Alcohol Abuse, It’s Really in Raleigh
Known as the City of Oaks, Raleigh really is a gorgeous, and spacious city spanning over 142.8 square miles. In 2014 the United States census estimated Raleigh’s population to be over 439,890, and it continues to grow every year. Raleigh is also one of the country’s earliest planned cities, chosen as the state capital in 1788 and incorporated in 1792.
In the midst of the exponential growth and development in Raleigh, it suffers the effects of alcoholism throughout its infrastructure. For decades, possibly even centuries, alcohol has been one of the world’s most heavily abused substances. As time has gone on, however, the way the world views substance abuse has changed dramatically. Nowadays, addiction is categorized as a disease and because of that the way it is treated has changed for the better.
The unfortunate part is how things haven’t changed. Even with the advances in treatment and therapy for substance abuse, alcoholics are punished instead of being treated. Incarceration is in no way therapeutic and often times it has the opposite affect from what is desired. There is no therapy in jail, no management of withdrawal symptoms, and no treatment. When the offender gets out of jail, he or she is highly prone to relapse. Instead of locking away the alcoholics involved, they need to be offered appropriate treatment so that they can better.
The Ugly, the Good, and the Better
Every day more people succumb to the disease of substance abuse. At first it may have been a choice to have several shots at a party or drink all day long. Eventually, however, the disease takes hold and the choice to say no to the substance is no longer available. Your mind and body itself become highly dependent on the substance and it takes hold of your very life.
The goal of A Better Today is to give you all the necessary information to begin your journey. Knowledge is power and we’re going to give you all the power you need.
In the short run, the effects of alcohol abuse can impact your life in such a way that your quality of life is ruined. With symptoms like vomiting, seizures, suppressed reflexes, difficulty breathing, slurred speech, diarrhea, headaches, anemia, alcohol poisoning, and many other harmful health problems, alcoholism has absolutely no upside.
The long-term consequences of alcohol abuse can be much worse. There are both physical and psychological symptoms of this disease, both of which can severely impact your life. The physical long-term symptoms of alcohol abuse are cirrhosis of the liver, liver disease, throat and mouth cancer, pancreatitis, increased risk of heart attack, and hypertension. These issues can be incredibly expensive to treat, if not fatal.
Psychologically, there are also a great number of ways alcoholism can affect you. Since alcohol is a depressant it can slow down your brain and cause confusion, slurred speech and hallucinations. These hallucinations can be auditory, visual and even tactile (feeling things that aren’t real) and if you notice a friend or family member with any of the above symptoms then he or she needs to get help immediately.
These are different ways that alcohol can negatively impact your mind and body, but there is another way alcohol can be destructive. Those around you can also suffer because of your addiction, whether through seeing you abuse the substance or through direct interaction with you. Alcoholism has been shown to be closely connected with domestic violence, drunk driving, and can affect your job. No employer will keep an employee who comes to work drunk or hungover on a regular basis. When the disease has taken hold, drinking becomes the number one priority in your life and everything else, like family, friends, and work, comes second.
This is where A Better Today comes in. We are a recovery service that is leading the industry on substance abuse therapy and treatment with fact-based methods and techniques for rehabilitation. Addiction takes hold of each individual differently, which is why ABT creates personalized treatment plans for each client depending on his or her specific circumstances. Variables such as family history of alcoholism, the length of the abuse, and the severity of the addiction are all taken into consideration when we plot out your path to sober living.
We utilize multiple forms of therapy during your treatment and we encourage our clients to continue their therapy after treatment is complete. One mode of therapy is family therapy: A method that helps to mend the bridges that were damaged during the addiction, and reopen the channels of communication. This is especially effective because it strengthens the clients’ support system and reminds them that there are people waiting for them at home that are supportive.
The two primary methods of therapy used by ABT are group and individual therapy. In these settings you will work with a therapist to gain insight into your own life. The group settings are similar to the way mutual support groups, like Alcoholics Anonymous, work in that you will be in a small community of other recovering alcoholics. Individual therapy is much the same, only instead of a group setting you will work one on one with a therapist to uncover the underlying reasons as to why you turned to drinking.
Often times alcoholism is started by turning to alcohol in order to unwind after a long day, or deal with a traumatic event or loss. This once stress-relieving tactic has now become a full-blown addiction and cripples your ability to live your life. These factors can sometimes be hidden away, and the therapist’s goal is to discover where they are hidden and bring them to light. Once we know what we’re working with, then the healing can truly begin. Because these sessions are more private, some people find it easier to share intimate details in this setting due to the safety and confinement of it.
Other methods of therapy include music and art therapy, equine therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, and even exercise therapy (only in some locations). Each of these serves their own purpose and is effective in its own special way. It is a good idea, and ABT likes to encourage, to continue therapy even after treatment is complete. This will give you a form of accountability as well as a positive outlet for stress.
Travel to Treatment
Traveling is one of the best things you can do for your recovery. We think that home is safe and comfortable, but in reality home has a myriad of triggers that could send us spiraling back into the throws of addiction.
Anything can be a trigger, from an old beer mug you liked to drink out of, to seeing a familiar drinking buddy, to being around a stressful situation that makes you want to drink again. Anything that turns your mind toward the thought of drinking is a trigger, and if you don’t know how to fight these things then you might undo all of your hard work.
Here at ABT we teach you the necessary skills to resist and fight these triggers. These skills will be practiced in a safe, controlled environment so that when you go back out into the real world you will be ready to face them head on. Even if you feel you’re not quite ready after treatment, there are options such as transitional and sober living that can be used. These give you a safe home to come back to while you work toward getting back onto your feet.
If your biggest worry is the cost of treatment, then worry no more. ABT knows how hard it can be with finances, which is why we accept most forms of private insurance. This will likely cover most of if not the entire cost of treatment. If you don’t have insurance, don’t fret about that either. ABT has created several affordable payment plans designed so that you can still get the treatment you, or your loved ones, need and deserve from the right source. Call (520) 288-8484 now to speak to a member of ABT’s team and get the information you need to start the journey. Get a brighter tomorrow with A Better Today and start to see the world clearly.
