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Alcohol Addiction Counseling

Alcohol addiction counseling gives a patient support to quit the habit, get through the withdrawal process, and help to live a higher quality life without fear of becoming addicted again. Therapy normally includes one-on-one with the individual, family member support as well as individual and family therapy combined. Each patient is unique and has a unique problem; with this in mind, therapy should be customized for the individual. Drug addiction counseling looks at the patient's medical history as well as a withdrawal plan and the treatment program. As a patient is evaluated often, his or her case management plan or program may change to accommodate new findings or problems. Most centers that offer help with substance abuse do so to help patients to become substance free for the rest of their lives.

Alcoholism is a disease that can cause health problems, relationship problems, and even affect a person's ability to hold down a job and function normally. Withdrawal from alcohol should be monitored medically because of the possible problems that can manifest during detoxification. Some of these problems include but are not limited to hallucinations, convulsions, seizures, and heart failure. Once detoxification is complete alcohol addiction counseling will work with a patient to learn new coping skills, learn how to manage anxiety and stress, and learn the importance of never taking another drink. The therapy may include the importance of spiritual healing as well. Christian centers that offer drug rehab will stress the importance of reading God's word, prayer, and fellowship with other Christians.

Medications may be helpful when included in treatment. Some medications cause discomfort when alcohol is ingested; others help to decrease cravings and help with the withdrawal symptoms and help the body to detoxify faster. In addition to medications many drug rehab centers use nutritional therapy to help the patient regain physical and mental health. This nutritional therapy often includes taking multivitamin and mineral supplements as well as teaching the patient how to eat healthy and exercise. One of the most useful nutritional therapies is the use of thiamine. Thiamine helps to improve brain function damaged by substance abuse. Drug addiction counseling seeks to help an individual in all areas of his or her life to experience complete healing. "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases" (Psalm 103:2-3).

The physical reaction caused by drinking starts in the stomach; the substance enters the bloodstream and then affects all of the tissues in the body. The effect will depend upon how much is drunk, in what period of time and the individual's body size and tolerance level. Some people get very violent when they drink. The moderate effects usually include a change in behavior where a person experiences dizziness and is more talkative. When more is drunk then the effects may include nausea, vomiting, sleeping difficulties, and the inability to stand up or walk. When a person drinks a lot then the next day they usually suffer from a hangover where they have a headache, nausea, excessive thirst, and fatigue. Alcohol addiction counseling educates the patient to understand what he or she is putting their body through when they indulge in excessive and frequent drinking.

Excessive and frequent drinking can lead to addiction to the point that if a person does not drink often they experience withdrawal symptoms that are very uncomfortable. Drinking for a long period of time can lead to permanent damage to the brain and the liver. Drug addiction counseling helps the patient to understand about the damage that he or she is doing to the body; how if affects the vital organs and the brain. Some damage is irreversible and will be with a person for the rest of their life. Liver damage can make a person feel sick the stomach, constantly feel tired, causes a person to lose his or her appetite, causes abdominal fluid, and causes a person to feel confused. Alcohol is like poison to the liver and the effects from beer and wine are the same as the effects from whiskey or other hard liquor. Although the liver is said to be a regenerative organ when scar tissue develops then the damage is usually permanent. The amount of damage will depend upon the longevity of the substance abuse.

Brain damage is another complication of substance addiction. Alcohol causes changes in the brain where the person will start having chronic learning and memory problems. The good news is that after a person abstains from drinking for over a year research has shown that their cognitive impairment from brain injury may improve. Though long-term drinking may cause the brain to shrink, abstinence may reverse some of the damage. Alcohol addiction counseling gives the patient hope that abstaining from drinking once their detoxification is completed will possibly help to improve their cognitive abilities. However, the amount of improvement will depend upon the longevity of abstaining from drinking and the extent of the damage.

The damage from addiction can be extremely harmful to children. When an adolescent begins drinking at such a young age harmful effects can happen physically, emotionally, and psychologically. During adolescent a child is still growing; the brain, nervous system, sexual organs, and the liver are changing. Drug addiction counseling for young adults and children emphasize the dangers of using alcohol to both the children and their parents. Counselors understand the importance of finding out what motivated a child to start drinking so that issues can be addressed to bring some resolution to what is bothering him or her. In addition, there may be an underlying psychological disorder that plays a part in the child's addictive behavior that needs treatment as well.

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