Alcohol Awareness Month: Tips to Select a Treatment Center
April is Alcohol Awareness Month
During Alcohol Awareness Month the CDC takes time to focus on the health risks that come from binge drinking, drinking alcohol or having alcohol use disorder. Alcohol use disorder is one of the most common substance use disorders. Drinking on occasion is not necessarily a sign of a problem but any type of binge drinking can lead to one.
Warning Signs of Alcohol Use Disorder
- Increased use to cope with stress
- High frequency of binge drinking
- Developing a tolerance through overuse
Other effects of alcohol
Mental health disorders like anxiety or depression may increase the use of alcohol but it’s also possible for alcohol to trigger these. It may seem to those drinking that it helps anxiety, but alcohol can actually increase it. Other health problems associated with alcohol are bone and liver disease, vitamin deficiencies and various cancers.
Many people are surprised that alcohol can cause more types of cancer than just that of the liver. The biggest health risk is the different types of cancer: Mouth, throat, liver and breast in women. The risk of cancer increases with the number of drinks a person consumes. The reason is because alcohol can cause the cells inside of your body to grow out of control into a cancer tumor. With each drink or each time a person binge drinks, it continues to increase these risks.
Help is available
There are many different options to begin the journey to recovery. Alcoholics Anonymous is very popular. It can be easier for people to feel emotionally supported with others who understand what they’ve been through. It also provides a network for those that might not have anyone to confide in. There is medication-assisted treatment and recovery with drugs like Vivitrol® and Suboxone®. When you combine this with therapy it is highly effective.
Tips to choose a treatment facility
When you choose a treatment facility for alcohol, it’s important to understand the details. When you ask the following questions, it will help you in your search.
- How are treatment plans developed?
- Will you have individual or group therapy?
- How qualified are the staff and how long has the facility been open?
- What support services are offered after treatment?
Treatment at Lifeline Connections
Lifeline Connections offers an integrated, holistic approach that includes therapy and case management. Our doctors specialize in the treatment of co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. They work to solve ones that have a compounding effect. Contact us and reclaim your life.
Contact a doctor for a referral or find a therapist. They can work to design a custom plan for wellness. Secure treatment is over the phone or computer with telehealth, providing coping skills for grief, loss, depression and anxiety. They will work with you one-on-one to get you feeling better.
