Why Alcohol Rehab in Arizona Could Change Your Life

Though the stages of alcoholism follow a familiar clinical trajectory, alcohol abuse disorder may seem like it creeps up without warning. What may start as a drink now and again can quickly turn problematic in seemingly the blink of an eye. Thankfully, alcohol rehab in Arizona is an option for those who are ready to quit drinking. 

Unnoticed by the person experiencing it, casual drinking turns to regular use, and binge drinking develops into tolerance and graduates into alcohol dependence, followed by full-blown addiction.  

Addiction to alcohol is a disease, but studies show that as the disease worsens, so may a person’s denial of the problem, making it more difficult to get them help. But it doesn’t have to be that way. 

Alcohol rehab in Arizona is a lifeline to take steps to unpack the problem and understand the role alcoholism plays in your life. It’s a safe space to stand up to drinking, to reframe your narrative, withdraw from alcohol on your own terms and start reclaiming your life with a renewed, sober perspective. 

If drinking has become all-consuming, affecting your relationships and day-to-day life, envision yourself entering a treatment environment where care, compassion and a commitment to getting you sober is like a light at the end of the tunnel, a path to recovery where help is possible. Keep reading to find out more about how alcohol rehab can change your life. 

What Is Alcohol Rehab?   

Alcohol rehab in Arizona is not just a place, but a time to rehabilitate yourself from a dependency to drugs or alcohol. That means it’s a chance to rid yourself of alcohol, to heal yourself from its damaging effects and prepare to go back into the world with a renewed sense of sobriety.  

Each component of rehab takes place at a detox and rehab recovery center. There, you’ll be able to take part in a series of structured treatment programs designed to help you overcome your dependency on alcohol. Treatment usually starts with detox — a period of removing alcohol from your system — and progresses with individual, group and even holistic therapies to address not only the physical aspects of addiction, but the psychological.  

After the conclusion of formal addiction counseling in Arizona city Prescott, many people are ready to re-enter the world clean and sober, but some may choose to enter a sober living home or participate in a series of aftercare programming to make sure they stay on track and maintain all the hard work they’ve achieved in treatment to promote their long-term recovery. 

Arizona Alcohol Abuse Stats 

Alcohol abuse disorder is a permeating problem that affects millions of people every day, every year. More than 28 million adults suffer from alcohol abuse, according to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. 

Focusing expressly on the Southwest, high rates of alcohol abuse reinforce the need for effective alcohol rehab programs in Arizona, particularly alcohol rehab centers in Prescott, AZ like Royal Life Detox: 

• Nearly 17% of adults in Arizona, according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS), report engaging in binge drinking within the past month. 

• Arizona adults who binge drink do so a median 1.5 times monthly, with the 25% most active drinkers binge drinking 3.8 times per month, notes the study. 

• “Arizona,” notes the study, “has a high number of alcohol-related deaths compared to its population, with an average 3,670 annual deaths statewide attributable to excessive alcohol use. 

What Are the Dangers of Abusing Alcohol? 

What constitutes excessive alcohol abuse? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, four or more drinks for women, or five or more drinks for men, on one occasion, counts as binge drinking. Heavy drinking, on the other hand, amounts to eight or more drinks for women, or 15 or more drinks for men, during a given week. 

In minor to moderate amounts, alcohol poses minimal effects on the body. Abused chronically, drinking too much, notes the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), can pose serious effects and take a toll on one’s health. But it can also interfere with work, school and relationships, as alcohol addiction can come between you and the ones you love. 

Physical Health Problems 

Prolonged alcohol abuse can wreak havoc on the body, irreparably if steps aren’t taken to quit drinking.  

First and foremost, the liver — the organ responsible for metabolizing alcohol — is often the first to bear the effects of alcohol abuse, leading to conditions like Steatosis (aka fatty liver), alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis and cirrhosis, notes the NIAAA. 

Alcohol can also affect the pancreas and cause it to “produce toxic substances that can eventually lead to pancreatitis, a dangerous inflammation in the pancreas that causes its swelling and pain (which may spread) and impairs its ability to make enzymes and hormones for proper digestion,” the NIAAA notes.  

Heart Problems Due to Alcohol Abuse

Chronic alcohol abuse also places inordinate strain on the heart and can lead to cardiomyopathy (the stretching and drooping of heart muscle), arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat), stroke and high blood pressure. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 474,000 deaths from cardiovascular diseases were caused by alcohol consumption in 2019. 

Because of its carcinogenic effects, alcohol, notes the WHO study, alcohol consumption can increase the risk of developing numerous cancers, from breast to liver cancer, head and neck cancer and esophageal and colorectal cancers. In 2019, the WHO notes, 4.4% of cancers diagnosed across the world — and 401,000 cancer deaths — were attributed to alcohol abuse. 

Additionally, notes the NIAAA, “Drinking too much can weaken your immune system, making your body a much easier target for disease. Chronic drinkers are more liable to contract diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis than people who do not drink too much.” 

Cognitive Decline  

The NIAAA says that having a prior mental health condition, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are linked, and may be a risk factor, for developing alcohol use disorder. In turn, alcohol addiction can further impair the brain and cognitive function. “Alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways and can affect the way the brain looks and works,” says the NIAAA. “These disruptions can change mood and behavior and make it harder to think clearly and move with coordination.” Addiction therapy in Arizona city Prescott works to address this physical-psychological link from alcohol abuse. 

Neglecting Responsibilities  

Alcohol addiction often leads to a cascade of neglected responsibilities. Sadly, personal relationships are often the first to suffer under the weight of one’s addiction, as alcohol takes a front-and-center stance over interpersonal priorities. “Romantic relationship partners are among the first to experience the consequences of their partner’s problem drinking behavior,” notes a 2013 study.  

“In the long term,” notes the WHO, “harmful and hazardous levels of alcohol consumption can lead to social problems including family problems, issues at work, financial problems and unemployment.” 

Alcohol-related Arrests  

“One of the most significant areas of risk with the use of alcohol and drugs is the connection between alcohol, drugs and crime,” says the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD). A stark reminder of how alcohol can lead to legal trouble, more than 1 million people, notes NCADD, are arrested each year for driving while intoxicated, the third most commonly reported crime in the U.S. “Every day,” the study notes, “36 people die and approximately 700 are injured in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver.” 

NCADD goes on to report that alcohol and drugs are implicated in approximately 80% of offenses leading to incarceration — examples include charges for domestic violence, driving while intoxicated, property offenses, drug offenses and public-order offenses. In Arizona, data shows that in 2020, 79% of the 27,125 DUI arrests made statewide were first-time offenses, while the remaining 21% were repeat offenders — illustrating the need for addiction counseling in Arizona City Prescott to help alcohol abusers break free from the cycle.