When someone gets help and fights their addiction, it’s the most fantastic decision of their life.
Unfortunately, the last year has caused enormous mental health and addiction issues. That said, alcohol addiction has been a societal problem for centuries.
Nearly 21 million Americans suffer from addiction, but only 10% of those people receive treatment. Since 1990, drug overdose deaths have trebled in the United States, and alcohol addiction costs the U.S. economy $600 billion every year.
34.2 million Americans committed DUI, with 21.4 million people under the influence of alcohol. In addition, over 20% of Americans suffering from depression and anxiety also have a substance use disorder. Finally, 74% of adults suffering from drug addiction were suffering from alcohol addiction.
It’s a societal problem, and guess what? You are not alone. If you’re suffering from addiction, you can find help. At Tikvah Lake, we understand the pain of addiction and how it destroys your life, family, and dreams.
Here are some fantastic benefits of getting sober and boosting your mental health!
1. You’ll Experience Safe Detoxing
Quitting your substance abuse is hard enough, but detoxing can be even more challenging. Detoxing is removing your body from unhealthy and toxic substances, but these substances don’t leave easily. Hundreds of people die yearly in the U.S. because of quitting alcohol and going cold turkey without adequate support. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence states the following common withdrawal symptoms:
- Headaches
- Sweating
- Shakiness
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
The above symptoms are common, but the following symptoms are rare yet can be severe:
- Seizures
- Hallucinations
- Delirium tremens
- Heart palpitations
A 2010 Oxford University Press journey found that 6.6% of people admitted to hospital with alcohol withdrawal symptoms died. So when people enter secure medical centers with expert staff to monitor withdrawal symptoms, the likelihood of death of severe symptoms decreases. In addition, the mental health consequences of detoxing can be catastrophic, and that’s why it helps enter a safe medical detox program.
2. It Prevents Relapsing
The most prominent fear people have – and often a very rational fear – is relapsing into your previous addiction. Unfortunately, alcohol relapse occurs in one out of three peopleafter they beat addiction. There are different relapses, including short-term and longer-term lapses. Either way, all relapses are destructive and ruin all your hard work.
You aren’t on your own, many people suffer from relapsing, and it’s sadly highly common. You should never give up on becoming sober because nobody built Rome in a day. There were various stumbling blocks, and beating your addiction is a rollercoaster ride.
Here are some statistics on relapsing:
- 90% of people with alcohol addiction relapse after four years
- Over 30% of people relapse in their first year after quitting alcohol
- 21.4% of people relapse within two years after quitting alcohol
- Only 9.6% of people with alcohol addiction relapse in years three to five
Why do people relapse?
There are so many reasons people relapse, but here are some of the most common.
- The trigger: People with past addictions often have triggers which they associate with their past drinking habits. For some people, it might be the location, the bar, or the people they used to drink with. When you surround yourself with your previous triggers, you might think about drinking again.
- The thought: The way you react to a trigger is crucial in preventing a relapse. Unfortunately, it’s common for many people to justify drinking that one beer on that one special occasion. Triggers are everywhere, and they’re a massive danger. It’s essential to know how to beat the triggers before they beat you.
- The craving: Once you’ve permitted yourself to leave sobriety, it can be very challenging to control your drinking levels. You might quickly drink more than you intended.
- Relapse: When you’ve had a drink, it’s normal for people to feel guilt and hopelessness. It’s these negative emotions that can snowball your regression and send your back into addiction.
Relapsing is often a chain of events that send you back to square one. However, when you get professional help with your addiction, you’ll learn how to beat these voices and continue your incredible work.
3. It Boosts Your Mental Health
There has been a mental health epidemic in the last 12 months. The pandemic has created unprecedented uncertainty, stress, and anxiety. Negative thoughts and feelings lead to harmful habits, and you’re not alone if you’re struggling with mental health issues right now.
Experts suggest the world is suffering collective trauma from the pandemic, and 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. have suffered from mental health issues since the pandemic began.
There is a massive correlation between mental health issues and addiction.
Over 50% of people with severe mental disorders also struggle with substance abuse. Of all people diagnosed as mentally ill, 29% abuse drugs and alcohol. That stems from the fact that narcotics suppress normal brain functions, leading to a relief – albeit a temporary relief – from life’s problems. But, unfortunately, the relief will alter the brain’s make-up and chemical balance, leading to further mental health and addiction issues.
Rehab centers offer excellent facilities and services to help you with any mental health issues that can trigger addiction. Over 40.2 million Americans received mental health counseling in 2019, but that’s not enough, and anyone suffering from addiction will benefitfrom therapy.
4. It Helps to Build New Practices and Habits
The most excellent way to beat addiction and avoid falling into relapse is by building new habits and practices. Bad habits cause addiction, and identifying those bad habits is an excellent way to prevent relapse and addiction.
To create excellent habits, follow these essential steps:
- Identify the clues: What pushes you towards alcohol addiction? Is it stress, trauma, or poor habits? Once you identify the clues, you’re well on your way to succeeding.
- Find alternative rewards: It’s time to seek different rewards that will encourage you to form new habits. For example, you might have used alcohol after a long workday to calm stress, but try to find a new behavior in the evenings, such as yoga, running, meditation.
- Make a plan: Once you know your trigger, you can use that trigger to build a plan to prevent yourself from falling back into bad habits.
Rehab centers are ideal for building new practices and habits. For many people, figuring out the bad habits is challenging, but the expert rehab staff will make it easy for you and help you to build a plan for the future.
5. Recovery Centers Offer Aftercare Support
As we’ve already mentioned, going to rehab is just the first stage – preventing relapse is the next stage, and it’s a significant stage. Suppose you want to stay on the right path, avoid addiction, and build your dream life? In that case, you’ll love the aftercare support from recovery clinics. Like-Minded people will surround you and prevent you from a return to negative places.
The most famous aftercare support is Alcoholics Anonymous. However, that’s just one of many types of aftercare support, and you’ll find countless options. Alternatively, you can live in a halfway house with people trying to beat their addiction and turn their life around. In addition, you can go to regular therapy and community work to prevent other people from falling into addiction spirals.
Aftercare support includes the following options:
- Coaching and goal setting
- Case management
- Career counseling and support
- Substance monitoring
Without these support systems through recovery programs, beating addiction can be harder.
6. Getting Help Exposes You To Like-Minded People
When you’re suffering from addiction, it can feel like you’re entirely alone. It’s never the case, and there are always people in the same shoes as you. It’s the feeling of loneliness, emptiness, and shame that prevents us from getting help for our addictions. Still, there’s absolutely nothing to be ashamed about.
You’ll expose yourself to people with the same careers as you. People who are high flying in their careers but battling addiction below the surface. As a result, you’ll quickly realize:
- You’re not alone
- People will support you
- People will work with you
- You can beat this together
A recovery center can help you meet life-changing people and remove those feelings of guilt, loneliness, and isolation.
Get Help With Your Recovery
Tikah Lake is the perfect place to help you through your recovery process. A group of dedicated lifelong professionals will greet you when you arrive.
We can help people suffering from a whole range of addictions and mental illnesses. You’ll also receive the most incredible support for anxiety, depression, and substance abuse from a group of highly qualified experts.
Getting help for addiction and mental health issues is the best way to turn your life around. However, it’s important to remember that you are not alone, and there are people who will help you stay on track. That’s why getting help is so important.