From your struggle of dealing with an alcoholic loved one, you may think that their condition will have no end, but like many diseases, Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) can also be treated. From mild to extreme cases, there are treatment options suitable so that all alcoholics can get back to society as reformed individuals.
Patients are treated inside a rehabilitation facility, such as sober living houses, where they would spend a certain period undergoing various therapy and treatment methods until they fully recover.
However, life after rehab doesn’t always guarantee a total alcohol-free lifestyle, and rehab facilities are very much aware of this. To address and solve this issue, long-term recovery plans are created by addiction specialists to help patients stay focused on their goals of living sober.
Alcohol rehabilitation process takes time, but as long as the patient is willing to recover, their chances of living sober after rehab will be immensely high.
Rehabilitation Programs
Recovery centers for alcoholism and drug abuse have no locks. They aren’t similar to prisons, where convicts are forced to enter. In sober living houses and other facilities, patients should willingly be admitted.
Detoxification is the first part of the program. They will experience withdrawal symptoms, and some centers will require patients to undergo complete detox first before going through rehab. Sober living houses, on the other hand, have their own in-house detox programs.
The environment of recovery centers vary. Troubled teens are usually brought to campsite facilities, while other patients can live in luxurious houses. Although the physical environment is important for their recovery, it has little to do with the effectiveness of the treatment program.
Education is the core component of the recovery process. Patients will be taught about alcoholism, its harmful effects, and how they can get past the denial stage of the severity of their condition. They will also go through individual counselling and occasionally, group therapy. Individual sessions will teach patients to recognize situations wherein they’re most likely to drink or use drugs, and how to avoid them.
Coping skills will be taught as well as other skills that they will need for sobriety. For group therapy, patients are taught the value of seeking support from others who are struggling with the same problems.
Some programs involve family members and friends. They will also learn to dynamics of the patient’s condition, and how they are affected by their alcoholism. They will be essential in encouraging patients to recover.
Getting Back to Their Normal Lives
After completing the program and exiting the facility, a long-term recovery plan will be implemented. This includes achieving specific goals, rebuilding broken relationships, finding alcohol-free activities, joining support group meetings, and recognizing impulses and how to handle them.
For most, life after rehab will be extremely challenging. Only 20% of patients remain sober within an entire year after treatment. But patients who make it past this period alcohol-free will have greater chances of relapsing less. Each passing year spent without alcohol increases their chance of fully recovering.
By staying committed to fulfilling their long-term recovery plan, patients will gradually feel the changes in their bodies and emotions. Their urges to drink will diminish, and as they see their progress, they will be more motivated to continue living sober. Every period of time that passed without alcohol is a great milestone, especially if they have managed to successfully rekindle lost connections, find new hobbies, and land on new careers.
One year after recovery, they can share their stories to encourage other people with drinking problems, make new plans for their future goals, and look for new ways to continue motivating themselves to stay sober.
Recovery for alcoholism may be a long process, but with persistence, determination, and encouragement from loved ones, patients will have better chances of recovering and living normally again. No matter how extreme their conditions might have been, they will return to society as sober and better individuals.
