Coming to terms with a drinking problem and deciding to do something about it is difficult. Especially when you’re an adult, and there are pressures coming from all sides.
Drinking has become almost mandatory in certain social settings, and choosing to get help takes courage, strength, and determination. But it’s also a big step that could majorly impact the rest of your life.
On the other hand, entering an alcohol treatment center can be very intimidating for an adult patient from outside of this environment or someone who feels like they’ve reached their breaking point because of drinking too much alcohol.
Here are some tips on how to get in the right mindset before entering a treatment center:
Ask Yourself Why You Want To Enter Treatment
First, you need to ask yourself why you want to get help. This is an important first step to take before considering alcohol treatment centers. If you don’t want help, you probably won’t succeed. You might try it, but you’re likely to drop out before completing the program.
You might decide that you want to enter treatment because you:
- Have a health problem that’s related to excessive drinking
- Have trouble fulfilling your responsibilities at home, at work, or in school
- Feel like you’re at risk of harming yourself or others as a result of your drinking
- Feel like your drinking is negatively impacting other people in your life
- Feel like your drinking has become too much of a focus in your life
- Want to reduce the amount of money you spend on alcohol
- Want to be able to drink in moderation
- Want to stop feeling guilt and shame about your drinking
- Want to feel in control of your life once again
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Ask Those Who Love and Care About You To Join You on This Journey
Family members and friends who love and care about you will want to help you. You might feel you have to go through this alone, but you don’t. They can be a major support system for you during your journey towards healing.
They might be scared for you; they might be worried about your health, or they might be worried about what will happen to them if you don’t get help. But they love you and want the best for you. You might feel they’re invading your privacy, but they’re not. They want to help. They just don’t know how to support you.
Bring them with you on your journey toward treatment. Let them know you want their help and support. Let them know they can help you with things such as childcare while you’re in treatment and paying your bills while you’re out of work. They just want to help you as best they can.
Decide How Long You’ll Stay at the Treatment Center Before You Go In
While there are no set time frames for treatment, deciding how long you’ll stay in a treatment center before you go in is important. This will help you prepare mentally and financially for your stay in treatment.
Choosing alcohol treatment centers that offer a one-month program is a good choice for many people. But it might be better for you to spend longer, depending on your condition and the level of dependence.
Find a Trusted Person To Be With You During Your First Few Days in Treatment
It’s very important that you have a trusted person with you during your first few days of treatment. You might have a friend or family member willing to go with you and stay with you during this time.
This person can help you with things such as:
- Explaining to you what treatment is like
- Getting you set up in the treatment center
- Helping you get adjusted to your new environment
- Helping you with anything else you might need during this time
If you don’t have anyone in your life you trust enough to do this, then maybe you can find an online support group you can join and become friends with some people who have been where you are before. It’s very important that you have someone with you during your first few days of treatment.
Take Care of Your Physical Health and Wellbeing Before and After Treatment
Before you enter treatment, make sure you get all of your health issues taken care of. This includes any physical ailments or health problems you might have that are related to your drinking.
This might include things such as getting health checkups, getting counseling or therapy (although you can expect this during the treatment), maintaining a healthy diet, staying hydrated, and meeting with a financial adviser to help you create a budget and set up a plan to pay off your debts.
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The Bottom Line
The process of recovery from alcohol use disorder is often long and difficult, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. You can overcome your addiction, but you have to get help.
And the first step towards getting help is deciding that you want to do this and looking up potential alcohol treatment centers. It can be very intimidating, but it’s all downhill once you get through the first few days.
