Recovery is important for those who compulsively drink alcohol. However, some of the people who have drinking problems hesitate or worry about what’s going to happen in the recovery process. Here are the things that you should expect.
What is Alcohol Addiction?
Everyone can enjoy alcohol every once in a while. However, it becomes an addiction when it starts to get in the way of a person’s life.
People with alcohol problems are reported to abandon their family roles and obligations to keep their consumption going. Their loved ones might try to stop their compulsive drinking, but it usually ends up with a fight because the drinker tends to be defensive about their habits.
Another symptom of alcohol problems is that the drinker consumes more and more liquors. They usually only start with a few drinks, but as time goes on, they can finish a few bottles in one sitting.
That behaviour usually makes the drinker worry about their habits. They might try to reduce or even outright stop drinking alcohol. However, a common symptom of alcohol addiction is that a person has multiple failed attempts at sobriety.
Withdrawal Symptoms
When a person drinks too much alcohol, their body can start shaking, especially if the person stops drinking. They might become irritable, restless, and have a low mood. They might also start having problems with their sleep. Either they sleep too much or sleep less.
How Can Alcohol Rehab Help Beat Addiction?
There’s usually a life stressor that makes a person drink too much. Addressing that specific reason for drinking is usually the best approach to treating alcohol problems. That’s what most rehab programmes do. They personalise and teach a recovering person healthy coping mechanisms to deal with life.
Aside from that, rehabilitation centres can also help a recovering person from experiencing severe side effects of alcohol consumption. That includes seizures and delirium tremens.
How Alcohol Rehab Works at Kembali
Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is the most useful approach to addressing the underlying life stressors of the recovering person. It is available at Kembali.
CBT acknowledges that a person’s behaviour is rooted in their beliefs. If a person has a maladaptive belief, that also leads to maladaptive behaviours. The CBT therapist will ask about the person’s emotions, assumptions, and core beliefs to target the fire that fuels the compulsive behaviour.
Kembali accepts a maximum of eight people in its treatment centre so that the mental health worker can better focus on helping recovering people. The serene environment allows the person to relax and concentrate on their recovery.
What to Expect During Detox Treatment
Alcohol detoxification is an important initial step in alcohol recovery. Attendants will help the recovering person flush out alcohol from their bodies. Withdrawal symptoms during this process are usually expected. The goal is to keep going and do relapse prevention for at least two weeks, depending on the severity.
After that, the recovering person can focus on other therapeutic activities that the centre has planned.
Other Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Options
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a 12-step programme designed for people with alcohol problems to recover. From the name itself, participants are encouraged to do 12 rituals that will help them recover from compulsive drinking.
AA has grown exponentially since its beginning days, and it’s a testament to its effectiveness.
The first part of the programme encourages participants to acknowledge that they don’t have power over their compulsive behaviours and that only a higher power can give it to them. The term ‘higher power’ is intentionally set up to accommodate a diverse range of people with different religions. Non-believers are also encouraged to do the same.
The second part of the programme encourages them to review past mistakes and make amends to those they have wronged.
The last part recommends recovering people also to help those who are struggling with addiction.
Motivational Enhancement Therapy
Not all people who are struggling with alcohol consumption recognise that they have a drinking problem. And to those who know that they have that problem, a portion of them are not sure whether getting treated professionally is right for them.
Motivational enhancement therapy (MET) is a great tool therapists use to address those problems. This approach has five steps.
Express Empathy
This part aims to help the person feel empathy for their loved ones. Usually, people with drinking problems tend to abandon their family roles and obligations to keep their drinking going. By making them acknowledge that, they tend to be more motivated to start changing their compulsive behaviours.
Acknowledge Discrepancy
Aside from supporting their loved ones, a recovering person also has personal dreams and goals. Unhealthy alcohol consumption also tends to pull that person away from the life that they want to live. Acknowledging that there is a discrepancy between the life they have right now and the life that they want to live will motivate them to change.
Avoid Arguments
A huge problem with arguments during these sessions is that it makes the recovering person defensive. A therapist usually diffuses the situation and establishes that they are there to help clients get the life they want through sobriety.
Accept Resistance
Resistance is part of the recovery process. Instead of fighting it, which usually makes it worse, the therapist usually helps the person diffuse it, which makes recovery much more likely.
Support Self-Efficacy
Most people who are recovering from addiction tend to lose confidence in themselves. That’s because having a substance that controls their life instead of them doing that makes them feel incompetent. This section aims to make the recovering person remember that they can make significant changes in their lives.
Learn More About Our Treatment Programmes at Kembali Rehab Centre
Kembali has already treated people who were recovering from alcohol. It offers detoxification with the help of a nearby Bali hospital. They also provide CBT and other therapeutic techniques relevant to treating alcohol and drug addiction.
Contact us for more information.
