Why Do Alcoholics Drink Differently?

“This is by no means a comprehensive picture of the true alcoholic, as our behavior patterns vary. But this description should identify him roughly. Why does he behave like this? If hundreds of experiences have shown him that one drink means another debacle with all its attendant suffering and humiliation, why is it he takes that one drink? Why can’t he stay on the water wagon? What has become of the common sense and will power that he still sometimes displays with respect to other matters? Perhaps there never will be a full answer to these questions. Opinions vary considerably as to why the alcoholic reacts differently from normal people. We are not sure why, once a certain point is reached, little can be done for him. We cannot answer the riddle. “- pg.22 There Is A Solution from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous

Many people including ourselves are baffled by our drinking. We see others drink with impunity yet when we try to it usually ends in negative consequences. While we need alcohol addiction help through California rehab centers, AA, drug addiction detox, or sober livings normal drinkers can just stop drinking if there are consequences or even if they don’t like the way it makes them feel. We on the other hand cannot. In other words we are powerless. There is something in us that makes us forget about the negative effects alcohol has had on our lives. It becomes something we need. Instead of a choice it becomes a necessity for us. The only way out of this disease is either through jails, institutions, death, or recovery. If we choose recovery then we must be willing to do the work necessary to live life sober. If we fail to accept that we are powerless over alcohol then we will not be prepared to stay sober. However if we admit we are powerless, turn our lives over, and do the work we can then go on to live a happy, joyous, and free life.

Moderate vs. Alcoholic Drinking

“Moderate drinkers have little trouble in giving up liquor entirely if they have good reason for it. They can take it or leave it alone. Then we have a certain type of hard drinker. He may have the habit badly to gradually impair him physically and mentally. It may cause him to die a few years before his time. If a sufficiently strong reason- ill health, falling in love, a change of environment or the warning of a doctor-becomes operative, this man can also stop or moderate, although he may find it difficult and troublesome and may even need medical attention. But what about the real alcoholic? He may start off as a moderate drinker; he may or may not become a continuous hard drinker; but at some stage of his drinking career he begins to lose all control of his liquor consumption once he starts to drink.” – pg. 21 There Is A Solution from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous

There is a section in the big book that says “If you can drink like a gentleman then our hats are off to you.” Chances are if we are looking for alcohol addiction help and answers to the reasons why we drink the way we do and how to stop it is probably safe to say that we are probably already aware of the fact that we fall under the last category of being a “real alcoholic” If you find that when you drink it is impossible to stop or your boundaries around drinking suddenly go out the window then it is most likely you suffer from this disease too. So where do you go from here? There are several options when it comes to getting sober. There Is California alcohol rehab, AA, sober livings, and other affordable rehabs just to name a few. After deciding which is best for you and doing the work involved in getting and staying sober the healing and rehabilitation process starts. In sobriety not only do you have the opportunity to heal all the areas in your life which had been broken but if you continue on this path you can go onto live a happy, joyous, free, and fun filled life.

The Struggle To Rehab and Sobriety

“How many times people have said to us: “I can take it or leave it alone. Why can’t he? ““Why don’t you drink like a gentleman or quit?” “That fellow can’t handle his liquor.” “Why don’t you try beer and wine?” “Lay off the hard stuff.” “His will power must be weak.” “He could stop if he wanted to.” “She’s such a sweet girl; I should think he’d stop for her sake.” “The doctor told him that if he ever drank again it would kill him but there he is all lit up again.” Now these are commonplace observations on drinkers which we hear all the time. Back of them is a world of ignorance and misunderstanding. We see that these expressions refer to people whose reactions are very different from ours.”-pg.20 There Is A Solution from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous

If only it was that simple for alcoholics to stop drinking. If these suggestions worked for helpless drinkers like us we would never have to go to the lengths we go to in order to get alcohol addiction help. We wouldn’t have to go to a Los Angeles rehab, AA, or any other California alcohol rehab for that matter. Many people that don’t know what it’s like to suffer from this disease believe that it’s a matter of being weak willed or just not wanting to stop bad enough. There is lack of understanding at times that we suffer from a disease. It’s a disease that makes us think that if we take a drink then we will be okay, and along the way we “forget” about the previous consequences that were a direct result of our drinking. We are sick people trying to get well and alcohol is our medicine/solution until it stops working for us. At this point the only other solutions or options for us are either to get sober or die. If we are fortunate enough we are able to make it into recovery and go onto live an amazing and fulfilling life.

Discovering a Power Greater than Yourself in Sobriety

“Well, that’s exactly what this book is about. Its main objective is to enable you to find a power greater than yourself which will solve your problem. That means we have written a book which we believe to be spiritual as well as moral. And it means, of course that we are going to talk about God. Here difficulty arises with agnostics.  Many times we talk to a new man and watch his hope rise as we discuss his alcoholic problems and explain our fellowship. But his face falls when we speak of spiritual matters, especially when we mention God, for we have re-opened a subject which our man thought he had nearly evaded or entirely ignored. We know how he feels. We have shared his honest doubt and prejudice. Some of us have been violently anti-religious.”-pg. 45 We Agnostics from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous

It is common for many alcoholics to have issues with the whole God thing especially because of what most of us had to endure prior to receiving alcohol addiction help, as well as the type of religious upbringing most of us had. When we get to the part of the big book that states “either God is everything or he is nothing what is our choice to be?” it can be difficult for us to make that decision. It might seem like enough to have to deal with getting sober, going to a 30 day rehab program, AA, or a drug addiction detox but the fact is that if those things aren’t backed up with spiritual growth followed by a spiritual experience then it is all for nothing. It is not required that we believe in God or a guy in the sky idea but rather that we come up with a concept of a power greater than ourselves that works for us. What this “power” looks like acts like, is called, resides, and any other qualities are entirely up to us as the individual.

Where Do I Go For Help

The Above It All Treatment Center is a co-occurring disorders treatment center located in Los Angeles, California. We provide an interdisciplinary therapeutic approach designed to address the root causes of addiction. With an inpatient capacity of just 12 people our holistic style is completely individualized and offers the highest standard of dignity and confidentiality during rehabilitation. If you would like to learn more about our treatment options call 1 888 805 0127 now.

Whether you are looking for a sober living home, an inpatient drug rehab, an outpatient addiction treatment program or psychotherapeutic counseling, Above It All Treatment Center can provide you with what you need. Above It All Treatment Center is a southern California drug rehab located on Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino Mountains about 90 minutes from Los Angeles.

The application process starts with a phone call or an email. Contact the Los Angeles drug rehab center that interests you and ask questions: Do they offer medical detox? Do they provide residential treatment or outpatient services? What aftercare services do they offer? Do they take your insurance? When will they have a space available for you?

After that, you can ask for a tour of the facility or an in-person meeting with a counselor to discuss your drug history and your goals and needs for treatment. If you have co-occurring medical and/ or psychological disorders, food allergies or other issues that will require accommodation, this is the time to bring it up and make sure that your Los Angeles drug rehab center can cater to your needs.

Paying for a Los Angeles drug rehab center starts much like getting into a Los Angeles drug rehab center starts: with a phone call. Start with one of the questions listed above: Do you take my insurance? Then follow it up with more specifics. Find out if your insurance covers all of the cost of treatment or just part. They may cover only certain treatments or pay for a certain amount of time in drug rehab.

Here is what you’ll notice as soon as you arrive:  The stunning beauty of Lake Arrowhead and the surrounding forest, The quietness, the feeling of peace and solitude and The crisp mountain air along with the and the soft scent of pine.

Above It All Treatment Center is the perfect place to escape your everyday life, leave your cares behind, and begin your journey to sobriety — and happiness. Call us today at call 1 888 805 0127 so we can assist you in the start of your recovery.

The Alcoholic Addict, Resentments, and Inventory

“We reviewed our own conduct over the years past. Where had we been selfish, dishonest, or inconsiderate? Whom had we hurt? Did we unjustifiably arouse jealousy, suspicion or bitterness? Where were we at fault, what should we have done instead? We got this all down on paper and looked at it. In this way we tried to shape a sane and sound ideal for our future sex life. We subjected each relation to this test-was it selfish or not? We asked God to mold our ideals and help us to live up to them. We remembered always that our sex powers were God-given and therefore good, neither to be used lightly or selfishly nor to be despised and loathed. Whatever our ideals turns out to be , we must be willing to grow toward it. We must be willing to make amends where we have done harm, provided that we do not bring about still more harm in doing so.” pg. 69 How It Works, from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous

It is imperative as alcoholics that we review our conduct on a regular basis so that we can amend our behavior. It is easy for us especially prior to receiving alcohol addiction help to come from a place of selfishness, and self-seeking. This often times results in lack of consideration for others. When we act without consciousness it can be hurtful to others. Many of us have spent most of our drinking days running through people’s lives like tornados. When we go through a drug addiction detox, AA, a 30 day rehab program, and get sober we are given the tools needed not to do this anymore, we learn what it means to live on an altruistic plane, and we shape our ideals. When shaping our ideals it is not just limited to sex it can be applicable to several areas of our lives. We take a look at how we want to be in all our relationships and also look closely at the kind of relationships we want in our lives romantic or not. After we do this we turn it over to a power greater than ourselves and make an effort to get as close to those ideals as possible. When we fall short we make it right. As long as we try our best and keep our side of the street clean we will be able to experience the gifts and grace that this program and lifestyle has to offer.

What If They Don’t Want To Go?

There are times when we get calls at Above It All Treatment Center from families that have a family member who clearly has drug or alcohol addiction or substance abuse problems and are in complete denial, or worse, simply do not want help.  What can these families do?  They know their loved one needs help but at the same time they know that they will not be able to convince them to get the help they need.

Above It All Treatment Center understands these family problems and realizes that by the time a family member is calling, it is because they cannot withstand the terror of the addiction any longer.  They realize that their family member needs help and that the family will need some assistance in order to provide that help.

Above It All Treatment Center is a full service facility that is available to the addicted as well as the families when needed.  We can schedule a time to meet with the family and then guide the client into the meeting where, with the help of professionals, we can lay all the cards on the table and let the client know how they are affecting others in the family in a negative.  We work towards ending the meeting with a commitment by the client to enter our treatment facility to get the needed help.

Once the need for help is determined, we then relocate the client, either by airplane or by car to our beautiful facility in Lake Arrowhead located in the California Mountains.  Our nice, stress-free, relaxing facility is the perfect place to work down the path to a complete recovery.  Our clients, upon arrival, will be able to assist us as we design a treatment plan with them in mind.  This plan will be the guide to recovery and a happy life.  It will be designed with the client in mind and will allow enough stability to keep the client focused on their recovery while allowing enough flexibility for them to function in their everyday lives without disruption.

If the client sticks with the treatment plan to the end, then they will make a successful recovery and begin a happy and addiction free life.  Above It All Treatment Center is the place that you will want to go if you are struggling with any addiction in your life.  Why not give us call today and see how we can help you.

Signs Of Addiction: Who Do I Call?

Above It All Treatment and Recovery Center offers extensive recovery programs for those that are dealing with drug or alcohol addiction.  There are many different types of drug addiction, and they have the necessary skills to help you beat any type of addiction that you may be facing.  Addiction is definitely something that should not be taken lightly.  If you have a drug or alcohol problem, then you will need to get the proper medical treatment in order to make a full recovery.

Above It All Treatment and Recovery Center has a variety of advantages over the other facilities that you may be considering.  First of all, they offer many different types of treatment.  While the 12 step program may help most people, it may not be the only thing that you need to help you get through your addiction.  You will also find residential inpatient programs and outpatient therapy as well.  The program that you choose will be tailored to meet your specific needs.

Addiction is something that can creep up on you quickly.  You may not even realize that you have a problem with drugs or alcohol.  Dependency is something that can happen quickly, or it can happen over time.  Each person will have a different experience with addiction.  If addiction is something that runs in your family, then you may be more prone to becoming dependent on drugs or alcohol- even after just a short period of time.  Therefore, look for the signs of addiction and turn to Above It All Treatment and Recovery Center now.

Above It All Treatment and Recovery Center– Call (888) 634-4546 to Get Help Now

The Alcoholic, Fear, and Sobriety

“Sometimes we think fear ought to be classed with stealing. It seems to cause more trouble. We reviewed our fears thoroughly. We put them on paper, even though we had no resentment in connection with them. We asked ourselves why we had them. Wasn’t it because self-reliance failed us? Self-reliance was good as far as it went, but it didn’t go far enough. Some of us once had great self-confidence, but it didn’t fully solve the fear problem, or any other. When it made us cocky, it was worse. Perhaps there is a better way-we think so.For we are now on different basis of trusting and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than our finite self. We are in the world to play the role he assigns. Just to the extent that we do as we think he would have us, and humbly rely on him, does he enable us to match calamity with serenity.” – Pg.68 How It Works, from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous

Fear often robs us of all things good in our life. It causes so much damage and can be paralyzing at times. When we first receive alcohol addiction help, go to a drug addiction detox, AA, or 30 day rehab program one of the first things that is asked of us is to turn our will over to a power greater than ourselves. Through the recovery process we are given the tools needed to do so. The fact is that at some point we come to realize that fear to the extent that most of us endure it is not healthy and is no longer a character defect that works for us. It is isolating and only separates us from the world but also from our higher power. If we are in so much fear that we feel like we have to control the situation regardless of the fact that we are powerless then there is very little to no room for God. If we can live in faith then we can be rid of fear, be happy, be free from the bondage of self, and truly know what it’s like to live in the sunlight of the spirit while we match calamity with serenity.

Detox That Works In Surroundings That Comfort

At Above It All Treatment and Recovery Center, we have a dedicated detox facility situated on Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino Mountains that’s managed by a highly trained staff to make your experience as comfortable and as smooth as possible. Upon arrival, we will fully assess your physical and chemical state. Before we begin your treatment, we will evaluate any injuries you have and perform comprehensive tests to gain an in-depth look at the biochemical, nutritional, and neuro-biological aspects of your addiction.

Detox can be dangerous if not done properly. Many people who attempt detox, either by themselves or under the supervision of someone who is insufficiently trained, fail and relapse because of the painful and unpleasant symptoms they experience when undergoing detox. That’s why it’s critical to work with experienced professionals who will supervise the process from start to finish, and make you feel as comfortable as possible.

With a staff of licensed nurses providing 24-hour care, 7 days a week, you can rest easy knowing that your comfort, safety and ongoing needs are our number one priority. No one slips through the cracks or goes unnoticed here. We have the highest staff-to-client ratio of any drug treatment facility in the country, and we pride ourselves on taking excellent care of our clients. Privacy, confidentiality, and the highest level of care are what you can expect at Above It All Treatment and Recovery Center.

When you call Above It All Treatment and Recovery Center, we will discuss your specific needs for any drug or alcohol detox services. Then, upon admission, we will determine what your detox protocol will be.  If you are interested in learning more, please call for a FREE addiction assessment now:  888-634-4546