Alcohol Rehab in San Angelo, TX
Alcohol rehab in San Angelo uses a combination of treatments and therapies to ensure each person has the best possible chance of making a successful recovery from alcohol addiction. The key to alcohol addiction recovery is learning a range of tactics and strategies designed to maintain sobriety and reduce the risk of relapsing back into self-destructive behaviors.
What is Alcohol Rehab?
Alcohol rehab programs integrate various therapies designed to address both the physical and psychological aspects of addictive behaviors. When a person first enters into drug and alcohol rehab, specialists assess a range of factors before determining the correct combination of treatments to suit each person's unique needs.
Some factors taken into consideration include the length of use and level of consumption, the severity of the addiction, and the presence of any co-occurring mental health conditions that may need to be treated simultaneously.
The detox process is the first stage of any comprehensive treatment plan for alcohol rehab in San Angelo. Specialist can administer prescription medications to treat any symptoms associated with withdrawal that may emerge.
Counseling and behavioral therapies then begin working to identify each person's individual addiction triggers and develop healthy, productive ways to reduce the risk of relapse after treatments have ended.
What Makes You An Alcoholic?
Abusing alcohol over a period of time causes significant changes within the brain's chemistry. Drinking heavily triggers the brain to release higher-than-normal levels of certain hormone and neurotransmitters in an effort to counteract the sedative effects of the substance.
Prolonged alcohol abuse eventually causes the brain to adapt to the presence of the substance in the system. The person may feel as though they need to consume large volumes of alcohol just to achieve the same effects. To an outside observer, it may seem like the person is able to drink a lot without getting drunk. In reality, the person is developing tolerance.
Continued alcohol abuse eventually causes the brain to believe it is unable to produce hormones and neurotransmitters naturally, unless it keeps receiving the artificial stimulus from more alcohol. The person experiences those changes as overwhelming cravings to drink alcohol. In reality, the person has developed a physical dependency on alcohol, or an addiction.
If the person tries to quit drinking suddenly, the brain can't adapt to the lack of alcohol and goes into a hyper-excitable state. The lack of hormones that were once naturally occurring, along with the brain's inability to function normally without the presence of alcohol, can cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms that can be potentially dangerous or even life-threatening.
In an effort to avoid the onset of nasty symptoms associated with withdrawal, many people continue abusing alcohol, sinking deeper into a cycle of addiction.
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
Many people believe that quitting alcohol simply means exerting a bit of willpower to stop drinking. They think the person will go through a couple of days of withdrawal symptoms and then somehow be cured of their addiction.
What many people don't realize is that detoxing from alcohol after a prolonged period of abuse can cause withdrawal symptoms that could be potentially dangerous and require emergency medical assistance. Symptoms can emerge within hours of taking the last drink and potentially persist for weeks, or even months in some cases.
The person is also at an increased risk of relapsing, or falling off the wagon, after only a short period of sobriety. If the person does return to abusive drinking habits, it's likely the brain's former tolerance levels may have been reduced. Relapsing means an increased risk of needing emergency alcohol poisoning treatment in an emergency room.
Common symptoms associated with alcohol withdrawal can include:
- Tremors and shakes
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headache not associated with hangover
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Agitation
- Fever
- Confusion
- Irregular heart beat
- Elevated blood pressure
- Insomnia and sleep disturbances
- Hallucinations
- Seizures
- Delirium tremens (DTs)
As some of the symptoms associated with withdrawal can be a medical emergency, anyone with a heavy drinking problem should seek professional addiction treatment in San Angelo. People are advised not to try quitting alcohol by going cold turkey without proper medical supervision in a drug and alcohol rehab center.
Why Do People Avoid Entering into Alcohol Rehab Programs?
Despite the widespread availability of so many drug rehab centers right across the country, far too many people fail to get the help they need. They either believe they're able to quit at home or they don't believe they are addicted.
It's a common misconception that all alcoholics must be just like the stereotyped images of shabby, unkempt homeless people shuffling around the streets with a bottle in a brown paper bag.
In reality, a person with an alcohol dependence disorder may hold down a steady job, have a relationship or family responsibilities, and may still believe their drinking habits are under control. They deny the extent of their problem and believe they can quit at any time -- if they wanted to. They simply justify a range of excuses and reasons why they don't want to and so they continue drinking and avoid seeking treatment.
Who Needs Treatment at an Alcohol Rehab?
Anyone struggling to regain control over self-destructive drinking behaviors should seek treatment at an alcohol rehab in San Angelo. Successful alcohol addiction recovery requires a combination of therapies and treatments that teach a recovering person healthy new ways for dealing with stress and managing cravings using positive outlets and tactics.
Drug and alcohol rehab programs also focus on developing strategies for relapse prevention in San Angelo designed to help the person avoid high-risk situations and reduce the risk of relapsing. Most drug treatment centers also provide a range of addiction aftercare services that provide ongoing support and guidance through the recovery process. Call now at (877) 804-1531 to learn more about how to find a drug and alcohol rehab in San Angelo.