Who Should Consider Alcohol Rehab?
If you believe that alcohol is preventing you or a loved one from living a happy and fulfilling life, you may be thinking about alcohol rehab in Arizona. While not everyone whose life involves drinking needs to go to rehab, it can be an excellent solution for anyone who needs extra support to recover from alcohol use disorder.
Current research, unlike past studies, shows that even a moderate amount of drinking can be harmful. Too much alcohol is known to be a problem, though many heavy drinkers question what “too much” actually means. Because alcohol metabolism depends on several factors, including gender, age, weight, health, and genetics, two people who appear similar may have very different tolerance levels.
However, the more you drink and the longer you drink, you build up a tolerance to alcohol which means you need to drink more to have the same effects. Having a higher tolerance for alcohol is a dangerous sign that you may be developing a dependence on it. Alcohol use disorder is common and leads to the same kinds of problems that other drug use disorders do.
The good news is that no matter how much you’re currently drinking, you can get sober and stay sober. If you need a little help to do it, there’s no shame in that, and treatment can work very well.
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.
If you haven’t been drinking much or for very long, you may be able to get sober just with the help of 12-step or similar recovery groups. However, if you’ve been drinking for some time and/or you imbibe a high volume of alcohol, you may need more support in the form of rehab.
There are several levels of care available in rehab, and a specialist will assess you to see which level is best for you when you arrive at the treatment facility. You may also need to go through detox so that you’ll be safe and supervised during the process.
Once you’ve been drinking hard and heavily for a while, your brain changes the number of neurochemicals it makes because the alcohol replaces some of them. If you stop drinking completely, your brain chemistry is suddenly without the alcohol it’s become dependent on. It takes a while for your brain to get back into the right balance, and while it’s out of balance, you experience withdrawal symptoms. These can be mild to severe, but they will taper off as your brain adjusts.
If you try to stop drinking by yourself, you’ll probably self-medicate again with alcohol to ease the discomfort of the withdrawal symptoms. Detox provides supervision in case anything goes awry while keeping you away from triggers and allowing your brain to adjust without alcohol.
If you need to detox in alcohol rehab in Phoenix, you’ll likely need to participate in an inpatient program as well. Residential facilities offer 30, 60, or 90-day care. Each day is structured carefully to ensure that you address the underlying causes of why you drink, eat healthy food, and learn life skills. If you have mental health issues, those will also be addressed.
Meals are usually taken at a specific time of day and everyone eats together. Mornings and afternoons are generally for individual and group therapy and class sessions in some rehabs. After dinner, you have some social and hobby time. Inpatient treatment gives you a safe environment away from any triggers so you can practice new, healthy habits.
After inpatient care, you may attend outpatient treatment. You’re no longer living at the facility but still attending therapy and other sessions to support you in transitioning out of rehab. Or, if you don’t need a supervised detox and the same amount of structure found in inpatient facilities, you might start out in one of the levels of outpatient treatment.
Discover how to get your mind off drugs and alcohol here:
Partial hospitalization (PHP)
At this level, although you don’t live in the facility, you’re still spending a lot of time there. These programs typically last most of the day, and you attend most days of the week. This is the most intensive outpatient level.
Intensive outpatient program (IOP)
These kinds of programs are usually reserved for nights and weekends so that you can go back to work or school but still get therapy and reinforce healthy habits.
Outpatient Program
This level is mostly unstructured but still supports you as you transition out of rehab. You must leave outpatient with an aftercare plan (which may involve recovery meetings, mental health appointments, and potentially a stay at sober living) to help prevent relapse.
It’s important to ensure you get the level of support you need to succeed on your sobriety journey. Once you have a solid foundation of recovery, you’ll find that staying away from alcohol doesn’t have to be hard at all. You’ll learn skills in rehab that will help you prepare for when life gets rough later on.
Things to Consider When Choosing Alcohol Rehab in Arizona
You must have a safe, comfortable journey to sobriety, especially in early recovery. You want a treatment facility that will nurture you while holding you to the standards you’ll need to stay sober as you move beyond rehab.
If you’re still working, don’t let that get in the way of seeking help. Several laws and regulations like the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) prevent your employer from taking action against you while you recover. These acts will not protect you if your alcoholism drives poor performance at work, however!
If you don’t need detox or inpatient treatment, you may be able to find an outpatient rehab that works around your schedule. Always check to see if your medical insurance is accepted or whether you can finance your stay if necessary. Unfortunately, rehab does cost money, but alcohol use disorder will cost you a lot more if you don’t get help before you lose your job and your home. Now is always the best time to get treatment.
It’s also critical for your sobriety that you get treatment for any co-occurring mental health disorders, ranging from ADHD or depression and anxiety to schizophrenia and PTSD. If you have a dual diagnosis, you can still succeed in recovery. You need to ensure that your mental health is treated as well, so make sure your alcohol rehab in Arizona also provides this kind of care.
In addition to therapy, some rehabs offer naturopathic or alternative treatments. For example, a recovery center might provide massage therapy, yoga and meditation classes, and the like. While these treatments alone won’t get you sober, they can help provide a richer recovery experience and help you after rehab when you need some stress relief.
What Happens After Alcohol Rehab?
Your alcohol rehab in Arizona will provide you with an aftercare plan that helps you stay sober as long as you follow it. You may elect to go to sober living (and your rehab may recommend it for you) to continue having a higher level of support in an environment with fewer triggers. This is especially helpful if your home (or school) isn’t as sobriety-positive as you would like. Some rehabs also offer alumni programs so you can stay in touch with your recovery community even after you leave.
Find Out Why The River Source is the Best Alcohol Rehab in Arizona
At The River Source, we treat you as a whole person, not just the disorder, and you’re more than just another case number. We provide the whole continuum of care from detox to a rehab alumni program, so you can get help no matter how long you’ve been drinking. Our rehabs provide care not only for those with co-occurring disorders but also for pregnant women, Native Americans, and those who’ve experienced trauma.
The River Source will help you instill healthy habits so you don’t ever have to drink again, and you can enjoy the life you want and deserve free from alcohol. Call us today at 866-294-9331 to get started.
