Alcohol these days is such an intrinsic part of our daily lives. Families often share a bottle of wine at dinner, there are drinks at parties and public events, special occasions are celebrated with a champagne bottle, and usually, friends just get together to have a drink. But just when does this friendly social drinking cross the line.
If you frequently take to drinking just to relieve stress, if you constantly end up drinking more than you thought and if you are becoming increasingly dependent on alcohol just to feel better, you are heading towards alcohol addiction.
Although alcohol is accepted in our society and even legal; if consumed beyond control, it can cause damage equally as bad as illicit drugs. It is therefore essential to check this habit before it slips out of control.
Treatment to every addiction begins with acknowledgement of the problem. One must accept that he/she has a drinking problem. A lot of willpower is required to get rid of an addiction. Once you admit that you need help, and are willing to get it, consult your doctor. You may need to join a rehabilitation center if the problem is too severe.
The first step of treatment is detoxification, which means flushing out the alcohol from the body. Appropriate medicines are administered to the patient, which help in dealing with the withdrawal symptoms that come with abstinence from alcohol. Simply put, withdrawal symptoms are the reaction of the body to the absence of alcohol. As over-consumption of alcohol has made the body dependent on it, refraining from the use of alcohol results in symptoms such as craving, anxiety, severe trembling, excessive sweating and depression.
These symptoms must however be dealt with, and they will subside in due course. Adequate amount of help and support is required from family and friends at this time. Remember, detoxification does not treat craving for alcohol, as addiction is a disease of the brain. This means that you must be strong enough to ward of such cravings. It may be required to be under constant supervision during the first few days or weeks of treatment.
Once the alcohol has been cleansed out of the system, and the withdrawal symptoms are reduced considerably, effective counseling and psychological support comes to play a very important role in treating the addiction from the brain. Group, as well as one on one sessions are conducted.
Group sessions lend support in making you feel that you are not alone in the fight. In such groups, you also discover the coping strategies adopted by other similar individuals, and can find one that works for you too. During one on one session, counselors try to reach out to the very cause that pushed you to addiction in the first place. Once you learn how to better cope with your problems, you won't need to turn to alcohol again.
Alcohol addiction treatment isn't easy, and requires a lot of strength, will and determination. But with the right medical help from rehab centers and ample love and support from family and loved ones, you can get rid of this problem and lead a healthy, happy life.
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