A person who has developed drug dependence or Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), has a chronic brain disease that affects the reward system. It will manifest itself through compulsive behaviors, compulsive thinking and so called 'emotional see-saw' which will make the person to want to drink more of alcohol. As a result, he or she ,will be losing their judgment about risky behaviors while intoxicated.
In our service we:
help our clients to understand what are their 'roots' of their addictive lifestyle.
support our clients in finding out at what stage of the 'addictive spiral' they are.
advise them if, and when, they may need a medical assistance, e.g. to see a GP or get referred to Drug & Alcohol Recovery services.
explain to our clients the process of relapse so they can brake the 'vicious circle' of relapse.
tell our clients what alcoholic bio-type(s) they might have so they can implement the best diet for their treatment.
Plan for triggers and cravings As part of your recovery programme, you will work on identifying triggers and cravings when these appear. While some of these might be obvious, such as parties where alcohol will be present, some are more subtle. For example, a particular song may trigger memories of when you were drinking, which could signal a strong desire for alcohol. It is important that you know how to act when triggers or cravings present themselves. If you have a plan in place, it can help to prevent a full-blown relapse. It may be that you will get in touch with your counsellor or sponsor, or perhaps distraction will help. You might find that going for a walk or doing something else to keep you busy can help the cravings subside. Handling setbacks in your recovery While a relapse or slip-up is by no means inevitable, you might face some setbacks during recovery. This does not have to mean returning to alcohol use. A lapse is not a full relapse and should not signify the end of your recovery. Provided, you act appropriately, you might even find that this small slip is enough to remind you of why you wanted to quit in the first place. Use any setbacks in recovery as a learning experience and recognise that while you may have made a mistake, you do not have to make it worse by continuing to drink. Get yourself to your nearest fellowship meeting, call your sponsor or speak with any other professional that is involved in your recovery, as soon as possible. You will then need to take a good look at what led to your setback. It is important that you take the time to do this so that you can avoid another occurrence in the future.