Alcohol Abuse And Treatment Centers - Tips You Need

 

Are you drinking alcohol in excess of quantities? Have you been thinking about cutting back, but you can't seem to do so on your own? For people that suffer from alcoholism, there are treatment centers and groups in most cities nationwide that will be able to help you get back on the right track. Staying drunk all the time can actually lead to losing your job, your home, or even your family. By getting help as soon as possible, you can't quickly deal with alcoholism, but you have to know where to look.

What Is Alcohol Abuse?

Of all of the drugs that are available, alcohol is very easy to access, and is very common in households today. Having an occasional drink is probably a great thing, especially if you drink wine which has resveratrol and other antioxidants. However, alcohol itself, especially hard liquor, can cause exceptional damage to your kidneys and liver. Drinking too much can also lead to the destruction of your personal life, something that we will now address.

Signs Of Alcohol Abuse

To find an alcohol abuse treatment center, it's actually very easy to do. Most of them advertise in the Yellow Pages, or in the newspaper, looking for people to help. Some of them will be expensive, whereas others are inexpensive or free, depending upon your income level. As long as you take the positive step to attend one of these clinics, you can move forward toward cleaning up your life. The problem with being an alcoholic is you tend to believe everything is okay. It's not until your life collapses around you that you realize something needs to be done. That's why attending these clinics and facilities that can provide help for alcoholics will be the best decision that you will ever make if you suffer from alcoholism today.

Habits and Common Practices of an Alcoholic

 

Confessions of the Lifestyles of an Alcoholic
From a Confessed Alcoholic

My name is Jaimie and I am an alcoholic in recovery. The reason I am writing this, is that many out there still do not understand what it is like to be an alcoholic, as the word "alcoholic" has come to present a specific and stereotypical image lumping all that suffer from this disease together. Alcoholism and its effects are wide and varied. I can only speak from my own experiences, but hope this will shed some light on a misunderstood subject.

Bars

A common misconception is that alcoholics will go into a bar in the morning, drink all day, and leave late at night. This is not necessarily true, especially if that alcoholic is not a millionaire. A true alcoholic needs to retain certain levels of alcohol in their system to be able to feel normal and balanced. an 8 dollar drink with two shots of liquor in it is not an effective way to keep the "needed" or craved for amounts of alcohol.

Binge Drinking

This is often thought of as a pounding thirty beers in a few hours, but a binge usually lasts days not hours. When an alcoholic binges, it is usually on a steadily high amount of alcohol over 3-4 days. These 3-4 days is usually spent at home simply sitting and drinking. Sleep is hard to  come by during these binges unless you pass out, even then you will only be out for a couple of hours and will wake up wide awake and craving the continuance of the binge.

Quitting

Alcoholics may try numerous times to quit drinking, especially after a long binge that has left you weak, sick, and desperate. This sick feeling sticks around for about two days, and usually alcoholics can go for 2 days without drinking and sticking to their sobriety pledge. However, the 3rd or 4th day, you are starting to feel better. Much better, your thinking is starting to get much clearer, but far too clear. This is when panic sets in, and you are not sure what to do with yourself... In my case, I would get this feeling and think that I needed to dumb-down my racing mind and extra energy, so would have a drink to take the edge off a little. It works... I would already begin to feel calm again, and think that the  one drink worked. Within an hour, you are craving another rink, and another, an soon you are right back where you started.

Becoming Sober

My alcoholism was more of a mental addiction than a physical addiction. I did not have the pain, hallucinations, or possibly-lethal withdrawals that physical dependent alcoholics get, so I felt comfortable with attending an intensive outpatient program. This was done through substance abuse counseling programs that I could attend around my work schedule, and still live at home while getting sober. This option is not for everyone, but worked for me. I can't say exactly how or when I noticed I no-longer had a problem with alcohol, it just sort of happened unexpectedly, and has changed my life for the better.

Northridge Counseling offeres intensive outpatient programs and substance abuse counseling for addictions to alcohol and to drugs. Our wonderful counselers and staff will try and help you transform your life for the better, just as Jaimie was able to. Contact us today: