One of the latest diet crazes is the detox diet. They’re designed to assist the body in ridding itself of toxins. There’s a sort of fasting or purging that happens by giving up foods that are unhealthy, like processed sugar. After a period of time, foods can be slowly reintroduced. However, the old foods, the ones the body is trying to detox from are not on this list of reintroduction. In many cases a liquid diet, no alcohol, begins the regimen for about two days, and then other healthy foods like brown rice, fruit, steamed vegetables. Eventually, the plan is to eat only foods packed full of nutrition, and the list of foods to avoid are; red meat, wheat, sugar, eggs, and prepackaged or junk food.
That doesn’t sound like fun at all, but the body will respond accordingly, and the detox dieter will feel better on the inside and out.
This is sort of what an alcohol detox is all about. It’s purging the alcohol from the body for a couple of days. In some cases this can create painful withdrawals, so a professional should be present to administer some medication to alleviate pain and minimize other types of symptoms.
An alcohol rehab can probably be best compared to the reintroduction of food to the body. In an alcohol rehab the person moving from an alcohol detox is ready for therapy, Alcoholics Anonymous, and whatever else is being offered. There’s an expression out there that some use: “A belly full of AA and I am on my way.”
As with everything there are dangers to a detox diets and people should take some precautions. One of the detox diets available is the natural liver detox diet. It should only be done for short periods of time because over time fasting can slow the metabolism, which will in turn make it harder to keep from gaining weight. Being sure the essential nutrients (protein from beans, milk, yogurt and lean meat) are provided during the fast is of the utmost importance. Fasting can be a rather addictive due to the ethereal ‘high, and if done too much it can lead to eating disorders.
Generally speaking though, a balanced and proper diet is more helpful than a detox diet.
Just like preparing to enter an alcohol detox or alcohol rehab, you should consult your doctor regarding any severe diet plan.
Alcohol Detox | Cleansing the Toxins from Your Body
With all the new detox diet fads hitting the street, bookstores, and television infomercial venues, there might be a lot of hoopla regarding whether or not using a natural detox diet to remove toxins and poisons from your body is a good idea. On the surface they sound inviting though; eating pure and natural foods instead of processed and refined ones seems like such a no brainer.
Although there is something worth looking into regarding this new idea, there seems to be more than what is on the surface. After all, there’s a huge amount of information out there from numerous celebrities, doctors, and gurus claiming they have the best detox diet program. They can’t all be right, or can they?
The increase in interest has been fueled by the notion of a lifestyle enhancement – to just clean out the poisons and toxins so you can start all over with a fresher, healthier, and newer you.
In fact, it is pretty much what going to an alcohol detox and alcohol rehab is all about. A lot of active alcoholics want to stop but the painful withdrawal symptoms, and their addiction, prevent them from doing so safely and on their own. So, checking into an inpatient alcohol detox can give the alcoholic the break he feels his body needs. It will also help with the withdrawal symptoms because in many of those inpatient cases a medical staff is on board to help alleviate the dangerous symptoms that can drive an addict back to drinking or even death to escape the pain.
Following up to this type of program is about spending time in an inpatient or outpatient alcohol rehab program. In just about all cases it is imperative that the alcoholic goes through an alcohol detox program before being considered or allowed to enter an alcohol rehab program or facility.
However the alcoholic or dieter wants to go about a detox, they should understand there are risks involved and consulting a doctor or physician before entering a program like this is highly suggested.
There’s no sense in going it alone.
An often overlooked aspect of addiction recovery is the family and community that have been affected as a result of the addict’s behavior. However the case, family and friends should accept they are part of the solution and not part of the problem.
Statistics have shown that a large majority of the population knows someone, family or friend, who actively still suffers from alcoholism or drug addiction or has entered an alcohol detox or alcohol rehab. Those who are close understand it is difficult to cope with someone who abuses or who is dependent upon alcohol. It can literally destroy your life if you allow it to do so.
However, once the choice has been made, via interventions or otherwise, for the addict to enter an alcohol detox or alcohol rehab, you can be an important part of their recovery. A few things to consider are the following:
· Not keeping liquor in the house. If you drink and keep liquor around it could make it more difficult to help your loved one stay sober.
· Start the relationship from scratch. Over time you have gotten to know the addict and how he or she behaves. Most of the time when the addict comes back from an alcohol detox and alcohol rehab their behavior and personality is different. Which, of course, is natural, so give it some time and start a new!
· Set up a relapse plan. Help your loved one figure out the best course of action to take if a relapse does occur. It’s important to understand, as the addict has probably learned already, that relapses can happen and it doesn’t mean to throw in the towel.
· Be positive. If you can, create a positive environment and sincerely compliment the person on how they are doing in their recovery. Ask questions about how recovery is going. You do have a right to know but, be sure to not overdo it…in could come across as disingenuous.
Please understand that you are part of this recovery process as much as you want to be. Know that you have someone who has the disease of alcoholism in your house. Be gentle, be kind, and know there is success now and down the road if you work together.
Although an alcoholic has a lot to consider, admitting there is a problem, how to stop using, whether to go to an alcohol rehab, and also how to learn to live again, there’s another side effect a lot of people don’t stop to consider for a while, and it’s not really a surprise. The focus has been on the alcoholic for so long that other peoples’ feeling haven’t been considered. We sometimes tell ourselves that as long as the alcoholic is getting help then our anger and resentments will just slip away. Not so!
Even the most supportive families can turn on one another as the disease of alcoholism takes hold, creating anger with each other as well as toward the alcoholic. This will happen even after the person has entered an alcohol detox center.
Talking openly with family and friends regarding drinking and recovery will certainly help alleviate a lot unknown fears. One of the big things an alcoholic in recovery can do is to assure their family and friends that they did not cause the problem. They can, however, help out with your recovery. An alcohol detox and alcohol rehab center can offer counseling for families to work on issues that might arise at home. It will also be important to let family and friends know, as soon as you do, about what a relapse is, what might cause one, and what to do if it does happen. Of course they can help you prevent one as well.
Living with an alcoholic is rough, so covering up the person’s drinking, making excuses, or even trying to control their drinking will only create a higher level of stress and resentment. Asking yourself what the best route to follow, and being totally honest about it, will do family and friends a world of good. Thinking about a plan of action on what you will do if the alcoholic continues and then following through will be extremely helpful. Empty threats and promises to an active alcoholic are as empty as their threats and promises to you. Either way, the relationship will become more and more strained, and maybe one day irreparably damaged.
If money problems are occurring due to alcohol use, then say so, and if you need to, separate your finances, cancel credit cards, but be prepared to do this. Although it might create hostility, they will probably thank you once coming out an alcohol rehab. In most cases, once their head is clearer, they can see where the drinking has brought them.
It’s a tough road, but with honesty and love the road can be paved smooth again.
My hat goes off, and my heart goes out, to anyone who can admit they are powerless over alcohol and their life has become unmanageable. It’s the first step in the twelve step recovery process of Alcoholics Anonymous. So many people struggle with this one because it’s beyond their comprehension for one reason or the other. In some cases it can be that friends around them drink heavily and they don’t have the problem, or if the addict had eaten more food before hitting the bar they wouldn’t have gotten drunk, or even if they hadn’t mixed hard liquor with beer the result would have been different. The list could go on and on.
All three of those examples are good ones because these things can happen to a person who isn’t an alcoholic. People make mistakes, they misjudge a situation, but they also learn from those mistakes and change the behavior. An addict just doesn’t, he just finds different excuses, or tells the same stories to different groups of friends. Most friends get it from the start though. Their friend is in need of a good alcohol detox and alcohol rehab.
Of course there are others out there that just get it right from the get go. They know there is a problem, they’ve made excuses and have tried different ways to drink. Although they may be slow at putting two and two together, they are sometimes pointed in the right direction and clarity strikes. Being an alcoholic makes sense of all the craziness.
What makes an addict hold back on an alcohol detox and alcohol rehab as opposed to just making it happen from the get go? Well, no one can be truly sure. Sometimes it can be an environmental situation. Maybe they already have alcoholism in their family, so the signs aren’t as, if you’ll pardon the pun, blurry.
Whatever the reason though, it’s important to get help from an alcohol detox and alcohol rehab. Admitting you are powerless is not the end of the world. Actually, it’s a choice to a better life, a better you!
Checking in and out of an alcohol detox or alcohol rehab numerous times can lead to the question: Does the person have poor self-control or is the facility coming up short on their treatment plan?
In order to really answer that question it is important to have an understanding, general or otherwise, on how addiction works.
In today’s medical world, it’s agreed that addiction is a disease of the brain that corresponds to the genetic makeup of the person, and in addition there is a behavioral component. Currently, there isn’t a cure via medicine or an operation, but instead the only treatment available is a lifetime commitment to change behaviors. Although, it may sound easy, it isn’t. Relapses are common but are not a reason to give up on someone, or yourself. Hopefully, the recovering addict can learn what actions, or trigger points, led them back to substance abuse, and maybe next time they can seek help before using again.
Statistics have shown that attending an alcohol detox and alcohol rehab treatment plan the chances for staying sober at least up to a year after are in the range of 50%. That’s great news. In addition to that news, the stats have shown that most of those going through a treatment program understand a relapse can happen. They are not surprised when it happens overall, but they learn not to turn in on themselves if it does. The same studies have shown that there is a direct correlation to long-term success with the length and intensity of treatment and a frequency to either group therapy and/or the high frequency attendance levels to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
Getting the help you deserve is important. No matter how you feel about yourself and no matter what occurs, there are people out there to help. You can learn from them and from yourself.
Whether you’re a celebrity in a high end, posh, spa-type alcohol detox and alcohol rehab, or the average Joe off the street entering a functional facility, addiction treatment goes through a number of steps. A good detox and rehab will supply the following for recovery treatment:
· Detoxification Treatment: Checking into a drug and alcohol detox for a few days is always recommended. Depending up the severity and length of abuse, some addicts will need to cope with withdrawal symptoms including tremors and depression, while others will need to deal with crises that might have brought them to treatment; legal and domestic issues usually top the list. If the overall drug and alcohol rehab program is outpatient, a number of facilities do require the drug and alcohol detox to be inpatient.
· Many addicts suffer from sleep disorders, bipolar, anxiety and other types of psychiatric problems, while others have suffered through traumatic life experiences, such as war, incest, and events like that. The most important component to rehab is to diagnosis the history of the addict and then point the rehabilitation program in the correct direction.
· The correct therapy program that deals with life situations will help identify triggers to substance abuse. Triggers are those points, memories or associations that influence the addict to use drugs or alcohol. It’s important at this point to find alternative release avenues instead of the destructive path they’ve chosen in the past.
· Most alcohol detox and alcohol rehab programs understand the addict is not alone. They are sure to invite family members to help heal relationships and to assure a social supportive network from this point forward.
· Many centers encourage the ’90 Meetings in 90 days’ mantra for all of their patients. Depending on the addict, the meetings, of course, are Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous gatherings. Sometimes it is a combination of both. In some cases there are forms of group therapy that can last for a year or more.
Before entering any drug and alcohol detox and rehab do the home work and be sure that these minimum standards are met. Otherwise you might just be attending a spa!
A High End Alcohol Detox and Rehab | Celebrity Abuse
A disturbing trend in the news today is the continued reports of celebrities; actors, singers, and politicians checking themselves into a drug and alcohol detox and/or a drug and alcohol rehab. Although my first instinct is to always feel sorry that alcoholism or drug addiction has taken over their lives, I sometimes wonder if an alcohol detox and alcohol rehab are just there as a perceived quick fix.
Maybe they’ve done or said something that is seen by the public as being not politically correct or scandalous so they check out while checking in to rehab. It sometimes seems that by checking into an alcohol detox or alcohol rehab, they feel it excuses their bad behavior and all should be forgiven. At least that’s the public relations spin I think is being played out. Of course I could just be jaded from the onslaught of celebs hitting rehab. To me it comes across as insincere because the exclusive facility has a full spa and ocean views.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m always hopeful that some celebrities are seriously trying to stop the patterns of their addictive behavior, and for those I am truly impressed. They understand what’s on the line and not just going off to rehab for a vacation away from the spotlight – as cameras are not allowed in an alcohol detox or an alcohol rehab.
For the rest of us, those who are hoping to find answers and the path to a new life, pay the price. Because of rehab abuse by a number of addicts, insurance companies rarely cover this type of program now-a-days, and since a thirty-day stay in an alcohol detox and rehab is somewhat costly, most Americans cannot afford the help they seek. It would appear only the rich and famous can afford ‘help.’
An effective, and less expensive, treatment for a lot of addicts is an outpatient treatment program, but there are no guarantees of successful treatment. Success truly depends on the person’s drive and goal to remain clean and sober.
So, regardless of the marble bathroom, the daily massage and steam, or the horse rides though the country, success is a matter left up to the individual.
I’m continuing on with what I consider one of my important blogs of recent past. It’s not that I’m an egomaniac of any sort it’s just that when I blog about kids of alcoholics it’s a matter a bit closer to my heart, something I can surely identify with. As I’ve mentioned the children of alcoholics suffer a great deal; confusion, anger, and imagined personal responsibility are three areas I’ve covered, but it doesn’t end there.
The process of healing for all involved can begin when the alcoholic parent decides to enter an alcohol detox and alcohol rehab. Addiction recovery takes up a lot of your time, and will for quite some time thereafter, so asking your children to participate, or help out in some way will be a necessity for them and you. The time spent around an alcohol detox and alcohol rehab recovery program can place a tremendous amount of pressure on the spouse or significant other, so asking them to pitch in around the house while you are attending counseling or in treatment is a great start. Let them know you need some help and this is great way to do just that. You’d be surprised at how often children will help out in this area. It’s something constructive and healthy, and it will make them feel like an active part of the parent’s recovery.
And lastly, and I don’t mean that like there’s nothing more to have to deal with down the road, talk to your children about drugs and alcohol. Just take as much time as you possibly can to discuss the dangers of abuse. There are a number of pamphlets you can leave with them. Be sure to digest the information first and then use the pamphlets as back up, or even as something to reinforce any questions they may have. In addition, explain that although you haven’t been the best role model in the past you are going to an alcohol detox and alcohol rehab to get better.
You still have a great opportunity ahead of you and you can be an active part of their lives as you all get older.
As I began in my blog of yesterday, I think it is important to not only focus on the recovery of the alcoholic. Sometimes people forget about the damage done to the family of the addict as well, primarily the children.
After reassuring the child that it is not their fault the parent drinks and is going to an alcohol detox and alcohol rehab, it’s important to focus on how they are feeling in other terms. A majority of the time a child will experience both shame and anger about the addicted parent. This is perfectly natural in a stressful situation such as this.
Ask them to try hard not to be ashamed or embarrassed. It would be good to explain that alcoholism is a disease, an illness, and it needs to be treated just like any other sickness. Sending the addicted parent to an alcohol detox and alcohol rehab is the ‘medicine’ they need to make themselves better. It is the first step in their recovery.
As with most children, anger is a big emotion related to an active parental alcoholic. Anger at the chaos and the disappointment that their parent struggles with this illness can lead to a great deal of frustration, so taking the time to explain their anger is completely normal will help them feel a bit more secure, not so confused. Allow them to express their feelings in a safe environment and assure them that what they say will be heard and not held against them later. This is important to their development and acceptance of this issue.
If they are not feeling one-hundred percent comfortable, or are having some difficulty expressing their feelings, set them up with Alateen. Alateen is a support group where they can find other children just like themselves. It’s a great place that offers hope and strength for family and friends of problem drinkers. Al-anon runs along the same lines but is set up to help older family members, offering the same hope and strength.
Having a parent head off to an alcohol detox and alcohol rehab away from home for any length of time is scary and can create an unlimited amount of emotions. Staying in touch, speaking honestly and openly among family members will help all of you cope with your feelings.
