Many Americans consider themselves social drinkers, meaning they will consume alcohol on social occasions. But what happens when that social drinking makes its way into the home and becomes the most important thing? Then it’s time to find an alcohol rehab near Garland, Texas.
Is Alcohol Addictive?
Yes, alcohol is very addictive. Alcohol addiction it’s something that affects over 6% of American adults. The reason alcohol is so addictive is because of how it changes the reward system in your brain.
Your reward system is designed to reinforce positive behaviors, things like eating healthy foods, sleeping, socializing, working, having sex, or parenting. The more you do these things, the more hormones like dopamine are produced in your brain. When dopamine is produced, you feel happier; you get a natural high.
Unfortunately, with alcohol consumption, your brain releases dopamine when you drink. This means you get the same positive reinforcement that you should only get when you do beneficial activities. Instead, however, you get that positive reinforcement whenever you drink. Then, if you don’t drink, you miss out on that dopamine, and your body registers a deficit, which causes you to crave alcohol again to get that same dopamine hit.
If left untreated, this type of addiction can become very severe, interfering with all other daily tasks and changing your brain structure and communication for the worse.
What are the Signs of Alcoholism?
Alcohol is highly addictive. The problem is that alcohol is perfectly legal for people over the age of 21, and it is regularly included in social activities for adults. This makes it easy to consume alcohol regularly without realizing that you have developed an addiction or need an alcohol rehab program.
What’s more, the signs of alcohol addiction will vary from one person to the next. They might include behavioral changes, withdrawal symptoms when someone doesn’t have alcohol, or putting alcohol consumption ahead of other personal or professional responsibilities. You might also notice the following signs:
- Someone who regularly breaks promises like going to dinner events or parties and promising not to drink but ends up drinking.
- Someone who can’t stop drugs and alcohol even after you have talked to them about it and they make promises to stop.
- Situations where someone is in trouble with the law because of drug or alcohol consumption, like DUIs.
- Someone is regularly absent from the home without any explanation.
- Someone who shows problems keeping a job because they are regularly late or absent from work even if you may have seen them leave for work at the same time.
- Someone with health issues that don’t heal, like chronic cough or liver problems, has no other explanation.
If you see these signs in yourself or someone else, it might be time to consider finding an alcohol rehab near Garland, Texas.
What Therapy is Used for Alcohol Addiction?
There are many therapies used for an alcohol treatment program, and each alcohol rehab near Garland, Texas, will work with you to find a program that includes therapies most likely to help you recover.
There are many types of therapies used for alcohol addiction.
Individual
Most importantly is individual therapy. Individual therapy helps you identify things like personal triggers, situations, or circumstances that might cause you to drink. Individual therapy can also help you uncover traumatic events in your past or mental health problems that might make your addiction worse. Understanding these issues can help you develop coping mechanisms or strategic responses to things like triggers.
Group
Then there is group therapy. Group therapy usually consists of a therapeutic setting involving a group, like 12-step programs and AA meetings. Group therapy gives you a chance to identify with other individuals who have struggled and perhaps in similar ways. It helps you recognize that you are not alone and how you are feeling, what thoughts you had, and what failures you overcame. Group therapy is a wonderful chance to learn new techniques for managing stress or anxiety, finding a social network you can turn to for sober activities, and much more.
How to Find Alcohol Rehab near Garland, Texas
If you are ready to enter an alcohol rehab program, consider finding an alcohol rehab near Garland, Texas, that offers detox services before inpatient or outpatient programs begin. Having professional, medication-assisted detox is very important for alcohol addiction in particular. The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal are dangerous and, if you try to stop your addiction on your own, can lead to lethal complications. A good alcohol treatment program in Texas will start you with a medically supervised detox. This type of detox program offered at Dallas Detox, ensures that you are under supervision the entire time you go through your withdrawal symptoms. After detox, a Dallas inpatient program is needed for the best results.
Our staff will monitor your vitals and provide you with medications to help ease the symptoms so that you are as comfortable as possible during the process. By remaining comfortable and having medical staff on hand, you are much more likely to get through the withdrawal phase and transition smoothly into the next step of your recovery.
Let Dallas Detox help you find addiction treatment and detox in Texas with comprehensive programs that work. Contact us today to learn more.
