This will allow you to take full advantage of the treatment protocols being offered.
- What is the price of the treatment? Are there additional costs over and above the stated cost? Is there a daily rate? Is there an early termination policy?
- Is there an extended care program? When searching for a treatment for alcoholism facility, if time and your schedule permits, it is recommended that you enter an extended care program or a structured sober living environment. This will ensure that the re-entry back into daily living is a safe transition. Many programs offer a step-down or sober living program which includes mandatory Twelve Step participation, curfews, and drug testing.
- Is there a program in place for relapse? It is important to know if the treatment for alcoholism program will support you during a relapse. Many programs have relapse prevention or a refresher course in case of a relapse. Although many people do not want to consider readmitting to a treatment facility, it is important to know that your treatment program will support you if you have a relapse.
