Believe it or not, alcohol is just as addictive as any drug. If consumed often, you may gain an unhealthy physical dependency to it. It is sometimes difficult to determine what is a harmless drink and what is a dangerous addiction.
Should you have concerns for yourself or anyone you care about, consider the following list of hints:
- Daily Drinking Habits
- Mood Swings
- Decreased Work Ethic
- Neglect for Responsibilities
- Strict Denial of any Mention to a Drinking Problem
- Violence
- Disinterest in Things that Used to be Interesting to them
Anyone who exhibits many or all of these hints likely has a drinking problem or alcohol use disorder. There are a number of methods for treating such a disorder, but none will work unless the alcoholic commits to them.
Cold Turkey Detox
The term ‘Cold Turkey’ means to stop drinking immediately. Going ‘Cold Turkey’ requires you to not touch a drop of alcohol for as long as several weeks or even a month.
The suddenness of this method can come as a shock to the body and will result in uncomfortable symptoms, such as irrational emotions, anxiety, depression, constant shivering, and so on.
Because undergoing these symptoms can be frightening and resisting the urge to grab that last shot is incredibly difficult to ignore, I would recommend that you use this method under professional care in an alcohol rehab center. The professionals who work there are well practiced with handling your condition and will have medication to make the process more comfortable for you.
Government-Based Controlled Detox
Many countries have government-funded services that will aid you in your fight against alcohol use disorder. This method tends to be more affordable as the government handles the majority of costs.
You will still be under constant care and supervision while using one of these government services which increases the chances of success. The downside is that you will likely have to wait a while as there are many patients with alcohol use disorder these days.
Inpatient Rehab
An inpatient rehab facility is similar to the government service except that you are not permitted to leave the facility during the process. You will remain on-site for anywhere up to three months depending on the severity of your addiction.
I believe this method to be the best choice as it removes the worst variable of all. The worst-case scenario is when the alcoholic gives up on their therapy and goes back to the bottle. If you’re genuinely convinced that you can overcome this addiction, choose an inpatient rehab facility. That way even if you change your mind, you’ll have absolutely no access to a drink and will still successfully detox in the long run.
Counseling
Counseling isn’t a method for detoxing from your alcohol addiction. It is, in fact, my recommendation for what you should do afterward.
Even if you successfully detox, your mind will forever be drawn to alcohol. I would recommend never going near a bar, or anywhere you might be tempted to drink again. Anyone who has been addicted to alcohol at some point in their life will forever run the risk of relapsing.
Attending regular counseling sessions will help you deal with your fresh start positively. It will allow you the pride of what you’ve accomplished, and more importantly, the counselor will teach you how to resist even the slightest inkling of a relapse!
That’s all from me for now. Stay safe and stay addiction-free!