Stuck in the Trenches of Alcoholism from Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina is a historic city in a state with a rich history. The state was one of the first colonies. It was also the first state to instruct its delegates to vote for independence from Great Britain during the Continental Congress. In a similar fashion, people who abuse alcohol often have complicated pasts. They might have had a successful marriage or career and fell into abuse. Alcoholism has no face or name, it devastates every type of person, and is not simply a disease of the poor or marginalized population. People who abuse alcohol can recover despite how low they might have sunk, no matter where they came from.
When someone falls in the pit of alcoholism, it’s the result of a confluence of issues. People don’t plan to end up dependent on a substance. Two major factors that often combine to make someone more vulnerable to alcoholism are: trauma and poor coping skills. People can go through trauma and develop coping skills to deal with it so that they don’t need to depend on substances to escape. However, some people might not necessarily have past trauma to develop those coping skills. They don’t have the coping skills to deal with life so they chase the buzz. All that said, it’s dangerous when people begin to use alcohol to cope because alcohol is a depressant and in the long run it will not mitigate the underlying issues—it will exaggerate them.
Alcohol is a sneaky assassin. Like many of substances, it feels good at first. Alcoholism is a slippery slope that’s running downhill. In addition, the positive effects of alcoholism decrease as tolerance goes up. The more your body gets used to alcohol, the less dopamine will get released. You’re left trying to climb up a slide and you’ll never get back to that peak. Unfortunately, alcohol deludes people into thinking they can capture that initial bliss or that initial buzz. Instead you end up chasing shadows, alcoholism is the master deceiver and once you’re caught in its web you will need a community to fetch you out.
One community that’s dedicated to helping people who are stuck in the torment of alcoholism is A Better Today (ABT). A Better Today is one of the premier facilities providing treatment for substance abuse. ABT serves as an actual treatment method contrary to the popular method of treatment employed by the United States: criminalization. Alcoholism and other addictions are diseases of the mind, not flaws in character. When someone becomes dependent on alcohol their mind is rewired. Accordingly, these diseases need medical attention and therapy—not crime and punishment. ABT is committed to saving lives and healing families.
Treatment at A Better Today
One of the foremost principles that form the basis of ABT’s methodology is community. Every person that enters our doors is instantly a part of our community; our family. We accept people from all walks of life and make sure that every treatment plan we construct is addressed to meet each individual’s needs. Your journey is yours; ABT just wants to join it and offer guidance within your own framework.
When you first arrive at ABT, you will undergo a medical examination determine the best course of treatment. This will also help determine how to go about your medically supervised withdrawal process. It is imperative that you answer all the questions honestly, as any misinformation could have negative ramifications on your recovery process.
Once you go through the initial examination, you will be ready for detox. Detox is the process of cleansing your body of the harmful toxins ingested during your abuse. Having your detox supervised is important because alcohol detox is very dangerous. In some cases, it can be fatal. Medical supervision will mitigate those chances. Some of the primary symptoms associated with detox are; shaking, insomnia and vomiting. In rare cases, the patient will experience hallucinations and tremors—the latter of which could be fatal if not properly supervised. The timetable for completing detox depends on the person and their history of abuse. However, it generally doesn’t take longer than 14 days.
After completing detox, the client will be ready for the therapeutic portion of rehab. ABT employs a plethora of therapy techniques to reach our clientele. We know that every person is unique and will gravitate to different treatment methods. That said, we offer group, individual, art, music and cognitive behavioral therapy. All of these therapeutic methods are staffed with experts in their respective fields.
In individual therapy, we pair our clients with master’s level therapists who also have experience with co-occurring disorders. The sad reality of alcoholism is that it often serves as a faux mask for mental illness. People with mental illness might believe that alcohol is blurring or hiding their symptoms, but, over time, alcohol will exacerbate them further. Alcohol is a short-term fix to a long-term problem. Our therapists will help determine the various reasons that draw clients to abuse alcohol so that they can figure out a game plan for healing. The therapist will also help the client develop coping mechanisms to deal with the real world. When people drink alcohol, they are entering a blurred world that’s removed from the ground of reality. Learning coping mechanisms that are positive and don’t involve dissolving into fantasy will go a long way in keeping someone sober.
Group therapy is a pillar of ABT’s strategy for two reasons: It helps people develop social skills that might have eroded due to their abuse and it can also serve as motivation for people in their journey. Everyone drinks for different reasons, but the result of alcohol abuse is isolation. When someone abuses alcohol, they seriously threaten their ties with others. This can make the person consume even more alcohol because they don’t feel connected to anyone. In group therapy they will be able to experience an incubator where healthy relationships are the standard. They will get a model of how to live in community and love people with respect and proper boundaries. Another crucial component of group therapy is ability to motivate people. Hearing other stories of addiction and how they are coping with recovery, can go a long way in keeping someone on the path of sobriety.
Every person has their own timetable for leaving treatment. We don’t have any specific day requirement for those who come to our program. One thing we suggest, however, is for people to seek out a sober living facility upon leaving. At the sober living facility, they will live with other people who are transitioning back into the real world in a substance free environment. Going from rehab back into the real world can be hard for people, so this is an option to make sure that the chances of relapse are decreased.
Again, ABT is a family. When you leave our treatment center, you don’t leave us, you merely leave the building. We will remain a part of your life as long as you want us there supporting you. We believe in the power of love and support. We believe in the power of you.
Intervention
If you determine that your loved one is slipping down the dangerous slope of alcoholism, it’s time to seek help. If your loved one is unwilling to get help on their own, you should step in and your actions could be the difference between life and death. One of the most important things to do is to make the intervention a loving and safe environment. If you need help holding an intervention, ABT can give you the resources to find a intervention specialist who is trained in psychology and conflict management. Don’t lose heart if the first intervention isn’t successful.
Traveling for Treatment and Payment
If your loved one makes the life affirming decision to seek out help, it’s strongly suggested that they travel for treatment. Traveling for treatment is not only a fresh start for your loved one, it removes them from the situation that fostered their abuse. It’s really in their best favor to leave their comfort zone and learn new behaviors in a new context.
One of the preconceived barriers of treatment is that it’s too expensive. However, with ABT, this is more myth than reality. ABT goes out of its way to make sure that people aren’t denied service because of finances. We offer several different payment options to help with the costs. Also, we accept most major insurance companies, which generally pay for most if not all of the costs. Either way, we are looking to be your second family. Let us join your journey towards a new horizon today.
