Posts tagged alcoholism
30 Day Alcohol Treatment in Texas: A Chance to Make Your Life Better
May 5th
There are many types of diseases, but alcoholism is one that not only cripples its victims but changes their entire personalities. Absorption of alcohol in the stomach penetrates the bloodstream almost immediately. There are short-term effects from this, such as slurring one’s speech, talking excessively, insomnia, vomiting as well as others. Often times, violent dispositions or domestic abuse occur while consuming too much alcohol. Overall, no matter the amount of alcohol consumed, one’s sense of judgment is impaired. During this time, driving a vehicle is an example of something that can be incredibly dangerous.
When a person crosses the line from drinking recreationally to doing it most days, and especially to cover up problems or self-medicate for psychiatric illnesses, that is when alcoholism becomes real. This stage of the disease includes symptoms such as damage to the liver and brain as well as tremors, convulsions, extreme nervousness and hallucinations. Not only can an alcoholic cause physical harm to themselves but also to others in their lives. For example, a pregnant woman who is an alcoholic runs the risk of causing physical as well as mental impairment to her unborn child. Alcoholism can and does repeat itself through generations of families.
There are several very good reasons to enter 30-day alcohol treatment in Texas. In the case of serious alcohol abuse, a medical detoxification may last up to a week. During this time, the client will likely be unable to focus on his or her treatment program. He or she will need intensive treatment for several weeks in order to address underlying issues, and 3-4 weeks is a bare minimum amount of time for which treatment will be effective. In addition, the client will need time to break habits. It has been shown that simply abstaining from alcohol for a week or two is quite ineffective; the person will need more time to replace old behaviors with new actions and tools in order to live a healthy and sober life. Also important, the brain needs time to physically “reset” the very powerful system that has become ingrained in the person’s mind; the feeling of the “need” to obtain alcohol and use it to cope with daily life.
Additional reasons for seeking a 30-day treatment are listed below:
- If work is being affected by the addiction to alcohol and may ultimately be the cause of losing one’s job and treatment is the answer.
- When the urge to control consumption of alcohol is weakened, despite an individual’s resolve to stop.
- When one’s personality drastically changes, that could hurt not only the individual but those of the people around him or her
- When one indulges in emotional drinking wherein deep sadness and anger are the sources of wanting to drink, getting treatment for the abuse would be a wise decision.
- In cases where one’s memory plays tricks and remembrance of the night before is lost somewhere due to the consumption of alcohol, the best course to take would be an alcohol treatment facility.
- For situations where a woman is an alcohol abuser and is thinking about conceiving but has no control over her addiction and would require outside help.
Also, if the alcoholic as well as the doctors realize there are deeper issues, extending treatment is usually recommended. The main goal of alcohol treatment centers is helping alcoholics overcome their addiction and return to a healthier lifestyle. Doctors and counselors have one focus in mind when treating and that is the alcoholic. Therefore, whether the alcoholic or family members are seeking help, exploring a 30-day treatment is a good place to start, and many times treatment for 90 days or more may be considered.
Another reason to seek out a 30-day treatment deals with covering the cost of treatment. Rehabilitation treatment can be very costly and the longer the period, the more expense will be incurred. There are insurance policies, which cover a percentage, if not the full amount, of treatment cost. When seeking out help, contacting one’s insurance plan is important if money is an issue. There are other ways to cover the cost of treatment. There are some treatment centers that offer assistance in the form of scholarship or grants. Lack of funds should not be a reason to avoid seeking help for alcoholism.
The time to get treatment for alcohol abuse is when it becomes the driving force in one’s life. The purpose of the treatment is to help the person take a hold of their own life and take away the dependence on alcohol.
Many treatment programs begin long-term treatment with detoxification. Detoxification is a planned withdrawal from alcohol and could be incredibly hard physically for some people, especially those who are hardened alcoholics. Despite the hardship one endures, this is necessary to begin effective treatment without alcohol in one’s system. The process could take three to four days or more, which could weaken the patient, both physically and mentally.
A few treatment facilities also offer outpatient services after residential treatment. Usually, this is done for people who still manage to go to work and perform regular activities for the day. The flexible schedule allows a patient to attend treatment at a time that will not affect the working hours. Residential treatment is absolutely recommended over an outpatient program if it is going to be the first or sole form of treatment. However, outpatient alcohol rehabilitation has been shown to be a very effective way to “step down” back to a normal life.
Do I need to go to rehab?
Aug 12th
This is a question many facing drug addiction and alcoholism try to figure out on their own. But every individual is different and may need to be assessed with a treatment counselor to assess their current situation and whether they need to be in a residential rehab setting.
Scientific research since the mid–1970s shows that treatment can help patients addicted to drugs and alcohol to stop using and drinking to avoid relapse, and successfully recover their lives. Based research, key principles have emerged that form the basis of effective treatment programs:
• Addiction is a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and behavior.
• No single treatment is appropriate for everyone.
• Treatment needs to be readily available.
• Effective treatment attends to multiple needs of the individual, not just his or her drug abuse.
• Remaining in treatment for an adequate period of time is critical.
• Counseling—individual and/or group—and other behavioral therapies are the most commonly used forms of drug abuse treatment.
• Medications are an important element of treatment for many patients, especially when combined with counseling and other behavioral therapies.
• An individual’s treatment and services plan must be assessed continually and modified as necessary to ensure that it meets his or her changing needs.
• Many drug–addicted individuals also have other mental disorders.
• Medically assisted detoxification is only the first stage of addiction treatment and by itself does little to change long–term drug abuse.
• Treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective.
• Drug use during treatment must be monitored continuously, as lapses during treatment do occur.
Residential treatment programs can also be very effective, especially for those with more severe problems. For example, residential facilities are highly structured programs in which patients remain at a residence, typically for 30 days to 12 months. Treatment centers differ from other treatment approaches principally in their use of the community—treatment staff and those in recovery—as a key agent of change to influence patient attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors associated with drug use. The focus of rehab is on the re-socialization of the patient to a drug-free, crime–free lifestyle. Please call today to discuss your needs for treatment.
Early Alcohol Use Linked to Heavy Smoking Later in Life…
Jul 25th
Researchers have found that kids who engage in heavy drinking will more than likely also engage in heavy smoking, and that educators can help combat the trend by addressing both topics as one health risk.
“These are important findings because they emphasize the need for education and intervention programs that target the co-occurrence of these two health risks,” said Brian Daly, assistant professor of public health in the College of Health Professions and Social Work at Temple University.
Science Daily reports that Daly and colleagues determined rates of smoking and binge drinking through anonymous survey data from 2,450 African-American, Hispanic, and Caucasian students in grades 9-12 at public high schools in Philadelphia. Students’ responses were compiled from the 2007 Philadelphia Youth Behavioral Risk Survey.
Students were asked how many cigarettes they’d had per day over 30 days, and how many days over a 30-day period they’d had 5 or more drinks in one sitting. Data was broken down by race/ethnicity and gender.
Researchers found that while Caucasian teens were more likely than African-Americans to either binge drink or smoke, both groups were equally likely to engage in both activities at the same time.
“In the past 30 years or so, African Americans have traditionally had the lowest instance of smoking and binge drinking,” said Daly. “Those low numbers resulted in very few studies which looked at both smoking and binge drinking in a diverse sample; most focused only on instances of these in Caucasian or Hispanic adolescents.”
Daly said that the equal instances of smoking and binge drinking among both groups highlights the need for a multi-pronged approach to education and intervention.
“We can’t just focus on educating adolescents about the dangers of just smoking or drinking,” he said. “We need to address both as one health risk, and we need to do that for all adolescents, not just one particular group.”
He said that when health education teachers talk about the dangers of smoking, they should also touch on the dangers of binge drinking too, illustrating the connection.
The next phase of Daly’s research will break down these rates by grade level to determine exactly when binge drinking and smoking start.
“The difference in the mindset of a 9th grader versus a 12th grader is pretty vast,” he said. “And if we can determine when kids start this behavior—whether it’s the summer after 8th grade, or when they’re a sophomore or a senior—it can help us tailor education and treatment plans even more.”
What does alcohol detox consist of?
Jul 23rd
Well basically what happens is that you take the alcoholic and put them under medical supervision for a few days while giving them medications. The medication you give to them is used to prevent seizures and shaking while they are going through alcohol withdrawal. There are actually a number of different medications that can be used for this and there are some advantages and disadvantages to each one. For example, in some cases, addictive medications are used to detox alcoholics, but in other cases a rehab center might use non-addictive medication instead. It really is up to the doctor who oversees the facility, and of course there are different theories and opinions regarding which is the best route to go.
In most cases there will not be any problems while detoxing someone from alcohol and things will go smoothly. But in rare cases people who are severely addicted to alcohol will have a violent withdrawal in which their body shakes uncontrollably and they start hallucinating. At this point they are also at a high risk for seizures so many times the doctors watching over them will order more medications to try and prevent this from happening. In extreme cases people who go through alcohol withdrawal have died from it.
Most drunk people do not realize the danger of going without alcohol when their body is seriously addicted to it, so it is important to encourage treatment if someone is thinking about quitting drinking. Medical supervision is almost always the best idea because there is this danger of complications during the withdrawal. The majority of people will not have these problems but those who do will require serious medical attention. Alcohol withdrawal is a life threatening condition so be sure to take it seriously if someone is shaking due to a lack of alcohol in their system.
Yoga And Recovery
Jul 20th
12 Step Yoga Therapy: Treatment for the Body, Mind and Soul
Yoga is an ideal recreational activity for those recovering from alcoholism, drug addiction, and other addictions. Yoga conditions the body, mind and soul. Recovering from an addiction takes physical, mental and spiritual strength, which can be developed by practicing yoga. Recreational activities are an essential part of recovery for residents at long-term alcohol and drug rehab centers. Although therapy, counseling, and 12-step meetings are tremendously effective, people in recovery still want to have fun – and it is crucial they learn to enjoy themselves without substance abuse. Many treatment centers offer yoga as a therapeutic tool which can have a dramatic impact on a person’s life.
Strengthening a Recovering Body
The practice of Yoga comes from India and the word can mean “union” or “control”. People must unify their body with their mind and spirit to successfully control their whole self if they are to master yoga techniques. The beauty of yoga is that you do not need a very strong body to begin learning it. Practicing yoga consistently will help a person to develop their core muscles and improve their balance and posture. Perhaps the greatest benefit is that each person learns about their body and increases their control over it. Building a physically strong body can help combat the physical dependencies that come with alcoholism or drug addictions.
Yoga and the Mind
When it comes to addictions, psychological dependencies are very common. Young adults may be in the habit of giving up or giving in mentally to their addiction. It takes time and perseverance to train the mind to become strong enough to change that behavior. Yoga helps improve mental concentration through various methods. Take deep breathing exercises as an example. In yoga, deep breathing is conducted slowly and consciously. There should be no day dreaming but instead a profound, internal attention on the quality of breathing. Not only does this practice assist in clearing the mind, but it also improves the mind’s ability to focus. After improving one’s mental abilities through yoga, it should be easier for the person to clearly make decisions that will lead to positive outcomes.
Developing the Spirit to Stop Substance Abuse
Unlike other physical activities and sports, yoga is performed slowly and quietly with a great peacefulness. The practice of yoga can even be said to resemble a kind of meditation and its effects can be described as spiritual. Since yoga is not a religious practice attributed to any one religion, people of any belief system can enjoy it.
The poses and techniques found in yoga vary in their degree of difficulty. Continuously working to improve and accepting the challenge to learn the more difficult poses takes a lot of determination, but the process fosters a resilient heart. A strong spirit is needed to successfully complete drug and alcohol abuse treatment. Deciding to stop making poor choices that are self-damaging can be a challenge, and a strong resolve to change is what will prevent relapse in the future.