With first-hand experience dealing with addicts, I got to know if you have a problem with drinking too much, you may wonder if you can do home alcohol rehab on your own.
Outpatient alcohol rehab is a type of treatment that lets you stay at home while you go to classes at a facility or online. It can be a flexible and affordable choice for people who have mild to moderate alcohol problems and a strong desire to quit.
Scroll down the blog to know about the overall factors that lead you to do outpatient rehab easily.
Set Realistic Goals
Before you start treatment, from my perspective, you should know exactly what you want to get out of it and how you will track your progress. For example, you may want to go to rehab yourself from alcohol, stop drinking altogether, or avoid relapsing.
You should also set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, important, and tiUpdate on website (old blog update)me-bound) short-term and long-term goals. For example, you might want to go to three sessions a week for six months or not drink in social settings for a year.
In my years of experience as a specialist, when I work with my patients, I used to ask about their expectations, wants, and goals first. Then, I move to further processes.
Create A Support Network
When you do private alcohol rehab by yourself, you don’t have to cut yourself off from others. You can’t get better without a strong network who cares about you.
You should be with the ones who understand your position, respect the choices you’ve made, and support your efforts. That could be your family, friends, coworkers, or people in recovery with whom you hang out.
One of my patients, Olivia, visited me with a lot of issues, including depression, and anxiety. And mentioned she was struggling with an alcohol addiction, and she wanted to get better. I helped her through her journey in outpatient rehab.
I suggested and guided her to create her support network. Eventually, I noticed that, along with her addiction problem, this support group helped her overcome other mental issues such as depression and anger issues.
You can also join online forums or chat rooms, including Al-Anon Electronic Meetings, 5th Dimension Online Alcoholics Anonymous Group, and Alcoholism Support Group at DailyStrength.org where you can talk about your experiences and get help from those who have been through similar problems.
Find A Therapist or Counselor
Even if you do outpatient alcohol rehab on your own, you shouldn’t ignore how important it is to get help from a professional. A therapist or counselor can give you evidence-based interventions that can help you deal with the causes of your addiction, deal with negative feelings, change your behavior patterns, and avoid relapse.
You can find an online directory, a recommendation, or a review to help you find a therapist or counselor who specializes in alcoholism. 45% of participants successfully completed treatment for drug addiction.
You can also choose between therapy on your own or with a group, based on your needs and preferences.
Attend 12-Step Meetings
Attending 12-step groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or SMART Recovery is another way to do outpatient alcohol rehab on your own. These are self-help groups I would recommend that help get over addictions by following a set of rules and steps.
They provide a safe, helpful place where you can meet others who are going through similar things and have similar goals.
You can also get help from a sponsor, who is someone who has been clean for a long time and can guide you through rehab.
I witnessed several cases, where addicts recovered through 12-step meetings rather than therapies. As it motivated one to focus on treatments. After that the treatment was worth it.
Make Lifestyle Changes
Lastly, if you do outpatient alcohol rehab on your own, you’ll need to make some changes to your life that will help your healing. Some of these are changing your diet, getting more exercise, getting enough sleep, and learning how to deal with stress.
Others are staying away from places, people, or situations that make you want to drink, finding healthy hobbies or activities that make you happy and give you a sense of accomplishment, and rewarding yourself for your successes.
Outpatient alcohol rehab on your own is doable but not recommended. It is preferable to seek professional assistance and support from individuals who can assist you in overcoming your addiction and improving your quality of life.
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