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After Alcohol Rehab: Preventing Relapse and Ensuring Long-Term Recovery

Learn the Tools to Protect Against Relapse After Alcohol Recovery

Overcoming alcohol or drug addiction is extremely challenging – both mentally and physically. Medically assisted detox and rehabilitation can offer an effective means to overcome dependency and addiction. Continue reading for an overview of the detox, rehabilitation and post-treatment process for alcohol recovery.

How Alcohol Detox Works

Detoxification is the first stage of alcohol treatment for men and women. It involves cleansing the body of alcohol and the toxins in it.

The first step is to stop drinking. After that, the body releases the toxins that are part of dependency, which will give rise to withdrawal symptoms.

Alcohol withdrawal without medical supervision can be dangerous. Of course, withdrawing from any addictive substance is extremely painful and hazardous in certain circumstances. Withdrawal symptoms related to alcoholism, however, are some of the worse.

What Is Medically Assisted Detox?

In some cases, it is possible to go through detox without any kind of medical assistance; we usually do not recommend this, though. Medically assisted detox is when the person who is addicted goes to an alcoholism treatment center for help with recovery.

At these facilities, a staff of medically trained professionals will start by helping the person work through the withdrawal symptoms safely and effectively. The team can also prescribe medications that can ease the pain and discomfort of the symptoms.

Detoxing Without Help

Moment Right Before You Give Up Is Usually When A Miracle Happens - Reflections RecoveryDetoxing alone is not only risky because of dangerous symptoms, but also because of the higher likelihood of relapse.

When people who struggle with alcohol try to detox alone, the odds of not taking a drink when their body goes into convulsions or they begin hallucinating are nearly insurmountable.

When this happens, they often count it as a personal failure, adding to the cycle of addiction.

At a high-quality detox facility for alcoholism, a group of trained professionals can help people suffering from dependency complete the detox stage of addiction.

Stages Of Alcohol Detoxification

The first stage of the detox process is an evaluation. Each person who comes enters an addiction recovery program has a different level of dependency. Medical professionals analyze all of the details about this dependency and the person’s medical history.

The second stage is stabilization, which is the main part of detox. By not drinking, the body begins to rid itself of the toxins it had become accustomed to having through drinking.

The final stage of detox is about building awareness. Medical professionals and counselors explain the continuation of treatment after the initial detox stage and discuss tools to prevent relapse.

After Detox

The complete process of detox can take any amount of time, depending on who it is and how intense their dependency was. The second phase of treatment includes counseling and education.

Counseling is a crucial component to recovery, as alcoholism doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The underlying reason for the addiction must be addressed for a person to feel in control of the addiction.

Counseling Technique: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an umbrella term in the field of psychotherapy for practices that work to alter unwanted behaviors in favor of more positive ones.

Cognitive behavior therapy addresses the mental portion of the recovery. Its purpose is to help people adjust the way they are thinking so they make positive choices that lead to better health and greater stability. If they can find a way to control their emotions more productively, it could reduce the chances of relapse.

CBT has proven to be an extremely productive method within addiction treatment. Unlike many other therapy methods, cognitive behavioral therapy can shorten the recovery process and lessen the instances of relapse.

This kind of therapy considers the whole person and makes treatment more effective because it treats the individual, not the addiction. The therapist can easily personalize the program to help with specific issues. This personalized method can also help the person figure out which thought patterns lead to the negativity that makes them want to drink or take drugs.

This cognitive behavioral method also helps show the person how to independently stabilize emotions after finishing treatment It gives people the skills they need to succeed outside of rehab. This reduces the likelihood of relapse.

Alcohol Relapse Prevention

The months after getting out of rehabilitation are the most dangerous time for people struggling with addiction. The temptation to drink again is strong, especially with familiar friends and places haunting them. Having a relapse prevention plan in place can increase a person’s chance of a successful recovery.

For the first three months after treatment, the prevention plan should be updated every month. After that, it should be updated each quarter for the rest of the year. Then, the updates switch to twice a year for the next two years. After three years, the updates happen annually.

More than half of the relapses that people struggling with addiction experience happen in the first six months of recovery, making those months crucial for proper support.

What About Relapse Prevention Meetings?

Another outlet for helping people after they leave an alcohol rehab facility is through connections with other people. Relapse prevention meetings help people stay strong after leaving a treatment facility.

The initial meeting is a review of the list of warning signs, strategies to control them and s general recovery plan. After that step, the assessment gets updated with any recent documents or evidence that shows a variation in the recovery process. This update includes any new warning signs that have come up since treatment.

What You Can Do as a Family Member or Friend

If you have a loved one who is struggling with alcohol dependency, evaluating alcohol addiction recovery programs that suit your loved one is an important first step. However, there are other efforts you can make to help this loved one.

Often, professional interventionists can help convince your family member or friend that going to rehabilitation is the right thing to do. They can also help you choose the correct treatment center for your loved one.

Search for Alcohol Addiction Recovery Programs

There are many different rehab programs for alcoholics, but you should find one with significant experience, compassion and specialized care. Unfortunately, many treatment centers can initially alleviate the addiction through detox, but they don’t give people the proper tools they need to combat the disease in the future. If you’re concerned that a family member’s drinking has become too much for them or you to handle, talk to one of our admissions counselors.

As a place that focuses on recovery for men, Reflections Recovery Center in Prescott, AZ can help men conquer the specific nature of their addiction. We do this by not offering a watered-down version of addiction treatment. Our programs teach men not only how to overcome their addiction while they are in treatment, but also how to maintain sobriety after they leave our facilities.

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