Alcoholism is a disease that runs rampant in the lives of millions each year. Overcoming an addiction to alcohol is not always simple and requires extensive care and guidance. Inpatient rehab centers are one solution to ensure the journey to sobriety is as pain-free and motivating as possible. Long term alcohol rehab centers provide a safe and healthy environment for individuals who are in need of additional mental, emotional, and physical support.
Why Long-Term Rehab is Necessary for Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol is not only a substance that causes mental and emotional anguish once you become addicted. It also causes physical withdrawal symptoms and disturbances that intrude in everyday life. Alcohol damage on the body and brain has the potential to lead to heart failure, seizures, sweats, and in some cases, “wet brain”, or the loss of brainpower over a period of years or even decades. Alcoholism has the ability to wreak havoc on the body, which is why it is imperative to seek long-term treatment results when you are desperate to regain control over your life and your future.
Intake and Diagnosis
Once you first arrive at a long-term rehab facility it is important to get properly diagnoses while completing the intake process. If you are heavily addicted to alcohol, you may be required to wait until you have detoxed completely before a diagnosis is made.
Detoxing
Detoxing from alcohol is life-threatening in severe cases where alcohol has triggered physical withdrawal symptoms immediately after the consumption of alcohol ceases. A medically-supervised detox plan is available to protect your health and safety while eliminating alcohol from your body and overcoming the withdrawal signs and symptoms the absence of alcohol causes. Once you are detoxed, it is much easier to begin working with doctors, therapists, and other individuals who are also enrolled in your long-term rehabilitation program.
Individual Therapy
Meeting with a therapist individually is also part of a long-term rehab treatment program, allowing you to discuss your feelings and emotions surrounding your sobriety confidentially. Work together with a professional therapist who understands addiction and has worked in the field with others who have struggled with alcohol in the past. Learn how to better express yourself along with the challenges and obstacles you face each day while avoiding the temptation of alcohol or the use of other drugs and substances. Spend time focusing on rebuilding your life with future goals and plans that are beneficial rather than detrimental to your outlook.
Group Meetings
Group meetings and therapy sessions are also available with long-term rehab facilities, providing you with the opportunity to get to know others who are also in the fight for their sobriety. Connect with others who are in similar situations as you to feel less alone and isolated while overcoming your addiction. Communicate honestly and openly with other individuals enrolled in your program to free yourself from the burden of guilt, shame, and judgment you feel due to your addiction and what it has caused in your life.
Group sessions in rehab centers are extremely important as they provide a sense of camaraderie which is not always easy to find when outside of a rehabilitation center or clinic. Make friends and seek a long-term sponsor to avoid falling into the trap of addiction once your program is complete. Having the ability to gain new friends and companions who are also working towards a healthy and alcohol-free life is liberating and provides the necessary motivation and desire to maintain strong willpower.
Routine
Implementing a steady and reliable daily routine is essential for anyone interested in living a healthy and sober lifestyle. Without a daily routine, you run the risk of feeling tempted to use alcohol or other substances to help cope with and escape everyday stress. When you are enrolled in an inpatient long-term rehab center, discover how to manage your time better and avoid any possible temptation in a zero-tolerance environment. Rediscover how to get a proper night’s sleep with a regular sleeping schedule and focus on activities such as hobbies and sports rather than feeling preoccupied with your addiction. Discover more about yourself and what brings you joy while eating healthy meals at regular intervals and having access to social interaction with others who are also on the path to regaining their sobriety.
Understanding the advantages of long-term rehabilitation is essential when you are in need of a treatment facility that understands your addiction. With the right long-term rehabilitation center that focuses on alcoholism, learn how to reshape and reconfigure your life without feeling constrained to using alcohol in order to cope.