Alcoholism is the disease of being addicted to alcohol. This illness does not discriminate in favour of certain people or groups and strikes victims from all walks of life: doctors, lawyers, priests, and the homeless can fall prey to alcoholism. We have not found any status symbol or way of living that grants immunity from this illness. The truth is that it seems alcohol addiction can happen to anybody - even you!

Alcoholism is a cunning disease that usually requires some sort of external help to arrest. Many alcoholics have tried and failed to stop drinking by themselves. They find themselves in the desperate situation where they want to stop drinking but just can't. An alcohol treatment center can help make this process easier and safer. Although I do not believe that an alcohol rehab is the only chance at life an alcoholic has I do believe it is the most comfortable and medically safe option available.

The one central feature that spans all programs is that the alcoholic must reach out for help and find a hand waiting to help pick him up. This experience of relief and belonging is an important draw to new found sobriety which will be difficult to maintain in the early months.

Some people claim that an alcohol addict can only be healed in an alcohol addiction treatment program. I disagree. There is enough evidence in the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous to suggest that Alcoholics can and do get sober without clinical intervention. They have accomplished this miracle through the support of their peers in Alcoholics Anonymous and by working the 12 step program, but they have not been in a treatment clinic.

In my role as a treatment facilitor at We Do Recover I see clinical treatment as a 'head start' for my clients. They are able to undergo a medically supervised detoxification which will be as comfortable and safe as possible (no shivering, shaking, hallucinating!). They will then undergo psychotherapy to deconstruct their denial (step 1), find hope that others recover (step 2), and make the decision to stay clean after leaving treatment (step3). They will work through thei past issues and come to terms with who they are (step 4). They will rid themselves of guilt and shame by sharing openly in groups (step 5). Treatment is really just a head start on sobriety - you cover a great deal of ground in just a few weeks so that when you join the rooms you hit the ground running.

Alcoholism is always described as a "progressive" illness. It keeps on getting worse and worse until eventually you succumb to it. Whether you die in an alcohol related accident or die from organ failure, the ultimate prognosis for an alcoholic is death.

Were it simply death that alcoholics had to face then the path may seem more bearable. But in fact the path towards respite is fraught with difficulties: physical problems (peripheral neuritis, heart failure, liver failure), social problems (divorce, loss of friends), mood problems (despair, misery), mental problems (lethargy, aggression, forgetfulness), legal problems (DUI), and a host of other insults that assail those who plod towards the grave fiercely clutching their bottle in hand.

Despite this bleak picture many alcoholics require considerable encouragement and pressure to be admitted to an alcohol treatment center. Many alcoholics are afraid to let go of the bottle because it means so much to them. But this decision to enter alcohol rehab must be made, if only for the sake of the family affected by the drinking of the alcoholic.

Getting sober is not an easy job and it often feels unrewarded. However alcohol addiction treatment is an investment in your future. It will not only save your life, but also restore your dignity and lead you back to being a functioning member of society. The price of treatment and the effort required to work the program have great rewards.

Once you have completed alcohol abuse treatment We Do Recover will help you to find a step-down facility. In America these are known as "sober living programs". These centers help the alcoholic to step out of treatment and back into the real world (hence the name). Early recovery is usually a very tricky time. The brain is readjusting to being sober and may produce mood swings. The alcoholic may need to face up to consequences at work or at home.

A step-down facility helps the alcoholic to make those first steps to full responsibility while living in a supportive environment of her peers. At this point the alcoholic takes nearly full responsibility for her sobriety. Her treatment has completed and she needs to help herself. The step-down facility provides her with support but cannot stop her from drinking. People in these facilities must work their program of recovery and be internally motivated.

Recovery from alcohol abuse should address all of the facets of the person that were damaged by problem drinking. The person should be restored to function in every sphere of life. This sort of recovery is more likely to last. Recovery is not about putting down the booze, it is about the lifelong process of personal growth that follows. If you're not moving forward and trying to be a better person then your illness might be catching up to you! This is why so many treatment facilities encourage ongoing support in an aftercare program or 12 step fellowship.