Alcohol Addiction Treatment

In our society today, alcohol is everywhere. You’ll find adult beverages not only in bars, but also at your favorite brunch spot, baseball games, and in the aisles of your local grocery store. Many Americans are able to enjoy an occasional drink without long-lasting consequences, while others spiral out of control and develop an addiction to beer, wine, or hard liquor. If you or someone you love is addicted to alcohol, know that it isn’t a reflection of your or their character. Alcohol addiction is a disease, and it can happen to people of any age, gender, race, or socioeconomic status.

Alcohol addiction has two components: alcohol abuse and physical dependence on the substance. Alcohol abuse means that you continue to drink heavily even when it is dangerous or unwise to do so—like when it puts your health, relationships, or career in danger. Physical dependence means that your body has reached a point where it needs alcohol in order to function. Those who are physically dependent on alcohol will experience withdrawal symptoms when they attempt to quit drinking alcohol.

If you use or abuse alcohol despite it causing harm to you or others, you are exhibiting signs of addiction. Examples include:

You may already know the immediate dangers associated with an occasional drinking binge, such as a decreased ability to make wise choices, nausea, vomiting, and more. Did you know that there are also long-term dangers of alcohol addiction? Over time, regular alcohol consumption can cause damage to your:

Heavy drinking can also increase your risk of cancer in your mouth, liver, breast, colon, and more.

Once your body develops a dependence on alcohol, you may experience uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop drinking, including:

To decrease the discomfort, do not attempt withdrawal on your own. Licensed professionals at a rehab facility can provide medically supervised detox in order to lessen the pain and increase your likelihood of achieving long-term sobriety.

First, you’ll undergo a medically supervised detox in order to safely wean your body off of alcohol. Next, a 12-step program has proven to be very successful in helping men and women of all ages and backgrounds break free of their alcohol addiction. Other therapies, such as EMDR, CBT, and experiential therapy, can also help you heal from your addiction and gain the tools you need to overcome your addiction once and for all.

Here at Hawaii Island Recovery, we employ a multi-disciplinary, integrative treatment approach that combines the most effective evidence-based interventions with experiential and holistic therapies. We seek to heal the body, soul, and mind with proven therapies (such as EMDR and CBT), more creative therapies (such as music therapy and wild dolphin assisted therapy), and holistic health services (such as acupuncture and massage). These therapies are administered within the framework of a 12-step program to support a full recovery.