Alcoholism and the Phenomenon of Craving

“Men and women drink essentially because they like the effect produced by alcohol. The sensation is so elusive that while they admit it is injurious, they can’t after a time differentiate the true from the false.”-Doctors Opinion pg xxix From the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

Most people first try alcohol out of curiosity, experimentation, or as a sort of right of passage. However what happens after the first drink for the normal drinker vs. the alcoholic is very different. It is an entirely different experience and effect. The normal drinker will drink once in a while. For the alcoholic a phenomenon of craving sets in. Usually from there on out the difference between them and their fellows becomes obvious. Often times we drink to get drunk, have poor boundaries regarding alcohol, and try to ignore the consequences. While normal drinkers drink, stop before they have had too much, and have little to no consequences around their drinking. As alcoholics we are often times blown away by normal drinkers ability to do so. We realize it has a harmful effect for us usually long before we realize we have a problem yet we can’t stop. Furthermore it’s been scientifically proven that alcoholics breakdown alcohol differently on a chemical level. Also as alcoholics that part of our brain that’s job is to remind us of cause /effect or harmful situations greatly lacks in its ability to do so when it comes to alcoholics brain chemistry. So it’s basically like we are touching a hot stove after we have been burned several times before, knowing we probably shouldn’t, and but not remembering why. How does one get out of such a seemingly hopeless situation? The only possible way is by getting and staying sober. If you suffer from alcoholism and are tired of getting “burned” here are a few good places to start…AA, researching a drug rehab blog, or finding an affordable rehab. Also if necessary there is drug addiction detox. Whatever route you or your loved one chooses you never have to feel like this or struggle again.

The Benefits Of California Alcohol Rehab

Once an individual has committed his or herself to the California alcohol rehab process, a line of obstacles lie in wait. Alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex addiction, are all real world issues that will likely present themselves in one form or another once the addict has left treatment. In order to avoid relapse, rehab patients must make the most of their rehabilitation experience. In this entry, we will offer up a few tips to help you get the most from your treatment plan.

Step 1 – Make sure to keep in touch with your treatment counselors, while keeping close friends and family members up to date on your progress. Having a strong support system following treatment is vital to the success of any program.

Step 2 – During your stay, you will be provided with a variety of print materials to help you through your recovery. Make a point to digest these resources, write down your thoughts and reflect on your emotions on a daily basis while in treatment.

Step 3 – Education is key. Many addicts may be initially unaware of the battle they’re involved in. In order to combat the addiction disease, it’s important for patients to educate themselves about their individual condition. Discuss your findings in group/individual therapy sessions and with peers to gain an sense of camaraderie and support with in your addiction program.

Step 4 – Relapse, depression and codependency are all real possibilities in any recovery. Make sure you are aware of the potential triggers and warning signs associated with each to keep yourself grounded. If possible, encourage friends and family members to seek help of their own to better aid in your recovery and their own. In this way, your support group will be properly prepared to deal with these types of issues if and when they come to light.

Step 5 – Express yourself with a daily journal during your Los Angeles rehab stay. This will serve as a valuable resource if relapse happens to occur or is under consideration. By reading the emotions and lessons gained during recovery, addicts may be able to postpone and avoid the potential of relapse.

Step 6 – Choose a new activity. Boredom is often a trigger for relapse. By keeping occupied and stimulated with healthy and productive hobbies, recovering addicts will lessen the chance of boredom, which may aid in avoiding relapse down the road.

Alcohol Addiction Help and a Spiritual Experience

“If a mere code of morals or a better philosophy of life were sufficient to overcome alcoholism, many of us would have recovered long ago. But we found that such codes and philosophies did not save us, no matter how much we tried. We could will these things with all our might, but the needed power wasn’t there. Our human resources, as man should by the will, were not sufficient, they failed utterly.” We Agnostics pg 44-45 from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

As alcoholics, it’s not that we lack morals. We are simply doing what we need to do to get our “medicine” so we can get “well”. If alcoholism could be cured by better morals or better philosophy then we would all straighten our act up and try this new approach. We would all hold ourselves to a higher moral standard that a lot of us in recovery do. But it’s not enough; we must experience an entire physic change through alcohol addiction help. We must turn our lives around and have a spiritual experience as a result of the work we do. This work can be done in many environments from AA to 30 day rehabs. If you are unsure what type of environment would work best for you, a good place to start is by looking up FAQs about rehab and recovery Los Angeles to get a better idea of what each place has to offer and find out what’s the best fit for you or your loved one(s).

Going to 30 Day Rehab and Leaving Regret Behind

“We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self seeking will slip away.” -The promises page 83 from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous

When we are drinking/using oftentimes we were full of fear and wrapped up in the bondage of this disease. We are full of anxiety, feel helpless, and are shut off from the world and our loved ones. Most of us know it is only going to get worse never better until we stop drinking and get sober. However there are many things that keep us from recovery and whether it be dependency, or fear, most of us are afraid to give up the booze. It is understandable to be afraid of letting go of something that at one point and time used to work for us in exchange for something we know nothing about or to have blind faith in this thing called recovery. At least with alcohol we know what it’s likely to do to us, and it’s familiar. Fear of change or the unknown is a big one for alcoholics but many of us can assure you that the promises have come true. There is no such thing as a helpless case. Everyone can get alcohol addiction help. We find purpose in helping others through our experiences. We care about other people and their happiness. It is no longer about us or our feelings because we know we are taken care of and are living a fulfilling life. Through 30 day rehab, AA, or an affordable rehab, the many gifts of sobriety are available for anybody who doesn’t want to live the way they are living anymore, and wants to get sober.

There is a Solution: 12 Step Addiction Programs and CA Rehab

“We are average Americans. All sections of this country and many of its occupations are represented as well as many political, economic, social, and religious backgrounds. We are people who normally would not mix. But there exists among us a fellowship, of friendliness, and an understanding which is indescribably wonderful. We are like the passengers of a great liner the moment after rescue from shipwreck when camaraderie, joyousness, and democracy pervade the vessel from steerage to captain’s table. Unlike the feelings of the ships passengers, however our joy and escape from disaster does not subside as we go our individual ways…The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we’ve discovered a common solution. We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree, and upon which we can join in brotherly and harmonious action”- There is a Solution page 17 from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous.

It does not matter where you’re from, the kind of upbringing you’ve had, or the type of person you are. Regardless of age, sex, and race, alcoholism does not discriminate. It is believed that persons, places, things, or situations do not make us alcoholics. We find that regardless of those things many of us have similar experiences when it comes to alcohol. We know all too well the feeling of uselessness, self- pity, and loneliness. We know what it’s like when our disease takes over and we are caught in a world full of darkness, fear, desperation, powerlessness, pain, and emotional/spiritual bankruptcy.  When we feel helpless it can be hard to see a way out, however when we are ready to surrender and ask for alcohol addiction help we can try different things; such as California rehab centers, AA, or California drug treatment. Once we seek out help and get sober we begin to get the gifts of recovery that’s mentioned in the excerpt from “There is a Solution”.  We are able to find happiness, form meaningful relationships, and come to know a joy that we never knew could exist. There is light where there was once darkness. There is peace where there was once chaos. There is love where there was once brokenness, and the life we live is truly indescribably wonderful. It is a life beyond anyone’s wildest dreams that cannot be transmitted, but is available to those who are willing to get sober and work to achieve recovery.

Alcohol Addiction Help and Surrender

“The idea that somehow someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death. We learned that we had to concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be has to be smashed.” -More About Alcoholism pg 30 from The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

Many of us wish to believe we are normal and can drink like others. Like the big book says, it’s the great obsession of every abnormal drinker and it usually leads to insanity or death. To admit we are alcoholics and that we are defeated are possibly two of the hardest things an alcoholic can admit to in their lives. Yet it is the most vital step when it comes to recovery. It’s amazing the power that this liquid has over us. We know that it destroys us yet we seek out ways to prove otherwise. We have a disease that tells us we don’t have a disease. If that’s not insanity then what is? When we finally surrender and get sober we often feel for a short period of time more lost than ever. Perhaps that’s something alcohol addiction help, or a 30 day rehab could help us with. Structure is always good in the beginning. Many of us alcoholics fall by the wayside and lose our lives to this disease but you don’t have to be one of them. There are so many other options available such as drug rehab in California, or AA. There is even support available for family of addicts. Whatever route you choose you can be in the minority rather than the majority .You can recover, and lead an amazing, happy and joyous life.

Addiction Treatment Centers and Help for the Alcoholic

“An illness of this sort –and we have come to believe it an illness –involves those about us in a way no other human sickness can. If a person has cancer all are sorry for him and no one is angry or hurt. But not so with the alcoholic illness. For with it there goes annihilation of all things worthwhile in life” – There is a solution pg. 17 Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Alcoholism is a disease not so easily understood by many; even an alcoholic might have a hard time grasping the true meaning. Often times it doesn’t just affect the alcoholic, but their loved ones suffer as well. This can make it hard for them to forgive an alcoholic or have empathy. It becomes a vicious cycle. The alcoholic harms or wrongs a loved one, forgets or gets over it, the loved one is still upset and resentful, and the alcoholic doesn’t understand why they are resentful or being mean, and then proceeds to harm them again in retaliation. This continues well into early recovery for some people, which is why support for families is so important when you are seeking addiction treatment. The alcoholic in the throes of their disease has a knack for assuming the victim role. It talks about this in the big book. It says…”we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate seemingly without provocation.” We don’t do this intentionally. After all, if we can’t love or care for ourselves how are supposed to love or care for our fellows? If we are unable to show up for life or trust ourselves how is it possible to show up for and trust others? It’s a disease that centers in the mind as much as it is a spiritual malady. The disease may be out of our control but the solution is not. There are several solutions available that can be found using drug rehab blogs. You can find rehabs that take insurance, check out California rehab centers, and discover AA meetings. When the alcoholic makes the decision to get help, the benefits are felt through the entire family.

Affordable Rehab: When You’ve Given up Trying to Manage Your Drinking

“Each person is like an actor who wants to run the show; he is forever trying to arrange the lights, the ballet, the scenery and the rest of the players in his own way. If his arrangements would only stay put .if only people would do as he wished, the show would be great. Everybody including himself would be pleased.” How it works – pg.60 Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

This is very much the alcoholics’ life. He is always trying to manage and control every area of his life so he can have a sense that things are manageable. Our lives become so chaotic that we begin grasping for any sense of stability .often times we also go through the blaming phase. If only so and so would do this or if that person would just be a little more understanding then maybe we could all be happy. We deflect responsibility for ourselves and others welfare by putting it off on other people we blame other people for our unhappiness shortcomings. We have high expectations that are often times impossible to meet. We become restless, irritable, and discontent. As a result selfish thoughts and behaviors run our lives. This can carry on into our sobriety until we take responsibility. Once we admit we are powerless and our lives are unmanageable we can begin to recognize our parts in things and be free of past wounds and harms. We can recognize we have a problem and begin to heal .if this rings true for you or you or a loved one are at the point where you are ready to get help then there are several solutions available such as drug rehab blogs, an affordable rehab, AA, and 30 day rehab programs along with many other sources. May you find the help you are looking for and may this be the first day of the rest of your life!

Getting Addiction Help When Drinking and Using Doesn’t Work Anymore

“The old pleasures were gone. They were but memories. Never could we recapture the great moments of the past. There was an insistent yearning to enjoy life as we once did and a heartbreaking obsession that some new miracle of control would enable us to do it. There was always one more attempt and one more failure” -pg 151 from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous: A Vision for You

As it says in the big book, “no person likes to think he is bodily and mentally different from his fellows.” Therefore, it is not surprising that we constantly try to make drinking work for us, or that we have a strong desire and drive to drink like we use to be able to in the beginning. It truly is a heartbreaking obsession to try to do something and yet know it will never work for us again. Many of us follow this obsession into the gates of insanity or death. When we pick up the bottle we generally are only thinking about the times it did work for us or the hope that it will again. It’s a vicious cycle that destroys many peoples’ lives and families. However, there is hope through Alcohol addiction help and support for family of addicts. Many people have the opportunity to recover, patch up their lives, and repair relationships. The cycle can stop. If you need help there are several places available, a couple of them being; rehabs that take insurance, AA, and other 12 step rehab facilities. While it is true that the old pleasures are gone, you will find many new pleasures in living a sober and happy life.

Family Involvement In The Addiction Treatment Process

The addiction treatment process poses a great deal of difficulty to an addict’s loved ones. Friends and relatives often attempt to aid the addict through practices that ultimately serve to heighten the addiction rather than reduce it. Because many families rely on members for support, guidance and assistance, involvement and education of family members throughout the recovery process is a vital aspect in ensuring the successful rehabilitation of the addict.

Benefits

Recent studies show a direct link between family and social support and relapse tendencies and behaviors in addicts new to the recovery process. Most experts agree that the family’s involvement throughout the recovery is necessary to a successful result during and following the initial rehab period. Families who make a concerted effort to involve themselves ultimately garner of number of life benefits, both socially, monetarily and personally over time. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that addicts lacking family support throughout the recovery process are much more likely to return to their old habits.

Compliance

The involvement of a family serves in promoting the addict on a compliance level regarding their addiction treatment. Those who show little to no sign of motivation or enthusiasm are able to take from family members who believe in the process, thus helping to ensure a productive and long lasting recovery. In many cases, it is family encouragement that works to stabilize the patient long enough for the treatment to take effect. Over time, the addict learns to live life in a drug-free manner while commitment levels heighten. Educated families can effectively warn recovering addicts of potential relapse signs and encourage them to seek help before a problem arises.

Self Expression

It’s natural for family members of an addict to experience various emotions throughout the recovery process. Common feelings include anger, fear, mistrust and resentment. A family’s involvement in the recovery process enables members to deal with these emotions in a positive manner, while learning how best to support the addict in their rehabilitation. Often times, it is the family who is able to first point out potential issues and relapse symptoms, and as such, their involvement in vital to the success of the individual’s substance abuse rehabilitation experience.

Denial

Through the process of relating various details regarding the addict’s drug use behavior, family members can effectively break down the walls of denial in the addict found so commonly associated addiction. Once an individual is forced to face the seriousness of their addiction, they will be much more likely to gain a personal commitment to sobriety early into the recovery process.

Support

Family members who place an emphasis on addiction education will learn how to focus their attention on their own needs, rather than those of the addict. In this way, both the addict and family members can enter into a new and happy life chapter with a fixation on progress, love, support and accountability. If you’re interested in learning more about your available options, help for parents of addicts can be obtained by contacting a local addiction treatment facility.