One of the most difficult choices an alcoholic may ever have to make, and unfortunately one which she or he may have to make under very stressful circumstances, is where to seek help when, as the experience is commonly called in the drug and alcohol rehab community, they “hit bottom.” When an alcoholic has finally crossed the line and has had enough, either in their own or in the eyes of those close to them, the question goes beyond “How can I stop,” to “How can I stop now?!” The question of choosing an alcohol rehab is an urgent one calling for action to stop a dangerously self-destructive behaviour and, on the positive side, one which may lead to opening a door to a brand new and a much healthier life.
Rehab Nashville options exist, and will vary according to one’s income, insurance, and location. Irrespective of location, some may feel that choosing an option geographically distant from one’s toxic day-to-day associations with people and places related to drinking is a wise choice. The question of inpatient or outpatient alcohol rehab also is important, and one’s choice will depend on factors that include the severity of the alcoholism as well as whether efforts at recovery have been attempted previously and not succeeded. If the alcohol addiction is severe, inpatient treatment is probably a wise choice, as the attention of a physician may be called for to avoid such symptoms as delirium tremens, or DT’s as the condition is commonly known.
Rehab Nashville options may vary, with 12-step approaches probably the most common
Often combined with therapy, counseling and alcoholism education in the inpatient setting, the 12-step approach is based on the book, “Alcoholics Anonymous,” also known as the “Big Book,” and takes a spiritual approach to recovery, in which the alcoholic surveys his or her alcoholism through the lens of seeing both the physical disease and its root based in a “spiritual malady,” manifested in resentment and fear. Treatment will usually include A.A. meetings held at the alcohol rehab facility or at some nearby meeting location, to which inpatient staff will accompany those in recovery. While the program is spiritual, one’s “higher power” may be chosen from an already held religious conviction or simply according to whatever spiritual belief one chooses. The program explicitly respects the individual’s choice in such matters.
Other inpatient options include a variety of alternative, holistic and/or natural alcohol rehab approaches, in which questions of lifestyle are a primary focus. Physical exercise, yoga, acupuncture, meditation, questions of work and relationships, issues of diet and more, also accompanied by therapy and education, may be included in the programs of these more or less traditional approaches.
The outpatient options are more suitable for individuals who have not fallen so far down the ladder of life to which place alcoholism may eventually bring any untreated alcoholic. Outpatient care also can be a good follow-up to inpatient treatment, and the costs associated with such care are generally much more affordable than inpatient options. The decision to follow this course, as with the decision to choose inpatient alcohol rehab treatment, is one best made among family and friends, and better yet with objective individuals like doctors, therapists and/or those who have recovered from alcoholism, themselves. Family and friends, while often well-intentioned, may find objectivity difficult in the face of seeing the alcoholic, their loved one, in a dire state.
Whatever option one chooses, it’s most important to remember that a willingness to stop and to experience a new and healthier life is the one invariable that applies to every person seeking … read more
