Many people turn to binge drinking. They see it as a quick solution for easing pressure, anxiety, and stress. But, the more they drink, the sicker they get. Very few people actually realize how much alcohol is deteriorating their health.
The drinking habit damages their liver, causes scar tissue to build up, and inflames the prostate, bladder, and kidneys.
- Approximately 88,000 people die from alcohol abuse every year. That makes alcohol the third leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. according to the
Enough is enough. If you want to kick the drinking habit, you’ve come to the right place. This is a detailed guideline on how to break alcohol addiction.
Why is Alcohol Such a Big Problem?
Alcohol intoxication is a widespread issue. Anyone can get their hands on an alcoholic beverage. It’s so widely available that over 20.8% of high schoolers are binge drinking, published the CDC. The same problem appears among young and older adults.
Regular intoxication increases the possibility of car crashes, injuries, and risky behaviors. But, in severe cases, it could lead to organ poisoning and even death. If you want to stop drinking, the time is now. Here is how to get the ideal substance abuse help.
How to Stop Drinking?
For those who’ve decided to cut back or completely stop drinking alcohol – congratulations! You are ready to start cleansing the body from all the harmful substances that are taking over your life. There are three main ways to stop the drinking habit:
- Individual counseling
- Outpatient or inpatient treatment
- Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) 12-step rehabilitation strategy.
The key to getting sober is knowing the best possible treatment options. These three options offer a wide range of benefits. They can help overcome any binge drinking habit, no matter how severe or mild it can be.
If you want to start your sobriety journey, Google “alcohol detox near me.” Any rehab center, like our addiction treatment center in Dallas-Fort Worth, called Stonegate Center, can give you the support you need. Here is how rehab can help people turn their lives around.
Individual Counseling
Individual counseling provides people with a personal opportunity to get support. Patients talk to a counselor on painful personal topics that may have contributed to their alcohol abuse, such as marriage problems, depression, stress, anger, abuse, etc.
Clients get one-on-one sessions with an experienced clinician who helps them explore their behaviors, beliefs, and emotions. With regular counseling, people can identify aspects in their lives that can contribute to a positive life change, reports show.
They will learn to create goals, follow desires, and understand who they really are. Simply put, individual counseling fosters patients’ personal growth.
Outpatient or Inpatient Treatment
Substance abuse treatment programs fall into two specific categories: outpatient or inpatient programs. Although both options seek the same goal, they have different advantages to offer.
Inpatient rehab, like the our inpatient alcohol treatment center in Texas for men, provides residential treatments, intensive care, and can help manage severe alcohol addiction.
According to Pubmed reports, inpatient care is seen as a more stable and effective alternative. At an inpatient facility, or a medical detox program in Texas, people have a better chance of success. They are less likely to relapse in a controlled environment.
Outpatient treatments provide part-time care. Recovering patients choose outpatient care if they want to keep going to school or work. But, for a patient to select the ideal choice, they need to know the differences.
What is Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.)?
For those interested in enrolling in a long-term rehab for alcohol, consider the Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) program. Or, consider enrolling into a rehab center that has a 12-Step treatment program.
A.A. is a global, community-based program designed to support people who want to get sober. People who are struggling with alcohol get access to daily meetings and discuss anything related to their addiction.
With A.A., both young and old people can bond and share their life stories while on the path to sobriety. Here, alcoholism is seen as an illness that can’t be controlled but can be managed.
The program was founded in 1935 with a single group of patients. But it grew exponentially. Now it has over 115,000 groups across the world, and 800,000 memberships in Canada and the U.S. published the NCBI.
To join the A.A. program, people need only one thing: a desire to quit alcohol. There are no strict requirements. All it takes is a commitment to start the therapy.
The A.A. 12-Step Program Anyone Can Try
The purpose of the program is to help people define their struggles, set principles, and get rid of their obsession with drinking. With A.A., anyone can become happy and feel whole. What matters is to take that first step and follow a healthy path towards recovery. Here is how to do that.
Step 1: Admit Powerlessness
To begin an alcohol-free journey, one must admit that they are powerless. They have no control over their habit, which is taking a toll on their lives. The alcohol has taken over. But now, it’s time to take back control.
For many, this is the hardest step: admitting that something else is influencing their every choice. With each sip, they lose their authority. But the moment they admit powerlessness, that’s when they can start the recovery process.
Step 2: Find Hope
Believe that a greater power can restore your sanity. It takes something bigger to show those struggling that it’s possible to recover. Hope will be their anchor, their stepping-stone to success. Believing in that anchor, whatever it may be, can be highly beneficial.
Step 3: Surrender
People must make that decision to turn a new leaf. Their lives are now in the hands of a higher power. But, to achieve this step, one must completely surrender themselves and decide consciously, it is time for a change. The moment they surrender is the time they get closer to recovery.
Step 4: Take Inventory
Every individual has their own moral inventory. But, to find it, people must search deep within themselves. Each moral inventory can be identified by figuring out the regret, anger, guilt, and shame that comes with the past.
This step takes self-examination. For many, this can be extremely uncomfortable and depressing to bear. To achieve the results they are hoping for, people must be honest. Without honesty and openness, it’s impossible to move forward.
Step 5: Share Inventory
Admitting all the past mistakes and the results of their behavior can help them move forward. This step helps people admit to themselves, God, and other humans all their wrongdoings. Everyone in the program should share their story, no matter how painful it may be.
Step 6: Be Ready to Remove the Wrongs
Now that people have admitted their wrongs, they are ready to have them removed. To achieve this step, an alcoholic must be ready to admit and give in to the higher power. Only a higher power can help remove all those defects and allow them to move forward.
Step 7: Ask a Higher Power to Remove the Faults
Whether it is the negative energy, anger, or frustration, all of these faults can be removed. Someone who is recovering from alcohol is not powerful enough to get rid of these faults on their own. That’s why they have to leave it in the hands of a higher power to lift the burden off their shoulders.
Step 8: Create a List
Alcohol doesn’t just harm the person that’s drinking it, but everyone else around them. Those who’ve struggled with addiction have harmed those closest to them. Now, they have to make a list of all the people they’ve harmed.
These wrongdoings can range from small, like stealing, to big, such as violence. Anything they might have done to people behind their backs must be listed. When they are finished, they must be eager to make amends.
Step 9: Make Amends
It’s time to take action. Alcoholics must find the ideal ways to make amends with those they have hurt. Sometimes that includes writing letters or meeting that person face to face. Whatever option sounds best can help alcoholics get closer to recovery.
Step 10: Maintain Personal Inventory
The recovery process takes commitment, dedication, and time. But, to really understand those past behaviors, alcoholics must keep monitoring themselves. So, anytime they do, they will be able to admit it.
Step 11: Commit to a Spiritual Practice
Whether it is through meditation or prayer, alcoholics must commit to their preferred spiritual practice. This can help them understand the higher power and carry out their good deeds.
Step 12: Help Others
By this stage, past alcoholics have finally achieved spiritual awakening. Now, it is time to carry their message to someone else who is struggling with the same problems they did. Practicing all the principles, they’ve learned in the program can help them encourage others. Helping those in need is the final step to a full recovery.
How Effective is A.A. Treatment?
A.A. has helped millions of people. Although it is difficult to keep track of a long process such as this, the 12-step program has proved as an effective strategy for keeping people sober.
Based on a recent membership survey, 24% out of 6,000 people have managed to stay sober for five years post-treatment. Many have maintained their sobriety much longer. Here are all the reported sobriety statistics after treatment.
Based on reports from the National Institutes of Health, alcoholics who attend A.A. groups and receive formal treatment have a much bigger chance of remaining sober than those who only get formal treatment.
With community meetings, people form strong bonds. They get access to all the possible resources that can help them overcome alcohol disorders. With this help, it is much easier for people to beat their dangerous drinking habits.
What Happens at an A.A. Meeting?
A.A. meetings are mainly held in public areas such as churches, coffee shops, or restaurants. These meetings are highly accessible to the public. For them to be effective, they would have to stick to a certain format. They offer:
- Step meetings – These are typical meetings where people get to talk about all the steps of the A.A. program. They clarify any misunderstandings and delve deeper into the treatment for a healthy recovery.
- Discussion meetings – Here, a single-member will talk for a short time about all the difficulties they had to overcome from alcohol abuse. They will then talk about the recovery process and how A.A. can help people beat the drinking habit. These meetings provide a more interactive experience where people get a clearer perspective of the 12-step program.
- Speaker meetings – On these meetings, all the members talk about their experience with alcohol misuse. How the program helped them recover and the stories they want to share. They encourage listening rather than interacting.
Will Insurance Cover Alcoholism Treatment?
If you are looking for an alcohol detox near me that takes insurance, you should know all the treatment plans you can get with insurance coverage. Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was introduced in 2010, healthcare insurance companies must cover addiction treatments.
They will cover:
- Substance abuse treatment
- Psychotherapy, counseling, and behavioral therapy.
- Inpatient services
Depending on the state of residence and the healthcare plan selected, the health perks will vary. It’s important to check with your insurance provider before you book a treatment.
Are You Struggling With Alcohol Abuse and Need Help?
Alcohol addiction can be a serious and debilitating problem. But with the right treatment options, it’s possible to stop drinking. Individual counseling, outpatient or inpatient treatment, and the A.A. 12-step program can help anyone get back on track. What matters is to make the most of them.
We encourage you to check out our inpatient rehab center for men, called Stonegate Center Creekside, or our inpatient rehab center for women, called Stonegate Center Hilltop, for those needing a more long-term solution or for those struggling with chronic relapses.
Our Admissions Director can be reached at (817) 993-9733 or by email at admissions@stonegatecenter.com. And for a free quote that’s 100% confidential, please submit our insurance verification form. We accept most major health insurance providers like Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), Cigna, Aetna, Ambetter, HealthChoice of Oklahoma, and others.
We look forward to having you a part of our recovery community in Azle, Texas!
References
https://www.aacle.org/2014-membership-survey/
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/alcohol-facts-and-statistics
https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/binge-drinking.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64351/
https://www.aa.org/assets/en_US/p-1_thisisaa1.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3860535/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2877053/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8997760/
https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/mental-health-substance-abuse-coverage/
