The decision to stop abusing alcohol or other drugs is very important to your health and can have lasting effects. There are many resources available to help you during your recovery from alcohol or whatever your vice may be. Working with your doctor can increase your chances of not abusing alcohol or other drugs again. You can also find helpful information on the Internet that offers education and support to help you overcome an addiction. There are many ways others can help you get to the point where you can celebrate recovery from alcohol.
What is alcoholism?
Alcoholism is when someone is dependent upon alcohol. It is a disease that usually involves having strong cravings or urges to have a drink. Many people experience a loss of control and feeling that they are unable to stop drinking once that the drinking has begun. Physical dependence is another aspect of alcoholism, which is evident in withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety after stopping drinking. The tolerance is also raised, which means the amount of alcohol necessary to achieve full effects increases.
Treatments
The good thing is that alcoholism can be treated. There are treatment programs that use counseling and medications to help a person fight the constant urge to drink. Most alcoholics need help in order to recover from their disease and cannot do it alone. Chances are if they were able to moderate their drinking on their own, they would not be considered an alcoholic. With support and treatment, many people are able to stop drinking and rebuild their lives. There are varying levels of success when it comes to treatment. With treatment, one thing is clear: the longer a person is able to refrain from drinking, the more likely it is that he or she will be able to stay sober. Many alcohol programs are built around the twelve-step program that has seemed to be fairly successful. With help and proper treatment, many people are now able to celebrate recovery from alcohol.
Ways to get help
There are numerous different national and local resources that are available for you if you or someone you know is in need of treatment for a drug addiction. The National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing Service provides a toll-free telephone number, 1-800-662-HELP. This phone number provides information and resources to anyone in search of help kicking an alcohol habit. This service allows you to speak directly to a representative concerning substance abuse treatment, request material on alcohol related issues, or obtain local substance abuse treatment referral information in your area. These resources are helpful in the attempt to celebrate recovery from alcohol.
Recovery can be a reality if you are dedicated enough to get the right treatment for you and your addiction to alcohol. There are many web sites that offer education and support if you want to eventually celebrate recovery from alcohol.
www.alcohol-anonymous.org is the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) web site that gives support for alcoholics. If you are interested, you can find the closest AA meeting to you, which is free and open to everyone.
- www.recoveryresource.org is a web site that offers information about the forms of treatment facilities and how they clear drugs or alcohol out of your system. It also describes different ways of treating alcohol addiction, as well as outpatient treatment.
By Kristin Lockwood