Know When it is Time to Get Help
Admitting to yourself that you have an alcohol addiction is the first step toward getting help to change yourself and eliminate your addiction. People in your family have complained to you regarding how you look and that you are almost always drunk whenever they see you. Yet, you do nothing to change their perception of you.
They may have been loving about how they approached you to get medical help, yet you continue to drink every day. Sometimes you pass out on the floor. That’s where you also wake up.
You have already tried to quit drinking using the “cold turkey” method, but it only lasted a day. You were anxious, irritated, or depressed because you could feel that you would not be able to stay away from taking a drink.
It may take drastic measures from your family, especially your spouse, who will give you an ultimatum: either seek medical help or you must leave the house. When you are drunk, you are a danger to your spouse as well as your children. You make careless mistakes that could negatively impact members of your family, including injuring them.
When you are drunk, you cannot easily process what you are doing and whether you are doing it correctly and safely. One example is driving your car with family members inside you and you are speeding down the highway. You could have an accident and severely injure one of them, or they could die. You could die and death is a permanent outcome. There is no coming back.
If you are at this point, you must go to a rehabilitation treatment center and stay the full course of your treatment program. There is no other way to get yourself away from the need to drink alcohol. Not only does this help you, no matter how much you may not want to go, but you are also saving your family from potential harm.
Taking the Next Step
If you decide you want to get help, sit down with your family, and tell them you want to enter the rehab center and go through the treatment program. Ask for their support, which in most cases, they will be happy to do for you. This is the beginning of creating a positive environment where you are around people who love and support you. Once you become an out-patient, they can continue to help you meet your goals.
If you have a family doctor you visit once a year, make an appointment to visit your doctor and have them do an assessment. Your doctor can also refer you to a qualified rehabilitation center which comes highly recommended for successful outcomes. Once there, the center will do a final assessment to customize your treatment for a successful outcome.
If you do not have a regular doctor, make a list of rehab centers close to you, which makes it easy for you and your family to go to. You will be checking in for a month or more residency, but your spouse might want to attend some of the counseling sessions to talk about your relationship. However, do not sacrifice quality just because one center is closest to you. Another one further away may be better for you to enter, based on the type of treatments available for you.
Long-term Effects of Alcohol Addiction
If you have been drinking for a long time, you should know that you may have serious medical effects present within your body and your brain. This, alone, should encourage you to seek help right away. If you do not seek help, your life span drops significantly, and you die early. The sooner you can seek treatment, the sooner you can begin repairing your body and your brain. Here are some of the health risks you may encounter as an alcohol addict.
- Cirrhosis of the liver,
- Heart damage,
- Compromised immune system (particularly dangerous during the pandemic),
- Malnutrition from not eating right, and
- Cancer in any part of your body.
You may also notice reduced cognition, cannot remember things, scattered attention spans, suffer insomnia and nerve damage, and suffer anxiety, depression, or dementia. There are plenty more health problems that may happen to you over time.
When you enter treatment at a rehab center, you will eat healthier foods which begin to repair the damage to your physical and mental systems. Once you exit your residency and become an out-patient, continue eating better as much as you can.
Take an interest in recipes and cooking and consider growing vegetables in your backyard or on your patio. Think of yourself as becoming a clean machine from the inside out as you regain your health. Do deep breathing exercises while you are sitting watching your television and movies.
Call Us When You are Ready to Get Help
Our Pacific Bay Recovery center in San Diego can help you with any substance addiction and/or mental issues you might have so you can regain a happy and functional lifestyle again. Call us for a free consultation and to set up an appointment to start getting help as soon as possible. (619) 350-8194.
