Searching for Solace from Salem, Oregon?
Salem, Oregon is not to be confused with Salem, Massachusetts—home of the Salem witch trials in 1692. However, Oregon’s Salem is not immune from the epidemic that’s bewitching our nation: alcoholism. Alcohol is by far the most abused substance in our nation, and it’s one of the leading causes of preventable death.
Alcoholism is a disease and should be treated as such. Currently, the prominent treatment method for this issue is institutionalization. The problem is that It’s profitable for the government and corporations to criminalize something that’s inherently a disease, not a moral shortcoming.
The road towards alcohol dependence generally isn’t paved with malevolence. And in many ways, there are a confluence of factors that jeopardize someone’s ability to choose. There are a high number of people who abuse alcohol because of a genetic predisposition combined with poor coping skills. You don’t have to have a genetic predisposition to abuse alcohol. It could be a matter of not knowing how to deal with the various trauma in life effectively.
Though drinking heavily might begin as a means to find solace, it could easily be a slippery slope into suffering. When people first start drinking they are most likely drawn to the dopamine that’s increased when they imbibe. Alcohol dependence abuses not only the person who is shackled in its lethal embrace, but family members and loved ones as well.
Fortunately, there is a way to end the cycle of abuse. A Better Today (ABT) offers highly reputable treatment in state-of-the-art facilities with a staff that’s both equipped with expertise and empathy to help you or your loved one in their recovery. We are only a call away.
Alcohol Treatment at A Better Today
The first step to treatment at ABT is to go through detox. When someone has developed an alcohol dependence their brain is rewired, which creates the craving for alcohol. Detox cleanses the body of the alcohol ingested during dependence. Before going through detox, the client has to have a medical examination to help the staff come up with a treatment plan for them. It’s vital that the client respond truthfully to the questions in the examination, which will consist of health and substance abuse history.
ABT provides a medically supervised withdrawal process to help assist people with the first and often hardest step in treatment. Detox is feared specifically because of the withdrawal symptoms associated with it. Some of the symptoms include shaking, vomiting and insomnia. These are the milder symptoms. In extreme cases, people will experience hallucinations and seizures, the latter of which could be lethal. Because of the litany of withdrawal symptoms, it’s highly suggested to have a supervised withdrawal. Trying to go through detox alone is a recipe for disaster.
Detoxification is the first step of treatment, followed by the rehabilitation/therapeutic dimension. Detox cleanses the body, but rehab cleanses the mind. At ABT we employ a wide variety of methods to help heal the mind. The therapy methods include: group, individual, art, music, yoga and cognitive behavioral. We know each person has a unique past and a disposition that will lend them to appeal more to certain methods.
During the week, the client will go to group therapy sessions where they will get to re-learn communication skills and glean motivation from others. When someone abuses alcohol they may initially do it to express themselves more freely or lose whatever introversion keeps them from others. However, as the abuse takes a hold of them, they are likely to lose friendships as they burn bridges chasing after the buzz. When someone develops a dependency to any substance, they will begin to isolate and alienate others. It just goes hand to hand. Therefore, group therapy brings several people together, under the guidance of a master’s level therapist, to heal in community. One of the most successful treatment regimes used in group therapy is the 12-step method. The 12-steps are a treatment approach that takes the recoveree on a journey to admit powerlessness, reconcile and surrender to a higher power of their choosing. The 12-steps are usually done in a group setting, so people can have accountability and inspiration from other people’s journeys.
Individual therapy pairs the client with a master’s level therapist who can help them uncover the various mental blueprints that galvanize the person to drink. People drink for a host of reasons. Some people drink to forget; some to remember what it’s like to feel; some to feel connected to others. Regardless of the reasons driving someone to drink, the therapy sessions will identify practical tools to offset the strings pulling them towards the bottle. In addition, the therapists are often trained to deal with co-occurring disorders. A lot of people who abuse substances do so in order to deal with a mental illness. Some people may not like how medication makes them feel and use alcohol to self-medicate. The therapist will be able to help the client develop a plan to get their mental illness under control so that they won’t have to self-medicate anymore.
There is not one-sized-fits-all method to recovery. Every person responds to treatment differently and has their own timetable. Some people will take 30 days to complete treatment, others 90 or more. It really just depends on the treatment. In addition, some people are better suited to outpatient treatment. Again, it all depends on the person.
When someone completes treatment, they can either return to their homes or enter a sober living facility. It is strongly suggested that clients chose the sober living facilities. Sober living facilities are houses where people who are just getting out of treatment live and support each other in the transition back into the real world. Going straight from treatment to the world can be challenging and could even lead to a relapse.
Clients should also seek treatment in the form of 12-step or counseling to continue the journey of recovery. Recovery doesn’t end when someone leaves rehab. Rehab simply is a boot camp of recovery. It is a battle that is fought day to day by people who are afflicted with alcoholism. In 12-step therapy, a recoveree will be paired with a sponsor who will provide mentorship and wisdom along the path of recovery. Though the 12-step program isn’t viable for everyone, going to meetings is a great way to keep people on the straight and narrow.
One of the central tenets of ABT is inextricably linked to our emphasis on family. We make sure that everyone who comes through our doors is mobilized by our love, not fear. Love and encouragement are the pillars of our company. When someone finishes with treatment at our facilities, we aren’t finished with them. We have alumni programs where people can stay in touch with each other and go on trips with other people who are in recovery.
Interventions Don’t Have to Be Scary
It may feel daunting to hold an intervention for your loved one who is submerged in abuse. They may not be receptive to it, or there could be a lot of underlying hurt feelings blocking you from trying to help them. However, both of these reasons shouldn’t be barriers. In intervening for a loved one, you are helping save a life, or several.
ABT can give you the resources to find an intervention specialist who can help make it easier on your family. Interventions can be hard, but intervention specialists are experts in psychology and conflict management. They can help the process go smoothly. Even if you hire an intervention specialist and everything goes well, your loved one might not get treatment. But don’t lose heart! It could take several interventions to get them to agree to treatment. The worst thing you can do is give up on your loved one or shame them. This could drive them even further into the abyss of self-loathing.
Traveling for Treatment and Payment
It’s strongly suggested that your loved one travel for treatment in order to get away from the place that spawned their abuse. Travelling is a literal new beginning for someone trying to live a sober life. Getting away from the enabling people and circumstances could be the break in routine that your loved one needs.
Besides simply not wanting to go to quit drinking, one of the most perceived barriers to going to rehab is the cost. However, at ABT we make sure to offer flexible payment options to meet people where they are. Also, ABT accepts most major insurance companies, which usually pay for most if not all of the treatment costs.
At ABT we care about people. Join the family, save yours.
