While you might feel the urge to turn to alcohol in those moments of discomfort, you can get through them without drinking. Working with a licensed mental health therapist on new anxiety management techniques is a great way to build healthier habits while recovering from alcohol dependence. Moreover, if you’re taking naltrexone as part of your treatment program, it’s possible that you feel nausea in the early days of your prescription. While naltrexone is generally well tolerated, nausea and headaches are the most common side effects. It’s also possible to feel post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS), where psychological symptoms continue for weeks or months after you stop drinking alcohol. If you do experience post-acute withdrawal, it’s important to remember that what you’re going through is normal, and over time, the symptoms will subside.

• Research shows that reducing alcohol consumption lowers the risk of heart disease, enhances mood, and contributes to better sleep quality.
• Reflect on moments when you’ve wanted to drink; recognizing these patterns can empower you to avoid these situations or develop coping strategies.
• In addition to professionally led treatment, many people benefit from mutual support groups.
• You and your physician may meet less frequently about your medication.
• Most patients can expect to spend from three months to a year in our outpatient program.

Behavioral models

The acute alcohol withdrawal timeline and process looks different for everyone, and the symptoms can range from uncomfortable to potentially dangerous. These symptoms of acute alcohol withdrawal can include alcohol shakes, nausea, delirium tremens, hallucinations, and more. Based on clinical experience, many health care providers believe that support from friends and family members is important in overcoming alcohol problems. But friends and family may feel unsure about how best to provide the support needed. The groups for family and friends listed in the “Resources” section may be a good starting point. Quitting alcohol is a journey that requires dedication, patience, and the willingness to change.

Addiction Treatment Options for Drugs and Alcohol

Prolonged abstinence along with healthy eating and exercise during this stage can also allow people to begin recovery from liver damage. Doing a cost-benefit analysis to weigh the benefits of alcohol use against the cons and costs can sometimes help a person find clarity at this stage. By the time people reach the contemplation stage, they’ve begun to recognize they have a drinking problem and may want to get help, but they’re often on the fence about it. At this stage, defense mechanisms are in high gear, and people are reluctant to even acknowledge they have a problem. They may try to avoid the topic of their drinking or minimize the negative impacts of their alcohol use. If you are seeking treatment for yourself, you are taking an important step in your route to recovery.

Professional Associations of Medical and Nonmedical Addiction Specialists

This helps them manage their urges to drink, as well as any problems that trigger the urges. Recovery from alcohol addiction is continuous and so it’s important to attend alcohol recovery groups such as AA in order to always hold yourself accountable. From acute alcohol withdrawal, to the ‘honeymoon phase,’ to post-acute withdrawal and beyond, individuals experience a range of physical and psychological changes throughout year one https://northiowatoday.com/2025/01/27/sober-house-rules-what-you-should-know-before-moving-in/ of sobriety. While everyone’s experience is different, this chart shares common phases of the alcohol treatment timeline. Overcoming an addiction to alcohol can be a long and bumpy road.

Find new meaning in life

Dove Recovery offers different levels of care, and our experienced team works with you to customize a plan of treatment based on your needs. Whether it’s alcohol detox, outpatient services, or partial hospitalization treatment, our programs are designed to assist you through every step of your recovery journey. Contact us today for more information or to schedule an assessment.

Explore if Medicaid covers drug and alcohol rehab, eligibility criteria, and alternative financing options. Discover the risks of mixing alcohol and naproxen, including health complications and addiction. Discover the best luxury rehab centers in Kansas, offering top-notch amenities and personalized recovery care.

Ready to make a change?

However, the health benefits of quitting alcohol alone are more than enough to consider long-term sobriety. Alcohol abuse and addiction doesn’t just affect the person drinking—it affects their families and loved ones, too. Watching a family member struggle with a drinking problem can be as heartbreakingly painful as it is frustrating.

In fact, one of the most critical steps in the process is developing a plan for life after rehab. Alcohol Addiction Treatment is a long-term journey, and aftercare programs can help in helping you sustain sobriety. Individual therapy focuses on helping you understand the emotional triggers and underlying issues that contribute to your alcohol addiction. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is commonly used to help individuals change unhealthy patterns of thinking and behavior.

Lastly, understanding personal triggers and planning how to avoid them can significantly enhance the chances of maintaining sobriety. When people become physically dependent on alcohol or drugs, it’s not safe for them to stop drinking or using without medical supervision. Our addiction medicine care teams can help members with severe SUD stop drinking or using drugs safely and comfortably. This doesn’t treat SUD, but it’s an important first step toward recovery for the members who need it. Alcohol addiction may involve several different treatment methods. It’s important that each person get involved in a recovery program that will support long-term sobriety.

Do I Need Rehab?

They’re trained to understand the complex relationship between mental health and substance misuse and how to deliver evidence-based treatment for addiction. Are you or is someone you love a victim of alcohol abuse and the many consequences that result from problem drinking? Recovery from alcohol abuse is your best bet for a life free from the strongholds, burdens and lifelong problems that can come when physical dependence results from problem drinking. Someone with an alcohol addiction who has remained sober for months or years may find themselves drinking again. They may binge drink once or drink for a period of time before getting sober again. It’s important that the person get back on track and resume treatment.

If you’re reluctant to turn to your loved ones because you’ve let them down before, consider going to couples counseling or family therapy. The symptoms listed above may be a sign of a severe form of alcohol withdrawal called delirium tremens, or DTs. This rare, emergency condition causes dangerous changes in the way your brain regulates your circulation and breathing, so it’s important to get to the hospital right away. Make a note about how Living in a Sober House: Fundamental Rules you feel physically and mentally on these days—recognizing the benefits may help you to cut down for good.

Once detox is complete, people can begin work on the psychological, social and behavioral problems that accompany an alcohol addiction. At Greater Boston Addiction Centers, we provide compassionate, evidence-based care through comprehensive alcohol addiction treatment programs tailored to individual needs. This guide walks you through the steps involved in alcohol treatment, from the initial assessment to aftercare, so you can approach the process with confidence. Healthcare professionals offer AUD care in more settings than just specialty addiction programs. Addiction physicians and therapists in solo or group practices can also provide flexible outpatient care. These and other outpatient options may reduce stigma and other barriers to treatment.