What is Alcoholism?
Alcoholism is defined as a chronic disease characterized by uncontrolled drinking and obsession with alcohol. Being the most severe form of alcohol abuse, people suffering from this kind of addiction cannot function normally without alcohol. Also known as alcohol use disorder (AUD), approximately 88,000 people die from alcohol-related incidences, making it the third leading cause of death in the United States. If your pattern of drinking results in repeated significant distress and problems functioning in your daily life, you likely have an alcohol use disorder.
Alcohol use disorder is placed into three main categories, mild, moderate, and severe. Each of these levels has various symptoms that cause harmful side effects that can be detrimental. If left 
untreated, any type of alcohol abuse can spiral out of control, affecting one’s matters, relationship, and most importantly, their overall health.
Classified as a depressant, alcohol depresses or inhibits the central nervous system (CNS), slowing breathing and heart rate. Drinking both impairs and slows down one’s brain activity and awareness by blocking nerve receptors, which are responsible for sending messages to the rest of the body. In other words, abusing alcohol affects vital centers of your brain, where one’s physical and psychological activity becomes reduced significantly.
When used as directed, or in limited quantities, alcohol and other depressants can provide feelings of relaxation and reduce the symptoms of anxiety, which is why people with anxiety or other issues like to drink in the first place. For those struggling with substance abuse problems, abusing alcohol and other depressants always lead to severe intoxication, as well as, a compromise in judgment and decision-making skills. Other common side effects of alcohol and other depressants include the following:
- Impaired motor skills and coordination
- Mental cloudiness and confusion
- Slurred speech
- Cognitive and memory impairment
- Lowered blood pressure
- Slowed or stopped heart rate
- Slowed or depressed breathing
- Nausea and vomiting
- Emotional instability and severe mood swings
- Euphoria
- Sleepiness, unconsciousness
Most importantly, consuming a depressant, in this case, alcohol, automatically makes a person more susceptible to many health risks over time. Some of these alcohol-related complications include:
- Liver and kidney disease
- Heart problems
- Birth defects
- Weakened immune system
- Sexual function issues
- Seizures
- Stroke
While these complications are severe, people with alcohol abuse disorder, do not comprehend the severity of what they are doing to their brain and body, because it is their outlet and what they depend on. Depending on what type of alcoholic one is, they often deny that they have a problem, which leads to binge drinking, classified as drinking more than five drinks in two hours. While complications will arise, if not careful, binge drinking and alcohol abuse will result in death.
Warning Signs of Alcoholism
Getting drunk for people is normal, but the extent to which it is happening, in addition to other factors, is a different story. If you have a history of alcoholism in your family, the addiction gene could very well have passed down to you or another family member. Also, certain life events or other circumstances may have set you off and sent someone down the wrong path. Whatever the circumstances, alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a serious disease that not only affects all aspects of an individual’s health and well-being but also is one that kills people, some far too young.
While the warning signs of alcohol abuse are sometimes noticeable to other people, the person suffering may not care, other times, warning signs take longer to surface, and most importantly, people often do not know how to garner up the courage to ask for help. Discovering alcohol addiction in its early stages increases the chances for a successful recovery, avoiding a tragic ending. Here are the common warning signs of alcoholism:
- Being unable to control alcohol consumption
- Craving alcohol when you’re not drinking
- Putting alcohol above personal responsibilities
- Feeling the need to keep drinking more
- Spending a substantial amount of money on alcohol
- Behaving differently after drinking
If you or a loved one looked at the list of warning signs above, and believe one or more apply, it is time to get help. If you feel as though that your drinking is taking a toll on your life, know that there are people who are going through the same thing. Having the courage to ask for help will not only save your life but encourage those to do the same. Seeking help sooner rather than later will reduce the risk of major complications and death. Get back on track to living a healthy and fulfilling life by entering our intensive outpatient alcohol treatment center in Charlotte, NC.
Checking Into Intensive Outpatient Alcohol Treatment: What to Expect
Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) provides the same treatment as an inpatient or residential facilities. Although it differs where individuals with alcohol abuse disorders participate in outpatient treatment programs, where the person will still receive intense and extensive treatment at a facility every day, instead of staying on-site at the facility, they will return home afterward, as these people are usually deemed safe and more able to care for their own needs outside of a supervised environment.
Crest View Recovery Center’s alcohol treatment center in Charlotte, North Carolina is located in the serene landscape of the western mountains. Our facility embraces a comprehensive wellness program that treats the whole person, to achieve optimal health and long-term sobriety. Here is an overview of what to expect.
Intake Process
When you call the alcohol treatment center in Charlotte, NC, you will most likely speak to an admissions advisor to get the process started. Alcoholism or alcohol use disorder (AUD) is not a disorder but a disease, that requires around-the-clock attention. Therefore, when you’re serious about getting help for an alcohol use disorder, our team of addiction specialists will be ready to serve you and get you back on the road to recovery. During intake or medically-assisted detox, this comprehensive process will allow specialists to get to know a person and their situation. Psychological and medical evaluations will take place, in addition to other tests and various rounds of questions to understand every aspect of an individual’s addiction and history, in order to administer the right treatment methods tailored to their specific needs, and diagnose any underlying issues that may relate to their drug addiction or treatment, for example mental illness could be an important risk factor as to why a person may have addiction problems.
Our counselors and licensed therapists will see clients three times a week or more, for three hours per session. CVRC knows that everyone and their needs are different. Therefore, our treatment programs and resources are tailor-made to fit whatever the situation may be, ensuring that those struggling with abusing alcohol receive the right treatment, and do not skip any crucial steps along your journey to recovery. We embrace a continual care model, where individuals will undergo therapeutic interventions. Our programs include the following:
- Individual therapy and group therapy using various evidence-based approaches
- Family therapy program
- 12-step support meetings
- Access to our on-site psychiatrist
- Psychotherapy
- Life skills training
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Trauma therapy
Crest View’s Intensive Outpatient Program, strives to merge independent living with ongoing therapy. Most of our patients spend 4-6 weeks in our IOP program, to learn and utilize specific tools to effectively manage their illness, cope in everyday life situations, and most importantly, maintain a healthy sober lifestyle.
Holistic Treatment
Evidence-based addiction therapy is the foundation of the care that you will receive at the IOP treatment center in Charlotte, NC. Holistic therapeutic interventions have various healing benefits, and is significant in helping those suffering from addiction. The holistic method focuses on treating the body as a whole, emphasizing the power of the mind-body connection surrounding mental health. For example, meditation is a proven means of dealing with stress and encouraging relaxation. Since pressure is at the heart of many substance abuse cases, it’s vital to include relaxation exercises, such as yoga and meditation. Alcohol abuse typically results in particular vitamin deficiencies that affect your mood and overall health. Recreational therapy provides you with the opportunity to work on your health further. Due to the facility’s location, there are plenty of opportunities to go for walks or easy hikes, which in turn, helps change the mind’s perspective from addict to someone who is working on healing themselves.
What Sets Crest View Recovery Center Apart
Far too often, people leave rehab and then don’t know how to react when they come in contact with alcohol. Therefore, it’s not uncommon for them to relapse because they never learned the strategies of handling the temptations. For this reason, we follow a reality-based therapy model, where we combine life skills training with supervised outings, to help achieve sobriety, but also maintain it. Heal at the Alcohol Treatment Center Charlotte NC Residents can rely on.
Reach Out For Help
You may have tried to get help at a Charlotte rehab center before, and it didn’t work out in your favor for whatever reason. Our Intensive Outpatient Program in Charlotte, North Carolina is well respected and has been known to be successful in helping people suffering from alcoholism recover. Our goal is to help reduce the rate of deaths and relapse, and most importantly, encourage those struggling that it is okay to ask for help. Crest View Recovery Center is only two hours away. Don’t wait before it is too late! Contact us today at our intensive outpatient center in Charlotte, NC by calling (866) 327-2505 for more information, and to start your road to recovery.
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