Managing ambivalence in Alcohol Rehabilitation

#Addiction, #Ambivalence, #Drugs Updated on Jul 23, 2020

Rustenburg Addiction Care

Somerset West, South Africa

Dealing with ambivalence and the other challenges that may prevent you from admitting admitting that you have a problem with alcohol.

When lost in the grips of alcohol dependence, and the painful realities that accompany this form of substance use disorder, many individuals struggle to seek the help that they desperately need. The idea of finally admitting that you have a problem can be anxiety-provoking and filled with shame. This article will help you understand what part ambivalence plays in alcohol rehabilitation and the importance of managing it. Managing your ambivalence about alcohol rehabilitation can help you make an all-important decision regarding your future and that of your family.

What does Ambivalence in Alcohol Rehabilitation look like?

In alcohol rehabilitation ambivalence feels like being torn between two opposing sides, where you may be questioning whether you have an alcohol use disorder or whether you are drinking because of an external circumstance. This may be very confusing, not only for you but for your family members and loved ones as well.

External circumstances can be anything that happens outside of the individual’s control, which then serves to make you reach for unhealthy coping strategies that you normally would not. This way of thinking is called denial and is an integral part of our programme at Rustenburg Addiction Care . Deconstructing your denial systems, which also forms part of the AA and NA philosophy about recovery, will ensure a successful recovery going forward.

With an alcohol use disorder, the ambivalence is amplified by the fact that alcohol is a legal substance in most countries, and is widely considered to be socially acceptable. This leads the individual to believe that as long as they are not engaging in illicit substances, such as drugs or illegally obtained prescription medication, they do not have a problem. This cannot be further from the truth, painful as it may be.

Ambivalence in rehabilitation is when you can clearly see that your life has spiralled out of control, and yet there is an internal battle that rages with regards to taking responsibility for your actions and making a choice to stop. Often, you struggle with accepting that you may have a problem and that this problem is your drinking. This can be a lonely place to be in, thus, it is important to seek help.

How Ambivalence in Alcohol Rehabilitation can affect your Sobriety

With alcohol rehabilitation, the ambivalence can either be completely obvious or it can be subtle and misleading. The key, however, is to speak about the ambivalence and work through your emotions and confused thoughts with someone who can be objective. This is where a dedicated team, such as the team at Rustenburg Addiction Care , comes in. A dedicated team of professionals can help you deconstruct your ambivalence and help you make a success of your rehabilitation.

Most of the time it is a battle to accept that you are struggling, despite the all-consuming evidence which is often clear for everyone to see. Ambivalence makes it hard to quit, especially on your own. So admission to a safe and supportive environment such as Rustenburg Addiction Care can be the most important choice you make for the rest of your life.

When faced with the choice between existing inactive addition or living a healthy and happy life in recovery, the choice may not always be as easy as it seems. This is not because you do not want to be sober or engage in rehabilitation, but it may, however, be because some of your unmet needs have been fulfilled during active addiction. This means that sometimes it may be hard to imagine your life without the aid of your substances and the numbness it can provide. There is a belief that the substances give you the much need support that gets you through the day, or even the next hour.

This is the challenge of addiction, a challenge that rehabilitation can help you with. An alcohol rehabilitation programme, such as the programme offered by Rustenburg Addiction Care can help you make that important choice between life and possible death.

Ambivalence can keep you locked into the cycle of Addiction

Struggling with ambivalence is something that can be difficult to work through, especially without help from professionals. This confusion, and the combined anxiety regarding making a choice, can keep you locked into alcoholism instead. Often you do not want to make this choice because of the fear that comes with it. Although you recognize the chaos, pain and financial ruin that comes with once again picking up that bottle, choosing something different may be as difficult as staying exactly where you are.

This is where the structured and supportive programme of rehabilitation can be a lifesaving measure. An admission to Rustenburg Addiction Care can break the cycle that keeps you locked into active addiction and set you free to a life with endless opportunities.

The Dangers of being Ambivalent in Early Recovery

In addition to keeping you trapped in active addiction, if not resolved, ambivalence in early recovery can be potentially dangerous to your alcohol rehabilitation as a whole. If the hope is to be successful in recovery, you would need to let go of any ambivalent thoughts and feelings. Some of the dangers of being ambivalent in early recovery include:

A lack of daily motivation to complete the necessary tasks to keep you and your recovery safe. Sometimes the everyday aspects of living a sober life can seem unattractive or complicated. It is during these times that intrusive thoughts resurface, which can act as a demotivation. This is why people who are demotivated are often at risk of relapsing soon after completing their treatment.
Becoming complacent can be another high-risk factor. Rehabilitation is a journey in which you need to stay focused on your goals and continue to work on yourself. Complacency is what happens when the person starts losing sight of their goals and begin to engage in past behaviours. This can be lead to returning to active addiction.
Risking your sobriety because of mixed feelings and confused thoughts. This means that people often put themselves in risky or unhealthy situations because they had not thought through the possible consequences. An example of this can be spending time with friends who still drink. This places you and your recovery in danger.

Motivation to overcome your Ambivalence

Motivation is the way human beings stay focused on what matters to them, and ensure that they lessen their obstacles and enrich their lives with needs that are met in a realistic timeframe. In alcohol rehabilitation, motivation plays an important part of making a success of your treatment and your subsequent life in recovery. Motivation is that driving force that keeps you going when things cross your path and make the way forward seem unclear and difficult.

More often than not, people struggling with alcoholism and other underlying struggles, are motivated to stay in active addiction because of what they gain from it. Whether this is being emotionally numb, having a break from their painful reality, or being socially acceptable. The challenge is to change the motivation and focus it on being motivated for recovery instead.

Alcohol rehabilitation, and tools such as motivational interviewing which are used at Rustenburg Addiction Car e, can help guide you to shift your focus to what matters most, living a healthy and sober life in recovery.

Finding your Freedom from Alcoholism in Recovery

In active addiction, the mind can be manipulated to believe that the time spent using drinking was far better than what reality would suggest. This is part of the general theme of denial, where people view their addiction with rose coloured glasses. When being admitted to Rustenburg Addiction Care , you will be encouraged to take off these rose coloured glasses and view the reality of the situation for what it is. Only then can the freedom you need to be found.

When ambivalence is overcome, you can break free from the chains that bind you while in active addiction. Overcoming ambivalence can include:

Asking for the help needed.
Learning about the dangers of staying in active addiction and continuing with the unhealthy behaviours displayed in active addiction.
Attending lectures about alcoholism and motivational readings.
Spending time with others who are like-minded and also want to build a life in recovery.
Being part of a community or group of like-minded individuals such as being part of the AA or other affiliated support groups.
Being introduced to the stories of others who have made a success of their recovery journey.
Knowing you are not alone.

Most of the time a crisis is what brings people into alcohol rehabilitation, whether financial, emotional or physical. Over time, however, the crisis subsides and the person wants to return to their daily lives. The core issue is to have you return to your life in a healthier frame of mind that makes the thoughts of not having to reach for the alcohol possible. This is what finding a sense of freedom in recovery means. The therapeutic relationship offered at Rustenburg Addiction Care offers you the potential to open a door to new possibilities.

The majority of people struggling with addiction tend to forget the hardships experienced during active addiction, thinking that they are better because they feel better. This, however, often results in the person slipping back when the hardships once again present themselves. Rustenburg Addiction Care can subsequently help you heal the wounds caused by an alcohol use disorder and help you build a sustainable life in recovery.

This means that to set yourself free from your alcohol use disorder you need to retrain your brain to tolerate emotions and struggles in a healthier manner. You will additionally be taught to learn how to be open and honest with yourself and others. With Rustenburg Addiction Care’s alcohol rehabilitation programme , this can be a reality for you and your loved ones.

If you are someone that has been struggling with an alcohol use disorder or are currently struggling with escalating alcohol consumption, you will likely deal with some form of ambivalence. With the right kind of help, being willing to engage in an alcohol rehabilitation programme, and wanting to change your life for the better, you can learn to feel your emotions instead of pushing them away. This is essentially what happens in active addiction. People push their emotions away or numb themselves from their reality because of how painful it is to them. Breaking this cycle can set you free.

With the help found at Rustenburg Addiction Care , and the support that alcohol rehabilitation offers, you can take the voice of ambivalence and turn it into a voice for change, which speaks to motivation, willingness, clarity, and a conviction to move forward in a healthier manner. Take the step today.

Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash

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