Alcohol Rehab & Alcoholism Treatment Center

Alcohol Rehab Treatment Center

Alcohol has taken over our culture. It permeates music, tv shows, movies, and plays. It’s on billboards as you drive. It’s boldly advertised in restaurants, and stores sell cute little signs for you to bring into your homes. It’s used to celebrate good things and get you through bad days. And if you or a loved one suffer from alcohol addiction, now known as alcohol use disorder (AUD), this overload can make recovery seem difficult. But there is hope at a nearby detox and alcoholism treatment center!

What is Alcohol Addiction?

Alcohol addiction, also called alcohol dependence or alcoholism, is a condition in which an individual cannot control their alcohol consumption. Alcohol use often takes priority over other areas in life, such as relationships, work, family, practicing healthy lifestyle habits, and other responsibilities.

While the use of alcohol is very common, true alcohol addiction does not affect everyone who consumes it. However, alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in the United States. Over 51% of adults in the U.S. are current regular drinkers. An estimated 16.3 million of these adults (8% of the American adult population) suffer from an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

More broadly, the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that approximately 10% of Americans over the age of 12 had alcohol use disorder.

This widespread use has caused alcohol to become one of the main contributors to disease and death in the United States. Alcohol-induced liver disease accounted for one out of every three liver transplants in 2009.

Why is Alcohol Addictive?

Not everyone who drinks alcohol will become addicted. For others, they may become addicted over time. The differences lie in what makes alcohol addictive and how a person responds. A family history of alcohol addiction increases the risk for the person to develop an addiction to it. Children whose parents abused alcohol have risk four times greater of developing alcohol use disorder¹.

When someone drinks alcohol, it causes the brain to release reward hormones or dopamine. It also releases serotonin, which helps you feel calm and happy. The release of these neurotransmitters is thought to be part of the reason that alcohol is addictive. The brain and body like the way it makes a person feel, which leads both to want more².

As alcohol repeatedly activates the brain’s reward system, it enforces those feelings of pleasure. It increases the chances that the person will drink again. This is also the area of the brain responsible for forming habits, which ultimately leads to compulsive drinking.

What Happens When You Have Alcohol Addiction?

Once a person has been drinking frequently enough, they begin to experience negative symptoms when they haven’t had a drink. They seek to escape the withdrawal symptoms by drinking more. It becomes less about enjoying the “buzz” and more about avoiding the physical or mental discomfort from not drinking.

A person will become preoccupied with getting more alcohol, finding their next drink, and looking forward to when they can consume it. Alcohol addiction compromises the prefrontal cortex part of the brain. This is the part responsible for prioritizing tasks, organizing thoughts, managing time, and making decisions.

Symptoms of Alcohol Addiction

Symptoms of alcohol use disorder may include:

• Increased tolerance
• Inability to stop drinking
• Unhealthy focus
• Harm to relationships
• Physical illness if you do not drink, including shaking, sweating or nausea
• Dangerous behavior

Common symptoms of AUD can be understood by asking and truthfully answering the following questions:

• Do you drink more, or longer, than you intended?
• Have you wanted or tried to cut down or stop, but couldn’t?
• Do you find yourself unable to think of anything else?
• Do you continue to drink even if it causes problems with family or friends?
• Has drinking (or being sick from drinking) interfered with work or school?
• Do you pass on activities that are important, pleasant, or interesting to you in order to drink?
• Have you found yourself in situations while or after drinking that could cause harm to you or another (i.e. driving impaired or engaging in unsafe sexual relations)?
• Do you continue to drink even if it makes you depressed, anxious, or worsens a health condition?
• Have you blacked out or had gaps in your memory of what happened while drinking?
• Do you have to drink more than you used to in order to feel the effects?

If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, you may have AUD. AUD is a brain condition and can be classified as mild (yes to two or three questions), moderate (yes to four or five questions), or severe (yes to six or more questions). If left untreated, AUD can cause damage to your body (liver, brain, heart, and more) as well as relationships and the ability to work.

Signs of Alcohol Addiction

There are many symptoms and warning signs common among those struggling with alcohol abuse. If you or a loved one is experiencing any of the following, it may be necessary to seek treatment for alcohol addiction:

• Acting irresponsibly and neglecting responsibilities
• Becoming isolated from loved ones
• Lacking control of how much alcohol you consume
• Experiencing cravings for alcohol
• Building up a tolerance for alcohol and needing more drinks to reach the desired effect
• Building a physical dependence on alcohol
• Suffering from withdrawal symptoms when not drinking, such as anxiety, nausea, headaches, shakiness, sweating, and vomiting.

When to Seek Help for Alcohol Addiction

Maybe you’ve wanted to quit or tried to quit, but you haven’t been successful on your own. You’re not alone. Chronic, heavy, or long-term drinking is not easily stopped under your own power. Seeking help, including an alcoholism treatment center with men’s detox or female detox programs designed for your unique needs can provide you with a better chance to succeed.

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to severe and can include:

• Anxiety
• Sweating
• Nausea
• Insomnia
• Headaches
• Shaking
• Disorientation
• Seizures
• Hallucinations
• Delirium tremens

When your body is detoxing or withdrawing from alcohol, it can be uncomfortable. It can also be dangerous, and even life-threatening.

Medically Supervised Alcohol Detox

It may be tempting to do alcohol detox on your own or in your own home. But it may not be safe to do. Choosing medical supervision for your alcohol detox can not only increase your chance at successful recovery, it may just save your life. Severe AUD can have severe withdrawal symptoms, such as seizures, hallucinations, and delirium tremens.

Trained medical professionals can help you manage the symptoms and provide immediate care in life-threatening situations. Medically supervised detox can be done inpatient or outpatient for less severe cases

How to Find Help

If you think you have an alcohol addiction, you need to seek a treatment center specializing in alcohol use disorder. Attempting to recover without professional help can be dangerous as you go through withdrawal symptoms. Legacy Healing Centers offers treatment for alcohol addiction in a state-of-the-art facility where you will be treated with respect and receive the support you need.

You will meet with a treatment specialist who will create a treatment plan based on your unique needs. This process allows you to get the assistance that will provide the most benefit for you to avoid relapse as you begin recovery.

Helping a Loved One with Alcohol Addiction

If you have a loved one struggling with AUD, you are probably sad, angry, scared, and more. You’re convinced if you can just find the one right thing to say, things will click and your loved one will either magically stop or choose to ask for help.

It’s not usually that easy. But there are things you can do to help your loved one. However, they may not be what you expect.

• Educate yourself. Learn about alcohol use disorder. You will benefit from understanding this is a physical disease, not simply an easily-made choice to stop drinking. You may also become a great resource for your loved one when they recognize their disease.
• Don’t discuss the disease while they are incapacitated. If you want to discuss their suspected AUD, wait until they are sober. Discussing a drinking problem with someone while they’re intoxicated will not result in lasting changes or promises kept. Instead, present your concerns calmly when they have the presence of mind to hear you.
• Maintain self-care. YOU matter, too. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in their disease that you forget to take care of yourself. If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, or anger, seek help for yourself. If you make plans you’re looking forward to, keep them, regardless if your loved one can attend.
• Don’t protect them from themselves. This is probably the hardest thing to do. But allowing them to experience their own natural consequences is an important part of them potentially seeking recovery. If you clean up their mistakes, lie for them, cover for them to employers, friends, or kids, they don’t have to tell the truth or take responsibility for their actions or choices.
• Support their efforts. If they abstain from drinking for a day or a week, acknowledge their efforts. Remind them that you are proud of them and enjoy being with them when they are sober. Acknowledging their efforts could provide ongoing motivation to get help and stay sober.

Types of Alcohol Addiction Treatment Programs at Legacy Healing Center

One of the best things you can do is look into treatment at an alcohol rehab center. Keep in mind, detoxing from alcohol is just the first step. It is NOT a cure. Whether you choose inpatient or outpatient, it’s important to understand the treatment process. After the detox, you’ll move into the therapy and support phase.There are a few different treatment options available. But many find the treatment options work well together, not just separately.

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy is a critical piece to recovery. Understanding yourself, dealing with the underlying causes that have led to the AUD, identifying triggers, and developing coping strategies customized for you can benefit you in abstaining from alcohol. This could include talk therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, medication, family counseling, and more.

Group Therapy

Group Therapy can also be extremely beneficial during recovery. Coming together with people who are experiencing similar challenges can help you learn from one another and grow in understanding. As you walk your paths together, you can forge tools to strengthen your sobriety efforts.

Ongoing Aftercare

AUD is a condition that can be stopped but is not necessarily cured. You will always be in recovery. And an important part of ongoing recovery is aftercare. As you reenter the world where alcohol is everywhere and glorified, it’s important to have allies.

Ongoing therapy helps you learn to cope with triggers and stressors of life and can equip you to make different choices. And an ongoing support group can help you form lasting, healthy bonds with others in recovery. These relationships are unique, as family or friends may not be able to relate to the ongoing challenge of sobriety.

Inpatient Alcohol Program

Achieving stable sobriety is often the result of dedicating many much of your life to the treatment and learning how to prevent relapse. Inpatient alcohol treatment, or our partial hospitalization program (PHP), involves staying 24/7 in a facility dedicated to helping you remain free from alcohol.

This involves comprehensive behavioral therapies which teach you how to recognize the triggers that make you want to drink, how to avoid those triggers, and how to deal with them when they are unavoidable. Your therapist may recommend other therapies as well, such as hypnotherapy treatment.

You will receive clinical treatment, go through the 12 steps, and build skills that will help your relationships and overall wellness. Inpatient treatment is for those that are not comfortable trusting themselves to avoid alcohol on their own.

Intensive Outpatient Alcohol Program

After completing an inpatient treatment program for alcoholism, it is very common for people to attend an IOP program in order to cement their newfound skills and to gradually adjust to reentering society.

Here is where you will learn to remain sober while taking back on the responsibilities of real life. In this program, community housing in our residences is optional, but you will still attend individual therapy as well as group therapy and 12 step meetings.

At Legacy Healing Center, you can also choose from a men’s detox program or a women’s detox program. We also offer an amphetamine detox program.

Why Choose Legacy Healing Center’s Alcohol Rehab?

One of the leading reasons our clients prefer coming to Legacy is that we take a clinical, holistic, and personalized approach to creating a treatment plan for you. When putting together your treatment plan, there are several areas that we take into consideration.

First and foremost, we will review your mental health, family dynamics, and medical history. This evaluation will help us provide you with better insight and guidance when selecting the right program for you.

Next, we will review the practical, everyday aspects of your life, including your overall health, education, legal issues, and your current career. For example, if you work full-time and are the sole provider for your family, it may not be possible for you to enroll in our inpatient program. However, in cases like these, our outpatient program would be an ideal option.

Our team works around the client to ensure you feel comfortable and supported while you are at Legacy. You will never be just a name on a piece of paper when you trust us with your care.

Alcohol Rehab Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I Have My Cell Phone During Rehab?

We realize that, in many instances, your cell phone is an integral part of your life on a daily basis. For example, if you are responsible for caring or monitoring a loved one that is ill, you need to be available to address any issues that may come up. Additionally, you may need to have your phone available if you have professional responsibilities.

While we would never mandate that you leave your phone at home when you come to Legacy, we do require you to be responsible, considerate, and mindful when it comes to your cell phone use. For instance, you should never use your cell phone during any therapeutic sessions. The reason for this is two-fold.

First, if your phone rings or vibrates while someone is speaking, they may feel that the topics they discuss are unimportant, which can hinder their recovery. Secondly, a cell phone going off in the middle of a therapy session is distracting and can take away from the moment or the work done during the session.
If you have any concerns regarding not having access to your cell phone at different times during the day, we recommend speaking to a member of our team. We always try to do everything that we can to help make your program and experiences more manageable.

Can I Still Run My Business or Work During Rehab at Legacy?

It’s merely impossible for specific clients who are business owners to ask that they completely disconnect from their business. In most cases, that business is their main (if not only) form of support for their family and the other people they employ. However, just because you are a business owner does not mean you are exempt from experiencing addiction ramifications. Realistically, many business owners are under a substantial amount of stress and pressure that could result in them turning to alcohol as a method of coping.

The Legacy Healing Center team does everything they can to ensure you can still maintain and run your business while at our facility. It’s important to remember, though, that while you are in treatment, you may not be able to dedicate the time to your business that you once did. This aspect should not be a deterrence for you, however. Instead, you may want to consider turning to a trusted employee or friend for assistance in overseeing the day-to-day activities that you may not be able to tend to while you are at Legacy.

If your business is at a place where it does require a fair share of your attention, you may want to think about participating in our traditional outpatient program. This program requires you to come to Legacy for at least an hour per week, and our team can help give you options for attending 12-step meetings in and around your area. If you find that you need more help and support, you can always change or adjust your program.

Are There Private Bathrooms & Rooms?

We understand that every person wants to have their own privacy. However, when you come to a treatment facility, you must remain open to interacting with other people. These interactions will help you grow, change, and develop into a person who can obtain lifelong sobriety. When left to your own devices for too long, your mind may begin to play tricks on you, specifically in your early days of recovery.

Unfortunately, part of addiction’s struggle is feeling like you hear a voice in your head who is consistently sabotaging you. When you are by yourself, that voice can feel as though it becomes louder.

This issue is one of the reasons why we do not have private bathrooms and rooms at Legacy. Although we understand that your privacy is important, it’s critical to your recovery that you consistently communicate with the Legacy team and fellow clients.

Although you will be sharing rooms throughout our facility with other clients, you will still have plenty of opportunities throughout your day to be by yourself and reflect on your day.

What types of amenities does Legacy Healing’s alcohol treatment center offer?

At Legacy Healing Center in South Florida, we pride ourselves on providing our clients with various amenities to help them feel comfortable and relaxed during their time at Legacy. Over and above our beautiful scenery and accommodations, clients will also have access to flat-screen TVs, a library, pools, and a fitness center. Keep in mind that if you have never worked out before, but you are interested in getting into better physical shape, you can always make an appointment to exercise with one of our personal trainers.

We realize that to achieve long-term sobriety, you must focus on healing physically, spiritually, and emotionally. With this in mind, we also allow clients to go for regular massages or take advantage of an appointment with one of our chiropractors or acupuncturists. If you are interested in lying down with a good movie, you can always venture over to our movie room.

Of course, we always keep your nutritional health in mind as well. We have on-site chefs that regularly prepare delicious gourmet meals. Do you need an afternoon treat? Ask for one of our fresh-pressed juices or soft-serve ice cream treats. If you suffer from any food allergies, we always recommend you let one of our intake specialists know this when you first call in and then give us a detailed overview of your allergies once you come to Legacy.

Is Legacy Healing’s Alcohol Rehabilitation Program Medically Based?

One of the unique approaches that the Legacy Healing Center team takes when it comes to recovery is to create an alcohol recovery program that is medically based. At Legacy, we take a three-pronged approach to treatment. The first step in that approach is to assess whether or not a specific type of medicine will help you to work through an aspect of your detox and your overall treatment. Our team works closely with you to make sure that we set you up to take the right medicine at the correct times during the day for the proper length of time.

Unfortunately, many people mistakenly believe that a medically based treatment program is merely substituting one addiction (alcohol) for another (prescription medication). This idea cannot be further from the truth. Although some psychological drugs may need to take for a certain amount of time, depending on your situation, our ultimate goal is to live a life free from any substance abuse. Remember, if you have any concerns regarding our medically-based programs, a member of our team can speak with you at any time.

How to Find an Alcohol Rehab Center Near Me

If you’re ready to find an alcohol rehab center, take a moment to be proud of the first step you’re taking to better your life and well-being.

Alcohol addiction treatment centers are widely available, so the odds are good that there’s one located within a reasonable distance from where you live. At the very least, there are plenty of resources that can help you connect with the most helpful opportunities for your recovery.

The easiest way to search for an alcohol rehab center near you is to do a simple internet search for “alcohol rehab center near me” to find highly recommended locations. Word of mouth from trusted people can be incredibly helpful, but if you don’t know any, that’s okay.

If you’re located on the East coast, there are several Legacy Healing Center locations to choose from. If you need help locating a center in another area, we can help connect you with one that works best. Contact us today at 888-534-2295 to speak with a treatment specialist who can help you take the next step to begin your recovery from alcohol addiction.