Five Steps to Alcohol Addiction Treatment

Alcohol addiction treatment is similar to treatment for other diseases. That's right, alcoholism is first and foremost a disease! No one chooses to become or remain addicted to alcohol. A person suffering from or seeking treatment for cancer can be compared to a person in recovery from alcohol. Both are experiencing pain and suffering, and have decided to seek relief.

Today approximately 18 million men, women, young adults, and even teens suffer from an alcohol use disorder. It is no longer the unspoken treatment of the past.

When Is It Time To Seek Alcohol Addiction Treatment?

Alcohol plays a large role in today's society as both a social lubricant and a statement of individuality and preference. When alcohol begins to take priority over things that once had precedence such as social activities, hobbies, and friends, it represents a problem. Soon it may take priority over family, work, bills, and even personal care and health. At some point in this slide, it becomes clear that alcohol addiction treatment may be necessary.

Alcohol addiction treatment can be broken down into five basic steps:

1. Realization of the problem: Understanding that you have a problem is the start of your journey to recovery. Everybody may arrive at the realization stage in a different way, but once you realize the problem, you start to equip yourself with the tools for beating it.

2. Acceptance of the problem: Accepting that you have a problem means admitting it to yourself and others. You are aware that you do not have a healthy relationship with alcohol, and you have faced up to that issue.

3. Seeking treatment: Now, you are ready to seek alcohol addiction treatment. How you choose to be treated is up to you; every individual is different. You may prefer in-patient or outpatient alcohol addiction treatment; group or individual therapy; support from family and friends or not.

4. Relapse prevention: Relapse is a common occurrence during recovery, so try not to consider it failure; rather, it can be an opportunity to learn and improve. Figure out what your triggers are and learn how to deal with them.

5. Maintenance and continued recovery: Recovery is an ongoing process, and completing a treatment program doesn't necessarily mean you are finished. There may come a time when you need someone to talk to or advice on how to handle a situation, and that's what aftercare is for.

The specifics of alcohol addiction treatment may take different forms for different people, but the five steps tend to remain the same. Remember, you are not alone in your battle; there are people out there who can support you through addiction.

Ben Brafman, LMHC, CAP is the President and CEO of Destination Hope, a licensed dual diagnosis substance abuse treatment center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Ben has more than 20 years of experience in the addiction and mental health fields, which led him to develop a combination of innovative treatment protocols at Destination Hope. He has been published on various topics including dual diagnosis and chemical dependency, and gives back to the community by educating other addiction counselors at his Academy for Addiction Professionals.

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