What Is Al-Anon Sacramento?

Is Al-Anon Sacramento?

Most people are familiar with the services and benefits of support groups and organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). For decades, these vital programs have been providing peer support, guidance and a safe environment for those recovering from alcohol use (AA) and drug use (NA) disorders to openly discuss their fears, challenges and triumphs on their individual paths to recovery from addiction. Perhaps less well known are the groups that provide support to family and loved ones of those struggling with addiction. 

What Is Al-Anon?

Addiction is referred to as a family disease. This is because, although the direct physical health impacts of addiction affect the addict, those who love and care for them also struggle. Through the support of programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, those struggling directly with addiction find support, common ground, and solidarity with those who share similar struggles and focus on maintaining health and sobriety. Unfortunately, Alcoholics Anonymous and similar programs do not necessarily provide the same support for those watching their loved one struggle with addiction. Programs such as Al-Anon, provide a safe and open forum for family and loved ones of addicts to share their concerns, experiences, and struggles with watching someone they love experience addiction. 

The Importance of Helping Yourself While Your Loved One Struggles With Addiction

Family is a vital part of the recovery process both during and after treatment. When someone in recovery returns home, they often rely on family for support, guidance and direction as they navigate the day-to-day challenges of their lives now that alcohol is no longer a part of their lives. Unfortunately, addiction is often responsible for putting significant strain on relationships. 

Watching a loved one struggle with addiction or worse, denying their struggle and refusing to seek help or treatment can have a detrimental impact on essential factors of all relationships including patients, compassion and most of all trust. Support groups like Al-Anon can help you help yourself. It is impossible to be available to or supportive of your loved one when tension gets in the way. At Al-Anon meetings it is possible to talk about your experiences with a group of like-minded people who have shared or do share a common struggle allowing you to feel more connected and supported as you provide ongoing support to your loved one struggling with addiction.

How to Help Your Loved One With Their Addiction

If your loved one is struggling with addiction it may feel as though there is nothing you can do to help. You are not alone in feeling lost. Often, family and friends watch their loved one’s battle addiction and do not know where to turn for help. At Cal Recovery, we understand how challenging this can be. It is essential to find ways to seek support and care for yourself as you help your loved one begin their sobriety journey. At Cal Recovery, our admissions team and highly skilled therapy providers can work with your family to provide an individually designed addiction treatment plan for your loved one that addresses their unique treatment needs and goals. We will also work with your family to ensure everyone has access to vital supports such as family therapy and support groups like Al-Anon both during and after your oved one completes their treatment program at Cal Recovery. 

Helping your loved one acknowledge their struggle with addiction is often a difficult first step on their sobriety journey. As a family member, it can be daunting and emotionally draining to watch your loved one struggle and refuse help. The team at Cal Recovery is here to provide support and guidance through these difficult challenges. Don’t let addiction steal another day. Contact the team at Cal Recovery today to learn more about our Sacramento treatment program and family support opportunities. 

What Are the Signs of Alcohol Dependence?

Early Signs of Alcohol Withdrawal

Estimates provided by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimate over seventeen million American adults have an alcohol use disorder. Another nine-hundred thousand adolescents and teens between the ages of twelve and seventeen struggle with alcohol. Unlike some other addictions, alcohol dependence does not happen after a single use; it emerges out of long-term alcohol abuse. 

Is Alcohol Addictive?

Alcohol is one of the most commonly abused addictive substances in the nation. Data provided by the National Council on Alcohol & Drug Dependence, nearly twenty million Americans struggle with alcohol dependence or addiction. Alcohol has addictive qualities that have both physical and psychological impacts. When you drink alcohol, the body produces dopamine and endorphins. These chemicals are responsible for producing feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. They also act as a natural pain reducer. Chronic alcohol use results in physical changes to the brain chemistry. The longer one uses, the more they “want” to drink to ensure they can repeat feelings of happiness and pleasure that result from drinking. If not adequately treated, alcohol abuse often evolves into alcohol dependence and addiction. 

What Are the Signs of Alcohol Dependence?

Someone who struggles with alcohol dependence will turn to alcohol even though alcohol introduces challenges into their lives. Once someone has developed an alcohol dependence, physical symptoms will also develop. Some of the most common indicators of alcohol dependence include:

  • Continuing to drink despite new or ongoing physical and psychological challenges
  • Craving alcohol when one does not have a drink in their hand or access to alcohol
  • Developing a tolerance for the effects of alcohol requiring more alcohol to achieve “that feeling”
  • Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not drinking (common examples include nausea, sweating, agitation, heart racing, and tremors)

Many believe their drinking, especially if moderate (in frequency and amount), will not become or is not a problem. It is also a common misconception that if someone “doesn’t drink often enough,” then alcohol dependence will not develop. Unfortunately, the reverse is often true. Even if only occasional, long-term drinking can lead to increased tolerance and an increased desire to drink more to achieve feelings of relaxation and ease frequently brought about by intoxication. Once someone becomes significantly dependent on alcohol, it can become much more challenging to decide to get sober or successfully achieve sobriety without addiction treatment. 

What Is the Best Course of Action to Take When Dealing With Alcoholism?

Unlike many chronic illnesses, alcohol dependence can be defeated by seeking addiction treatment and completing detox and rehab. At Cal Recovery Center, we realize the decision to enter therapy is one that comes with difficulty. Despite all of the changes to how addiction treatment is viewed in the last decade, there are still many real and upsetting stigmas and misconceptions surrounding those who struggle with addiction. You may wonder how a stay in an addiction treatment center will impact your job and your family. Many are also concerned about their physical and emotional well-being while away from family and loved ones. 

Achieve Sobriety at Cal Recovery Center

Withdrawal from alcohol is often equally (if not more) challenging than detox from any other addictive substance. Detox is not a process you should undergo alone, or without adequate physical, emotional and medical support such as that provided at Cal Recovery Centers medical supervised detox program. A
t Cal Recovery Center, we will work with you to develop a unique and individualized treatment program based on your specific treatment needs and goals. Using a combination of evidence-based traditional therapies and holistic, alternative therapy models, our programs are designed to help ensure the best opportunity to attain and maintain sobriety. If you are ready to start your journey to a life without substances, contact our admissions team at Cal Recovery Center today.

Detox from Drugs and Alcohol in Northern California

Millions of Americans struggle each day with addiction to drugs or alcohol. Unfortunately, of those millions who need addiction treatment, only a small percentage will ever receive the help they need. For many, detox is the first step on the journey to sobriety. Movies and reality have done little over the last couple of decades to ease the concerns many have when considering detox and subsequent recovery. Successful treatment requires your body to be “clean” of substances, and for this reason, detox is essential. While quitting “cold turkey” may seem easier or less disruptive to your daily life, it may be far less safe or successful. Detoxing from certain substances can produce dangerous, sometimes fatal withdrawal symptoms, which can be successfully managed as part of a detox program at an addiction treatment center

Why You Shouldn’t Detox Off Drugs and Alcohol Alone

When you stop or reduce your use of drugs or alcohol, withdrawal symptoms often happen. Depending on the duration and severity of your addiction, as well as which substance(s) you used, withdrawal symptoms will be different. For some, withdrawal symptoms may be mild and easily managed. However, for others, the withdrawal process can result in dangerous and even fatal symptoms. This is especially true when detoxing from certain substances, including alcohol and opioids. For these reasons, it is essential to complete detox at an addiction treatment facility like Cal Recovery Center, where medically assisted detox services are available. 

The specific symptoms each person experiences during withdrawal may vary, but generally, all withdrawal includes some level of:

  • Restlessness and anxiety
  • Muscle aches and bone pain
  • Gastrointestinal difficulties such as cramping, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea
  • Elevated blood pressure
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Changes to breathing patterns
  • Changes to sleeping patterns

When detoxing from alcohol, withdrawal symptoms can lead to severe and sometimes deadly complications. The most severe withdrawal symptoms occur in the minority of cases, approximately ten percent. However, should they occur, it is essential for emergency medical services to be on hand or readily available. Some of the more severe withdrawal symptoms which can occur when detoxing from alcohol include seizures, delirium tremens (DTs), and new or worsening psychiatric issues that can lead to erratic and dangerous behaviors. Other acute withdrawal symptoms that can occur include heart attacks, stroke, and respiratory arrest. For these reasons, choosing to detox alone can be dangerous regardless of the substance you are detoxing from. 

At a detox center in northern California where medically supervised detox is provided, a team of highly trained medical staff can guide you through the detox process. During medically supervised detox, monitoring is provided on a 24-hour basis. Also, medications can be provided to alleviate the discomfort and risk of specific withdrawal symptoms. Depending on the individual, the detox process typically lasts between three and seven days. Aside from the physical and emotional symptoms of detox, one of the most crucial reasons to choose a drug detox center with medically supervised detox is relapse. Statistics show relapse rates for people in recovery range from forty to sixty percent. The highest percentage of relapse is often found among those trying to detox alone. 

How to Find Detox Centers in Northern California

To support and ensure the best chances for success in addiction treatment, it is essential to find the right detox center where you can safely and successfully complete detox. Our treatment programs at Cal Recovery Center provide traditional addiction treatments with holistic and alternative therapy options to provide individualized addiction treatment designed to meet your unique needs. Detox is not easy and is even more daunting when attempted without compassionate support. Don’t let addiction take another day. Contact Cal Recovery Center to begin your journey to sobriety today. 

Executive Rehab for Working Professionals

rehab for working professionals

Every day across the nation, as many as twenty-one million people struggle with addiction. For many, there are often various barriers to seeking treatment. One of the most common obstacles for working professionals facing addiction is the ability to take time off from their employment responsibilities to seek drug and alcohol addiction treatment. Some may be concerned about losing their jobs, whereas others may worry if their business can operate smoothly without them in the office. 

This is a common challenge for professionals of all levels in the business community, including Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), and Chief Operating Officers (COOs). Executive rehab offers therapy in a setting that allows executives to work towards sobriety while creating a minimal impact on both their professional and personal lives. 

Addiction can affect anyone, regardless of employment or income status. Statistics show nearly 78% of Americans who fall into the upper-income brackets (earning more than $75,000 annually) struggle with problem drinking as compared to only 45% of those with an income below $30,000 annually. Unfortunately, when you have many responsibilities at work, it is common to postpone treatment out of fear related to stigma or company success. For these reasons, executive drug treatment centers like Cal Recovery Center offer executive rehab options. 

Are Rehabs for Executives Different Than Others?

Executive rehab centers place priorities on confidentiality and often provide services amenities not found in traditional rehab settings. At Cal Recovery Center, our patients can maintain their work responsibilities while seeking essential rehab treatment without an extended absence from their position at work. For those who have essential functions or for whom stigma is a concern, this can be a crucial deciding factor between going or not going to treatment. In addition to allowing work access and protecting one’s “status” within an organization, executive rehabs afford amenities and benefits individuals with an executive lifestyle are used to. This is not to say the services provided at a traditional rehab center are in any way substandard or ineffective in meeting treatment goals. 

Executive treatment centers (also called luxury rehab) offer high-end services such as spas, organic and specialty diets, pools, and fitness centers. Also, services like acupuncture, massage therapy, yoga, meditation, and other alternative therapies are often part of the standard treatment model at an executive rehab. Many executive rehabs provide options for patients to utilize private spaces for meetings and allow patients to keep their cellular devices in their possession throughout treatment. These are often essential components to maintaining a presence in the corporate environment. 

Benefits of Executive Drug Treatment

Regardless of job title or income level, addiction is a challenge anyone can face. Addiction is a chronic disease that can have dangerous consequences if ignored. Thousands of Americans die each year due to alcohol-related causes or drug overdose. Executive rehab affords working professionals and corporate executives the ability to seek and receive essential addiction treatment and care without removing themselves from their positions within their organizations. Executive rehab allows you to receive evidence-based, comprehensive addiction therapy in the most comfortable setting possible. Executive rehabs provide many different essential services, including medically supervised detox, traditional addiction treatment models, alternative and holistic treatment options. All of the above is provided in luxury settings, often including scenic views and vacation-like settings. 

Reach Out to Our Executive Alcohol Treatment Center for Help With Addiction

If you are one of the millions of Americans struggling with substance addiction and have decided it is time to seek treatment, don’t wait another day. Our executive addiction treatment program at Cal Recovery Center can ensure you receive the highest quality addiction treatment while maintaining continuous contact with home and work. If you would like to learn more about executive rehab in Silicon Valley and Northern California, contact Cal Recovery Center today.