Anyone who completes alcohol detox has made essential progress toward achieving long-lasting sobriety. However, for most, detox is not the end of recovery. What should you expect to do after completing detox? The consensus among addiction specialists is that the next step is enrollment in active substance treatment. Substance treatment provides you with many forms of sobriety support. This helps transform alcohol detox and rehab from a short-term solution into an effective, long-term recovery tool.
Detox After Alcohol Abuse or Alcoholism – Who Needs a Detox Program?
As a rule, you need to go through detox after alcohol abuse or alcoholism begins to affect you. Alcohol abuse is a damaging pattern of drinking that doesn’t require the presence of alcohol addiction. People affected by alcoholism:
- Typically have a physical dependence on alcohol
- Experience an involuntary need to keep drinking
- Pay no heed to what they must do to keep the alcohol flowing
If you or your loved one experience these issues, it’s time to consider a detox program.
Alcohol Detox Before and After – An Overview of the Recovery Process
To make the most of alcohol rehab, it’s essential to understand how the process works. Detox, or detoxification, is the starting point of that process. An alcohol detox before and after perspective looks like this:
Before the detox, you’re still actively engaged in alcohol use. During detox, you bring this pattern of use to an end. You also:
- Experience a gradual reduction in your blood alcohol levels
- Come out of your habitual intoxicated state
- Get help dealing with various alcoholism-related withdrawal symptoms
- Receive additional help for any severe withdrawal side effects that may occur
After the alcohol detox ends, you should be in a beginning state of sobriety. This may be the first time you’ve experienced such a state for an extended period of time. Now, you must find a way to protect and nurture sobriety.
What Happens After Alcohol Detox – Enrolling in Active Treatment
Successful alcohol detox and active alcohol treatment are equally important in recovery. The sobriety you achieve through detox takes you to the starting line of active treatment. In turn, active treatment helps turn the temporary victory of initial sobriety into a long-term achievement.
Treatment for alcoholism typically includes participation in psychotherapy.
In alcoholism therapy, the emphasis is on changing your behavior around alcohol. To do this, you must understand the connection between your behavior and your everyday thoughts and feelings. As well it’s essential to understand the patterns that contributed to your alcohol use disorder and choose different paths. Therapy gives you the tools to achieve these vital goals. In addition, there are therapy options that help you increase your motivation to do well in treatment.
Medication can also be necessary for active recovery from alcoholism. The main goal of medication use is to make you less likely to start drinking again. This goal can be achieved by stopping any alcohol you drink from intoxicating you. It can also be achieved by making drinking a physically unpleasant experience for you.
Learn More About What’s Next After Alcohol Detox at Northpoint Colorado
What happens after alcohol detox? If you hope to stay sober, the response to that question is enrollment in active alcohol treatment. Have more questions about entering treatment after alcohol detox? The recovery specialists at Northpoint Colorado can answer them.
Ready to start alcohol detox? Northpoint features customized services that help you reach an initial sober state. We’re also your source for customized active treatment when detox is complete. To find out more, call us today at 888.231.1281. You can also complete our convenient online form.