Rehab Healthcare (Rehab HC) is a leading drug and alcohol addiction treatment service in the UK. We offer confidential addiction advice and arrange cost-effective residential rehab treatment for anyone suffering from any form of addiction, whether it be you, a family member or a friend. We are committed to helping you find the best UK addiction treatment centers and rehab clinics.
Age is only going to increase with time. While for many, age is just a number, many others take it more seriously. You will start noticing changes in your physiology and even in the way the body responds. People often continue with the habits they had in their youth, but the body will not react the same way. Alcohol detox will be more than a necessity.
With age, the muscular, nervous, and digestive systems all become weak. If you have been known for your binge or daily alcohol drinking all your youthful days, you may begin putting a check on it and gradually reduce your drinking.
Alcoholism in Old Age – Some reasons and Associated Problems
Many people claim to become addict to alcoholism as they near the senior age group. The reasons could be many:
Solitary drinking
Depression
Age-related weakness or ailments
Loss of near ones
Chronic health issues
No busy lifestyle
Seniors may become prone to chronic health issues and memory loss too. They may have to take more painkillers and stuff to stay healthy. Mental health starts deteriorating too when they notice they no longer can function as easily as before.
They start losing their ability to go to work and even lose their self-confidence. All these are enough excuses for them to go for drinking. The post-retirement period is a lonesome phase when they do not have a job on hand. They tend to believe that they are friendless and even without any self-worth.
The drinking problem takes its form when seniors lose count of the number of bottles they down on a day. They also are in trouble if they lose all sense and consciousness. 14% of the seniors admitted to the hospital emergency room are due to age and drinking-related issues.
People suffer from depression, knowing that they are no longer as good-looking as they were in the prime of their life. They feel low when no one gives them that appreciative look or praises them for their appeal.
Heart issues may increase with age, as well diabetes. So, consumption of drinks may even increase blood sugar as well as blood pressure levels. Too much consumption will only lead to major hazards like stroke or even a heart attack.
Senior Alcoholism – Never Spoken Loud
People around the world may be suffering from alcoholism in their senior years. While many may not even know that they are slipping to the phase when they would be addicts. They may begin drinking because they may have nothing else to do. They use it as a means of being busy and to while away the time in hand. This said, many claim they go to drink because that’s where the friends are.
Senior Alcoholism is as much a serious problem, but it is not even generally talked about. Just like the elders, even the alcoholism they have is less spoken about. There are not many people around when the person reaches a sixty or a seventy.
Notable Signs of Alcoholism in Elders
A person will not admit he or she is a senior since they can still walk around on their own. They would not worry about alcohol causing them any harm. But they fail to realize that the body will become aged and so you as a family member or even a friend should observe. Here are a few things for you to notice.
Short term memory loss
Fluctuations in blood sugar levels
Fluctuations in blood pressure levels
Disassociation from friends or family
When you begin recognizing addiction, the elders exhibiting these symptoms need to get the best help immediately. Counseling by a friend or a concerned family member will do wonders if you see these symptoms only recently. If the senior person has been an addict for a longer time, then they will need alcohol detox.
Remedies and the Thorough Cleansing
The elders may feel ashamed of being judged because of alcoholism. Visit Rehab Healthcare (RehabHc) for proper care of all alcohol and drug problems. Their counselors will provide the adequate solution to the alcohol problem.
The treatment options include professional counseling, alcohol detox (cleansing treatment), and other psychological interventions. Whatever is the method, the need for supportive family and friends will help in alcohol treatment in elders.
For a person talking the course of substance for escaping to some other zone, coming out is a big challenge. In their quest to escape from reality, they may not care for anything in the world. As a close family member or friend, you may want to do everything in your power to bring them out of this abuse. This process involves counselling or psychological treatments, among other methods, and it will be stressful for you. But if you are keen to see them happy, you will need to take help from a reputed rehabilitation and recovery centre like Rehab Healthcare. This facility offers a holistic recovery program for people to fight the worst addiction types and withdraw from these.
The Need for a Clear Roadmap
Whether it is a case of mild abuse in the beginning phase of addiction or a severe addiction case, the person suffering needs proper treatment. This is where you will need to consult the Rehab Clinic London based and let their consultants control this treatment. They will first try to understand the condition of the victim and then redirect them to the therapists. The psychological therapies are a part of the interventions offered along with medical treatments.
The Rehab HC offers Advice and Guidance on the reduction of harm due to abuse. Then they offer you further assistance in the form of support groups along with counselling. They will also be offering a structured group-work program along with aftercare. These, along with regular check-ups, and feedback will only prove to be the best and the most effective methods for recovering completely.
Why Psychological Treatments Make Sense?
The biggest reason people take the course of addiction to drugs or alcohol is the lack of vents to open up. When people do not have anyone close to sharing their insecurities or worries, they opt for the drugs they claim. So, give them space to talk out loud, and soon you will find the stress vanishing. This is why psychological treatments with a professional counsellor make sense.
Unrecognizable female mental health professional and patient discuss the patient’s issues. The doctor gestures while holding the patient’s chart.
They will ensure complete confidentiality and even be the ear the patient needs at this point. In most cases, this alone works wonders as an effective treatment. However, on the other hand, you will need to take the next community support steps.
Taking Forward the Psychological Treatments
Support Groups
At Rehab Healthcare, you will find special groups from the community to be the pillar of support. You will be able to access these support groups dedicated to listen to you and help you out whenever you have the urge. They will be able to work in teams, and they are great at helping you stay on a diet and stay out of trouble even as you are fighting the withdrawal. Many people may have become victims of chronic addiction without being aware of it too. They might be wondering how to break out of this habit, and this is where a local support group can help.
You may have heard of Alcohol Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, and they often organize local meetings. These have helped people to follow abstinence without beating an eyelid.
Residential Rehab and Medication
You have to understand that the recovery also takes time in case of long–term addiction to alcohol or drugs. In some cases, the counselors might even recommend a rehab in the Rehab HC London premises. This is ideal for small families where they cannot handle extreme abuse when a person gets cravings. They will need regular psychological treatments, including periodic sittings with therapists. They may even have to take their mind off the drugs, and the best way to do that will be when they remain in observation round the clock. This is only possible if you remain in their facility and under their professional vigilance. It will save time also in case they need to administer any medicine in case the situation worsens.
Hassle-Free Method of Recovery
The reason for a patient or his family to seek psychological treatments is because this is perhaps the most effective method. Also, the patients in-house will get a better environment to recover faster as well. The clinic uses the trusted 12-Steps to Recovery Program and has already helped scores of people from all types of abuse.
The clinic also urges people to visit after a few months for a re-check and ensure a detox of the body for becoming doubly clean. The program has already helped people to think differently and believe in a new life. So, to make your journey from substance abuse a big hit, do not miss the chance to go for these trusted psychological treatments.
As a concerned family member or a close friend, you may want to see your dear one’s battle alcoholism faster. The process of recovery is by itself not very tough, but it requires care and attention. You will need to consult with specialized alcohol and drug rehab clinics like Rehab Healthcare of London. They will offer your dear ones thorough treatment for alcoholism and drug abuse. Through this process, your friend might also need to have some self-belief and will power to recover.
The first step for alcohol detox begins there, and then they will need to put their trust in the treatment process. By itself, the process is a comprehensive package and includes psychological treatments and support groups along with medication and even rehab. Once the person gets the treatment, the next challenge is to remain clean afterward. Many people find it tempting to go back to those ways. Here are a few preventative methods and effective ways to stay clean post-treatments.
Identify Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal
A person relying too much on alcohol will need to take themselves out of that by sheer self-confidence. As a friend, you will notice them struggling while they withdraw themselves from the clutches of withdrawal. It is more psychological, and it can be anything from anxiety to headache to palpitations as minor symptoms.
It can only go up to hallucinations that can come within 48 hours of withdrawal. Serious symptoms may occur even 2 hours or more of withdrawal, and it can be anything as seizures and disorientation, to name a few. The delirium tremens may even continue for at least three to five days. The only solution is for you to keep a note of these symptoms.
You must also note that the post-acute withdrawal symptoms might recur and can even last from a few weeks to a few years. This could even bring behavioral changes and cause problems in your life. So stay cautious about these.
Note the Real Triggers
You may want to do your best by staying clear from any alcohol but still find yourself approach more drinks only. Hence, you need to note the things that propel you to drink. It could be personal relationships, toxic environment, stress, or emotional loss. Now that you wish to remain clean, you will need to identify these elements that urge you to pick that bottle up. Steer clear from these triggers and avoid teasing yourself into this phase.
Identify the Relapse Signals
Do not be too harsh on yourself, and yet, you will need to remind yourself of the relapse chances. It could be an emotional relapse, a mental relapse, or a physical relapse. The signs could include thoughts related to drinking, or even uncontrollable urges to drinking, and more. Do not go back to friends who are into drinking or partying with booze all the time. These will only cause you to stray to drinking habits again.
Take Life Seriously
To help yourself to remain clean after a residential rehab treatment for alcohol, you must get a grip. You will need to bring your life back on track. Get help by re-structuring your life and relationships. You will need to go the extra mile to reassure your loved ones that you are safe and there with them. You will need to go to regular check-ups and even take assistance from support groups in your community. These will help you prioritize relationships over everything, including drinking. You will need to plan and set new goals in life- personal and professional.
Healthy and Happy Life
You will need to make your alcohol detox worthy and ensure that you will eliminate everything coming in your way. From exercising regularly to eating healthy meals, you will need to work on everything. You will need to prioritize self-care and do your best to remain sober. Stay with happy people and take all the mindful methods and Yoga to focus on being healthy. You will also find a peaceful night’s sleep as the ideal solution to remain sober. Spend time with friends who spread joy and with people who will do their best to help you stay clean quickly too.
Self-Appreciation on Small Achievements
Once you are out from rehab healthcare, your actual tryst begins. You will need to appreciate yourself for every little achievement you make. Every time you fight the temptation, reward yourself in small ways. Make a small card for yourself and congratulate yourself. These are psychologically proven methods and can be the biggest reasons you are not going back to alcohol.
Alcohol detox only works if you have a proper combination of psychological treatments, medication, and self-control. The roadmap to coming clean of alcohol addiction is an arduous one but not an impossible one for you.
Major developments in society across the globe have provided awareness about the LGBTQ community among the people. Despite this, the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) community faces social stigma. Even a few cases have shown them facing threats and other major challenges. This has led the way to alcoholism and sometimes binge drinking among this community. However, the availability of versatile treatment options and awareness among LGBTQ helps reduce this problem manifold.
What’s more shocking is that the people in the UK and Europe have reported increased incidents of violence against them. The number has increased to almost 62%, making same-sex couples not hold hands in public. Even 1 out of 4 adults stated that they do not want their child to be identified as LGBTQ.
All these factors lead to the severe problem of alcoholism among the LGBTQ nationals. Alcoholism means heavy drinking or intake of alcohol to an extent where you are dependent on it. You think about having it every time that even means alcohol abuse. It becomes the most important thing in the life of people.
Along with alcoholism, some have turned to substance abuse, as keeping a secret and living a double life has taken a toll on their mental health. Almost 25% of LGBTQ in the UK has been stated to possess severe drinking problems or alcoholism compared to 12% of the general population.
However, the provision of Rehab Healthcare by RehabHC and the tailor-made treatment according to the severity of alcoholism will help the LGBTQ community to come out of this vicious circle quite early.
Other Grave Reasons to Opt for Alcoholism
Trying to live a double and secret life can be one of the reasons or non-acceptance by the parents, and society can be the other reason. But, there are many more reasons to opt for alcohol too. Let’s take a sneak peek into a few of them:
Hatred and attacks
Victimization and minority stress
Harassment at public and professional places
Sexual violence
Loss of family
Non-acceptance in the ‘faith-based support systems’
Mental and social stress
Humiliation
All these factors contribute largely to other risk factors or co-occurring disorders that eventually takes place among the LGBTQ community along with alcoholism. They move to alcohol as one of the coping methods.
Co-Occurring Disorders & Alcohol as Coping Method among LGBTQ
If we go down the history lane, the biggest Stonewall Riots led to the modern LGBTQ rights and laws. Still, many reforms and awareness need to be provided to make this world a happy place for everyone.
But, the present world is still hostile and only shows little acceptance towards these people. This made the LGBTQ community use alcohol as a coping method. It is prevalent in the social settings that made almost 90% of adolescents use it. In the name of binge drinking, they consume more than five drinks in a day to cope with the whole stress. Alcohol drinking is much more prevalent among the LGBTQ community and remains untreated too.
It not only stops here but along with alcoholism, the LGBTQs faces ‘co-occurring’ disorders too. These disorders relate to the problematic mental condition of the LGBTQ people. This has made a few members commit suicide, do self-harm, or opt for self-medication. A few common co-occurring disorders faced by the LGBTQ community are:
Anxiety and depression
Anger
Loneliness
Hopelessness
Low self-esteem
Eating disorders
Guilt and minority stress and much more
It is even seen that older women consume more alcohol than younger women and even males in the LGBTQ community. However, this can come to an end if help is taken at the right time from the professional and best London Alcohol Rehab centre like RehabHC. The LGBTQ community can get the required help and support at the right time.
Treatment for LGBTQ Community
To provide complete healing to the LGBTQ community, it is necessary to devise specialized treatment plans that can help them accept themselves as a part of society. Many professional Rehab Clinics UK as RehabHC follows a unique treatment plan along with the alcohol detox for alcoholism problem. A complete therapist treatment is also provided to the people who have undergone co-occurring disorders and trauma. They can speak to licensed therapists and find a solution to their problems and medications to help them come out of this condition. These Rehab clinics chalk out a unique and personalized treatment plan for each patient to cater to their physical and emotional needs. So, people from LGBTQ can also find a ray of hope with these dedicated experts and rehab clinics in the UK.
Alcoholic parents have too much negative impact on the kids. They not only ruin themselves but also destroy the lives of their kids. It is difficult for the little kids to raise a voice against alcoholism, but if you are a teen and above, it is time to get back your parents on the normal track of life and make your and your parents’ life easy. Things are not so easy as it sounds. If you find any of your parent is having an uncontrollable urge for alcohol and behaving abnormally if they don’t get it, you should know that he/she is an addict. Instead of getting disappointed with them, you can be of great help. Taking professional help foralcohol addictionis a great solution for your parents. If you consult the best rehabs like RehabHC, you can overcome the tough period and become the rescuer in your parent’s life from the addiction.
A Step You Need to Take Now
The bottom line is you should do every necessary thing to improve your parent’s condition. But, if he/she becomes abusive or has any risk from them, you should take professional help physically or mentally. There are rehabilitation centers where you should send them for alcohol detox. You may feel guilty or low while your parents act so, but this is the best you can do for your parents.
Sometimes, alcoholic persons can’t stop consuming alcohol even though they are willing to. This happens because alcohol damages their brain cells and disturbs their ability to logically thinking. So, you can give a call to the professional rehab center and let them do the best for your parents. You can call RehabHC to arrange the best schedule for your parents.
Why Your Parent Can’t Stop Having Alcohol?
This is a tough question to crack. Finding out the reason is tough, but you can try. You must have talked to them on this matter several times or acted in a way that you hoped could make them stop having it, but nothing worked. The alcohol keeps on damaging their system and snatching the peace of your life. Now, you need to admit the harsh truth no matter how much you talk to your parents or make them understand the destruction it is doing to your family, you can’t keep them away from alcohol. It is an addiction, and they don’t have any control over their urge. As alcohol reacts with brain functioning, it is impossible to bring them out from it without any professional help.
How can you Help your Alcoholic Parents?
The most important and basic way to help your parents get over alcoholism is to educate yourself about it. Once you understand it, you can see life from their perspective and understand why they can’t leave alcohol. Thus, you can make effective communication with them. Now, you need to identify the signs of alcoholism in your parents.
The urge to drink more alcohol every day to achieve certain effects
Neglecting the responsibilities at home and work because of too much drinking
Losing interests in activities that your parents usually enjoyed
Feeling always fatigued and unwell
Having a social life where alcohol is involved and avoiding the get together where it won’t be a part
Having withdrawal symptoms while not having a drink, especially after waking up in the morning
Lying constantly to you and other members of the family about having alcohol
Once you recognize these signs in your parents, you will be sure that he/she is an alcohol addict. The severity of the symptoms will make you understand how urgently they need professional help. But you should not get nervous or worried. Alcohol addiction can be treated, and you will get back your parents at their best condition to live a happy life.
Is it Possible to Make Them Take Professional Help?
Initially, this cannot be easy. If you find your parent is trying hard to stop drinking alcohol, you can suggest them to have professional help. You can arrange meetings with the professionals and make them take the therapies. But, the situation is not so easy always. Some parents don’t believe that they are addicts and they need professional help. This doesn’t mean that they don’t care, but it is the addiction that talks on behalf of them.
Here you get some idea of how to help your alcoholic parent say goodbye to addiction. The journey won’t be easy for you. You may need to take help from other trusted elders who understand your problem and take you through the journey. Rehab healthcare centers like RehabHC are the best place to take your parents to have a thorough treatment to recover from addiction.
A dual diagnosis is the way of treatment where alcoholism is treated due to mental disorder and vice versa. To state more clearly, a depressed soul finds it easier to depend on alcohol as self-medication. They find it relaxing and love to be in that self-oblivion to forget their stress. While drinking too much alcohol takes a toll on the brain cells, a person gets into severe mental illness that requires professional help. Without proper treatment for both alcoholism and mental disorder, dual diagnosis is required. Therefore, you need to find the best rehab healthcare center, like RehabHC, to get the best treatment for both.
What is Dual Diagnosis?
First of all, you need to know that drinking problems and mental disorders may not get associated with each other for every case. However, there is evidence where both of these cases have adjoined their path later.
In a dual diagnosis, the symptoms of alcoholism get a boost from mental illness, and the opposite happens a lot. Therefore, if any of the condition is left untreated, it will get severe in the future. The best drug and alcohol rehab in London will help you to get over this by providing the best dual diagnosis and other following treatments. This method is considered the best method for treating alcoholism and mental disorder in a rehabilitation center. Varieties of programs are initiated in the treatment method where lots of therapies are applied to the patient to treat both the issues together, instead of targeting one at a time.
If you are willing to get out from the black hole and have a life full of light, this is high time to consult the professionals from RehabHC where you can find the best rehab treatment to get over your issues.
Types of Mental Disorders Connected to Alcohol Abuse
Alcohol abuse can cause different types of mental illness, which can lead to alcoholism.
1. Depression
This is one of the most common mental disorders of human beings and often been ignored, which results in something serious like alcohol addiction. Depression can happen to anyone, irrespective of age, gender, and backgrounds, and it has symptoms like-
Losing interest in hobbies
Restlessness
Short-tempered
Loss of energy
Insomnia
Difficulty in concentrating
People suffering from depression often find quick relief from their stress through alcohol. But such self-medication in treating depression can have life-threatening outcomes if proper treatment is not started early.
2. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
This is another common type of mental disorder where the sufferer may have an uncontrollable obsession with something, leading to alcoholism. A person suffering from OCD may be obsessed with certain activities like washing hands repeatedly or properly fixing things. When they try to overcome this, it may cause anxiety in them. To get relief from that stress and anxiety, they succumb to alcohol, and very quickly, it turns into alcohol addiction.
3. Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder causes excessive mood swings that can give the patient a roller coaster ride. Their mood may fluctuate from too high to too low. Such conditions may cause serious mental and physical disorders. When a person is high, he can be abnormally upbeat, have tremendous energy, and feels too overconfident. At their low, they feel fatigued, completely stressed out, lose interest, and restless. Such conditions inevitably take the patients towards alcoholism as they find it the best rescue.
What are the Symptoms of Dual Diagnosis?
The symptoms of dual diagnosis depend on mental illness and how far it has taken the patient towards alcohol addiction. Knowing the symptoms will help you to identify your problems and seek medical help at the right time.
Isolating from the family and friends
Losing energy and motivation
Changes in appetite, sometimes too less or too much
Trouble in concentrating on any task
Increased anxiety, anger, and irritability
Neglecting professional and personal responsibilities
It is very important to figure out the symptoms of dual diagnosis at an early stage, else it can cause a severe effect on your mental and physical health, and there is a chance of lifelong misbalance. For the best treatment, you can consult RehabHC, one of the best London Alcohol and Drug rehab centers.
So, here you get the relation between alcohol and mental disorder, and dual diagnosis is the way to identify the root cause of your issues and treat both of them. If you are under the treatment of the best recovery centers, you will go through lots of therapies and medications. There are even aftercare programs to help you get over both the problems completely.
Suffering from addiction is painful, not only for the addicts but also for the people around them. It will disturb the normal balance of your life and make it a complete mess, which can be disastrous. Whether it is heroin, prescribed opioid drug, opium, or other opiates, your life will be destroyed if you don’t go through heroin/opium detox at the right time. If you have any addict in your family or friend circle, it is time to come forward and provide any help to bring the person back to the right track of life. And to do that, you need to consult the best UK addiction treatment center like Rehab Healthcare.
Now, detoxification is also not easy. An addict has to go through withdrawal symptoms at the beginning of the treatment, which is crucial. Any triggers can drag him back again to the addiction. Also, the patient requires medication as well as regular counselling, mental, and emotional support to overcome the withdrawal syndromes. That can be possible when people around him know well how the withdrawal condition affects the person.
What is Opiate Withdrawal? What Can Be the Symptoms?
Drugs like heroin, opium, or other opiates have a strong impact on your brain and body. Therefore, when you decide to go through detoxification, you have to be ready to face the painful impact of withdrawal. However, you must have the will power to go through this and defeat addiction now, right? Here are certain types of symptoms you may suffer from like-
Diarrhea, abdominal pain
Chills, watery eyes, runny nose
Cramping, insomnia
Vomiting, nausea, anxiety
Besides these, many people also suffer from a type of flu that appears as a withdrawal syndrome. Such symptoms may become severe enough to make people give up on treatment and go back to the addiction, especially where the right treatment and support are not being provided. To avoid such situations, you need to consider the professional and experienced rehab or detoxification center where you can get proper care, medication, counseling, and other 24-hours help and support. It is time to consult the rehab centers like Rehab Healthcare.
Association of Opiate Withdrawal Symptoms with Detoxification
Recovering from opiate addiction means your difficult journey through painful withdrawal symptoms. Usually, the withdrawal syndrome affects the central nervous system, and you can get the signs of hyperactivity. Usually, the withdrawal symptoms appear within 4 hours of taking the last dose of heroin, and it may continue for 48 to 72 hours, and sometimes even for a week. This time is very difficult as the patient has to go through severe cravings for the drug and feel high anxiety and increased respiratory rate, repeated yawning, diaphoresis, stomach cramps, and mydriasis lacrimation, and rhinorrhea. Besides this, the patient may also develop tremors, twitching in muscles, chills, fever, hypertension, tachycardia, nausea, anorexia, diarrhea, etc. To control the withdrawal syndromes, the patients are often prescribed buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone, etc.
How is Opiate Withdrawal Diagnosed?
To start with the diagnosis of opiate withdrawal, you will initially need to go through a physical examination where the addiction specialist doctor will ask about your symptoms. You will also have urine tests so that the experts can monitor how much opiate is there in your body. They will also ask you about the history of any drug abuse and your medical history. You should answer properly and truthfully to cooperate with the caregivers to provide you the best support and treatment.
What Kind of Treatments are Provided for Opiate Withdrawal?
Opiate withdrawal is a difficult situation, and many addicts continue taking the drug only to avoid the treatment. Therefore, treating them within a controlled environment will be the best decision, and the chances of healing become greater.
Mild withdrawal is treated with medicines like aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, etc. Besides that, proper rest and having enough water is important. For more serious conditions, residential rehabilitation and other opioid medicines are important.
So, if you know someone close to you is suffering from opiate addiction, consult the best rehab center where they can get perfect treatment and help to go through the withdrawal.
