Recent world events have left a lot of us feeling very isolated. If you have concerns about a developing addiction or addictive behavior, it can be hard to reach out and get the support you need. Once you make a decision to get some help, finding a treatment center that can help you manage your disease and get the physical, emotional and psychological support you require is critical.
When looking for the best alcohol treatment center admission advice, finding a program that offers comprehensive care is the most important step you can take. Our culture has a terrible habit of viewing addiction as a personal failing, a psychological or emotional weakness, or a crime. Your decision to address out of control behaviors deserve the respect of a caring team of professionals. Make the choice to find the best program you can get to. If your health insurance is through your job, check in with your benefits administrator to find a nearby program that will support your treatment from several directions.
Focus on Self, Rely on Caregivers
If you have a family history of addiction, you may have a strong sense of shame about addressing your alcohol addiction. For those who can’t rely on family support, or who have a group of friends who support drinking more than they support a healthy life, specific focus on caregiving professionals may be necessary. These caregivers may need to help you
- manage physical symptoms of detox
- learn new ways to express and process emotions
- address underlying psychological issues
As you learn to understand your emotional reactions to the idea of addiction, it’s also a good idea to begin an inward journey. In your gear, pack books that have offered you emotional support in the past. Make sure you have also included a journal that you can use to track thoughts and emotions that come up as you better understand the condition.
Pack for Comfort
In addition to bringing in a journal that can help you through treatment, make sure you load your luggage with gear to make detox and treatment more comfortable. Detox can be incredibly uncomfortable. Your symptoms may include
- fever and sweating
- loss of touch with reality
- nausea and shakiness
- muscle cramps
You will be carefully monitored during this process to make sure that your body has the support it needs to survive the detox process. Make sure you have soaps that comfort you, alcohol-free products to clean your teeth and fresh your breath, and skincare products that will help you feel fresh. Your food and drink intake will be carefully monitored. Make sure you take the necessary steps to stay hydrated as you detox; you may not be especially interested in food, but your cleansing organs will need a lot of water.
Your Emotional Journey
Breaking away from the shame mindset of addiction may leave you feeling a bit rudderless. There is a huge difference between feeling a constant level of shame tied to drinking and feeling good about yourself as a human being. Even as you build confidence in your recovery, the psychological factors that make up the addictive personality and mindset will come with you. Your counseling options may help you address aspects of your past, such as
- shame around things undone
- embarrassment related to specific events
- a feeling of weakness around addiction in general
The mindset that addiction is a choice may have led you to living a life of secret drinking. Guilt related to a specific event is more easily overcome, and your counselors can help you to understand the process of making amends. However, a mindset of constant shaming, tied to your personal family history, may well require long term counseling to help you better understand how to move forward in life. The attitudes of your family members and friends will not change; in fact, you may face more resistance and judgment after treatment. The process of moving forward will require you to learn to ask the right people for help. The relationships from your past may not serve you moving forward. Ready to get started? Call us today at 772-266-5320.
