Treating an Alcohol Addiction

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Going into rehab for any reason can be scary, especially if you’ve never done it before. Not knowing what to expect can be enough for many alcoholics to put off going in for help, even if they are well aware that they need it. There isn’t any beating around the bush — breaking an addiction is a tough road. However, it’s much tougher to do on your own.

Whether you become a member of Alcoholics Anonymous or simply lean on close friends and family for support, it’s important to start fighting your addiction. It really does hold true that the first step to overcoming any problem is to admit that you have a problem.

Once you’ve admitted to and faced off with your problem with alcohol, traditional rehab will have you do a brutally honest inventory of your life and assess what you see. Overcoming the addiction all boils down to willpower — you are stronger than your addiction, and you need to kick it to the curb. Try a web search on a site like Canada 411 to see what rehab options are available in your area.

Most rehab programs including Alcoholics Anonymous advocate quitting “cold turkey,” but for some people, gradually weaning themselves off of the alcohol gives them the slower pace they need to bring about mental change as well. If you are heavily dependent on alcohol, quitting cold turkey can even be dangerous. If you feel like you won’t be strong enough to quit on your own, it’s time to find a good rehab program. Don’t be intimidated — you won’t have to face this tough situation alone.

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How 12-Step Programs Help in the Treatment Process

Even though a drug or alcohol addict might have completed their professional treatment there will be a requirement for them to engage in practices that allows them to maintain what they learned during treatment. One of the best ways to facilitate and reinforce what was learned in treatment is through the use of a 12-step program.

12-step programs are programs that are developed to help those recovering from a problem such as drugs and alcohol. These programs are usually made up of former addicts who have all been through similar situations as each other and therefore can relate to one another. It is believed that by building up a community of people who can relate it offers each other the tools to maintain sobriety.

It is also believed that 12-step programs offer a level of support because it adds a community atmosphere to the former addict. It allows them to gather with individuals, seek a new group of friends and lead healthy lifestyles. All of these elements are important to the sobriety and recovery of a former drug or alcohol addict.

12-step programs are so vital to the recovery process of drug and alcohol addicts that many drug and alcohol treatment centers start the recovering addict in a 12-step program while they are in treatment. The addict is then encouraged to make sure that they engage in a 12-step program once they leave treatment and try to live on their own.

There are specific 12-step programs that are devoted to specific conditions and addictions. There is the AA or Alcoholic Anonymous, NA or Narcotics Anonymous and CA or Cocaine Anonymous. All of these programs are of a similar structure but will have individuals who suffer from a specific addiction instead of just having a general addiction.

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Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous, better known as AA, is an international organization aimed to helping people worldwide to overcome alcohol abuse, attain sobriety and better engage within the communities and world in which they live. The primary objective of the organization is to help people stay sober and to provide a support network for those seeking sobriety and their family members. Alcoholics Anonymous also places a focus on spiritual and character development and recognizes that true sobriety involves more than just the devoid of alcohol.

Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in 1935 in Akron, Ohio by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, better known as Bill W. and Dr. Bob. Today the organization claims more than 2 million members worldwide and has been an invaluable resource for individuals and families seeking sobriety and a better chance at the straight and narrow.

Wilson and Smith were the original founders of the Twelve Step program which is a list of twelve recommended stages each individual must go through in order to achieve total sobriety. The steps emphasize anonymity, altruism and the inclusion of all those who seek sobriety. While the organization began mainly with male, protestant patients, in 1936 its first female member sought help and in 1939 the organization welcomed its first Catholic member. Today the organization is all-inclusive, welcoming individuals from all backgrounds and walks of life who seek to attain sobriety.

To offers comprehensive services, AA has also teamed up with prisons across the United States and Canada to help prisoners overcome addiction and to be better adjusted citizens upon their reintroduction to society. AA meetings are regularly held in correctional facilities, offering individuals support and guidance with their substance abuse struggles regardless of their criminal histories. The organization also publishes a collection of pamphlets and educational materials designed specifically for incarcerated individuals.

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Does Drug Rehab Really Work?

ASHKELON, ISRAEL - JUNE 11: Dr. Andre Waisman...
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Throughout time, drugs have been used for various reasons. Users were often kept from society and individuals and families were forced to deal with drug addiction on their own.  Alcoholics Anonymous was the first program to fight addiction, which started in 1935.  Since then, many different types of rehabilitation centers began popping up all over the country, each with their own views and methods on how to successfully help an addict to stop using drugs and alcohol. The biggest question that crosses most people’s minds is: Does drug rehab really work?

The overall success of a drug rehabilitation center depends largely on the individual’s desire to stop using drugs and create a better life. Also, when the user has a good support system of family and friends, they tend to do better in rehab as well as once they are out of rehab. Being able to talk about addiction, and the struggles with addiction and recovery, is very important for a person to kick the addiction.

The success rate of a drug rehabilitation program varies by source. The rehabilitation centers themselves boast a success rate of 75-85%, but many feel that this number is exaggerated. Government organizations have compiled numbers on both inpatient and outpatient rehab programs and have found that the success rate is about 50%. This figure does not take into account those that have dropped out prior to completion, as it would significantly lower the success rate.

Some reports indicate that about 15% of all addicts, especially individuals in the early stages of addiction, are able to recover with little to no support. In contrast, about 90% of people in a treatment program will have at least one set-back within the first four years. But, many will still succeed at becoming clean in the long run. One thing is for sure, and that is that drug rehab does work for a lot of people.

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