Given how alcohol and mental health conditions interact, it’s also common to experience decreased levels of depression and anxiety in sobriety. Learning how to process uncomfortable feelings without drinking will better equip you for life’s challenges, and improve your overall health and wellness. If you experience acute withdrawal symptoms, it will likely be within the first week of reducing your alcohol consumption. Withdrawal symptoms can occur due to physical alcohol dependence. Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows down the central nervous system.
Does a Relapse Mean That You Need to Attend Alcohol Rehab Again?
Setbacks don’t erase your progress or change the date in which you decided to start improving your health. Not everyone is aware that even if you feel sober, your BAC could still put you in dangerous positions. Dealing with alcohol addiction and maintaining a normal life can be difficult and somewhat impossible to https://ecosoberhouse.com/ do on your own. Detox, the period during which the body clears itself of alcohol, is a critical step for those looking to overcome dependence on alcohol.
Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders
Even one drink, the theory goes, and an alcoholic will spiral into a dangerous pattern of excessive alcohol consumption. And you’re at greater risk when you try to quit drinking on your own. A formal recovery plan gives you strategies for dealing with people or situations that could trigger relapses. If you need help or feel like you could be on the cusp of a relapse, remember that addiction is a chronic disease. You wouldn’t expect that you could self-treat hypertension or diabetes without the help of medical professionals. If you need support, heroin addiction help, or have questions, please contact our team at The Recovery Village.
Psychological Changes and Personal Growth
In January, I tend to see an uptick in patients who have been admitted due to alcohol dependence. Perhaps they have over-indulged during the holiday season or there have been consequences to their drinking over the Christmas period. At United Recovery Project, our holistic approach to addiction treatment centers around addressing and healing the underlying issues at the root of addiction. Excessive drinking can lead to serious health effects in the short and long term.
- You’re now hanging with people who genuinely care about you and support your sober lifestyle.
- If you had discontinued therapy prior to a relapse, it may be time to resume it.
- Next, the alcohol in the blood will make its way to the liver, where it’ll get metabolized and prepared for elimination from the body.
- Likewise, if you have not previously completedalcohol rehabafter alcohol detox, you should consider this as a way toincrease your chances of long-term sobriety.
- This helps patients avoid relapse after treatment so they can remain sober long after receiving help for their condition.
(Or, begin tapering your consumption!) There’s no wrong time to begin your journey. You may decide to start at the beginning of the weekend, so that you have more free time to rest drinking after being sober if you experience any initial withdrawal side effects. Whenever you decide to start, you should alert your support system and sign up for a few alcohol support groups so you know you’ll have support throughout the week. Regardless of what your first week looks like, it’s important that you practice self-compassion, and recognize that progress takes time. For many, especially those with a long history of heavy drinking or an alcohol use disorder (AUD), addiction treatment programs or support groups can be incredibly helpful.