The Impact of Alcohol on the Brain
Alcohol consumption is known for having short-term impacts on a person– both physically and cognitively. The long-term impacts of alcohol consumption can have a significant impact on your vital organs including your brain functioning. Drinking alcohol interferes with the communication pathways within the brain – affecting how the brain functions and looks. As alcohol is consumed, it places your brain at risk of neurotoxicity that results in neurons burning out due to overexposure to neurotransmitters leading to pathway impairment or complications. These occurrences can cause difficulty maintaining balance, controlling speech, lapsed memory, or impaired judgment. If you are struggling with alcohol addiction and notice its impact on your brain and body, a Fountain Hills alcohol rehab center can provide a treatment program consisting of medical, psychological, and naturopathic treatments that provide a whole-person integrated approach to healing. The comprehensive treatment methods at The River Source’s alcohol rehab center near Fountain Hills enable you to heal from the impacts of alcohol use while restoring your brain and physical health.
For more information on how our addiction treatment programs can help heal drug or alcohol dependence, please give The River Source a call at 866-294-9331.
Why Does the Brain Become Dependent on Alcohol?
Drinking alcohol causes your brain to release endorphins and dopamine which are responsible for feelings of pleasure and excitement. Once you’ve finished drinking alcohol, it reduces dopamine levels impacting a person’s overall emotional well-being. To mitigate the lowered levels of satisfaction and excitement, people will engage in alcohol consumption in an attempt to reach the same heightened levels of emotion and achieve a dopamine surge. Each person has a different genetic makeup that will alter their brain’s risk factors for dependence– some brains release more pleasure chemicals and responses leading to an increased risk of alcohol dependence.
The length of time you engage in alcohol use and the amount you consume each time will influence the likelihood of developing an addiction to alcohol, leading to needing to attend an alcohol detox program. When the brain is exposed to alcohol, it can become tolerant or insensitive to the effects of alcohol. As dependence develops within the brain, it requires increased alcohol consumption to reach the desired effects.
What Does Alcohol Do Chemically to the Brain?
Alcohol use disorder is characterized as a brain disorder. As you engage in regular alcohol use, your brain adapts to the foreign chemicals from alcohol and integrates them into your brain chemistry- developing a reliance on alcohol to maintain normal brain capacity and functioning. Drinking alcohol will affect your central nervous system causing it to slow down by influencing the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors.
Once your central nervous system becomes depressed from GABA receptors, your brain may stop producing inhibitory chemicals and increase the production of excitatory chemicals and responses. This imbalance of brain chemistry results in intoxicating effects and chemical dependence on alcohol.
Can the Brain Recover from Damage Caused by Alcohol?
Alcohol consumption will impact your brain, but the good news is there is the ability to restore your brain’s capacity by quitting alcohol. Each person’s experience with alcohol use is unique and the impacts on your brain will depend on your specific history with alcohol consumption. Brain impacts can range from minor to more severe conditions such as wernicke-korsakoff syndrome or alcoholic dementia. While these conditions can significantly impact your overall health and well-being, you can reverse the severity of impacts by reducing or ending your use of alcohol and receiving proper medical treatments.
The brain is a resilient organ that can adapt – otherwise known as neuroplasticity. As you receive addiction treatment and safely quit your use of alcohol, your brain will be able to heal itself from the impacts of alcohol dependence. Fountain Hills alcohol rehab offers you the support of medical and therapeutic professionals that enable you to release your physical and emotional dependence on alcohol through safe, effective treatment approaches.
Therapies at Fountain Hills Alcohol Rehab Centers
The brain is the body’s central organ, impacting our overall physical and psychological functioning. An alcohol rehab program will offer several therapies that address the complex impacts on your brain and overall functioning from alcohol use.
Restoring your physical health is essential in your healing journey. At The River Source, we emphasize naturopathic healing methods that will enable you to revitalize your health through alternative treatment methods. Patients within our Fountain Hills rehab center are invited to participate in naturopathic treatments of IV therapy and amino acid therapies that replenish your body with essential vitamins and nutrients. Patients are offered physical treatments of massage therapy, dry infrared sauna therapy, yoga, and meditative therapy. These are designed to rebuild your physical strength and enhance energy levels all while releasing stress and tension within your body.
To foster healthy emotional healing, patients are offered several evidence-based therapy methods. These comprehensive methods allow you to address and heal from the root causes of your addictive behaviors and develop effective strategies for relapse prevention. Alcohol rehab is designed to support patients in establishing a new lifestyle in recovery while gaining the coping tools and life skills for maintaining sobriety.
What to Look for When Choosing an Alcohol Rehab Center in Fountain Hills
Choosing the appropriate alcohol rehab treatment center for your healing journey is essential for your success in addiction recovery. A full continuum of care in addiction treatment ensures that you’re supported throughout each phase of your recovery journey. Medical detox, inpatient rehab, outpatient treatment, and aftercare programs are all designed to strengthen your confidence and abilities to maintain long-term recovery.
Access to various therapy methods will ensure that you can address the underlying complexities of your alcohol use– which often include mental health concerns, family conflict, or traumas. A comprehensive treatment program offers you opportunities through dual diagnosis treatment, trauma therapy, and family therapy to safely address these underlying concerns with the guidance of a licensed therapist.
Embarking on a sober path can require an in-depth look at your own triggers for you to gain the knowledge and skills to overcome temptations or stressors. Alcohol rehab provides you with the support to establish coping mechanisms to identify triggers and healthy tools for relapse prevention.
River Source Is a Top Alcohol Rehab Center for Fountain Hills Residents
Fountain Hills residents seeking support within a treatment facility want to know they will receive the individualized care they deserve throughout their healing process. Your history of alcohol use is personal to you, and your recovery process is the same. The River Source values the need for a personalized treatment plan that moves away from a standardized treatment approach. We consider your self-identified needs and goals from addiction treatment and recovery to formulate a treatment plan accordingly.
Throughout your recovery journey, our team will be alongside you every step of the way as you embrace a new life centered around sobriety, health, and wellness. You will be empowered to develop the essential tools for success in addiction recovery with the support of our compassionate medical team and addiction therapists. As you move through your treatment plan with us, you can heal from the impacts of alcohol within your body, mind, and spirit. Call us today at 866-294-9331 to speak with our admission team- we can answer any questions you have and begin creating a treatment plan that is right for you.
