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5 Tips for Success in Alcohol Addiction Treatment

Compared to other types of addiction rehab, alcohol addiction treatment carries a 50 to 60 percent success rate, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. People who enter alcohol addiction treatment and follow the program greatly increase their likelihood of a successful recovery.

Truth be told, recovering from an alcohol addiction is no easy process, even in cases where a person does follow the program. As with any challenge or pursuit, employing a few helpful tips can make the recovery process easier in the long run.

Here are five tips for success in alcohol addiction treatment that can help ease the process along –

1. Choosing the Right Treatment Program

Making recovery your priority and taking things day by day are indispensable tips in your recovery.

While standardized methods for treating alcohol addiction do exist, programs that use a cookie-cutter approach to treatment may not be able to address a person’s individual treatment needs. Ideally, any one person’s treatment plan should be matched to his or her specific needs, whether those needs be medical care, psychological treatment or any other treatment needs.

Effective alcohol addiction treatment programs start the process off by conducting a thorough assessment of a person’s condition. Information gathered from the assessment becomes the basis of a person’s treatment plan.

2. Developing a Support Network

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, alcoholism has disease-like effects on the brain and body that persist much like the effects from any other kind of disease. Likewise, alcoholics develop an addiction lifestyle that reflects the psychological mindset created by alcoholism.

Developing a support network (friends, sponsors and treatment professionals) throughout the recovery process enables a person to establish the type of lifestyle that supports long-term sobriety.

3. “One Day at a Time”

Long-term sobriety happens on a day-by-day basis. While long-term sobriety is ultimately the goal to shoot for, a “one day at a time” mindset can help keep a person from feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of never drinking again.

A day-by-day approach entails setting small, reachable goals that support the overall goal of sobriety. In effect, the bulk of each day should entail staying busy, working towards personal goals and having a little fun along the way.

4. Aftercare Planning

For people coming off long histories of alcohol abuse, achieving long-term sobriety means having needed resources and supports in place. Once a person completes treatment, it’s important to remain engaged in the recovery process for as long as he or she intends to remain sober.

Alcohol addiction treatment programs are a great place to gather referrals to other addiction-related community services. Addiction services to consider include:

Local 12-step support groups
Therapists
Physicians

5. Make Recovery a Top Priority

In many ways, recovering from alcohol addiction entails doing the exact opposite of what you used to do when drinking. Just as alcohol was a top priority in your life before recovery, recovery becomes “the” top priority for maintaining sobriety.

As a top priority, maintaining sobriety must dictate the type of friends a person has and the types of activities in which he or she engages. After completing treatment, 12-step support group meetings should become a regular part of a person’s life.

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