rehab nurse

Entering an Alcohol Detox Center

By

Sober Recovery Expert Author

rehab nurse

When the time has come to enter an alcohol detox center, there are many questions that come to mind. Will the detox center help you fully recover? Will you feel safe and comfortable under their care? How can you afford this treatment? There may be dozens of questions you want answered, but all things will come in good time. The most important thing is recognizing when you (or a loved one) need treatment and care for alcohol abuse.

Alcohol is a drug. The chemicals in alcohol drinks change the way you think and feel. Your body chemistry is altered when under the influence of alcohol, in the same way it is altered by any drug. When it’s time to admit that you have an addiction to alcohol that needs to be addressed, it’s time to enter an alcohol detox center.

Will the detox center help you fully recover? Will you feel safe and comfortable under their care? How can you afford this treatment? Read how a detox center can help you take your first steps toward sobriety.

Taking the First Step Toward Sobriety

Are you finding it difficult to take the first step to breaking your addiction to alcohol? Start by researching the alcohol detox and treatment facilities in your area to determine which one is going to suit your needs. Thanks to the Internet, finding a licensed alcohol detox center that has a successful track record is easier than you might think. Many detox centers and rehabilitation facilities have websites and online profiles, which allow you to learn a lot about each center.

Some detox centers will offer short-term, outpatient treatment programs, and others will offer long-term and residential treatment programs. It can be overwhelming, or even frightening, to take time away from work and your other commitments to enroll in a long-term residential addiction treatment program, but this may be the best choice for you to break the pattern of addiction and turn your life around.

The Length of Stay at a Detox Center

Recovery from alcohol abuse will take more than a weekend. It is a lifelong battle. Once you’re an alcoholic, you’re always an alcoholic. Recovering from alcoholism is similar to surviving cancer. Just as a cancer patient can be "in remission” and refer to himself as a “cancer survivor,” an alcoholic who has undergone detox and or a stay in a rehabilitation program will always be a “recovering alcoholic.”

As a recovering alcoholic, you will need to remain vigilant about your recovery for the rest of your life to make sure you don’t slip back into drinking again. When you decide to enter an alcohol detox center, you should be prepared to stay there for a few weeks, particularly if your program includes rehabilitation guidance and counseling. Even if you have a lengthy stay in a detox center and rehabilitation program, you should be aware that it can sometimes take years before an alcoholic or addict can actually call themselves “a recovering alcoholic.”

It’s rough to deal with an addiction that alters how you feel and who you are, both physically and mentally. Alcohol abuse can feel like a bottomless pit, but if you want to climb out of that pit and reclaim your life—and your true self—you will have to ask for the help you need to recover.

If you or someone you know is seeking help from addiction, please visit our directory of treatment centers or call 800-772-8219 to start the path to recovery today.

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