Alcohol Treatment Facilities
The best alcohol treatment facilities are the holistic treatment centers that can somehow do 2 things at the same time for the struggling alcoholic:
1) Inspire them to take massive action in early recovery and dedicate their entire life to sobriety for the foreseeable future.
2) Challenge them to–later on–transition into a life of balance and personal growth, while expanding outside the boundaries of traditional recovery.
Let’s take a closer look.
The typical alcohol treatment facility is really good at doing #1. They will typically push their clients to get immersed in 12 step recovery, and they will often push them in other ways too….such as by recommending aftercare like intensive outpatient therapy, or one on one counseling with a therapist. The idea is that they are trying to use nearly every resource they can to help out the newly recovering alcoholic. There are a number of reasons for doing this:
1) Early recovery demands massive action in order to get results and stay sober.
2) Different recovery strategies work for different people, so it makes sense to expose alcoholics to different things that may help them, so they can find what works for them.
3) Idle hands and all that….early recovery is a good time to be busy.
So this is the first part of what needs to happen in the recovery process. But later on in sobriety….say at the 6 month, 1 year, or 2 year mark….what does the recovering alcoholic need to do then?
More of what they did before?
No. They need to do less of it. They need to change as they grow in recovery. And this may or may not be taught at a treatment center, because it is a ways off for the newly recovering alcoholic. But as they continue to stay sober and build a foundation of sobriety, they will need to change how they handle their recovery in order to stay sober.
It is surprising how many alcoholics relapse, even after significant time in recovery. You would think that a few years would insure continued success. The numbers do not really support this though.
So what is the key to continuing success in recovery? How do you stay sober over the long haul?
1) Seeking balance in your life. This is a stupid concept in early recovery. It makes no sense. But you better be seeking balance at 5 years sober, or you’ll be climbing the walls.
2) Pushing yourself to grow – too many people get stuck in the whole “I accept myself today” thing. If you stay stuck there you drink eventually. You have to keep learning, growing, pushing yourself to evolve over time.
The question is, how can a treatment facility educate alcoholics about these long term goals in a way that does not detract their focus in early recovery?
Help for Alcoholism Do you or someone you love need drug or alcohol rehab? Take action and get the help you need right now. Drug Addiction Help What kind of drug rehab is right for you? Give us a call at 1-877-744-3536 Addiction Treatment Real help is available. We can give you the tools to recover. Start your new life today.
