Alcohol and Drug Rehab is an Exercise in Overwhelming Force

Any addict or alcoholic who wants to get clean and sober should consider attending an alcohol and drug rehab.  There are other methods of getting sober out there, but none of them are as concentrated and as powerful as inpatient treatment.  For example, a struggling alcoholic might attempt to stop drinking by simply attending counseling with a therapist on a regular basis.  This might be helpful in some cases but is generally not going to be enough of a change to really make a difference in the life of the alcoholic.  A one hour counseling session is just not drastic enough in the face of rampant alcoholism.  It does not solve the problem or even address it properly, because it is a tiny action matched up against a monster of a disease.

photo credit: Zachi Evenor

Now checking into a drug and alcohol rehab is another story entirely.  Actually staying in treatment for a few weeks, sleeping their overnight, being in a controlled environment, and immersing yourself fully in recovery concepts–this is a better matched solution to the problem of alcoholism.  Drastic conditions call for drastic measures, and inpatient rehab is a drastic measure that can actually produce positive results in the life of an addict. It does so because it is focused action and it is overwhelming force.  Instead of just dedicating an hour each week to the problem of alcoholism with counseling, you are literally dedicating every single hour of the week to the problem.  At inpatient rehab, you are eating, breathing, and even sleeping all things recovery.

Of course, the day that an alcoholic walks out of rehab is when the true test begins, and many people do end up relapsing shortly after leaving. The problem is that returning to our old environment can be full of different triggers that make us want to drink or use drugs again.  What we learn in rehab attempts to teach us how to deal with these various triggers so that we do not succumb to them and end up back in the cycle of madness.

For most people, it takes continuous action even after we have left rehab in order to see good results in recovery.  Some will go to outpatient rehab, 12 step meetings, or even live in long term treatment for many months or even years.  This approaches all show a need for continuous action in recovery.  Those who get lazy and stop taking positive action are the ones who end up relapsing.  The key, therefore, is to constantly push ourselves to keep learning and growing in recovery.

Recommended Reading

• Overcoming Addiction
• Holistic Addiction Treatment Center