Alcohol Rehab. Do Your Research

Before joining into any alcohol rehab program, you must look for certain aspects that the alcohol rehab should have. If someone in your family is addicted to alcohol and you are looking for a good alcohol rehab, then from the beginning itself, make sure you know what you should expect from a good alcohol rehab. Different alcohol rehabs will have different kind of treatments and rules and hence you cannot generalize the format of alcohol rehab by visiting just one or two alcohol rehabs.

You need to check the programs of each of these alcohol rehab centers in minute detail to understand how they are implemented. This also helps you in knowing which kind of program you must use and will be the most suitable for the needs of the patient. These following points will help you when it comes to selecting a good rehab program.

1. Whichever alcohol rehab you are looking, make sure that you understand what kind of treatment they will provide. This is because almost every rehab center has a different kind of program and it becomes absolutely essential for you to check out that program and make sure that the patient for whom you are considering the treatment will be comfortable with the program. Try to understand each and every aspect of the treatment program given by the alcohol rehab center.

2. Make sure that the program is suitable for the needs of the patient. For this read all the possible information about the rehab in their official website. All the important aspects about the treatment center will be mentioned on the websites and hence do read them carefully.

3. Also check all the facilities offered at the alcohol rehab. The nursing care is one example. Know the kind of care given at the alcohol rehab as some rehab give 24 hour care while others don't.

4. Also the detox facility given by the alcohol rehab should be checked properly. Most alcohol rehabs have detox program in them but few don't have it and hence make sure the alcohol rehab you are choosing has it or not.

5. If you will not check the alcohol rehab for their detox program, then you might have to adjust when the rehab will send you to some other center for detox treatment and this will be inconvenient for you.

6. The alcohol rehab center should also be able to offer the patient a proper aftercare. The aftercare program is also equally important as the main treatment and hence it cannot be overlooked.

7. Be sure what kind of medications will be given to the patient throughout the treatment process. Some alcohol rehabs offer holistic treatment programs while some follows the traditional format. In some alcohol rehabs the focus will be on aromatherapy and acupressure while some will give medications and relaxation therapies. Make it a point to know what the patient will like and then select the one which has that kind of treatment option.

8. It is better to go for those alcohol rehabs which offer intervention programs. Interventions will guide you thought the treatment program and will be a major help for you and your patient. Not all the alcohol rehabs offer intervention programs and hence choose carefully.

9. It is better to talk with the interventionist and make a proper plan for your patient and with their guidance things will really become smooth for you.

10. Keeping all the above points in mind while choosing the rehab will definitely be beneficial in long run.

The best source to gather all these information about the rehab will be the Internet. There is a lot of information over the Internet. You will also be able to read the various aspects of the alcohol rehab in the websites FAQs section and About US section. You can contact them via email or by calling them to know more about them. If you know a particular alcohol rehab in your local area, then make it a point and visit it before selecting it.

There are various alcohol rehabs all over the world. If you are not satisfied with the facilities provided in your local alcohol rehab center then you can even try out alcohol rehab centers in some other states. The three basic steps in the alcohol rehab treatment will be same in all these alcohol rehabs but there will be some minor differences over the medications given by them. The main programs that an alcohol rehab should offer are intervention, detoxification and rehabilitation.

Giving Up Alcohol

Anti-alcoholism comic book ad (Photo credit: solviturambulando)

Alcohol has been present in the society of men for a long time. It was used generally for celebration and religious ceremonies in prehistoric time. Way back the time of Greek philosophers, giving up alcohol was not widely thought of.

The Greeks had a philosophy of drinking, eating and being merry. They believed that the fulfillment of one's life is to enjoy the physical world and its pleasure. This was later contradicted by other Greek philosophers but the habit of drinking alcohol in excess was fixed in their social activities and giving up on the bottle was a challenge for the philosophers and that society entirely.

In today's society, alcohol abuse is alive and kicking. In Greek times, the people found reasons to celebrate every night to make an excuse for drinking. Nowadays, celebrations are not needed. Most people who are addicted to alcohol drink it at anytime at all. For alcoholics of the present society, giving up alcohol is the hardest thing to do as their system is already dependent on alcohol.

There are a lot of effects brought about by alcohol. It does not only affect the alcoholic but also the people around them. Being an alcoholic can cause violence and turmoil. Alcohol impairs judgment and motor skills and that can lead to relationship problems and neglect of responsibilities. Alcohol also tends to make a person emotional and violent; that is why alcoholics often lash out and be involved in public disturbances and domestic violence, theft, destruction of public property and sometimes even death and murder.

Most alcoholics' claim that they do not need help giving up alcohol; most are in denial that they are dependent on alcohol. That is why most alcoholics end up alone; because they tend to disgrace, neglect and hurt the people around them.

There are many ways to help those who want to stop. There is rehab, support groups, therapy, and video diaries. A person submitting himself to rehab will undergo intense supervision and shall develop self discipline to control alcoholic tendencies. Support groups are a group of people who share the same problem and help one another to quit alcohol. Therapy however, requires the presence of a psychologist or a psychiatrist to help the patient in giving up alcohol.

For alcoholics, friends, family and relatives should also be involved in the process. Giving up the habit cannot be done alone. It takes the effort and support of everyone involved in the alcoholic's life.

Tips

For those who live with alcoholics and want to help them in quitting, there are a few requisites. First, the alcoholic should realize and admit that he has become dependent on alcohol and he needs help. Partly, the responsibility falls upon the family and friends of the alcoholic to help him realize the truth of his dependence to alcohol.

Metanoia

The other requisite is to know if the alcoholic actually wants to quit alcohol. If the alcoholic is forced into rehab, it would only cause numerous fall backs. So the essential step is to have him want to quit alcohol.

It is imperative for the alcoholic to have a complete change of mind. This is the key to successful and continues independence from alcohol: to completely want to turn away from alcohol and to yearn for better days.

The alcoholic should have the right motivation and the best of these are going to be for themselves and for their loved ones. Giving up alcohol is hard for alcohol dependent people. In this way, the alcoholic's aim is to be better for the sake of the people around them and their happiness and health.

Related articles

• Crossing the Line from Alcohol Use to Abuse to Dependence (irenewatson.typepad.com)
• Alcoholics are not powerless over alcohol (psychologytoday.com)
• Crime rates in Scotland directly linked to number of off-licences in area (scotsman.com)

Signs Of Alcoholism

Are you looking for signs of an alcoholic? Are you thinking about alcoholism outpatient treatment for you or someone you love, but you need to make sure there is a real problem first? Let us help you determine the severity of the issue that is on your mind.

Drinking has become fashionable in our society. People will share a bottle of wine while taking a meal, usually while hanging out for drinks with friends, and many functions and occasions feature time for drinking alcoholic beverages. Alcohol consumption became a normal one but no one knows the level of their drinking and goes on drinking without thinking about their health. Alcoholism and alcohol abuse otherwise known as alcohol dependence is an upcoming major problem these days in modern society and we need a lot of time to know the side effects and risk factors.

Sometimes, we cannot understand as our mind is out of control, we do not understand that we have a problem. Understanding the problem is the first step to overcome from alcoholism. Only you and loved ones around us can help change us. Some won't find any side effects of drinking but nearly millions of peoples are suffering from alcoholism and alcohol abuse.

Drinking problems are due to many facts such as genetics, your parents, your friends, your environment, and your emotional strength as well as weakness. Alcoholics may suffer from anxiety, pain, tolerance, dependence, or just being out of control. Drinking has become in or cool these days and many people like going out drinking. Women generally have greater side effects as the alcohol dehydrogenase hormone found to be lesser in them.

Alcoholism is the most severe form of drinking when someone suffers from signs of an alcoholic such as tolerance and dependence. Tolerance is the first sign of alcoholism. Increasing tolerance simply means that you are able to drink more and more before it affects you. Withdrawal is the next sign. You feel anxiety or pain without alcohol; you need to drink instead of wanting to drink.

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms is the another sign that involves anxiety, Shakiness, Sweating, Nausea, vomiting, Depression, Irritability, Loss of appetite and Headache. Whenever you get these symptoms consult doctor and take necessary treatment

Other signs and symptoms of an alcoholic (alcohol dependence) such that your alcohol intake is out of control. You cannot stay a second without alcohol and you are totally out of control thus continues to drink without thinking anything is wrong. You will sit idle without hanging out with friends, family and being alone in the world of alcohol. You give up everything you love; you change your behavior and prefer to be with strangers drinking then with friends and family who are not.

But in this social life drinking became an addictive habit which you cannot seem to avoid. At this point (or hopefully well before) you should be seeking help. You should be able to recognize that your alcohol abuse is damaging your relationships with loved ones, friends and family as well as affecting you in other ways. Some of these signs of an alcoholic may include giving you depression, having alcohol related health problems, having the need to drink above all else or lying about how much you drink. The CAGE test is an important tool to aid all for the purpose of identifying alcoholism signs. There are many tools available, but this one is the most preferred and important famous tool for the identification of signs of an alcoholic.

..............................................................................

If you have found this blog entry entertaining or informative why not subscribe to my Feedburner notifications? 

............................................................................... 

Related articles

• FAQs on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (education.com)
• Dealing with a spirit that can kill (thehindu.com)
• Alcohol and Employee Health: Sobering Facts (safetygator.wordpress.com)
• Is a teenager who drinks 'normal'? (stuff.co.nz)
• Q/. How can you tell if someone has a problem with alcohol? (ffeirio.wordpress.com)
• Researchers find a strong association between alcohol dependence and chromosome 5q13.2 (medicalxpress.com)

When Does Alcohol Abuse Become Alcoholism?

Alcohol Abuse and the Alcoholic

As a precursor, I would like to point out that I am a recovering alcoholic. This in no way makes me an expert but it does, with the benefit of hindsight, allow me to share 'some' of my activities as an alcoholic and as a recovering alcoholic.

There is no correct definition for alcohol abuse, as it is quite ambiguous to understand or define. To our satisfaction, we can define alcohol abuse as a boundary line between the two phases namely, normal drinkers and alcoholics. Technically speaking, alcohol abuse is considered as a pattern of drinking that harms one's health, interpersonal relationships, or ability to work.

What is the reason for the abuse of alcohol? One reason is failure to fulfill responsibilities at work, school, or home can result in stress, which tempts one to drink a lot. The act of alcohol abuse under these circumstances satisfies two core needs.  The need to feel pleasure, which is often experienced when drinking, at least initially, and the desire to avoid pain, which subsides very quickly when drinking begins. The vicious circle of alcohol abuse is exacerbated by the fact that alcoholic behavior often creates more stress and pain in your life, and the drinker will turn to alcohol to deal with that pain.

What are the Consequences of Alcohol Abuse?

Prolonged and excessive use of alcohol will eventually lead to alcoholism. Again it is quite

ambiguous to differentiate the symptoms of alcohol abuse and alcoholism. But there are certain ways to recognize the symptoms of alcohol abuse and take precautionary measures before it is too late.  Some of the early signs of abuse are sneaking drinks, frequent memory blanks while engaged in drinking, frequent injuries due to excessive drinking, unwillingness to discuss about the drinking habits with family and friends, and feeling guilty over the drinking habit.

So what are some of the other consequences that occur because of the abuse of alcohol? There are many and some of them include going late for work, trouble with authorities for drinking and driving, and aggressive behavior in public. Also physically a person is often affected due to excessive drinking. The physical signs of abusing alcohol include drunkenness, slurred speech, short attention span, uncoordinated movements, drowsiness, memory problems, and aggression.

Most people who abuse alcohol think that it is not a big issue. They have a thought that

they can control their habit easily. But this case does not work in reality, because once a person becomes an alcoholic, it is really hard to bring him back to his normal life.

Alcohol abuse during adolescence, especially during the early adolescent age, may lead to long-term changes in the brain. This has a very bad consequence which leaves teenagers at an increased risk of alcoholism in later years. So, it is highly important that teenagers have to be taken care of at the right time to eliminate alcoholism.

If proper precautionary measures are not taken, drinking to excess regularly might result in suicide or violence. It has been estimated that about 1.8 million deaths have been occurred due to alcoholism and 58.3 million people have been disabled due to the same.

Prevention, Deterrence and Support is Critical

It is better that proper measures are taken to control our intake of alcohol before an alcohol abuser becomes an alcoholic. Alcohol abuse can be prevented through increased taxation of alcohol. Strict regulations have to be implemented for alcohol advertising. Information and education on social norms and the harms associated with abusing alcohol should be delivered to everyone through media, internet, and regular campaigns. Getting help at the right time is vital and it can be provided by a healthcare agency. A healthcare professional can improve the chances of solving the problem of alcohol abuse. The professional will conduct a physical exam and a mental health assessment to know the progress of cure. A lot of advice on limiting or abstaining from drinking habit is provided in seminars or meetings and attending these seminars or meetings can also help someone recover from alcohol abuse.

..............................................................................
If you have found this blog entry entertaining or informative why not subscribe to 
my Feedburner notifications? 
............................................................................... 

Related articles

• FAQs on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

  ---

• Alcohol and Employee Health: Sobering Facts

  ---

• Teen drinking can cause problems later in life

  ---

• Early intervention, resilience key to alcohol abuse prevention

  ---

• What Parents Need to Know About College Drinking

  ---