Just like any area Fishtown has its problems, with 40% of the population not finishing high school and double the US crime rate just two of the issues affecting its residents. If you face difficulties finding employment and have fears about your safety, these troubles may cause you stress and adversely affect your mood. While your doctor could help you with these mental health problems, it is tempting to look for your own coping mechanisms and for some people this means turning to alcohol to self-medicate and escape from the difficulties they face. If you have found yourself using beer, wine, cider or spirits in this way, it is a sign that you are abusing alcohol. When left unchecked this habit can severely damage your health and hold you back in many areas of your life. However, by seeking help from Steps to Recovery, you can access specialist addiction therapy near Fishtown PA to help you overcome your reliance on alcohol and reach your full potential.
Dangers of Alcohol Dependency
When you regularly drink above recommended limits, which for men is 2 drinks daily and for women it is 1 drink daily, you place your short and long-term health at risk. You may not consider the implications of your habit when it helps to numb emotional pain, but some of the risks you face by drinking heavily include:
- A heavy drinking session can not only give you a headache and affect your co-ordination, but you may black out and even slip into a coma. It is particularly dangerous if you lose consciousness and then vomit, as this presents a choking risk.
- If you drink so much alcohol that your body is poisoned by its toxic effects, you are likely to experience breathing difficulties, hypothermia and seizures.
- Alcohol can also interact with drugs, so whether you take these on prescription or abuse them recreationally, this is an added risk of alcohol dependency. For instance, mixing alcoholic drinks and opiates (either heroin or painkillers) makes you more likely to lose consciousness and develop respiratory distress. Alternatively, when you smoke cannabis and drink alcohol, you are more likely to experience psychotic symptoms.
- If you drive, operate machinery or place yourself in other dangerous situations after having a drink, you are more likely to seriously injure yourself.
- Alcoholic liver disease is a real risk when heavy alcohol use becomes a chronic problem.
- You are more likely to develop high blood pressure, heart disease and have a stroke when dependent on alcohol.
- Damage to your nerves and brain can lead to a range of unpleasant symptoms from tingling and numbness to memory loss and dementia.
- The harsh effects of alcohol on your digestive system makes you more vulnerable to stomach ulcers, inflammation and poor absorption of vitamins and minerals leading to malnutrition.
- You are at greater risk of cancers affecting your mouth, throat, digestive system and skin when you drink heavily.
- Ultimately, you will cut your life short if you don’t take control of your drinking habits with the help of an alcohol treatment center.
You don’t just jeopardize your current and future health when you have an alcohol problem though, as heavy drinking takes its toll on all parts of your life. For example, you are more likely to fall behind at school or college when you turn to alcohol. The same goes with your employment, as you will function less effectively when under the influence of alcohol and are more likely to take time off work. Closer to home, your relationship with your family and friends will often suffer, particularly if you push them away when they express concerns about your addiction to alcohol. If your habit gets you into financial difficulties due to your constant need for a drink, this can also impact on your family, and if your habit leads you to break the law, this is likely to heighten the worries they have. While you may not notice the destruction yourself and if you do it is hard to see a way out, admitting you need help is the first step to recovery. When you acknowledge that you have a drinking problem, we can offer you all the support you need at one of our alcohol recovery centers close to Fishtown PA.
Types of Alcohol Addiction Treatment Fishtown PA
When you explore the range of addiction treatment services available that cater for alcohol dependency, you will see that there are a variety of alcohol recovery programs available. At Steps to Recovery you can choose from the following treatment options for alcohol abuse:
- Alcohol Detox Fishtown PA. A supervised withdrawal from alcohol is recommended, as detoxing from alcohol not only produces a range of unpleasant side-effects, but some of these, such as seizures, can prove a danger to your well-being.
- Inpatient alcohol rehabilitation Fishtown PA. This offers you intensive therapy and support, as well as a structured living environment while you take part in addiction rehab.
- Partial hospitalization for alcohol dependency. You can benefit from a similar intensity of therapy as residential treatment, but you continue to live at home, commuting on a daily basis for counseling and other activities essential for your addiction recovery. The proximity of our alcohol treatment centers to Fishburn makes this a practical option.
- Outpatient alcohol rehab Fishtown PA. Although you won’t receive as many hours of therapy each week, this offers you more flexibility, so you can balance therapy with your other commitments.
- Addiction aftercare services. It is useful to know that after you complete alcohol rehab you can choose which form of ongoing support best suits your needs. For some people this may mean a stay at one of our sober living facilities, though less formal support such as addiction coaching is also available to help you stay on track and remain abstinent in the longer-term.
To help you decide which alcohol treatment option best meets your requirements, our helpful team are here to offer you further information about each of the styles of addiction program near Fishtown PA that are available.
Alcohol Addiction Therapy
After you successfully detox from alcohol, you will enter a course of rehabilitation that is tailored to your needs. Our unique approach to treatment is different from that offered by many other alcohol rehab facilities and we believe that by making sure that therapy meets your own requirements this gives you a better chance of staying sober for good. The high success rate of our clients, with many achieving lasting sobriety on the first attempt, proves that our custom made addiction therapy programs are a recipe for success.
While the precise treatment for alcohol dependency you receive varies from person to person, all our clients participate in a range of therapy styles. This means you will benefit from private therapy, group counseling and family therapy during your rehabilitation, with each format helping you with a range of areas. For instance, when you receive counseling on a one to one basis this is the time for you to identify personal triggers for your drinking and work with your addiction therapist to devise an action plan to help you deal with these triggers and manage cravings for alcohol. Meanwhile, therapy as part of a group allows you to discuss common themes with your peers and problem solve together, offering a greater learning experience and the chance for you to support each other. Finally, family therapy lets you restore your relationship with your loved ones. So often family connections suffer at the hands of alcohol dependency, with your behaviors adversely affecting those close to you, but family therapy lets you reform previously close bonds, as it lets you listen to one another and gain a greater understanding from the other’s perspective. When you both understand each other better, this makes your family more able to support you following alcohol rehabilitation Fishtown PA.
Comprehensive Addiction Care
On top of these valuable talking therapies, you can access complementary treatments. From acupuncture to yoga, Steps to Recovery offers these additional therapies as they are proven valuable to recovering alcoholics. By taking part in these complementary treatments you are able to achieve a greater sense of well-being, as there is convincing evidence they help with stress reduction and low mood, which you may already suffer from or which may develop once you initially give up drinking. Enhancing your mental wellness in this way lets you gain more from therapy and addressing your emotional well-being means you are more likely to stay abstinent once treatment is complete. In addition to their positive influence on your mood and stress levels, complementary therapies also offer a useful tool to aid in cravings management so that the draw of drink is less likely to get the better of you.
Providing Opportunities for Skills Development
Besides making complementary therapies available as part of your alcohol rehab program, our holistic approach to addiction treatment also means that we aim to make sure you have all the skills you will need for life back home. When you leave one of our alcohol therapy programs Fishtown PA, you will need to take care of yourself and your family, which includes finding and holding down a job, managing a budget effectively and serving nutritious meals each day. We will help you to pinpoint the skills you need to work on and provide you with the chance to develop these during your time with us. In addition to practical life skills such as making job applications and meal preparation, you will also build on your transferrable skills, such as speaking, listening and team work, as a natural course of therapy, which prepare you well socially and for in the workplace. When you are well prepared for life after alcohol rehabilitation, you are less likely to run into difficulties and revert to your old habits, greatly reducing your risk of relapse.
Taking Part in Recreational Activities
While you might not expect to find leisure activities included on an alcohol dependency recovery program, this is certainly something we incorporate on ours at Steps to Recovery. As a residential client you will benefit from a varied timetable of pastimes, ranging from movie nights to active pursuits, which serve a number of important purposes. Firstly, having time out from therapy is important to help you relax and recharge. This leisure time also lets you gets to know your peers better in a relaxed setting, helping you to develop even stronger bonds that are invaluable during therapy sessions. Additionally, when you have relied so much on alcohol to lift your spirits and help you unwind, you forget how many enjoyable activities there are and how much fun it is possible to have with a group of friends. Appreciating this gives you yet another reason to enjoy being free from the grip of alcohol.
As well as activities such as ice skating and rock climbing you will have the chance to attend the gym several times each week. Time at the gym doesn’t just help you rebuild your physical strength and fitness, but it allows you to enhance your emotional wellness too, as physical activity is known for its mood boosting effects. By adopting a healthy lifestyle during alcohol addiction treatment Fishtown PA, you are likely to carry this forwards with you after rehab and with these healthy habits you are less likely to return to your old ways. Taking regular exercise is therefore a great way to stay sober.
Supporting You Every Step
From the moment you join one of our alcohol rehab programs, we offer you 100% commitment and are behind you throughout your journey to abstinence. Our friendly team of therapists and support workers will always make time for you and with favorable staffing levels we can deliver on our promise of dedicated support when you need it. Nothing is too much trouble for our team and you might like to know that some of us have personal experience of going through addiction recovery so have a very good idea of what you might be feeling right now. With our empathy and support we will give you all the help you need to achieve your goal of lasting sobriety.
Charities Fishtown PA
- Affordable Housing Centers of Pennsylvania: 846 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130-2234
- Greater Philadelphia Food Bank: 302 W Berks Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122-2239
- Liberti Church East: 2424 E York Street Suite 122, Philadelphia, PA 19125
