There are many drawbacks associated with excessive alcohol intake. The negative effects could be psychological and physical.
It is psychological in the sense that relationship with other people and performance is affected. More often than not, people that drink excessively eventually lose their sense of responsibility at work and to people around them.
From a physical stance, people with alcohol addiction problems do damage to several parts of their bodies. One of the most affected internal organs is the liver. Considering the many essential functions of this internal organ, the damage can be very severe.
For instance, such persons can end up with conditions like fibrosis, fatty liver, cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, and several other liver complications. For more on how disease in the liver can affect the human body, you can visit: https://www.medicinenet.com/liver_disease/article.htm.
People with this problem need to admit that they have the problem. This is the first step that will eventually make them reach out to rehabilitation clinics.
In this article, we will discuss some rehabilitation techniques employed by professionals to help such people. Knowing about this will help people with this problem understand how possible it is to be sober and completely free.
What Is Alcohol And How Do People Become Addicted To It?
Alcohol refers to a wide range of beverages that have ethanol as the major ingredient. This ingredient is the psychoactive content that makes people capable of being intoxicated when they consume it.
People take it mildly, moderately, or excessively for various reasons. For instance, it can help persons who are shy or very self-conscious to loosen up.
As a result, they can perform tasks that they would not have been able to do when completely sober. This is why many performing artists consume it before their live or recorded performances.
Other than this, its consumption can bring some temporary relief for people having emotional trouble. However, it can also degenerate into something worse if you become dependent on it for emotional relief.
For whatever reason you have become addicted to any of these psychoactive drinks, it is important that you get the required help. We strongly advise that you pay particular attention to the environment where the clinic is located. The reason is that the environment helps a lot during recovery.
For instance, some clinics that offer alcohol rehab in Houston have capable therapists and a serene environment. The whole point is going somewhere you can get all the help that you need.
Treatments by Alcohol Rehabilitation Clinics
There are 2 major treatment approaches by rehabilitation clinics. These are psychological and medical treatments. The latter is usually used when the situation is very severe. For instance, when the withdrawal symptoms experienced are life-threatening.
Psychological Treatments
Psychological treatment aims to make the addict see reasons to stop the habit. To do this, the insecurities that trigger drinking, the difficulties that will be likely experienced while trying to become sober, and other things are discussed.
It is usually a blend of individual and group therapy sessions. Some of the psychological treatment strategies that are used include the following:
Motivational Interviewing
This kind of therapy session will help the addict understand the need to stop the intake of alcohol. This is especially by drawing reasons from the personal experiences of the addict. Also, possible challenges will be discussed.
CBT
CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This is a therapy session that helps the addict understand the concept of withdrawal. To do this, feelings, thought processes, and behaviors will be explained. More importantly, a feasible plan to help the addict will be created.
You might want to know that CBT is not only used in this scenario. For instance, it is used in educational settings. For general knowledge about CBT, you can click here.
Peer Support Therapy
Professionals in these rehabilitation clinics have realized that being in the company of fellow addicts can help. It helps people realize that they are not alone in the struggle and that they can collectively achieve success.
Medical Treatments
As noted earlier, this approach is mostly employed in severe situations. This is especially when the decision to abstain can trigger life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. So, certain medical treatments are used to combat the possible complications.
The Use of Naltrexone
The aim is to stop the euphoric effects of these drinks. By doing this, the feeling of intoxication is dealt with. The reason for this is to help people that have heavy drinking habits stay motivated.
Acamprosate
Excessive alcohol intake can adversely affect the Glutamate and Gaba pathways in the body. Acamprosate can be used to reestablish these pathways. This may be administered right after withdrawal.
Disulfiram
This is essentially used to speed up the rate at which a hangover is experienced. The reason is that people who have hangovers immediately after consuming alcohol will likely stay away.
Wrap Up
In situations where medical treatment is engaged, it is to complement the psychological treatment which is very important.
In this article, we have discussed the 2 major treatment strategies employed by alcohol rehabilitation clinics. It is recommended that addicts get help from clinics that are very good at using these 2 major strategies.
