The statistics are always higher for alcoholics or drug addicts whose main goal is abstinence. By the time most have reached the idea of this goal, their lives have become unmanageable in a number of different ways. Alcoholics or addicts who are in good health, have a strong social support network, a high motivation, and have attended a recovery treatment center either on an inpatient or outpatient basis have a good chance at remaining sober. Those odds are between fifty to sixty percent will remain abstinent by then end of the first year, and the good news shows that a large majority of those remain sober permanently.
The other forty to fifty percent, the ones with poor health, psychiatric or otherwise, a less than supportive social structure, lack of motivation, and have not attended any form of rehab treatment center will normally find their successes measured by short periods of abstinence, and continued relapses within the first number of years while trying to abstain. For this group, however, the continued attempts to remain sober are sometimes followed by better health and improved social standing, which ultimately offers a glimmer at how positive life can be without drugs or alcohol.
In many cases, the active alcoholic and drug addict with continued abuse will eventually have, if not already, poor nutritional habits. Per ounce, alcohol has more than two hundred calories but no nutritional value, so consuming large amounts on a regular basis transmits the message to the body that it is not in need of food. The result is that a number of alcoholics are deprived of vitamins A, B complex, and C; folic acid; canitine; magnesium, selenium, and zinc. Fatty acids and antioxidants are also depleted. Attending a recovery treatment center not only helps clean the alcohol and drug toxins from the addict’s body but they can also help retrain your body to enjoy nutrition again. Restoring the nutrients is sometimes as simple as starting off with a multivitamin during a detox program.
Abstinence is considered the only way for an addict to get themselves back on track. Although it is probably the most difficult, it can be achieved on their own or better yet with the help of a rehab treatment center.
It is the first step to recovery.