Alcohol Rehabs in Haverhill, MA

Entering into treatment at alcohol rehabs in Haverhill could be the first step to regaining control over your life. Alcohol addiction treatment doesn't change you as a person. Instead, rehab aims to help you overcome self-destructive drinking behaviors using healthy, productive methods. Contact Haverhill Drug Rehab Centers today to learn more about addiction recovery (877) 804-1531.

What Is Alcohol Abuse?

Alcohol abuse is the term used when a person indulges in unhealthy or dangerous drinking habits, including drinking every day or binge drinking to excess during one sitting. A person who abuses alcohol is not necessarily addicted to the substance but may lead to developing alcohol dependence, or alcoholism.

Symptoms of alcohol abuse include:

Overdrinking, or binge drinking
Drinking everyday
Drinking alone or not in social situations
Blacking out or having only fragmented memories of what occurred while under the influence

Alcohol Abuse Signs and Symptoms

Continuing to drink heavily can cause significant changes in the brain's chemistry that could increase the risk of developing an addiction to alcohol. Some of the more serious signs and symptoms to watch for include:

Cravings: feeling an overwhelming compulsion to drink alcohol
Loss of control: an inability to stop drinking once started
Repeated failed attempts to quit: trying to cut down or stop drinking unsuccessfully on more than one occasion
Tolerance: needing to drink larger volumes of alcohol in order to achieve the same effects
Isolation: decreased involvement in social or extracurricular activities in order to stay home and drink
Physical dependency: the point at which the brain's chemical release triggers become dependent on the user continuing to drink alcohol
Withdrawal symptoms: experiencing symptoms of withdrawal when drinking stops suddenly

Dangers of Alcohol Abuse

Abusing alcohol comes with a variety of dangers to a person's physical and mental health. Most people are aware that persistent heavy drinking can affect liver functions, but did you also know that alcohol can cause some of the following health conditions:

Brain changes: Alcohol interferes with the brain's normal communication pathways, affecting mood, behavior, cognitive functioning, memory, coordination, and concentration
Pancreas: Alcohol triggers the pancreas to produce toxic substances that increase the risk of developing pancreatitis
Cancer: Alcohol is a known carcinogen that can increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer, including cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, liver, breast, and colon.
Immune system: Consuming too much alcohol can compromise the immune system, making the body more susceptible to illness and infection.
Stomach: Excessive drinking can cause ulcers and bleeding from the stomach
Malnutrition: Alcohol interferes with the body's ability to absorb nutrients from food.
Mental health disorders: Alcohol is a depressant that acts on the central nervous system and can trigger symptoms of depression.

Aside from the mental and physical health dangers associated with heavy drinking, a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that approximately 2,200 people die in America each year as a result of alcohol poisoning. Massachusetts had an average of 11.9 per million deaths caused by alcohol poisoning, putting the state in the top quarter of all US states in 2015. Life-threatening signs of alcohol poisoning include vomiting, inability to wake up when roused, slow and irregular breathing, hypothermia (low body temperature) and seizures.

Why No One Should Detox from Alcohol at Home

It's common for many people to assume that someone with a drinking problem simply needs to use a bit of willpower and just quit cold turkey. The assumption is that the person should go through a couple of uncomfortable days of detox and then somehow just be instantly cured of their alcohol addiction. The reality is, those who suffer from alcoholism need to seek the help of addiction treatment programs in Haverhill.

In reality, alcohol withdrawal can produce symptoms that can be dangerous and even potentially life-threatening, requiring emergency medical assistance. It's never recommended that anyone should try to detox from alcohol without proper medical supervision, especially if it's likely the person is likely to experience symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

It's also worth noting that trying to quit drinking at home without proper alcohol addiction treatment could increase the risk of relapsing back into self-destructive drinking habits and further down into the spiral of addiction. In order to break free from the cycle of dysfunctional drinking habits, it's important to seek professional help at alcohol rehabs in Haverhill.

Who Should Enter an Alcohol Abuse Rehab?

Anyone struggling to regain control over their drinking habits should enter into professional alcohol rehabs in Haverhill. The first phase of alcohol addiction treatment is to ensure the person's safety and provide medical supervision during the detox process and to ensure no adverse symptoms of alcohol withdrawal pose a threat to the person's health. Some people may require specific prescription medications to treat any symptoms of alcohol withdrawal that do emerge.

When drug detox in Haverhill is complete, it's common for many people to assume they are somehow cured of their addiction. What they completely overlook is that detox only works to break the body's physical dependency on alcohol. Detox does nothing to address the underlying psychological reasons behind self-destructive drinking behaviors.

Alcohol rehabs in Haverhill use a combination of individual counseling and behavioral therapy to identify the reasons behind each person's drinking problems. From there, it's easier to recognize high-risk emotions and situations that increase the risk of the recovering person relapsing into dysfunctional drinking patterns after leaving rehab.

Specialized alcohol addiction treatment programs may also incorporate a variety of alternative therapies designed to provide natural ways to relieve symptoms of stress. A comprehensive alcohol addiction treatment program will also include regular attendance at group support meetings.

The result of the correct combination of therapies and treatments can mean learning healthy, productive ways to regain control over your life and your drinking patterns. Call Haverhill Drug Rehab Centers now for help (877) 804-1531.