It can be hard to know what to expect when you’re going into alcohol addiction treatment for the first time. For many people, alcohol has been a part of their lives since they were old enough to drink alcohol legally. It’s difficult to imagine not having alcohol in your life, but it is possible with alcohol addiction treatment.
Continue reading below to learn more the three things you should remember before checking into a treatment for the first time.
Alcohol Addiction Treatment Is Not A Quick Fix.
Sometimes, people get the idea that alcohol addiction treatment will be like going to rehab for a sprained ankle, and then they’ll go back into their lives. But it’s more like trying to lose weight after having given birth. It takes time, and alcohol isn’t easy to give up. Alcoholism is an illness, just like depression or bipolar disorder. You can’t expect alcohol addiction treatment to cure you overnight.
So if your first thought about alcohol addiction treatment is “I’m only doing this until I feel better,” remember that feeling better might take some time (or even longer than you expected). It is a complex process that will test your limits and your patience. Be patient, be kind to yourself, and remember that any rehab process will take as much time as it takes.
Always stay patient with yourself through the treatment, especially when you start slipping up a bit. One of the most complex parts of any treatment is that you’ll feel tempted to start drinking again. Even if it’s just a little bit. When this happens, remember all your hard work and how far you have come.
Alcohol Addiction Is Not Your Fault.
You might have a lot of guilt about how alcohol use has affected your life. Maybe you feel like alcohol has ruined relationships or caused problems at work or school. If this sounds familiar, know that alcohol isn’t something you choose for yourself. Alcohol can affect people differently depending on genetics and mental health history. But ultimately, there’s no way to tell if someone will become an alcoholic just by looking at them. It doesn’t mean that other factors aren’t playing into your alcohol abuse (dealing with depression? Relationship issues?), but even if they are, alcohol itself wasn’t the only reason.
And alcohol addiction treatment is not a punishment! Just because alcohol has caused problems in the past doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be healthy and happy now. Or that alcohol can never make your life better down the road. Sometimes giving up on alcohol means believing things will be okay even when it feels like they won’t. Alcoholics are often told they have an incurable disease. But remember that you can recover from this disease with good treatment! It’s all up to you how your story goes next.
Remember That Alcohol Will Never Make It Better In The End
Remind yourself that alcohol has been a crutch for so long that giving it up will be difficult at first. But alcohol will never make things better in the end; only alcohol addiction treatment can do that!
Before checking into treatment, remember these three things can help ease some of those fears or reservations you might have about entering alcohol addiction treatment. Being prepared with knowledge about what lies ahead makes everything easier during times when life gets tough. Remember that you’re not alone through the treatment. Some people understand exactly what you’re going through!
