For most people, alcohol intake started as a fun way to relax, feel less stressed, and have a good time. However, for some that fun time habit can lead to addiction. Alcohol addiction is a deadly partnership, and becomes even more lethal when left unaddressed over time. Don’t let alcohol addiction control your life, it is ourselves that ultimately determines the quality of life we live. Taking the first step toward successful alcohol recovery is acknowledging a problem to begin with, which can sometimes be the hardest step. Maui Recovery understands more than anyone the power that addiction can have on an individual’s life. No area of the struggling addict’s life is unaffected- such as relationships, friendships, work, and personal health. Finding the underlying issues or roots of the alcohol addiction is where we find the answers that lead to successful recovery.
Alcohol addiction is more common than one would think, hence the abundance of rehab facilities found today. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), “85.6% of adults aged 18 and up have drunk alcohol in their life”. They also report that more than ¼ of people older than 18 binge drank in the last 30 days while the survey was being conducted. These specific statistics can show how prevalent alcohol use and addiction is. The research that was done by the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism (NIAAA) also showed a devastating and eye-opening statistic which is that there are nearly half a million children (age 7 to 12) that are struggling with alcohol use disorder. Such statistics are alarming and need to be taken seriously. Whether for yourself or someone you care about, finding support and recovery services is important as soon as possible.
Why Does Alcohol Addiction Take Over A Person’s Life
Alcohol addiction, which is also known as alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, or alcohol use disorder, is categorized as a chronic brain disease. It is extremely complicated because it not only affects the person who consumes alcohol, but also the person’s entire close circle of family and friends. Alcohol addiction does not discriminate against what it causes havoc to, don’t let alcohol addiction control your life. It will intertwine itself and cause problems in the person’s home, school, work, and all relationships. There is not an exact formula to determine whether someone is an alcoholic, but symptoms often co-occur. Some of the most common symptoms that we see when it comes to alcohol addiction are as follows:
- Irritability and extreme mood swings.
- Becoming isolated and keeping distance from family and friends.
- When the individual is not drinking, they still feel hungover.
- A sudden change of appearance or acquaintances.
Seeking the opinion of an experienced professional is necessary in determining the seriousness of addiction as well as recommended forms of treatment. Just as the roots of a person’s alcohol addiction will differ from someone else, so will the forms of treatment. It is also important to note that the above outlined signs of alcohol addiction are not limited to just those. This is especially true for someone you care about, noticing huge changes in lifestyle and behavior are unique to your own relationship with them.
The Most Common Forms Of Treatment For Alcohol Addiction
Just as each of us is different, so then are the effects of alcohol addiction on their users and forms of treatment. While someone struggling with alcohol addiction may need a more traditional environment setting in a hospital, another may need a more homey place for recovery. A group setting of community support may be ideal for one, while one-on-one support from a facility may work better for another. These factors that come with choosing treatment are important to consider before setting stone on a rehab for alcohol addiction. Most, if not all, facilities that offer rehab for alcohol addiction will provide experienced professionals alongside clients during treatments that have proven to be successful. Don’t let alcohol addiction control your life, evidence-based treatments and programs that are commonly used in treating alcohol addiction. Let’s explore the different forms of treatment you, or a loved one, should consider in your search for the right rehab for alcohol addiction. Below are examples of such treatments most commonly used at rehabs for alcohol addiction.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – Also known as CBT, this active therapeutic modality is present-oriented, problem-focused, and goal-directed. As an evidence-based treatment, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a proven effective treatment for abuse disorders, such as alcohol addiction, as well as behavioral addictions and specific mental health diagnoses. Understanding the benefits of therapies such as this is helpful in understanding rehab for alcohol addiction: what to expect.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy – Also known as DBT, this evidence based form of treatment teaches clients how to regulate their emotions to reduce self-destructive behaviors. DBT is primarily a skill-building approach, that focuses on the development of four key skill sets:
- Distress Tolerance – being able to successfully and effectively work with short term or long term pain.
- Emotion Regulation – aims to identify behaviors and implement coping mechanisms to help modify them.
- Mindfulness – putting aside judgment and attention to understand how others may feel during a situation.
- Interpersonal Effectiveness – ability to balance the wants and needs of a relationship while respecting boundaries and priorities.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction – Also known as MBSR and developed by Dr. Jon Cabot-Zinn, this form of substance abuse treatment is a sequential method that teaches the individual who is struggling with racing and impulsive thoughts how to be in the “here and now”. By focusing on the breath or on an object in the room, the client slowly becomes able to collapse their awareness into the present moment. Don’t let alcohol addiction control you life, therapies such as this are in place for clients to find life lasting recovery.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing – Also known as EMDR, this form of treatment uses a patient’s own rapid, rhythmic eye movements as a tool for insight and recovery. EMDR is a structured therapy that encourages the patient to briefly focus on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation. These experienced eye movements are then associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the traumatic memories. Helping those suffering from alcohol addiction an alternative way to heal from their traumatic memories most often to blame.
Motivational Interviewing – This form of therapy is a collaborative, therapeutic conversation between licensed clinicians and clients. Motivational Interviewing addresses the common problem of conflict for change with alcohol addiction. As defined by William Miller, the creator of motivational interviewing, its purpose is to strengthen the client’s own motivation for and commitment to change in a manner that is consistent with said client’s values. Therefore, rather than imposing or forcing changes, the practitioner will “meet the client where the client is” and help him/her move toward his/her goals by drawing out and building his/her readiness to change.
The Benefits Of Choosing An Alcohol Recovery Center Near The Ocean
Choosing an alcohol recovery center in Hawaii on Maui Beaches is wise for anyone wanting the healing benefits that come from Nature Immersion. Believe it or not, just simply being present in calming environments such as the beach can be beneficial for alcohol recovery among other ailments. Being in a place you feel safe, such as nature, has been shown to lower blood pressure, lessen anxiety and nervous system arousal, and lower stress hormone levels from a physical standpoint. Actions such as staring out at the sea, for example, can change a person’s brain wave frequency- luring the mind into a mild meditative state. While listening to the sound of waves and the swell of the sea can naturally soothe and relax the brain. Even colors play a role in our mental health and healing from alcohol addiction by supporting our mind as well. The color blue is associated with feelings of peace and calm, both essential for anyone seeking treatment for alcohol addiction. Don’t let alcohol addiction control your life, there is a reason why some feel drawn to ocean rehabs specifically.
Although the science between nature and mental health is clear, there is still much to learn about this important connection. According to new research, spending time in nature (Ecotherapy) reduces the production of the stress hormone cortisol. Which then allows anyone struggling with alcohol addiction to feel healthier and happier. When someone is depressed or under high levels of stress, this part of the brain malfunctions. Leaving the individual to experience a continuous loop of negative thoughts, worsening an already concerning alcohol addiction. Nature can have a powerful effect on the mental state of someone seeking successful recovery from alcohol addiction. The mere sound of the water and waves crashing against the shore can help relieve the negative feelings that come with negative mental health. Combined with the calming scents and sights that the beach naturally has, visiting the ocean can work to help balance the mind for some people. Sometimes taking an individual stuck in a negative place into a trance-like state where they can clear their mind of the dark thoughts.
Maui Recovery’s Unique Forms Of Treatment
Don’t let alcohol addiction control your life, amazing rehab facilities are available to walk the path of recovery with you. At Maui Recovery, our staff and certified counselors work together to provide a full recovery program for every single person that joins our Recovery Community. Our members will be able to receive counseling and treatment 6 days a week for several hours each day. We look at drugs and alcohol as the branches of an under-loved tree, and once we help the branches recover, we can then focus on the real inner work and on the roots of the tree, which is what brought us to the addictions in the first place. We understand that addiction is a chronic, progressive disease that involves the mind, body, and spirit, affecting the entire family. With this information, our experienced staff integrates our residents and their loved ones through research-based treatment modalities, including many holistic therapies.
Adventure Therapy – This type of therapy promotes rehabilitation, growth, development, and enhancement of an individual’s physical, social, and psychological well-being through the application of structured activities involving direct experience. Adventure therapy includes the use of activities supported by traditional therapy. Digging a bit deeper, it appears that immersing and interacting with natural spaces, such as the beach specifically, offers unique therapeutic benefits too. At Maui Recovery for example, we provide Adventure Therapy treatment in Hawaii where clients can experience a potentially life-saving “shift” within themselves.
Nature Immersion – So often, the person struggling with alcohol addiction feels lost and devoid of a healthy sense of self or purpose in their lives. Nature Immersion can be powerful and transformative when the struggling person begins to understand the deeper significance of certain experiences. Nature has been shown, in a multitude of studies, to be both beneficial and important for positive mental health in recovering from alcohol addiction. These studies have shown that as long as people feel safe, time spent in Nature is an antidote for stress. It can lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels, reduce nervous system arousal, enhance immune system function, increase self-esteem, reduce anxiety, and improve mood. Whether it be the quieting of the Ego/Mind, separation from a triggering environment, or listening to soothing sights and sounds- Nature Immersion helps to reconnect within. Therefore, allowing opportunity to find the root cause(s) of which self-doubt, anxiety, depression, and/or addiction were allowed to grow internally in the first place.
Here at Maui Recovery, we also believe that a person needs to heal not only their soul but their body as well. To help our members release the trauma that they are dealt with and break through the barriers that they have put up and have been keeping them from their recovery journey, we include outdoor activities that promote overall well-being. Our program is just 750 ft from the beautiful and serene Pacific Ocean and provides a safe, 24 hours monitored sober environment. At Maui Recovery we are the world’s only addiction recovery program that uses Myth, Archetype, and “the Hero’s Journey” as an intrinsic part of our recovery program and employs masters-level clinicians that are trained to help guide each client through this “Hero’s Journey”–all while using the magical, mythical island of Maui as an essential element and ingredient in this transformative experience. Don’t let alcohol addiction control your life. Maui Recovery is a safe, nurturing & intimate program that helps people address & heal the root causes of addiction.
