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Hiding Alcohol: What Does It Mean?

Hiding Alcohol

Why Does My Loved One Hide Alcohol?

Hiding alcohol is a very common sign of alcohol use disorder, also called alcohol addiction. If your loved one hides alcohol, you may find it around the house in the bottle it came in, in a water bottle, or in other drink containers.

When you discover that your loved one is hiding alcohol, it is often a scary time. Perhaps, you knew your loved one engaged in excessive drinking already, and discovering hidden alcohol around the house was the moment you could no longer ignore the problem. Alternatively, hidden alcohol could be one of the first signs of alcohol addiction you see.

Either way, your loved one deserves help and a judgment-free space to land. In this article, we’ll talk about alcohol use disorder and what to do if you discover that your loved one is drinking alcohol in private.

Keep reading to learn more about how to help a loved one with alcohol, and about the effective programs for recovery at Pathfinders in Colorado and Arizona!

Understanding Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)

Alcohol Use Disorder

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a mental illness, just like other substance use disorders. It could be that your loved one experiences alcohol addiction alone, or it could be that their alcohol consumption occurs alongside the use of other drugs.

While multiple risk factors increase the risk of an alcohol use disorder, the fact of the matter is that anyone can face alcohol addiction. Substance abuse has become increasingly prevalent throughout the years. The good news is that AUD is a treatable disorder.

Signs And Severity of an Alcohol Use Disorder

While hiding alcohol is one sign of a problem, understanding the other symptoms of alcohol addiction can help you identify it in yourself, family members, friends, or someone else you know, like a partner. Alcohol use disorder can be mild, moderate, or severe. Mild alcohol use disorder is marked by two to three of the signs below, whereas moderate alcohol use disorder is marked by three to five and severe alcohol use disorder is marked by six or more.

Signs of alcohol abuse include but aren’t limited to:

  • Drinking alcohol in large amounts or over a longer period than intended.
  • A persistent desire to stop drinking paired with unsuccessful efforts to reduce or control alcohol use.
  • Cravings or a strong desire to drink alcohol.
  • Spending a large portion of time on activities required to obtain, use, or recover from the effects of alcohol.
  • Continued alcohol use that results in failure to attend to obligations at work, school, or home.
  • Continuing to drink despite negative effects in the form of ongoing social or interpersonal problems caused or exacerbated by alcohol consumption.
  • Giving up or reducing time spent on important social, occupational, or recreational activities due to alcohol use.
  • Recurrent alcohol use despite getting into physically hazardous situations due to drinking.
  • Continued drinking despite recurrent or persistent physical or mental health issues that are likely caused or worsened by alcohol.
  • Tolerance is marked by either a need for higher drinking levels (a larger quantity of drinks) to achieve desired effects or a markedly reduced level of intoxication from drinking the same amount of alcohol.
  • Withdrawals marked by either withdrawal syndrome or consuming alcohol or a closely related substance, like benzodiazepines, to avoid or relieve withdrawal symptoms.

 

Regardless of severity level, getting professional help is crucial. Friends and family members are often an important part of a person’s support system, so the fact that you are reading this is already an excellent first step. Now, what are the treatment options?

Treatment Options For Alcohol Addiction

Residential Treatment For Alcohol Abuse

Everyone with a substance use disorder will have different treatment needs. Thankfully, there’s more than one treatment option for AUD. Treatment options for alcohol addiction include but aren’t limited to:

Residential treatment

Residential treatment involves staying at the treatment facility for the duration of care. In other words, individuals attending residential treatment will sleep and eat at the facility to which they are admitted.

You or your family member attending treatment will typically engage in various therapies (such as individual, group, and family therapy), creating a relapse prevention plan, and other helpful activities while in a residential treatment program.

Long-term rehab

It takes a lot of work and courage to manage addiction. Long-term rehab is ideal for those who require a longer duration of treatment than residential programs provide.

Residential treatment stays are usually around one to three months, whereas long-term rehab allows someone to stay in treatment for more than three months. While it depends on the person and their needs, some stay in long-term rehab for six months to a year.

Partial hospitalization programs

Partial hospitalization program

A partial hospitalization program (PHP) is more intensive than an outpatient program but less intensive than inpatient treatment. Like with outpatient programs, you do not sleep at the facility when you attend PHP. However, PHP usually requires a time commitment of around twenty hours per week.

Intensive outpatient programs

An intensive outpatient program (IOP) for mental health concerns like substance use disorders is exactly what it sounds like. Rather than sleep and eat at a treatment facility, intensive outpatient allows someone to live at home or otherwise outside of a facility while in care. IOP requires a time commitment of between nine to nineteen hours per week.

Medical detox

Withdrawals are uncomfortable. Medical detox is a safe space to go through the initial withdrawal and detoxification process while supervised by medical professionals. Some people, though not all, attend medical detox prior to treatment.

The Myth Of The “High-Functioning Alcoholic”

High-Functioning Alcoholic

You may or may not have heard the term “high-functioning alcoholic.” Usually, the term high-functioning alcoholic is used to describe a person who continues to engage in society through maintaining a job or their family life despite heavy drinking or an otherwise notable drinking problem. This may represent your loved one who attempts to hide alcohol.

Loved ones hiding drinking problems sometimes feel that they “have it under control” and may initially resist treatment. That said, a drinking problem is always serious enough to get help. Take a deep breath and know that your loved one can get to a better place.

Get Help For Yourself Or A Loved One

If your loved one is hiding alcohol or shows other signs of alcohol addiction, there is hope. Pathfinders Recovery Center is here to help. Pathfinders Recovery Center has many locations and levels of care in Arizona and Colorado. The levels of care we offer include residential, outpatient, partial hospitalization, detox, and long-term rehab.

Our hotline is available 24/7 for people with substance use disorders and their loved ones. When you contact Pathfinders Recovery Center, we will help you verify insurance coverage for treatment and find a placement at one of our facilities.

Call Pathfinders Recovery Center to speak with an addiction counselor today or fill out the Contact Us form on our website now!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Hiding Alcohol

Why do people hide their alcohol?

If someone hides alcohol in their own home, it is usually because the person knows that they have a problem. A person may hide alcohol out of shame or so that others do not know how much alcohol they drink.

Where do people usually hide alcohol?

If you find alcohol hidden by a loved one once, you may wonder where else they’re hiding alcohol. Common spots to find hidden alcohol include dresser drawers, closets, or containers typically used for other drinks, such as water bottles.

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Chest Pain Drinking Alcohol?

chest-pain-and-alcohol

Why Does Alcohol Affect the Heart?

Most of us know that overdoing it with alcohol can cause health problems. However, there are plenty of longtime alcoholics who don’t even think about that. It’s not something I ever thought about until I began experiencing serious health complications.

I remember my grandfather complaining a lot about chest pains near the end of his life. He was a lifelong drinker himself and didn’t put a lot of thought into his health. He ended up dying from alcoholic cardiomyopathy. He had a number of other issues going on including diabetes and alcohol-induced gastritis.

A Family History of Alcoholic Heart Conditions

You’d think watching him drink himself to death would’ve stopped me, but it didn’t. I became a heavy drinker myself and was in and out of trouble all through my younger years. Drunk driving charges, disorderly conduct, I was a mess for a long time.

I began dabbling with other drugs during this time, and excessive drinking also led me to pick up smoking. I’ve known a lot of people who started smoking because of alcohol. Smoking when drunk is pretty common due to alcohol increasing the craving to smoke. It’s just like mixing any other drugs. One enhances the other.

Should Alcohol Consumption Cause Chest Pains?

Side Effects of Alcohol Consumption

The short answer is: it depends on your consumption. The fact of the matter is if you drink heavily, you are going to experience some type of health difficulty. A lot of factors are in play. When it comes to chest pain, there are many causes of chest pain after drinking. Alcohol has a great effect on the heart. There is a direct link between alcohol and heart attack risk.

Alcohol temporarily increases heart rate and blood pressure. When you drink, the alcohol enters the bloodstream and is released into various parts of the body. Long-term alcohol consumption can lead to high blood pressure and weakened heart muscles.

Side Effects of Alcohol Consumption

There are a lot of additional alcohol side effects that may not be as severe. Heartburn from alcohol consumption. Alcohol typically contains a lot of sugar which can take longer for your body to break down. We’ve all had uncomfortable heartburn before. Imagine having it on a consistent basis.

Other uncomfortable side effects of alcohol include organ stress and damage, pancreatitis, and dehydration. There is also a link between acid reflux and alcohol. Alcohol is known to contribute to acid reflux due to its interaction with your esophagus.

Alcohol and Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial Fibrillation

Another scary side effect of alcohol abuse is atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a rapid, irregular heartbeat, commonly referred to as ‘afib’. This is commonly referred to as holiday heart. It’s important to understand the holiday heart and its risks. Everyone seems to overdo it around the holidays. We overdo it with food and alcohol.

Doctors tend to see more cases of ‘afib’ around the holiday season. The bottom line is that a lot of bad things can happen from excessive alcohol intake. Alcohol toxicity (commonly referred to as alcohol poisoning) is a very common occurrence and is most often deadly.

Seeking Treatment For Alcohol

Even if you know you have a drinking problem, getting help is not as easy as it may seem. A lot of people try to get help to save their job or marriage. The truth is, unless you truly want to do it for yourself, it probably won’t work. Recovery is an ongoing process and is something that has to be maintained.

You don’t just get sober and then never have to put any effort into it. You get out of it what you put in. If you put in the work, sobriety can be a very rewarding thing.

Find Your Reason for Getting Sober

Reason for Getting Sober

We all have different reasons that help us get clean. Finding recovery for your heart is one of the most common reasons. As you get older, you start paying more attention to your mortality. Especially when the things you once enjoyed begin giving you health issues. I would wake up almost every day with ‘hangxiety’ and chest pains. Hangxiety refers to the anxiety that can occur over getting a hangover. Worrying about whether or not you will be hungover can be very distressing and can easily make your situation worse.

How Can I Cure my Hangxiety?

First, we have to know, can you cure hangxiety in general? From my research, it seems that the best you can do is figure out why you are having it in the first place. I know that alcohol makes me anxious, but it is much more than that. My anxiety and my drinking are rooted in something deeper within me. I used to ask myself why alcohol gave me anxiety, instead of asking myself why I needed to drink so much.

It turned out I was trying to hide the pain and suffering that I was going through my entire life. I had a rough upbringing and didn’t have both of my parents. My father was in and out of prison, and my mother was often homeless and unable to take care of me or my siblings. Both of my parents had problems with alcohol. Was it any surprise that I would end up this way myself?

Anxiety and Hangover Guilt

Hangover guilt is another common feeling that drinkers who suffer from anxiety will experience. A lot of us who binge drink wake up not remembering the events from the previous day or night. We instantly began worrying about what transpired. Did I say or do something I shouldn’t have? Did I call anybody and leave an embarrassing voice message? A bunch of these questions comes to mind, and they feed your feelings of anxiety.Drinking-alcohol-and-Chest-pain

I know that if I overdo it, which I used to do frequently, I would usually feel pretty guilty about it. We tell ourselves that we won’t overdo it, and when we do, we beat ourselves up about it. We find it hard to forgive ourselves. It just points to the fact that you probably don’t have any control over your drinking.

It took me a long time to realize that I needed help. I knew I needed to change my habits. I couldn’t go another night with alcohol making me anxious. I couldn’t go another day feeling like death. I had more to deal with than just my drinking. I was not in a good place mentally after suffering from hangxiety day in and day out.

I needed to do something. I checked myself into treatment through the Pathfinders Recovery Center and began to put my life back together. It wasn’t easy, but it was the only thing that was going to fix my issues.

Regain Control with Alcohol Treatment

It’s common to experience anxiety and depression days after binge drinking. Alcohol alters our mental state, and it can take a while for our brain to recover. Feelings of anxiety and depression after drinking are very common. After all, alcohol is a depressant.

It slows down our brains and impairs our cognitive functions. When you aren’t drinking, you have to face the effects that come with it. It’s very similar to what a drug addict feels when they can’t get the drug. Remember, alcohol is not only a drug but probably the most abused drug of all of them.

Regain Control with Alcohol Treatment

Because of the level of my anxiety, I was pretty nervous about detox. I felt the same feelings of anxiety that I felt when I was hungover. I just tried to tell myself that this would give me the positive result that drinking didn’t. It was going to be uncomfortable, but I was going to have something to show for it when all was said and done.

That helped curb my anxiety and put me in the place where I needed to get better. The people at Pathfinders did everything they could to make me feel comfortable during such an uncomfortable process. They did an amazing job of getting me through that initial struggle.

The children of alcoholics usually suffer at some point in their lives. They often develop anxiety, depression, and addictions of their own. It is a cycle that isn’t easily broken. Once we get too far into an addiction, we often think we are beyond being saved. We are the way we are and that’s that. There’s no fixing it. Meeting other folks in recovery helps a lot. I met so many people in group therapy who drank for decades. They assumed there was nothing that could be done. Once your body and mind have gone through years of damage, you think there’s no reversing it.

Listening to other people’s stories made me understand that this cycle can be broken no matter where you are in your struggle. You can be an addict for years and still quit. It all comes down to you wanting it bad enough. I used to think I wanted to get clean, but it took me a long time before I wanted it bad enough to go through with it.

We like the idea of being sober and leaving all that suffering behind, but you have to put in the work. It’s a practice that takes time and effort. Once you get sober, it doesn’t mean the process is over. It’s a daily struggle sometimes, but one you will be well equipped to deal with the following treatment. Reach out to the folks at Pathfinders Recovery Centers today to get started, and let your own hangxiety become a thing of the past!

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What is a Functioning Alcoholic?

What is a Functioning Alcoholic

Functioning Alcoholics

Across the country, nearly 18 million adults have an alcohol use disorder. With such a high number, it would be impossible for each of these disorders to look the same. Before we talk about the different types of alcoholism and signs of functioning alcoholism, let’s go over what it means to be a functioning alcoholic. 

Unlike the defeated scenes we see on TV, many alcoholics in real life aren’t living at rock bottom. They are getting up and going to work each day, often in high-paying careers. They have meaningful relationships and are generally well-educated. 

Functioning alcoholics can appear, on the surface, to have their lives in order. Many maintain a relatively normal life, including a full social circle, home life, and career. You may not ever know that functioning alcoholics were averaging five drinks or more just about every other day. 

While people in this category may function better than others, that does not mean that this is a sustainable way to live. Alcoholism is a severe, chronic disease. The disease and its side effects only get worse over time. 

Other Types of Alcoholism

Other Types of Alcoholism

We talk a lot about functioning alcoholics, but did you know that this is only one type of five? The other four are young adult, young antisocial, intermediate familial, and chronic severe alcoholics. You may notice that two out of five of these categories mention a specific age group. 

That is because young adults account for over half of the total number of alcoholics in the country. In the past, alcoholics were generally imagined to be middle-aged, divorced, and otherwise down on their luck. 

But this is not always the case. In fact, it is not even the case half of the time. In the same way that every person is unique, every addiction is, too. It is time for us all to learn more about alcoholism so that we can be better prepared to overcome it, no matter how it looks for you. 

Signs of a Functioning Alcoholic

As we mentioned above, functioning alcoholics average five drinks in a day about every other day. They are generally working, older adults with stable social and familial relationships, more education, and higher incomes. 

Additionally, they will carry out daily tasks of living with minimal disruptions. Work, hygiene, childcare, bill paying, and social activities can be completed without exhibiting the impairments that are normally associated with an alcohol use disorder. 

But the compulsive drinking of a functioning alcoholic can make it harder to tell when you’ve crossed a line. If your drinking tolerance has increased, you have started to hide your drinking from others, or you become defensive when your drinking is questioned, these are all signs of a functioning alcoholic. 

Additional Functioning Alcoholic Symptoms

An increased tolerance to alcohol, the compulsion to hide your drinking, and becoming emotional when asked about your drinking habits are three signs of trouble. Other behaviors that you or someone you love has high-functioning alcoholism include: 

  • Regularly experiencing blackouts after drinking. 
  • Going to work in the morning still drunk or hungover. 
  • Sneaking drinks before or after a social event or at an event that doesn’t involve alcohol.
  • Getting drunk alone at home or hiding alcohol from your loved ones in the house.
  • Drinking even after you have developed mental or physical health problems. 
  • Denying that you have a problem because you still go to work and or perform other important tasks. 
  • Drinking at work or in settings that could be dangerous, including while or before you are driving. 
  • Drinking excessively to cope with stress. 
  • Getting overwhelming alcohol cravings when you are not drinking. 
  • Lying about the extent of your drinking to yourself or those who care about you. 
  • Comparing yourself to others who have experienced more severe alcohol-related problems. 

Are You a High Functioning Alcoholic?

As you can see, there are many signs that you may be a functioning alcoholic. You may experience a few of these events or circumstances or many of them. No two functioning alcoholics will have exactly the same experience. 

But chances are good that if you see yourself in this list, it is time to seek help. Our expert medical staff can help evaluate your concerns and look objectively at your drinking habits. They will help you determine which of your behaviors are problematic and how to fix them from there. 

You do not have to face high functioning alcoholism alone. And the ability to carry out daily responsibilities does not mean that you will be safe from more serious side effects down the line. Over time, alcoholism impairs your mental and physical health. 

Living with alcoholism long-term will not do. The sooner you decide to change your life, the sooner your life can begin to change. 

How to Help a Functioning Alcoholic in Denial

If your spouse, parent, child, or sibling is exhibiting concerning drinking behaviors, you would not be the first person to wonder how to live with a high functioning alcoholic. Many people who battle alcoholism will hide their drinking and become defensive or angry when questioned. 

These are two signs of an alcoholic in denial. It is not always easy to approach someone who is battling addiction. But early interference and treatment can save someone from years of struggles. 

It can help prevent further mental or physical health complications and ensure that your loved one can live a happy, healthy, sober life. For a mild alcohol use disorder, treatment is minimally disruptive. 

They can attend outpatient treatments, including behavioral therapy sessions, stress management training, and support groups. This type of program is ideal for those who have work and family obligations to attend to at home. 

Before considering a professional intervention, consider having an open, honest conversation with them about their drinking habits. Calmly and supportively encourage them to speak to a professional about these habits. 

It can be a counselor at our facility or their regular doctor. Getting them talking is a great first step. Talk to them about what you have learned here. And know that denial is normal at first. 

Seeking Help for Yourself

If you are seeking help for yourself instead of a loved one, the suggestions listed above also apply. Outpatient care is ideal for those with milder addictions, full-time jobs, or family obligations that make it difficult to commit to a full-time program. 

Because you have already demonstrated that you can maintain a relatively normal life and schedule as a high functioning alcoholic, full-time care isn’t typically necessary. But it is available if you need it. 

Functioning Alcoholic Treatments

Functioning Alcoholic Treatments

Behavioral therapy and medication are two of the most common treatment methods for functioning alcoholics. The medication will help ease withdrawal symptoms, including alcohol cravings, to help set you up for success. 

And behavioral therapy will help you understand and overcome the stressors, situations, and feelings that lead you to drink in the first place. 

Choosing Pathfinders Recovery Center

If you or someone you love is battling high functioning alcoholism, help is available. Through various personalized addiction programs and treatments, we provide everything you need to build a better life. 

Call our addiction counselors today at 866-576-4892 to get started. Today is a good day for a fresh start.

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The Benefits of Stopping Drinking

Why You Might Need Help to Stop Drinking

One of the hardest things for many people to admit is if they need help to stop drinking.

Alcohol plays a big part in most people’s lives, with many people drinking when socializing with friends or family.

Some people drink for other reasons, including as a way to deal with stress or to deal with mental health issues.

Alcohol does not help these issues and can, in fact, make them worse.

The best way to get help to stop drinking is to attend an alcohol abuse treatment program.

What Are The Benefits of Stopping Drinking? - Pathfinders - A man sits with a bottle of liquor on his coffee table as he pours another glass of hard liquor, as he contemplates the benefits of stopping drinking.

Understanding Alcohol Abuse Treatment

When someone has a problem with drinking too much alcohol, it can affect many different parts of their lives.

These effects can range from negative physical and mental health effects to problems at work and with relationships.

Alcohol abuse treatment helps people with a drinking problem in a few different ways.

These programs typically combine both medical and behavioral treatments.

With these two things, alcohol rehabs help their clients learn what led to their alcohol abuse, as well as ways to avoid drinking in the future.

Immediate Placement in Alcohol Rehab – Get Help Now

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How Alcohol Abuse Can Affect Your Health

One of the most important things we discuss at alcohol abuse treatment is how alcohol can negatively affect your health.

This is a major reason why people need to seek help to stop drinking.

Alcohol causes damage to your heart. This can lead to an irregular heartbeat, damage to your heart muscle, high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.

Many people who attend alcohol abuse treatment also have problems with their liver.

Alcohol abuse can cause problems including a fatty liver, cirrhosis, fibrosis, and something called alcoholic hepatitis.

This serious inflammation of the liver can cause damage to the cells in your liver, and even cell death.

Alcoholic hepatitis can cause death if it is very serious.

Another major health risk of alcohol abuse is cancer.

People who abuse alcohol are more likely to develop certain kinds of cancer, including throat, liver, breast, and colon cancers.

Learn More About Our Alcohol Rehab Programs at Pathfinders Today

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Mental Illness and Alcohol Abuse Treatment

Another issue we often discuss at our alcohol abuse treatment center is the ways that alcohol abuse can affect your mental health.

Even if you did not have mental health issues before you needed help to stop drinking, you can still experience mental health symptoms.

This is because people who abuse alcohol are much more likely to have problems with anxiety, depression, and handling stress.

Alcoholism is a chronic disease because of the way that alcohol abuse changes how your brain transmits chemicals.

Because alcohol is a depressant, this means that it makes you feel relaxed by slowing down your nervous system.

In the short term, this can make mental health problems go away.

In the long term, your brain forgets how to regulate itself when you are not drinking.

When someone who needs help to stop drinking is sober, they often feel increased levels of depression and anxiety.

This leads to them continuing to abuse alcohol in order to try and feel better.

This is another reason why there are benefits in stopping drinking.

What Are The Benefits of Stopping Drinking? - Pathfinders - A depressed man is holding his hands to his head as he sits across from his addiction therapist to understand the benefits of stopping drinking.

How Stopping Drinking can Benefit You

Getting back to a place where you feel healthy again is one of the main reasons to go to alcohol abuse treatment.

There are many ways that getting help to stop drinking can benefit your overall health. The benefits of stopping drinking vary from person-to-person, but overall, there are various benefits that will help you live an addiction-free life.

These can include:

  • Healthier Skin – Many people who need help to stop drinking have problems with their skin. This is because alcohol can cause issues such as chronic dehydration, jaundice, broken capillaries, and reduced collagen levels. All of these can make your skin look red, dull, or aged. When you stop drinking, your skin will gradually improve as these issues clear up.
  • Better Sleep – Many people may think that alcohol makes them sleep better, but the opposite is true for people who abuse alcohol. Alcohol interferes with your sleep cycles, making it harder to get a restful night’s sleep. Getting sober will help you to relearn better sleeping habits.
  • A Healthier Weight – Alcohol has no nutritional value, and yet is full of calories. This makes weight gain very common for people who need help to stop drinking. When you stop drinking, you will be consuming fewer calories which can help you lose weight.
  • Better Mental Health – Stopping drinking will not on its own cure a mental health problem. But it can help make the symptoms much more manageable. This is because your brain will relearn how to regulate chemicals like it is supposed to, helping you have more even emotions and fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety.
  • A Stronger Immune System – Another side effect of alcoholism is a weakened immune system. This means that you are more likely to get sick with colds, the flu, and even pneumonia when you abuse alcohol. As soon as you stop drinking your immune system will improve, and you will likely experience fewer illnesses.
  • A Lower Risk of Cancer, Heart, and Liver Problems – It is best that you get help to stop drinking before it causes any major health problems. But even if you are having symptoms of some issues, there are still reasons to quit drinking. As soon as you stop drinking alcohol, your body can repair some types of alcohol-related damage. What is more important is that you will not inflict any further damage on your organs, and your risk of getting alcohol-related cancers will drop as well.

24-Hour Alcohol Rehab Hotline – Get Help Now

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How can you get Help to Stop Drinking?

No matter what led you to need alcohol abuse treatment, getting help is the answer to stop drinking.

There are many treatment options available at our alcohol treatment center that help you stop drinking.

We offer both medical and behavioral treatment programs.

Medical programs involve using medicines that are approved to help alcoholics to stop drinking.

There are three different options: disulfiram, naltrexone, and acamprosate.

Each of these drugs works by either making drinking uncomfortable, making you unable to get drunk, or helping to reduce cravings for alcohol.

Behavioral treatment programs are the most important part of alcohol abuse treatment.

They help you to see the thoughts and behaviors that were leading to your alcohol abuse.

At Pathfinders Recovery Center, we encourage clients to try both individual and group therapy sessions to fully understand the benefits of stopping drinking.

We also believe that clients with families should consider family therapy as well.

Having a strong family bond helps you to have a better support system when your alcohol abuse treatment program is completed.

Family therapy will help by working to repair any damage that your alcohol abuse caused within the family unit and lower your chances of experiencing a relapse.

Free Insurance Verification for Alcohol Rehab to Experience All of the Benefits of Stopping Drinking – Get Help Now

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Get the Help You Need at Alcohol Rehab

There are many reasons that led our clients to need alcohol abuse treatment.

That is why we offer a range of treatment options to suit every client and every situation.

At Pathfinders Recovery Center, we know exactly what it takes to get your life back to normal after addiction.

Our premier addiction treatment centers are located in upscale areas throughout the Scottsdale, Arizona area.

Our luxury locations provide you with a comfortable and home-like atmosphere so that our clients feel safe and secure throughout their treatment program.

We help ensure your success by using only scientifically researched, cutting edge, and effective drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs.

We have over 25 years of experience in helping people with addictions and co-occurring disorders to overcome their addictions.

Many of our clients wonder whether or not they will be able to take advantage of their health insurance benefits to help cover their treatment.

That is why we accept most major insurances through our free insurance verification.

Simply give us a call and one of our addiction specialists can check to see how much of your treatment program will be covered by your insurance before you begin treatment.

You can trust us to communicate with your insurance provider to ensure that you receive every benefit that you are entitled to.

Do not let alcohol continue controlling your life and negatively impacting your health.

Let us use our years of experience to help you get on the path to a meaningful and lasting recovery by understanding the benefits of stopping drinking.

Contact us today and see the difference getting our rehab programs can make to ensure that you are around to practice law for years to come.

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Recovering Alcoholics in Relationships

What to Know About Recovering Alcoholics in Relationships

Recovering alcoholics in relationships faces unique challenges.

This is true because your relationships and home life have a major impact on your state of well-being.

Solid relationships may help make your recovery easier.

However, dysfunctional ones have the potential to send your recovery spinning far off-track.

In a worst-case scenario, you may find yourself undoing all your hard work and returning to your old drinking ways.

No one wants to go through this kind of painful setback.

The good news is that recovering alcoholics in relationships can get help.

For some people, that help might come in the form of couples therapy.

If you have children or other loved ones, family therapy may also play an essential role in your recovery.

These options can be used separately or together to help improve your home life and support your sobriety.

Recovering Alcoholics in Relationships & How to Handle This - Pathfinders - A husband is passed out on the couch, with his wife sitting on the edge of bed in tears because she is frustrated with being a couple that is considered recovering alcoholics in relationships.

The Impact of Alcoholism on Current Relationships

Alcoholism and serious alcohol abuse are both part of an illness called alcohol use disorder, or AUD. Both of these interconnected issues can do major damage to your intimate and family relationships. For example, alcoholism can lead you to:

  • Make drinking your top personal priority, not your relationships
  • Stop taking part in other activities that you or your partner once enjoyed

Serious, non-addicted alcohol abuse can lead you to:

  • Neglect key responsibilities that your family depends on you for
  • Keep drinking even when you know that your relationships are suffering as a result
  • Use alcohol in dangerous situations that put you or your family at-risk

You can experience any combination of these problems. Why? Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are often overlapping conditions. This means that you can suffer from both of them at the very same time.

What types of problems occur in the relationships and families of alcoholics? Specific issues vary from person to person. However, some of the most common problems include:

  • Loss of communication between partners or family members
  • A decline of caring or loving interactions in your relationship or family unit
  • A rise in negative interactions
  • An inconsistent or chaotic day-to-day environment
  • Outbursts of anger, aggression, or even outright violence

Immediate Placement in Alcohol Rehab for Recovering Alcoholics in Relationships – Get Help Now

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The Impact of a Stressful Relationship on Your Alcoholism Risks

The link between relationship problems and alcoholism runs in both directions. What does this mean? Not only does alcoholism increase your risks for a disrupted personal life. Pre-existing disruptions in your personal life can increase your risks for developing alcoholism. Specific reasons for this include:

  • Turning to alcohol as a stress reliever for relationship conflict
  • Drinking to cope with depression, anxiety, or other negative feelings

 

Therapy Options for Recovering Alcoholics in Relationships

Couples Therapy or Counseling

While in treatment, recovering alcoholics in relationships may receive help in the form of Behavioral Couples Therapy, or BCT. You may also receive similar forms of couples counseling. Couples therapy and counseling are often given to you and your partner at the same time. However, you may also speak with your therapist or counselor on your own.

How does BCT or couples counseling work? Key goals include helping you:

  • Learn how to problem solve within your relationship
  • Improve your ability to communicate with your partner
  • Decrease negative behaviors and increase caring behaviors
  • Enhance the general quality of your relationship

As a rule, BCT and couples counseling are for people in committed relationships. Many participants are married. In contrast, others are not. Couples therapy and counseling work alongside other aspects of your alcohol treatment. Important benefits for your relationship and alcohol recovery include:

  • Reinforcing your dedication to achieving and maintaining sobriety
  • Helping you avoid alcohol-related harm
  • Improving the overall quality of your relationship
  • Decreasing your chances of divorcing or separating if you are married

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Family Therapy or Counseling

While in treatment, recovering alcoholics in relationships may also receive family therapy or counseling. One well-regarded option here is Family Behavior Therapy, or FBT. This therapy focuses on two main areas. The first of these areas is the impact of alcoholism on your and your family unit. The second is the impact of other related issues on you and your family. Examples of these issues include:

  • Various kinds of family conflict not related to your drinking
  • Other mental health issues
  • Unemployment and other economic issues

The aim of FBT is to get your and your family members to change harmful behaviors. Those behaviors may stem from your drinking. They may also be things that make you more likely to abuse alcohol. Each person involved in the therapy helps decide on specific behavior goals. The unit as a whole also has its own goals. Periodically, you and your therapist review the progress of FBT. Goals that are met are rewarded by you or other family members.

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Continuing Care for Recovering Alcoholics in Relationships

Relationship concerns do not disappear automatically when you finish alcohol treatment. The same holds true for your risks for relapse. For these reasons, it is crucial to maintain your access to professional help after rehab. How do you do this? By enrolling in a long-term rehab or aftercare program.

Continuing care often takes place in a treatment facility. As a rule, it takes less of a time commitment than your original treatment. However, it still provides you with the things you need in your quest for sobriety and stable relationships. Continuing care is so important that it is now a standard recommendation. That is not just true for recovering alcoholics in relationships. It is true for everyone recovering from a serious substance problem.

Dating for Recovering Alcoholics

If you are not already in a relationship, should you start one while in alcohol recovery? In early recovery, this is generally considered to be a risky idea. You are in a vulnerable place while in alcohol treatment, and that vulnerability may continue for quite some time.

Even in the best of circumstances, relationships can be trying. Attempting to start one while recovering from alcoholism may just be too much for you. This is especially true before you establish a lasting pattern of alcohol abstinence. Some treatment programs make you commit to staying out of relationships throughout your enrollment.

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Questions about recovering alcoholics and relationships are common. That is because so many relationships in the U.S. are negatively impacted by problem drinking. If you have major relationship problems, addressing them may be essential for your lasting recovery. Why? When left unaddressed, these kinds of problems can destabilize your daily routine. In turn, an unstable routine and home life may leave you at higher risk for a relapse.

If this kind of unwanted scenario sounds familiar to you, you have something in common with others all across the country. But you are not fated to live with relationship problems for the rest of your days. Couples and family therapy will help you turn things around. These therapies are often used as part of alcohol treatment. You can also continue them once you complete your primary rehab program. With their help, you will develop the skills needed to resolve your issues and support your sobriety.

For more information on recovering alcoholics and relationships, contact Pathfinders today. Our specialists will help you understand exactly how relationships and family issues affect you. And if you need treatment for alcoholism, our in-house therapy and counseling will support you every step of the way.

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What Does an Alcoholism Treatment Program Entail?

Alcoholism

Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence or alcohol abuse can be referred to as a condition where an individual is addicted to alcohol and cannot do without consuming an excessive amount within an unreasonable period.

This condition then results in other mental or physical illnesses.

Some of the mental illnesses associated with alcoholism include schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, suicidal intentions — amongst others.

Physical disease conditions involved with alcoholism include cancer of the lung, disassociation from reality, or losing touch with reality, amongst others.

Although alcoholism could be said to result in the above listed mental illnesses, the report also shows that those above listed mental illnesses such as panic disorders, anxiety disorders, suicide intentions, depression, amongst others could also form the basis for this condition called alcoholism.

The medical diagnosis for individuals with alcoholism can be referred to as Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

An unreasonable intake of alcohol has been said to affect vital organs in the body such as the heart, the liver, the brain, and the pancreas.

It could also be responsible for shutting down the immune system of an individual in its entirety.

The environment we live in plays a huge role in those who are addicted to alcohol.

What this means is the increase in the stress level of an individual coupled with the fact that alcohol is a relatively cheap thrill contributes in a large way to the outrageous amount of individuals who are dependent on alcohol.

Genetics also plays a very important role in determining alcoholism in individuals.

This is because research has shown that individuals who have chronic alcoholics as members of their immediate families are three to four times more likely to become alcohol addicts or abuse alcohol as opposed to the average individual.

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Causes of Alcoholism

There is no definite medical cause for alcoholism or alcohol use disorder.

The best that can be explained is when it is grouped into two types namely the environmental factor as well as the genetic factor.

It is said that the use of alcohol leads to alcohol addiction or alcohol disorder when the individual drinks to the extent that chemical changes begin to materialize in that person’s brain.

Alcoholism can also be said to develop as a result of trying to give in to the discomfort that comes with a withdrawal syndrome. This simply means that the individual gets to a stage where they cannot do with alcohol because their body system would not be alright until they have taken such substance.

Consequently, the individual gives in to the whims and caprices of the alcohol or any other substance and becomes very uncomfortable and experiences withdrawal syndrome when not given alcohol.

Withdrawal symptom is also a very terrible thing to experience as it could lead to a life-threatening situation.

This is why during medical detox, the process should not be rushed and should be taken slow and steadily so everybody affected by it gets to slowly ease into the therapy process and find solutions.

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Symptoms of Alcoholism

Identifying an alcohol addict is as easy as learning the alphabet. This because they exhibit certain physical behaviors which are very obvious to see.

Although these symptoms are not water-tight, they provide insight or guidance as to the behaviors put up by alcoholics.

Some of these behaviors include the following:

  • Having little or no regard for personal hygiene
  • Drinking in solitude
  • Having a high tolerance level to excessive alcohol intake
  • Drinking at every single chance one gets
  • Resorting to drinking when faced with any sort of challenge
  • Craving alcohol unprovoked
  • Involuntary tremors and blacking out right after drinking
  • Eating less, drinking more
  • Throwing violent fits immediately after alcohol intake
  • Secluding one’s self from social events to be able to drink alcohol

These are but a few of the plethora of symptoms alcoholics put up.

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Alcoholism Treatment Centers

The United States of America contains a huge amount of alcohol-dependent individuals. This is because alcohol is easily accessible and legal at a certain age. It is also relatively inexpensive to purchase and could be gotten at convenience. Given how these factors contribute to the increase in alcohol use disorders, it is only natural that institutions be put in place to ensure that individuals get treatment for this disorder.

Most addiction treatment centers provide rehab for both alcohol and drug addiction patients alongside detox services. However, exclusive alcohol rehab centers also exist. These centers offer various treatment programs to suit the unique situation of each patient. Some of these alcohol addiction treatment programs include in-patient treatment services, detoxification, out-patient treatment services, partial hospitalization treatment services as well as care services in some cases.

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Inpatient Treatment Programs

Residential rehab programs are the most highly recommended for individuals with chronic or severe alcohol addiction. This treatment program entails the individual being a resident at the alcohol addiction treatment center for as long as the treatment would last. This treatment program is however expensive as opposed to the other treatment programs available.

It is also advised that before proceeding to the next phase of the healing process, the individuals become full residents of the alcohol addiction centers while carrying out detoxification. This would ensure that the individual stays away from temptations to go back to drinking alcohol. The same goes for residents for the second phase of the alcohol addiction treatment. It is important and highly beneficial to be a resident as you get to experience communal living while also staying clean all through the rehabilitation process. As regards cost, people with health insurance policies would be subsidized to a considerable rate and if you can still not afford to be a resident at a private addiction treatment institution, there is still the option of state-owned rehab centers. Although, you would have to be subjected to the waiting lists available in these institutions.

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Outpatient Treatment Programs

Outpatient treatment programs are ideal for individuals who still want to experience communal living while recovering from alcohol addiction but can either not afford it, does not have the time for it, or has just a mild case of alcohol addiction. Regardless, this treatment program is just as effective as the in-treatment program. It also has its upsides as it is less expensive and the patient gets to visit the treatment center at least three times during the weekday and does not have to come on weekends at all.

Detoxification

Some treatment centers do not offer treatment for alcohol detoxification alongside the other programs available, however, some centers do. The process of detoxification essentially entails flushing out the alcohol from the system of the addict to prepare them for the therapy process as well as detachment from alcohol. Several individuals withdrawal symptoms when this occurs and it could range from mild to severe.

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Conclusion

Conclusively, Pathfinders Recovery Center provides the services discussed in this article and as such, you do not need to bother about the best place to get treatment for alcohol addiction.

Our members of staff are highly committed and dedicated to the cause and are ever interested in the recovery procedure of every individual in their care.

Alcohol addiction is not a pleasant situation to be in. However, with help from the right people, it could be overcome.

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Ah – St. Patrick’s Day — How Can You Still Enjoy the Festivities While in Recovery?

Ah - St. Patrick's Day -- How Can You Still Enjoy the Festivities While in Recovery Pathfinders Recovery Center - A green background with a wet four leaf clover lying on it to symbolize the celebration of St. Patrick's Day.

Celebrate Differently

When I entered recovery at Pathfinders, my idea of celebration, especially for St. Patrick’s Day, changed drastically.

Each holiday that comes up on the calendar seemed like an occasion to relapse, especially for well-known drinking holidays, like St. Patrick’s Day.

When I was newly sober I looked at each holiday as a battle.

I had to prepare myself accordingly and put in extra effort to keep myself in check.

The alcohol treatment program at Pathfinders gave me a lot of tools, yet I still felt anxiety.

Ah - St. Patrick's Day -- How Can You Still Enjoy the Festivities While in Recovery Pathfinders Recovery Center - A green background with a wet four leaf clover lying on it to symbolize the celebration of St. Patrick's Day.

Thanksgiving and Christmas were especially tough for me during my first year. Even with my family going out of their way to not trigger me, I was still terrified of relapsing.

When I got through those particular holidays unscathed, I thought I could breathe a sigh of relief.

Then I remembered St. Patrick’s Day.

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I feel like St. Patrick’s Day is probably the one holiday all of us in recovery have to be careful of. Preventing a relapse on St. Patrick’s Day is almost like winning the lottery. When you see many people wandering through the streets intoxicated, it can be a massive trigger. I remember when the months switched from February to March, I became increasingly nervous.

All I could think about was my behavior the year before. I made a complete jerk out of myself, and it was one of the driving factors toward me getting sober a few months later. I did what everyone else does that day. I went from bar to bar consuming green beer in between shots of whiskey.

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One thing I should mention is that I tended to be a mean drunk. I was one of those guys that you had to walk on eggshells around. I could be a lot of fun to drink with, but it didn’t take much for me to turn. I remember waking up the next day to text messages from two separate friends who were offended by my behavior.

I had made inappropriate comments about their significant others and had no memory of it. I thought they were being unreasonable. It wasn’t until months later that I started to take what people were telling me seriously. They all came up with the same conclusion. “Dude, you’re a horrible drunk.”

 

Ah - St. Patrick's Day -- How Can You Still Enjoy the Festivities While in Recovery Pathfinders Recovery Center - A group of individuals in recovery meets with an addiction therapist and their support group to offer advice to one another on how to celebrate St. Patrick's Day without risking their sobriety.

Talk it Out

So that next St. Patrick’s Day was scary for me. I stressed so much about what I was capable of doing. All I could think about was what could end up happening. Should I just lock myself in my house that day and not even go out? Should I check myself in somewhere? It was freaking me out. It got so bad that I considered relapsing weeks before St. Patrick’s Day just so I could get it out of the way and start all over.

I forgot all about the wonderful people around me who were there to help. One of the big things about recovery is talking things out. You have to talk about your feelings and let your temptations be known. Getting sober is in a lot of ways very much a group effort. Sometimes you are the one picking others up out of their despair, and sometimes you are the one that needs to be picked up.

The program at Pathfinders taught me that meetings are invaluable. The folks at Pathfinders have always been there to give me a hand. Sometimes I fail to recognize this. Even when you have a great team around you, you can still be pulled back into your previous thinking.

This year, I’ve tried hard to remind myself of what I have around me. I think about the people I would be letting down if I slip back into my old ways. I think about being a beacon for others. I don’t want to be a reason someone else has a relapse. I want to be the person you call. I try very hard to be positive for others, but I also understand I am fighting my own battle. You can be there for others, but you must always be there for yourself first.

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Finding the Right People

Pathfinders have done a wonderful job of setting me up with the right outlets. There are a lot of St. Patrick’s Day events that are specifically targeted at people in recovery, and they are not hard to find. First of all, the hotlines are your friend. A lot of sober hotlines now are 24/7, so you can reach out to someone whenever you feel the need. Not only do these hotlines provide a way for you to talk out your feelings, but they also provide you with resources and sober events local to you. These events are a great way to get out and socialize with like-minded people.

The more people I meet in recovery, the less alone I feel in the process. It almost always helps me to meet a new person going through this process. It reinforces to me that I’m a part of something bigger than myself. I plan on attending a couple of different sober parties on St. Patrick’s Day, and I have the same amount of enthusiasm for them as I used to have for the bars. I understand now that the sober version of me is so much more likable and approachable than the drunk version of me. It makes me feel a tremendous amount of confidence to be the best version of myself when I meet people. I also know that when I go to these sober events, I am meeting the new and improved versions of a lot of my peers.

It’s never a bad idea to be of service to other people. If you are comfortable being a designated driver for your friends who do drink, it can be a great help. Not only are you doing them a solid favor, but you are also preventing someone from getting behind the wheel drunk. You could be drastically altering the course of a lot of people’s evenings. I usually offer to be the DD whenever I know my friends may need it.

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Sometimes I don’t feel like doing it, but I always feel better about myself after the fact.

Whatever you decide to do on this holiday, keep in mind that being a help to others is an invaluable practice.

Being considerate goes a long way on the road to recovery.

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How Can You Get Sober From Alcohol?

How to Become Sober

If you think that you have been drinking too much alcohol, you may wonder how to become sober.

This is a crucial question to ask since many heavy drinkers are either addicted or in danger of becoming addicted.

Even without being addicted to alcohol, your drinking may cause you serious harm.

In fact, over 14 million Americans have diagnosable alcohol abuse problems.

If you fit into this category, you are far from alone.

If your drinking is out of control, you may feel down about the chances of ever getting sober.

But, with expert advice and help, you can achieve this crucial goal.

Just keep reading to learn more about how to become sober if you have drinking problems.

How Can You Get Sober from Alcohol? - Pathfinders Recovery Center - A woman is questioning, "How can you get sober from alcohol?" as she sits at her counter with another glass of wine.

Alcohol Use and Alcohol Problems

In the typical month, slightly more than half of all Americans over the age of 12 drink alcohol. You have the highest chances of being a drinker if you are between the ages of 18 and 25. However, alcohol use is widespread across age groups.

Most people do not drink in ways that endanger their health. Still, millions of Americans either:

  • Binge on alcohol and end up drunk in a maximum of two hours’ time
  • Engage in a dangerous pattern of heavy drinking

Young adults are the most likely to binge drink. Adults over the age of 25 are the most likely to drink heavily. Both binging and heavy drinking boost your chances of developing alcohol use disorder, or AUD. This is the official name for an illness that includes both alcoholism and damaging, non-addicted alcohol abuse. Other things that can increase your risks for this disorder include:

  • Starting to drink when you are 14 or younger
  • The presence of mental illness
  • Having a history of any kind of serious trauma
  • Belonging to a family with a history of alcoholism or alcohol abuse

You can avoid developing AUD by reducing your alcohol use or quitting altogether. You can also recover from this illness if you are already affected.

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Determining If You Need Help

Can you tell on your own if the question of how to become sober applies to you? In many cases, yes. For example, it is relatively easy to tell if you are a binge drinker. If you have a pattern of getting drunk in no more than two hours, you fit this definition. It usually takes men five alcohol servings, or drinks, to reach this threshold. For the average woman, it takes just four drinks.

You can also tell if you have a pattern of drinking heavily. Men do this whenever they consume at least four alcohol servings, or drinks, in a single day. Women do this whenever they consume at least three alcohol servings in a single day.

If you are already affected by alcoholism, you may have symptoms that include:

  • An inability to control when and how much you drink
  • The need to drink in increasing amounts before you feel alcohol’s effects
  • Creating a routine that puts a priority on drinking or drinking-related activities
  • Having a history of unsuccessful attempts to quit using alcohol
  • Going through alcohol withdrawal if you stop drinking

If you are already affected by non-addicted abuse, you may be affected by things such as:

  • Work, home, or school problems related to your drinking
  • A level of drinking that damages your ability to maintain relationships
  • A habit of driving while drinking or doing similarly risky things

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How to Become Sober: First Steps

When thinking about how to become sober, one important question is where to begin. Experts recommend starting by speaking with your primary care physician. While not addiction specialists, these doctors are excellent initial resources. Specific things your primary doctor can do include:

  • Assessing your general health
  • Seeing if your current drinking behaviors place you at risk for alcohol problems
  • Giving you a brief intervention that helps you change your risky drinking
  • Checking to see if you already have diagnosable AUD symptoms
  • Helping you understand your options if you do have AUD
  • Directing you toward suitable treatment resources if you need help

How to Become Sober: Alcohol Detox

If you are addicted to alcohol, you will need to go through detox when your recovery begins. During this time, you stop drinking and withdraw from the alcohol still in your system. Alcohol withdrawal is potentially risky and has side effects ranging from minor to severe or life-threatening. For this reason, you should always go through detox under the guidance of medical professionals.

Many people in alcohol detox receive some kind of medication to make the process easier. All people in detox receive supportive care. That’s the name for comfort- and safety-enhancing actions such as:

  • Making sure your vital signs are stable
  • Helping you stay hydrated
  • Feeding you a nutritionally sound diet
  • Using supplements to offset any major nutritional deficiencies
  • Helping to ensure that you rest and sleep

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How to Become Sober: Active Treatment

The quest for stable sobriety goes far beyond detox. Once alcohol is out of your system, you must enter an active treatment program. People in high-quality alcohol rehab receive two main forms of help while in treatment. First, they receive medication designed to:

  • Make it easier to avoid a relapse back into drinking
  • Diminish the appeal of taking a drink
  • Undo some the damage that alcohol has done to your system

Modern alcohol rehab also includes some form of behavioral counseling or therapy. Several different therapy approaches are known to help during alcohol recovery, including:

  • CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Family counseling
  • Marriage counseling
  • Motivational Enhancement Therapy

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Mutual Self-Help Groups

During and after treatment, enrollment in a mutual self-help group will also help you stay sober. The most famous drinking-related group is Alcoholics Anonymous. However, other options also exist. All self-help groups use a peer system to provide support and reinforce your commitment to sobriety.

How to Become Sober: Aftercare

When you complete treatment, you may no longer be asking how to get sober from alcohol. Instead, the pressing question becomes: How you can remain sober? For most people, a major factor in avoiding drinking is aftercare or continuing care. Aftercare programs keep you in touch with knowledgeable addiction specialists. In fact, help is often provided in a lower level of formal alcohol treatment. You can also support your efforts remotely with the help of smartphones, or computer sobriety apps.

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Learn More About How To Get Sober From Alcohol

If you suspect you have a drinking problem, you very well may be right. Or maybe someone else notices that you may have a problem. In either case, the best thing you can possibly do is seek help as soon as you can. Unless you take this critical step, you may be setting yourself up for major, damaging changes in your everyday life. No one should go through this kind of turmoil when professional help available.

A visit to your primary doctor will help determine if you are using alcohol in dangerous ways. It will also help determine if you currently have a diagnosable case of alcohol use disorder. If you do not have AUD, your doctor will help you avoid future problems. If you do have AUD, your doctor will help you get your recovery underway. Your path to sobriety will likely include detox, active treatment, and aftercare.

Have questions about how to become sober? The experts at Pathfinders will help you find the answers. Every day, we direct concerned drinkers toward resources that promote healthy change.

Pathfinders is also a top provider of treatment services for people with alcohol use disorder. Regardless of the seriousness of your AUD symptoms, our in-house programs will support your recovery. From detox to aftercare, we feature evidence-backed options for any situation.

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Alcohol Rehab Centers Near Me

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What are Alcohol Rehab Centers?

For most people, five standard drinks are metabolized in about five hours.

Alcohol does not affect everyone the same way. It can vary depending on how much you weigh, how often you drink, how fast you drink, your gender, and many other factors.

For people who have a drinking problem, five standard drinks are metabolized faster.

This means they need to drink more to feel the alcohol’s effects.

An increase in the amount you drink can lead to serious health issues, including alcoholism, which is a serious, chronic disease.

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Understanding “Alcohol Rehab Centers Near Me”

There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to treat an alcohol use disorder. That is why when you search “alcohol rehab centers near me,” you are provided a range of treatment options.

At Pathfinders Recovery Center, this means we are able to custom-tailor treatments to suit every client that comes to us for help. Our programs include detox, residential rehab, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient rehab, and dual diagnosis care.

If you are looking for inpatient alcohol rehab centers near you, we have exactly the program you need. Our inpatient alcohol rehab treatment allows you to complete your treatment at our facility without the distractions and temptations of the outside world.

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The Physical Effects of Alcohol Abuse

While five standard drinks are metabolized in about five hours, their effects on your health can last a lifetime.

Alcohol abuse can cause serious damage to various parts of the body. It can cause damage to your heart muscles. This can lead to an irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.

Alcohol abuse also causes many different issues with your liver. This can include cirrhosis, fibrosis, a fatty liver, and alcoholic hepatitis.

Alcoholic hepatitis has many side effects, including bloating and yellow skin or eyes. The long-term damage these issues cause can lead to serious liver damage, and even require a liver transplant.

One of the biggest risks of alcohol abuse is the risk of developing certain kinds of cancer. People who abuse alcohol are at a higher risk of having esophageal, liver, breast, and colon cancer.

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Mental Illness and Alcohol Abuse

Another issue frequently seen at local alcohol rehab centers is mental health illnesses that often simultaneously occur with addiction issues. This is known as a dual diagnosis.

For example, some people had mental health issues before they began drinking and tried to use alcohol to treat their symptoms. Others developed them after their alcohol abuse worsened.

Alcohol is a depressant, which means that it slows down your nervous system. When someone drinks occasionally, alcohol can make them feel relaxed and more confident. When someone abuses alcohol, their brain begins to rely on alcohol to transmit these so-called “feel good” chemicals. This makes your brain crave alcohol in order to make you feel good. The longer you abuse alcohol, the worse this issue becomes. You may begin to experience serious depression, anxiety, or anger issues when you are not drinking.

This is what leads to an addiction to alcohol. With the help of simply searching for “alcohol rehab centers near me,” you are on your way to learning how to manage and treat your mental health issues in a healthy way. This means you will no longer attempt to self-medicate with alcohol and can overcome your addiction

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How to Tell if you Need an Alcohol Rehab Center Near You

If you are looking for an outpatient or inpatient alcohol center near you, chances are that you are already aware you have a drinking problem. You may not be sure, or you may be looking up this information for someone else.

Alcoholism has many different symptoms you can look for in yourself and in others.

These symptoms can include:

  • Do you end up drinking more than you meant to or for longer periods of time?
  • Have you tried to cut down or stop your drinking but found that you could not?
  • Do you spend a lot of time buying alcohol or recovering from hangovers?
  • Do you feel a strong, irresistible urge to drink when you are sober?
  • Does your drinking interfere with your ability to do your job or go to school?
  • Is your drinking causing issues in your family life or with your friends?
  • Have you given up activities or hobbies you used to enjoy so that you can drink instead?
  • Have you ever participated in risky activities while drinking, such as driving while under the influence or having unsafe sex?
  • Do you keep drinking even though it makes you feel depressed or anxious?
  • Do you know that drinking is causing problems with your health but still cannot stop?
  • Are you finding that you have to drink more and more in order to feel drunk or relaxed?
  • Do you experience withdrawal symptoms, like insomnia, shakiness, depression, nausea, or sweating, when you are not drinking?

If you respond “yes” to two or more of these questions, there is a good chance that you are abusing alcohol. Now is the time to consider contacting one of the local alcohol rehab centers in your area.

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Treatment Options at Alcohol Rehab Centers near you

When it comes to getting treatment for your alcohol addiction, the first step is finding alcohol rehab centers near you.

If your local alcohol rehab center is Pathfinders Recovery Center, we urge you to contact us as soon as possible. We have many different scientifically-backed treatment options available to help each of our clients find lasting recovery from their alcohol addiction.

We offer both medical and behavioral treatments to treat alcoholism.

Our medical treatment program uses approved medicines that help treat alcoholism. Disulfiram makes you feel nauseous if you drink, which can make it easier for you to avoid alcohol. Naltrexone blocks the effects of alcohol so you can no longer get drunk, and helps to reduce cravings. Acamprostate also helps reduce cravings and is a good option for clients when they first stop drinking.

The other part of your recovery plan will be behavioral treatment. This includes both individual and group therapy sessions. Through therapy, we will be able to help you to identify the thoughts and behaviors that lead to your alcohol abuse.

Then we will give you the tools to help you avoid the things that trigger your drinking.

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Get the Help You Need by Searching for “Alcohol Rehab Centers Near Me”

An addiction to alcohol can cause serious problems in your life.

But, you do not have to keep living with this debilitating disease.

At Pathfinders Recovery Center, we know what it takes to get your life back to normal after addiction.

We do our very best to ensure your recovery success by using only scientifically-researched, cutting-edge, and personalized effective drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs.

We have over 25 years of experience in helping people with addictions and co-occurring disorders to overcome their addictions.

Many of our clients wonder whether or not they will be able to take advantage of their health insurance benefits to help cover their treatment.

That is why we offer free insurance verification when you call our Admissions Department.

You can trust us to communicate with your insurance provider to make sure you receive every benefit you are entitled to.

If you are looking for an alcohol rehab center near you, let us use our years of experience to help you get on the path to a meaningful and lasting recovery.

Contact us today, and see the difference our rehab programs can make in getting your life back on track.

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The Alarming Rates of Alcoholism Among Lawyers

What is Alcoholism?

In the simplest terms, alcoholism is an addiction to alcohol. It can also be called an alcohol use disorder.

People who suffer from the severest form of alcoholism are often called “alcoholics.”

While many people associate alcoholism with people who work “blue-collar” working-class jobs, it can happen to anyone.

One profession with alarmingly high rates of alcoholism is within the legal system.

Let us dive deeper into why so many lawyers have a problem with alcohol abuse, as well as ways that can help treat this serious substance abuse issue.

The Alarming Rates of Alcoholism Among Lawyers Pathfinders Recovery Center - A middle-aged man who works as lawyer is sitting at his desk with a bottle of alcohol as he tries to deny his alcoholism issues.

Understanding Alcoholism in Lawyers

Lawyers have high-stress jobs and typically work long hours. They also participate in a lot of social drinking with their coworkers as a way to blow off steam after a long day.

Many people who work in law know that alcoholism is a chronic problem in their field. It was not until recently that a study was done to see just how serious this issue is.

The American Bar Association published this study in 2019. It showed that just over 20 percent of the lawyers they studied were drinking alcohol at harmful levels. Lawyers younger than 30 years old were found to be the most at risk of having signs of alcoholism.

 

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The Physical Effects of Alcoholism

One of the biggest risks of alcoholism is how it can negatively impact your health.

Moderate alcohol abuse can even have risks. Alcoholism changes the way your brain sends chemicals that are responsible for your mood and behavior, which can make it difficult to think clearly. It can cause damage to your heart, including an irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and cardiomyopathy. This condition causes your heart muscle to stretch and droop, making your heart less efficient at pumping blood.

Serious alcoholics can also experience issues with their liver. These issues can include a fatty liver, cirrhosis, fibrosis, and alcoholic hepatitis — which is an inflammation of the liver that can lead to fatal liver damage.

Alcoholism also increases your chances of developing certain types of cancer, including esophageal, liver, breast, and colorectal cancers.

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Mental Illness and Alcoholism

Alcohol does not just increase your risk of certain physical health problems. It also poses a risk to your mental health. People who abuse alcohol are far more likely to experience problems with anxiety, depression, and stress. These issues stem from the way that alcohol changes the chemicals in your brain.

Alcohol is a depressant, which means that it makes your brain release chemicals to make you feel relaxed. Excessive drinking releases too much of these chemicals, which can lead to feelings of depression.

Alcohol abuse also makes it difficult for your body to release these chemicals when you are not drinking. This means that, when the effects of alcohol are wearing off, some lawyers struggling with alcoholism feel even more depressed or anxious. This makes them crave alcohol to try and make these symptoms go away. Hence, this is why alcoholism is considered a chronic disease.

It becomes impossible for people who abuse alcohol to regulate their emotions without alcohol, and your brain craves alcohol to release these chemicals.

The Alarming Rates of Alcoholism Among Lawyers Pathfinders Recovery Center - A lawyer is speaking with an addiction therapist about his increase in alcohol intake that could be considered alcoholism, and he is trying to find out the next steps in getting clean from this harmful substance.

How do I Know if I am Struggling with Alcoholism?

For many people, it can be challenging to see or admit they have a drinking problem. This is especially true for lawyers because they often think their high level of education makes them immune to such a problem.

However, alcoholism has many clear signs that people can notice — whether you are a lawyer or not.

Ask yourself these questions:

  • Do you often end up drinking more than you meant to or for longer periods of time?
  • Have you tried to cut down or stop your drinking but found you could not?
  • Do you spend a lot of time recovering from hangovers?
  • Do you feel a strong urge to drink when you are sober?
  • Does your drinking interfere with your ability to do your job?
  • Is your drinking causing issues in your family life, with friends, or with other social relationships?
  • Have you given up activities or hobbies you used to enjoy to drink instead?
  • Have you ever participated in risky activities while drinking, such as driving while under the influence or having unsafe sex?
  • Do you keep drinking even though it makes you feel depressed or anxious?
  • Do you know that drinking is causing problems with your health but still cannot stop?
  • Are you finding that you have to drink more and more in order to feel the effects?
  • Have you ever experienced withdrawal symptoms (such as insomnia, shakiness, depression, nausea, or sweating) when you are not drinking?

If you answered “yes” to two or more of these questions, there is a good chance you are abusing alcohol. No one is immune to the risk of alcoholism, no matter what their career or lifestyle consists of. Your drinking problem is likely to only get worse if you do not seek help.

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Treatment Options for Alcoholics

No matter what your background or career is, it is important to seek treatment at alcohol rehab to start your path to long-term sobriety.

There are many types of treatment options available to help you to get sober. There are both medicines and behavioral therapy treatments available to help overcome addiction.

Currently, there are three approved medicines for alcoholism treatment, including:

  • Disulfiram – This medicine makes you nauseous and your skin flush if you drink alcohol. These unpleasant side effects can make it easier for you to manage cravings and avoid drinking alcohol.
  • Naltrexone – This medicine works in your brain to block the effects of alcohol, so you can no longer get drunk. It also reduces cravings, which helps you to stop drinking with fewer negative side effects.
  • Acamprosate – This is another medicine that helps to reduce cravings for alcohol. It is especially effective in helping people right after they stop drinking.

In addition to medical treatment, your alcohol rehab program should also include behavioral therapy. By working with counselors, you learn to see the behaviors and thought processes that may have led to your alcoholism. These sessions take place in both individual and group settings.

Many alcoholics benefit greatly from group therapy sessions because they allow you to talk about your experience with people who understand exactly what you are going through.

For alcoholics with families, family therapy is another option that you should consider. By including your family in your treatment plan, you can help to repair any damage that your alcoholism has caused in your relationships. This helps to strengthen the family bond and your support system, lowering your chances of experiencing a relapse.

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Get the Help You Need at Alcohol Rehab Today

It is no secret that lawyers have high-stress jobs. It is typically this stress that leads lawyers to abuse alcohol.

However, there are better ways to manage your stress that do not pose a risk to your health.

At Pathfinders Recovery Center, we know exactly what it takes to get your life back to normal after addiction treatment.

Our premier addiction treatment centers are located in upscale areas throughout Arizona and Colorado.

Our luxury locations provide a comfortable and home-like atmosphere so that our clients feel safe and secure throughout their treatment program.

We help ensure your success by using only scientifically-backed, cutting-edge, and effective drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs.

We have over 25 years of experience in helping people with addictions and co-occurring disorders to fight for a healthier and sober life.

Many of our clients wonder whether or not they will be able to take advantage of their health insurance benefits to help cover their treatment.

That is why we offer free insurance verification to see what your insurance policy covers and how we can help financially get you to treatment.

Simply give us a call, and one of our addiction specialists will check what your treatment program is covered by your insurance before you begin treatment.

At Pathfinders Recovery Center, our clients trust us to communicate with your insurance provider to ensure you receive every benefit you are entitled to.

There is no shame in admitting you have a problem with alcohol, no matter what profession you are in.

Let us use our years of experience to get you on the path to a meaningful and lasting recovery.

Contact us today, and see the difference in the recovery process for the treatment of alcoholism — especially with lawyers and other professionals in high-stress careers.