Recovering from Alcohol

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by Linda Hansen

Hi. My name is Linda Hansen and I am sharing a piece I wrote about my recovery from alcohol. April is Alcohol Awareness Month. I know many people struggle with alcohol addiction. No one knows how difficult it is to have this problem more than the person experiencing it.

I had tried quite a few times to quit drinking on my own with no success. I was able to finally stop with help from those in the mental health field.
Thank you Chrysalis for letting me tell my story and possibly helping someone with their recovery.

According to Talbott Recovery, five tips for staying sober is to keep yourself busy, take better care of yourself, take it one day at a time, relax, and turn to positive influences (2019). Alcohol continues to be one of the nation’s most preventable causes of death, second only to tobacco and a poor diet. Signs of alcohol abuse are problems at work and school because of drinking, engaging in dangerous activities, blacking out, legal problems, continuing to drink in spite of health problems that are made worse by alcohol, and family and friends are worried about your drinking (Richard, 2019).

Alcohol treatment options are numerous, evidence-based, and effective. Over 23% of admissions to public treatment centers are due to alcohol abuse, the highest percentage of such admissions. There is no one-size-fits-all standard of treatment and many people need a combination of approaches to address underlying causes of their alcoholism (Alcohol.org, 2011).   At least one-third of alcoholics fully recover. Using prescription drugs to combat alcohol dependency, in combination with treatment, boost the recovery success rate to 50% (RenewEveryday.com, 2011).  

At the end of the day, recovery from an alcohol is not just about staying sober. It is about reinventing your life so that you find peace and other benefits of quitting alcohol (Keller, 2018).

References:

Alcohol.org. (2011, December 23). Statistics & Information on Alcoholism & Addiction Treatment Help. Retrieved from https://www.alcohol.org/statistics-information/.

Keller, Amy. (2018, May 24). Alcohol Recovery. Retrieved from https://www.drugrehab.com/addiction/alcohol/recovery/.

RenewEveryday.com (2011). Addiction & Recovery: The Stats. Retrieved from http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/addiction-recovery-facts/.

Richard, Patti. (2019). 2018 Alcoholism Statistics You Need to Know. Retrieved from https://talbottcampus.com/alcoholism-statistics/.

Talbott Recovery. (2019). 5 Tips for Staying Alcohol-Free During the Winter. Retrieved from https://talbottcampus.com/addiction-and-mental-health- resources/alcoholism-and-drug-abuse-articles/5-tips-for-staying-alcohol-free-during-the-winter/.