Holistic Alcohol Treatment

What is Addiction?

Addiction is entrapment in a negative consciousness vortex – it pulls us in with powerful momentum and can take us right out of our intended lives. Alcohol, because of its combination of stimulating and relaxing effects, feels good to our bodies and brains in multiple ways, at first. Its very direct and intense ability to connect to our pleasure centers and relieve multifaceted pains makes it a deadly trickster of our nervous systems.

In the long term, it doesn’t relieve stress, it causes it. It means that the physical withdrawal from alcohol, the backlash of having used it, hits us with pain in those same pathways – sooner or later it amplifies the opposing pain, the polar opposite of the pleasure it first gave us. Euphoria becomes dysphoria; connection morphs into profound isolation. Therefore, what we perceive as potential benefits is our enemy.

What is Alcohol Addiction?

Alcohol addiction is a complex disease that creates health problems at the physical body level, such as injuries, liver diseases, and cancer. Alcoholism also affects mental and emotional well-being, generating depression, anxiety, obsessions, and sometimes leading to suicide. Alcoholism corrodes social life and relationships, frequently harming marriages, families, and friendships. Importantly, alcohol affects behavior, undermining a person’s ability to make good choices, be their best selves, and treat other people in their lives well.

What is Alcohol Abuse?

Alcohol abuse is one of the most common forms of substance use. Alcoholism can take root whenever an individual drinks alcoholic beverages over an extended period. For some people, addiction begins almost immediately after regular exposure, while for others it builds up over time. While alcoholism has certain hallmark features, each person will experience it in their way.

One hallmark of alcoholism is strong cravings for alcohol when abstinent for a while. Another is the experience of withdrawal physical symptoms when not drinking. Broken resolutions to quit, changing one’s mind, and deciding it’s okay to drink after all, after swearing off, are other signs.

Typically people who have formed an unhealthy pattern of alcohol addiction will continue to drink despite the negative effects that drinking is having on their lives. They are often unable to see or acknowledge that problems in their lives stem from their drinking.

Even in the face of irrefutable evidence of problems being caused by their drinking (such as a DUI, or negative feedback about one’s behavior from a loved one), once alcoholism is at play a person will often struggle to be able to admit the correlation. Even if able to see the connection in moments of clarity, insight alone is usually not enough to override the urge to drink anyway, as the need to drink eventually supersedes all other considerations.

People who suffer from alcohol addiction often try and fail multiple times to quit drinking on their own. The failure happens despite the best efforts and sincere intentions because it is a feature of addiction that a person’s willpower becomes ineffective, making a person physically unable to stop drinking. In other words, it is part of the addiction to lose the ability to stop drinking once started, say no when invited to partake, or “just drink less”.

A Journey Within and Beyond Alcohol

Alcohol is no friend to our physiology. Already the next day after alcohol intoxication we will likely encounter the acute symptoms of hangover, affecting the head and stomach in a way that is an expression of sickness, the body not being well. If we have made a habit of getting into this state, then the scorched earth that alcohol leaves in our body may also be accompanied by urgent, persistent cravings to drink, if only to relieve the symptoms that its departure has created. We may also notice withdrawal symptoms, such as trembling, sweating, and anxiety, as it exits us. Long-term alcohol use has negative effects on nearly every important system in the body: stomach, liver, heart, and brain.  Alcohol is linked with cancer, memory loss, and brain damage, and is a leading cause of death.

Once embedded into our lives, alcohol warps our personality as well. We may initially be more gregarious, relaxed, or bold under its influence, but its lasting impact is depressive, anxiety-inducing, and isolative. Short-term psychological effects during withdrawal can be as severe as psychosis, and withdrawing from alcohol is one of the most dangerous of all the substances, along with benzodiazepines, requiring medical attention to taper us off and protect us from the possibility of dying during withdrawal.

Over time, heavy alcohol use replaces our original personality, whatever it was, with a negative spirit, that is both angry and depressed, that feels sorry for itself, and gradually comes to see all others as enemies. The spirit of addiction which is attached to alcohol has a personality that we do not like, and so we become trapped in low self-esteem, shame, guilt, and fear as we sense it growing within us. Once the alcohol has taken root in us, we are likely full of self-reproach mixed with periods of half-hearted hope that it’s not that bad (until our next episode of going too far shows us we have been naïve about dismissing its effect on us).

Finally, alcohol erodes our social connections, as we become more interested in protecting our addiction than we are in connecting. Lifestyle effects may include avoiding people, including loved ones, who judge, criticize, or simply notice our drinking, isolating more, devoting more and more time to pursuing alcohol, and recovering from its effects.

As with all substance addictions, alcohol affects our thoughts and makes us, in the long term, more negative, frightened, and antisocial – in other words, it creates the opposite effect of what it originally promised. Because alcohol is capable of creating heavenly feelings, of helping us like ourselves and relax enough to connect to others, it is also capable of creating intense hatred for self and disconnection from love, when it pole shifts into its opposite node.

Our Society’s Relationship With Alcohol

Our society has a very precious and guarded relationship with alcohol. On the one hand, alcohol is beloved for its ability to generate and support feelings of celebration and shared revelry. Alcohol can be a powerful solvent of social barriers and can create feelings of confidence and connection. We understand why it is suited for rituals ranging from communions to weddings to rites of passage to wakes. Alcohol can take us into altered states, in community, and may open a dimensional doorway so that we temporarily access a realm within us that feels euphoric, alive, and connected to others.

However, alcohol is a tricky spirit and can easily capture us into ways of using it improperly or abusing it. If we are not using alcohol for its occasional celebratory and connective purposes, we may be using it in negative ways – to ease anxiety and stress, to suppress past trauma, and the requirement to face our pain. If we use it to block out the awareness that we are living at odds with our soul, then we are using it in a disordered way.

When we use alcohol in a disordered way, it usually becomes integrated into our daily life and we come to rely upon it. When we rely on something, and it is not there, we freak out. When the fridge is bare and the bottle is empty, we feel nervous and uncomfortable until we are sure the supply can be refilled. If we are relying on alcohol just to feel “normal”, to cope, to get by, to handle our daily responsibilities whatever they are, we are unfortunately setting ourselves up for addiction to it.

How Much Alcohol Can Be Safely Consumed Per Day?

Popular ideas abound about how much alcohol can be safely consumed per day. In addition, our society calls regular consumption of alcohol normal, and may even place pressure on those who would rather abstain altogether. Cultural factors affect how much alcohol is considered average. For many young people, heavy abuse of alcohol is more or less a requirement for acceptance by peers during their college years. Alcohol is integrated into the fabric of our world and it can therefore be difficult to tease out when our relationship to it is destructive for us.

Some data on national averages exist, but people are different. It is more useful to know whether alcohol is a problem for you, than it is to compare yourself to others, although sometimes it can erode our denial to know where we lie on the bell curve. At other times, comparison to others can mask the fact that for us, it is a problem, even if for another person, it isn’t. Many women have struggled to recognize addiction within them because they “drink much less than so and so”, “never lose control”, “never drink alone” and so on.

How Can a Woman Know if She Has a Problem with Alcohol?

The most powerful way for a woman to know for sure that she has a problem is when the light of awareness within her recognizes that she has lost her freedom, when she sees that her use is getting more frequent and urgent over time, and when she sees that it is having a destructive impact on her life. A destructive impact on her life may be physical, psychological, relational, and/or behavioral. People with alcohol use disorders are at a higher risk of legal consequences, marriage and family dysfunctions, and even death by accident, suicide, or homicide if the poison of the substance itself doesn’t get them first.

Loss of freedom and destructive impact may be different for you than it is for someone else, but some telltale signs that may apply are: drinking more than you intended to, drinking when you had promised yourself or someone else that you wouldn’t, doing dangerous things like driving or working under the influence, planning to cut back or take a break for a little bit, only to find that your use returns with a vengeance. When alcohol use is no longer reliably fun or pleasurable, but urgently necessary just to feel okay, just to not feel bad, that’s a sign it is not the friend it once appeared to be.

If you think you may have a negative relationship with alcohol, checking into a rehabilitation facility could be an important piece of your recovery. Because of the life-threatening health risks of alcohol withdrawal, it is vitally important to consult with a physician before going cold turkey, as you may need to check yourself into a medical detox or be hospitalized for the withdrawal process. In general, because of the highly toxic physical effects of alcohol as it leaves your body and your mind, it is wise to consider placing yourself in protective care that can help your true spirit crawl back out of the maze alcohol has built inside you. Entrusting your initial recovery to the stewardship of a team of qualified staff who can guide you when you are most bewildered can be an enormous support.

Evidence-Based Approaches to Holistic Alcohol Treatment for Women

Villa Kali Ma’s holistic alcohol treatment programs provide shelter, resources, guidance, accompaniment, and safety in the community that will allow you to go through the process of withdrawal and start your recovery on the right footing. We connect you with education, peer support, groups, and therapies that make corrections and calibrations within you, to clear out the negative presence of the spirit of alcoholism. If alcohol has become a problem for you, please know that we feel your pain – many of us have been there ourselves before we found our way to a holistic alcohol treatment program. You are welcome to come to claim your healing and your birthright of freedom here in our holistic alcohol treatment community!

In holistic alcohol treatment recovery, we discover that what alcohol promises to help us feel – self-love and connection to others – does not belong to alcohol. Rather, we come to learn that there exists a natural kingdom of heaven inside of each of us. We must do no work to deserve it, it just belongs to us as a natural right. We are children of this domain of peace, harmony, love, and connection to others. The work we must do is to reclaim ourselves from the clutches of addiction, negative ego, and all else within us that separates us from it. To do that we must suspend disbelief, surrender, seek help, and take the time to find out how to access this happiness inside ourselves.

In Villa Kali Ma’s holistic alcohol treatment programs, we share tried and true pathways to getting to your inner heaven that are sustainable and healthy, and we show how to go through the transformations of mind, body, personality, and soul that are necessary to live in a way that is resonant with that loving spirit kingdom inside you. Enroll in our holistic alcohol treatment programs and we’ll share what we’ve discovered, knowing we can always learn more, knowing that your discoveries will bring valuable contributions to us. We will compassionately, and supportively witness you as you journey inwards, as we all practice living in a self-loving community, together.

Holistic Treatment Modalities for Alcohol Abuse

Alcoholism is a disease that is present in the body but originates in other levels of our being, deep inside the psyche and spirit. Therefore alcohol addiction is best treated with a combination of both time-honored and innovative approaches so that all levels of the problem are reached.

At Villa Kali Ma we unite the most effective holistic modalities and alternative medicine together with evidence-based clinical practices to provide a full spectrum course of treatment that addresses all facets of you. There is power in incorporating complementary and alternative medicine in holistic addiction treatment at holistic treatment centers.

Every day we help women recover from alcoholism through yoga, nutrition, psychotherapy, recovery groups, meditation, breath work, gardening, expressive arts therapy, and more! Our goal is to provide the best care possible so you can live a happier, healthier life. You’ll learn how to deal with stress in healthy ways instead of turning to alcohol or drug abuse for help and therefore needing a drug rehab.

You’ll learn how to take care of yourself without needing a drink. You’ll learn how to ease your emotional pain yourself in our holistic rehab programs, without having to resort to numbing through self-medication. The holistic practices that we implement in our holistic treatments at our holistic rehab will assist you in your holistic recovery and addiction recovery.

If you want to feel better and are ready to take the first step on your journey to lasting recovery, Villa Kali Ma is here to help you restore balance in your everyday life as we treat the whole person! Call Villa Kali Ma today and begin healing your mind, body, and spirit, relieve stress, and indulge in self-care and improving your overall well-being.

Treatment for Alcohol Addiction

Treatment for alcohol addiction is designed to help people free themselves from the shackles of addiction and return to living a healthy, happy life. Good addiction treatment works with the issue from multiple sides, so that all aspects of the complex disease are effectively addressed.

Treatment involves a combination of individual and group psychotherapy, classes for learning and training new life skills, opportunities to build community connections and healthy friendships with other recovering people, as well as fun, healing activities that build the capacity for natural joy and fun in life without substance abuse.

How is Alcohol Addiction Treated?

Alcohol addiction is treated in an individualized way and often takes place in a residential rehabilitation facility, because of the advantages of being sequestered in a safe environment during the most vulnerable beginning stages of recovery.

Alcohol addiction treatment centers can include:

• Detoxification (this step is important for drug or alcohol addiction for our patients)
• Traditional therapies (learning how to work with your thoughts, feelings, and behavior to be more happy in life without needing substances to feel okay)
• Group therapy and activities can feel like a safe space for our patients
• Holistic therapy and holistic modalities, including yoga therapy, art therapy, massage therapy, nutritional counseling, and meditation
• Family therapy
• Aftercare planning to prevent relapse for our patients

Holistic Alcohol Treatment Programs at Villa Kali Ma

Villa Kali Ma’s holistic approach to alcohol addiction integrates multiple clinical approaches and traditional therapies (dialectical-behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma treatment modalities such as EMDR, and more), yoga, meditation, breath work, expressive arts therapy, equine therapy, gardening, cooking, and community activities. All holistic healing can assist a women’s mind body and spirit. These holistic treatments can work wonders for the overall recovery process.

Our multimodal, holistic approach ensures women receive the help they need to effectively treat alcohol addiction alongside any underlying issues, traumas, mental health struggles, spiritual concerns, or other factors that are at play. We assist you in recovering while holding reverence for the many beautiful, complex, and unique qualities that make you. Our holistic rehab works to assist with your physical health, mental illness, and emotional well-being.

Are you ready to take the first step on the path to addiction recovery by joining our holistic rehab program? Our holistic addiction treatment programs at Villa Kali Ma can help you in your healing process. Call Villa Kali Ma today to learn more about our holistic drug rehab and begin holistic recovery by healing your mind, body, and spirit.