In the United States, the prevalence of drinking takes place in almost 85% of people at some point in their life. Because it is a legal substance and easily accessible, the dangers of drinking are not always considered, especially in young people. But, because of its accessibility and mainstream acceptance, alcohol might be one of the most dangerous substances out there. This is why we offer specialized alcoholism treatment in Nashville, TN.
According to a study done in 2019, 25.8% of men and women over the age of 18 admit to struggling with binge drinking. There are nearly 15 million people in the US over the age of 12 who struggle with an alcohol use disorder. Unfortunately, most of these people will never seek help for their alcohol abuse and will succumb in some way or another to this dangerous and deadly drug.
Alcohol and The Brain
When a person drinks alcohol, they may experience a variety of symptoms that encourage continued drinking. This is because alcohol increases the release of dopamine. Dopamine is the “feel good” neurotransmitter. When released, we feel a sense of calm, euphoria, and overall positivity.
Drinking alcohol increases dopamine in the brain, leading to many symptoms depending on the overall blood alcohol content.
- BAC: 0.033-0.12% is where an individual will experience improved mood, increased confidence, decreased anxiety, and impaired judgment.
- BAC: 0.09-0.25% causes sedation, loss of memory, delayed reactions, and blurred vision.
- BAC: 0.25-0.40% may lead to loss of consciousness, amnesia, vomiting, respiratory depression, and slowed heart rate.
- BAC: 0.35-0.80% will cause a lack of pupillary response to life, life-threatening respiratory depression, severe decrease in heart rate, and death.
People seek the feeling experienced between BAC 0.033% and 0.12%, but as an individual drinks more and more, the amount required to reach those positive effects changes. They will need to drink more, but their blood alcohol content remains constant. This means that a person who abuses alcohol will not feel positive effects until their blood alcohol content has reached a much higher percentage.
This is why drinking is so dangerous. The more that is consumed, the more that will be needed in order to reach the desired effects, and the closer you become to death as you strive for those feelings.
Alcohol Addiction
It can sometimes be hard to tell when someone is addicted to alcohol, especially since this substance is both legal and widely accepted. Due to the culture of drinking in the United States, there is rarely an occasion where alcohol is not present. Knowing the signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse could save your life and the lives of the people around you.
When a person struggles with alcohol abuse, they may experience a variety of the following:
- Distress when alcohol is not present or is not easily accessible
- Wanting to stop drinking but failing to do so
- Obsessing over alcohol
- Experiencing mood swings (negative) when alcohol is not present
- Not wanting to talk about their excessive drinking
- Denial that they are struggling with alcohol addiction
- Decrease in academic or work performance
- Various physical symptoms: headaches, glassy eyes, and emotional outbursts
Long-Term Effects
Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol for lengthy periods of time can lead to many long-term health consequences if overdose or death is evaded. These health complications can cause a person to require intensive medical healthcare for the rest of their life. Not only are these medical treatments intensive and sometimes painful, but they are incredibly costly.
Some of the long-term health consequences a person may experience from excessive drinking include:
- Liver Disease
- Cancer (mouth, liver, colon, rectum, or breast)
- Ulcers
- Brain Damage
- Immune Suppression
- Heart Disease
- Vitamin or Nutrient Deficiencies
- Reduced Bone Density
Withdrawal Symptoms
When you drink alcohol, your brain releases increased amounts of dopamine. This neurotransmitter causes the drinker to feel increased sensations of euphoria and pleasure. As drinking progresses into abuse, the brain becomes used to that heightened state of dopamine and now requires it in order to function. This is what causes people to develop tolerance. Eventually, a person will need to continue to drink in order to get rid of any withdrawal symptoms that might be present when alcohol is no longer in their system. With most drugs, withdrawal may be uncomfortable. But when it comes to alcohol withdrawal, symptoms may be deadly.
Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal may be as minor as agitation, tremors, irritability, or anxiety. But, when a person has been drinking in such large quantities for long amounts of time, these symptoms may begin to dramatically intensify to include delirium tremens, hallucinations, or seizures.
When alcohol is suddenly no longer present, the brain experiences an intense plummet in dopamine. This causes withdrawal, and if left untreated, may lead to extremely negative symptoms or death.
Alcohol Addiction Treatment
Seeking help for alcohol abuse through a professional, trustworthy substance abuse treatment center is critical when it comes to surviving this disease. Here in Nashville, Tennessee, we work to provide you or your loved ones with the best treatment programs, customized to meet your specific needs. Working with our treatment team to address your alcohol substance use disorder, and any possible co-occurring mental health problems, is the best way to ensure that you get through this safely and with the prospect of long-term sobriety.
Depending on your specific level of need, we offer a variety of services within our Nashville rehab center. Clients will have access to a variety of alcohol rehab programs such as partial hospitalization, our intensive outpatient program, outpatient treatment, and access to sober living homes and medication-assisted treatment options.
Partial Hospitalization
Our highest level of care is our PHP, which requires that clients remain in treatment during the day and sleep in their own homes at night. The total length of time each client spends with us during PHP will depend entirely on their specific level of need and situation.
While clients are enrolled in our PHP, they will have access to a variety of treatment services, including:
- Individual Therapy
- Group Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Medication Management
- Psychoeducation
- Family Therapy
- Coping Skill Development
- Mindfulness Training
- Relaxation
- EMDR for Trauma
- Recreational Therapy
In order to ensure that our treatment plans are the most effective, we combine evidence-based therapies with holistic care to address each client as a whole. We believe that alcohol addiction stems from underlying conditions, otherwise known as dual diagnosis, and we feel that addiction recovery only works when all areas of the client are addressed.
Intensive Outpatient Program
IOP is our next step, providing clients with several hours a day of treatment but not demanding so many days a week from them. We understand that not everyone can put their life on hold in order to receive treatment. The reality is that most of you have to continue working or you have families to take care of. We have designed our IOP services to remain effective while being more flexible to our client’s needs and time restraints.
Each person will meet with our treatment teams in order to determine which of our behavioral health services best fits their needs. IOP also includes aftercare services so that whenever our clients are ready to step back into their lives, they are fully supported and prepared for that transition.
Sober Living
Though we do not offer inpatient or residential treatment, we do offer access to sober living homes. These homes allow each of our clients to live in a safe, drug and alcohol-free environment that is still their own but is supportive. Clients are able to feel removed in the sense that they are not confined to a hospital for their entire stay, but they also have access to immediate resources if those are required on-site.
When staying in one of our sober living homes, clients will have access to:
- Private Patios
- Renovated Areas
- New Appliances
- Flatscreen TVs
Though this is an additional cost to the treatment process, we do often feel that sober living homes foster a positive recovery environment where clients are able to build connections and support one another. We also hope that our clients hold one another accountable while living together. Though we have individual and group living options, all of our clients who choose this option will be surrounded by people who are also recovering from alcohol abuse.
Additional Services
Along with the above-stated addiction treatment programs and customizable services, we offer an alumni program, drug screening, medication management, support groups, and Vivitrol maintenance. Our addiction treatment center spares no expense when it comes to providing the best substance abuse and mental health treatment available. Our recovery center prioritizes total wellness within each client, working to address their individual needs while ensuring that the services provided are effective.
Though all of our programs are customized to each client’s unique needs, we also ensure a good mixture of holistic services and evidence-based care. The goal here is to treat your addiction with things we know work (services that are backed by science) and with treatments that teach skills, coping mechanisms, and positive habits. These holistic services help each client create a life they want to lead, a life full of positive, happy choices backed by the support of other people who have experienced the same things as them.
12-Step Support Groups
When it comes to alcohol addiction, 12-step groups are incredibly effective. During our treatment process, clients will participate in a variety of group therapy options, but we will also ensure that each client knows about and has access to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings throughout our Nashville community. These support groups aim to connect each client to people struggling with similar situations.
AA meetings offer support but also give our clients a safe space to express their struggles, cheer on each other’s victories, and hold one another accountable in times of struggle. We know recovery is hard, but your peers know it in the same way that you do. Having their constant companionship and support may help push you to continue your journey.
Why Choose Us
If you or a loved one need to get help today, do not hesitate to call. We are available and ready to offer you the most up-to-date, safe, and effective alcohol disorder treatments. We understand just how painful alcohol dependency can be, how detrimental mental health disorders are to a person’s recovery prognosis, and the benefit that comes from utilizing all that is offered through a supportive recovery program.
In order to ensure that treatment is cost-effective, we work with many health insurance companies that we are in-network with, and may be able to offer deals to individuals whose insurance is out of network. Call today to find out if we accept your insurance and what up-front costs we may have.
We also work to ensure that every single one of our clients has access to the services that they need. If you need to begin your journey with the detoxification process, we will help you find a provider that is able to safely detox you from alcohol before you enroll in our program.
Get Help Today
If you or a loved one are in need of alcohol rehab, contact us today. We will work to get you into our program as quickly as possible and provide you access to a team of treatment professionals who are able to design a program that best fits your needs. Whether we need to address co-occurring disorders or solely focus on your addiction, we will ensure that every treatment service is catered to your needs.
Our programs include a wide variety of services that combine to treat each individual as a whole. This means we will treat your immediate needs while equipping you with the skills and techniques necessary for maintaining long-term sobriety. We are ready to help you. Call us today.
