Alcohol Drug Treatment

Binge drinking continues to create havoc on many people, and statistics have shown that men are more at risk than women. But, what is binge drinking? A basic definition of binge drinking is when someone has the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by a heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. It sometimes overlaps social drinking and is most often done in groups. A binge can last for several hours or it can last for many days.

It’s been a bit since I’ve written some personal experiences here. Well, other than when I hit 19 years sobriety in the middle of last month, I haven’t had much time to hop on here and fill you in on the trials and tribulations, the joys and wonders of being sober is about.

Over the course of the month of June, and through the summer, we'll be taking the time to post Sober Conventions throughout the United States. We might even post some in more exotic locales, but we'll work hard stick to the US. Sober Conventions are wonderful, learning experiences for people with long time sobriety and even for recovering addicts who might have even graduated from an alcohol and drug detox.

Wailea, Maui, Hawaii June 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5, 2011

I was recently asked why we submit blogs of sober events happening all over the continent. My first response was, well, if I could find sober events in Paris, France I blog about them as well. A bit cheeky, but I of course followed with, "Well, our clients are from all over the place, not just Southern California.

So, there I was in alcohol and drug treatment feeling dazed and confused, “How did it get to this point”?

Everyone on the staff was very friendly and comforting, and I slept for pretty much the first two days with the exception of taking time to eat. One doesn't eat much while high on crack, so I needed to get my strength up.

Being an alcohol drug treatment facility we are very aware that April is Alcohol Awareness Month. Of course being an alcohol drug treatment facility pretty much ensures that every month is alcohol awareness. It's what we do, right?

I've been trying hard to get my friend into an alcohol drug treatment program, but haven't been able to convince him it's what's best for him overall. For some addicts, an alcohol drug treatment facility is the bottom rung, the proverbial safety net before falling into the abyss of the disease. My friend thinks this and he couldn't be further from the truth.

One of the many great parts about getting sober is that there are so many ways to go about it. No two addicts are alike and therefore no two alcohol drug treatment plans are alike either.

There are many decisions to be made around alcohol drug treatment programs, and finding the right type of facility is paramount in you or your loved ones success.
However you arrive at the decision that an alcohol drug treatment facility is needed in order to move forward is, in my opinion, irrelevant. The decision to seek treatment is one of the toughest choices and it really doesn’t matter how you got there. The choice can be a frightening time; a world of the unknown, but it is the most courageous step of all.

This past Halloween, I headed back east to see some friends and family. Although my main purpose was to see family, I decided to visit a drug treatment facility I worked at years ago in Somerville, Massachusetts, and with Salem within thirty minutes from where I was staying, I had to attend their Halloween event, which is called Salem’s Haunted Happenings. And, since I’d lived in the area for many years, it was always one of those, “I can do this next year,” and then never got around to it. So, I was determined to do it this year.