A Quick Guide to the Alcohol Addiction Recovery Process
A Quick Guide to the Alcohol Addiction Recovery Process
Are you curious about what to expect from the alcohol addiction recovery process? Here's is everything you need to know about recovering from addiction.
Keyword(s): alcohol addiction recovery
Alcohol is prevalent in our society. It’s in commercials, restaurants, and the center of social events. With such exposure, it’s no surprise that alcohol addiction is a common problem among adults.
If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol addiction, know you can treat it with commitment and effort. Read on for our guide to alcohol addiction recovery.
What is Alcohol Addiction?
Alcohol addiction is a physical or mental dependency on alcohol. This dependency might cause a lack of responsibility, health problems, poor relationships, or problems at work.
Five Stages of Recovery
Alcohol addiction recovery time can vary based on someone’s commitment and the severity of their addiction. When recovering from alcohol addiction, there are five recognized stages people go through to recover.
1. Pre-Contemplation
In this first stage, you experience denial and don’t acknowledge that there is a problem. Individuals in this stage are not yet ready to undergo treatment.
These early stages still involve alcohol abuse to cope with life’s struggles. It often leads to a rock bottom moment that propels you into the next stage.
2. Contemplation
This is when you realize there is a problem and feel ready to change your life. While you recognize the problem, it is likely that poor drinking habits will continue, but with less enjoyment.
This stage may last several months while you contemplate the best course of action.
3. Preparation
Once you’ve decided that it’s time for a change, you develop action plans for your recovery. This stage brings excitement, hope, and anxiety as you plan for the next step.
Recovery plans include abstinence, talking with a counselor, joining a gym, sober community meetings, or admitting into an alcohol addiction recovery program.
You may manage a period without alcohol in this phase, but it’s not uncommon to relapse to one of the previous stages.
4. Action
Once you reach this stage, you commit to making a lifestyle change. You make adjustments in your behaviors and environment to achieve your goals.
This stage contains long periods of abstinence and positive changes, such as seeking professional help. It is the most difficult stage and these periods of abstinence help build confidence to stay the course.
5. Maintenance
Addiction isn’t something that you can cure. You need to put in constant effort to treat addiction and keep yourself from falling into old habits.
Maintenance requires hard work to prevent relapse and can last anywhere from six months to five years. The time depends on the severity of your addiction.
A great way to maintain your sobriety is to join a sober community, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). AA helps by giving you a daily routine, coping strategies, and a community of individuals working to recover from alcohol addiction.
AA encourages the use of tokens to give members a physical reminder that progress is one day at a time. These tokens look like poker chips and mark how long you’ve been sober.
Alcohol Addiction Recovery is Possible
If you are struggling with alcohol addiction, remember that alcohol addiction recovery is a long road with many difficulties. It is treatable and there are several resources to help you through it.
If you’re recovering from alcohol addiction, celebrate your milestones with our broad range of recovery coins.