Alcoholism Treatment

Do you have a loved one you dread seeing after stressful days because you know they’re going to grab some alcohol and you don’t like how they act when they’re drunk? 

Or maybe you’ve begun to realize that you have a hard time remembering important things like your kid’s events or your spouse’s birthday?

Have you ever felt like your or someone you loved isn’t fully in control of themselves anymore? Like they answer to alcohol instead of their family and friends?

These kinds of realizations can be terrifying. We’ve heard a lot of stories just like this here at Recovery Centers of America. In 2020 alone, over 14% of all traffic fatalities were due to people driving under the influence. Additionally, over 40% of all rehab admissions listed alcohol as one of their substances of concern. Here at our Indianapolis facility, it’s closer to 70%! If you’re realizing that you or a loved one might need some assistance with their alcohol use, you’re not alone.

Here at RCA in Indianapolis, we know that alcohol and substance use disorders can be healed and you can recover. We want to help you start your healing journey and support you along the way. First, we need to talk about exactly what alcoholism or an alcohol use disorder is, how it impacts you, and what the road of recovery is going to look like.

What Is the Definition of Alcoholism?

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has developed a set of criteria to help ascertain if someone has an AUD, or what is commonly referred to as alcoholism. It’s important to note that this guide is not meant to diagnose. These questions are meant to help you think about your alcohol consumption and get a better grasp on how it’s impacting your life.

Having a drink or two every once in a while does not mean that someone has an AUD. Even those who have a genetic predisposition or family history of alcohol use aren’t guaranteed to develop an AUD.

nd that you’re able to answer affirmatively to more than one of these questions, it might be time to reflect on how alcohol is impacting your life

Here are some questions you could ask yourself or a loved one regarding alcohol use and how it impacts you. Think about these in regard to your experiences within the past year. 

Have you:

• Had more than one instance of trying to cut back on or stop drinking but were unable to? Like swearing you won’t drink at the office party but you end up drunk?
• Found yourself ever drinking more or for longer than you intended?
• Spent a large portion of your days drinking, thinking about drinking, or recovering from drinking? Showing up to work with a hangover is an example of this.
• Found that your drinking regularly impacted those around you such as family, friends, or even those at your workplace or school?
• Had overwhelming urges to drink, to the point that you couldn’t think of anything else?
• Experienced any withdrawal symptoms after drinking or when you weren’t drinking? This is more common for people who drink daily, but binge or episodic drinking can still fall under an AUD.
• Had to increase how much you drank in order to experience the effects you normally get?
• Continued drinking even if it was negatively impacting you, your mental health, or your relationships with those you care about? For example, promising your spouse or children you would stop drinking and not following through. 
• Cut back on activities or events you used to enjoy in order to drink?
• Gotten into situations that were dangerous because of drinking, such as driving under the influence, unsafe sex, walking in dangerous areas, etc?

Does any of this sound familiar to you? If you fi

How Are Hoosiers Affected by Alcoholism?

As we mentioned earlier, nearly 50% of Hoosiers aged 12 and older report current alcohol consumption. However, just because someone is currently consuming alcohol, that doesn’t mean they have an alcohol use disorder.  Let’s look at some more stats directly from the Indiana government website:

• Almost 24% of Hoosiers 12+ reported engaging in binge drinking. 
• 11% of child removals in 2021 were attributable to parental alcohol misuse. 
• The mortality rate regarding alcohol is 13.7 per 100k people.
• Over 43% of treatment admissions had alcohol listed as a primary, secondary, or tertiary substance.
• Over 3.8k alcohol-related car accidents occurred in 2020

Our expert clinical and medical staff will assess the various factors involved in your particular situation to create a alcohol detox plan to suit your needs. Your detox plan will include medications, as well as therapy and psychological support to minimize the withdrawal symptoms and ensure a safe, comfortable detox process.

What Are the Causes of Alcohol Use Disorders?

Everyone’s history regarding alcohol use is unique to them, and causes can vary from person to person. What we will be looking at today are some things that show a larger trend of contributing to AUDs.

Underage drinking can increase the odds of someone developing an AUD. Studies show that there is almost a 3x higher chance of developing an AUD if you began drinking before age 15, versus those who started at age 21 or later. This is because of the environment that tends to surround underage drinking as well as the habits that can be built because of it. Often those who regularly drink at a young age might have other concerns such as their home life or mental health. Did you drink at a young age, were your parents or friends involved in alcohol? 

Genes can also have a role to play in alcohol use disorders, but they’re never the sole or primary cause. Just because someone might have a predisposition towards alcohol use, doesn’t mean they will develop it. AUDs are still heavily influenced by the environment around you.

Those who regularly participate in binge drinking can see an increased chance of AUD. This is primarily because of both the habit that’s been established as well as the increased risk of experiencing withdrawal. Withdrawal and its side effects are known to impact people greatly and lead to what many refer to as “addiction.” This is due to the fact that people realize drinking more alcohol will reduce their withdrawal symptoms, so it starts an endless cycle.

Finally, mental health conditions are known influencers of any substance use, including alcohol use disorders. Untreated mental health disorders and trauma can often cause someone to use alcohol as a means to manage their symptoms.

How to Know if You Need Treatment for an Alcohol Use Disorder

While everyone’s threshold regarding when they seek AUD treatment varies, we highly recommend you skim the list of questions we asked earlier. If you found that you answered yes to several of them, it’s a sign that seeking medical advice regarding your alcohol use is a good idea.

Overall, what’s most important to know is that if you think it’s a good time to start looking into recovery, then you should. No matter what the catalyst may be. It’s never too late to start your recovery journey, and reaching your goals is always possible.

Treatment Options for Alcohol Use Disorders in Indianapolis, IN

Here at Recovery Centers of America, we’re well-versed in assisting those who are looking to move away from alcohol use and onto a road of recovery. We know just how thoroughly your life can be impacted by alcohol use and we want to help. We will work with you every step of the way, making sure to treat the source in order to help you achieve your goals. 

Let’s take a further look at our philosophies, treatment programs, and support systems that we offer during your recovery.

How RCA Stands Out in Alcohol Rehab

Programs backed by clinical excellence. What does this mean? We utilize research both from our staff as well as feedback from our clients to track how effective our program is in helping people reach their recovery goals. We aren’t afraid to update it and try different things if we see there’s a need for it. We want to treat addiction at the source, and this means making sure our tools to do so are at their best. 

Our facility accepts admissions 24/7. We know there can be many roadblocks to recovery, and for those who’ve decided to take that step, sometimes there isn’t time to waste. That’s why we work to get clients into our admissions process in as little as 30 minutes. We’re in-network with most insurances, and we work with other hospitals and facilities when it comes to transfers. If you were at the ER recently and already had tests done, we won’t make you redo them.

What You Can Expect During Treatment at Recovery Centers of America

Here at RCA, we offer detox programs, inpatient services, and outpatient support. Each of these programs looks a little different for every client, as we work hard to tailor your recovery to your specific needs. 

Alcohol Detoxification

Most AUD clients will start off with detox if they haven’t detoxed from alcohol already. Those who have developed an AUD often experience withdrawal when they try to stop drinking. This withdrawal experience can have unpleasant and even deadly side effects, so starting out with a detox program can ensure you go through withdrawal in a safe and managed way. 

Depending on your case, there are medications that are sometimes utilized to assist in managing side effects. Regardless, you will have trained medical staff on hand to make sure that your detox process is as pain-free as possible.

Oftentimes, during the end of the detox process, clients will start their inpatient programming.

Residential or Inpatient Rehab Services

Our facility offers inpatient rehab services through our three program Pathways. Each path is tailored to different experiences in order to best serve our clients. Let’s look at those real quick.

• First-time recovery clients: this Pathway program works specifically with those who are taking their first steps on their road to recovery. We work hard to build a foundation and address the source of alcohol use in order to better pave the road ahead.
• Return/Relapse clients: These are clients who have been through recovery centers before, whether our own or elsewhere, and are in need of further support. This program works to address the causes of relapse and fill the gaps that previous visits and attempts were unable to.
• Dual-diagnosis clients: Many people, when managing an AUD, are also managing mental health. Our dual diagnosis program makes sure to not just address one concern, but instead work on helping clients learn how to manage both their AUD and mental health along their recovery journey.

Inpatient is the place where you will learn the tools and skills you need to work through your recovery journey. We have many ways that we do this. One such way is through a case manager, who will meet with you as soon as your admissions process is complete. This case manager will work alongside you and your therapist to make sure your recovery plan will work for you. This includes planning for what will happen once you’re ready to move on from our facility. 

We also offer services to help with other aspects of your recovery and life. We know alcohol use can affect your family, your job, and even your ability to care for yourself. That’s why we offer family programs, work programs, and nutrition and wellness programs, too.

Outpatient Rehab Services

Outpatient rehab is the transition for most clients between inpatient and returning to “their life.” The biggest reason outpatient is important is that your life will have new challenges and triggers that you need to address post-treatment. Our outpatient program continues supporting our Pathways’ philosophies while offering advice and care for you on your continued journey.

Additionally, we offer peer support and care through our alumni program. Socialization and developing new hobbies and activities can be pivotal to recovery. Our alumni network allows clients to have access to others who know what they’re going through.

We want to see you reach your recovery goals because we know you can. Our phone line is available 24/7 at 1-800-RECOVERY if you ever have any questions or want to get started on your own healing journey. You’re not alone. 

FAQs

What is the most crucial step in the treatment of alcoholism?

The biggest step for addressing alcohol use is getting into a good facility. Taking that step through the door can be pivotal in a person’s recovery.

Why do alcoholics sleep a lot?

Alcohol is a depressant. This means it slows down the body causing fatigue and drowsiness.

What field has the most alcoholics?

There are many fields that seem to garner alcohol use. This is primarily due to high-stress or potentially trauma-inducing environments.