How A 12 Step Alcohol Rehab Program Calms Anxiety

Anxiety can be very threatening to our daily lives. It’s something that many people struggle to cope with. Oftentimes, anxiety comes as a package deal with alcohol addiction, fueling a desire to self-medicate by drinking as a coping mechanism that can quickly devolve into alcohol addiction. After becoming addicted to substances, it is likely that anxiety will ensue and worsen. Going through the ups and downs of alcohol addiction is a very cyclical process, leading to severe mood swings mixed with paranoia. A 12 Step recovery program is can provide the opportunity to have a sensible recovery from alcohol addiction.

Smart recovery is one that you can learn and grow from, and one that is not rushed. What many people don’t realize is that the 12 Step Program can and should be repeated beyond addiction treatment. It can also be applied to any hardship you may be going through, like anxiety. This is why treatment programs stress the importance of understanding how it can help you. It helps drug addicts and alcoholics. It can help those with eating disorders and even gambling addictions. It can also help with mental illness. Here is how a 12 step alcohol rehab program calms anxiety.

12 Step Programs Help Keep You Away From Substance Abuse

The 12 Steps are there to remind you of who you are and who you can be. They are also there for relapse prevention. The steps are their own natural form of health care designed to awaken your beliefs in a higher power. In living by the 12 steps, you’ll find that it’s very hard to rationalize alcohol abuse. You will understand how it hurts you and your loved ones. You will understand how hard it is to recover and how much better sober living feels for the mind. You will be able to put into perspective how much alcohol and drugs can mess with your life. Because of how effective the 12 step program is, you won’t want to drink after going through the process of introspection and finding meaningful fellowship.

 You will gain many skills that focus on restraint from substance abuse in a positive way. Admitting powerlessness will open the door for you to admit the faults behind your alcoholism. From there, you will be able to let a higher power guide you through self-exploration that makes you understand how little you actually need to use. You will find the power to turn to other coping skills. This form of relapse prevention makes the need to quit drinking so clear. It will feel like a cleanse of your bad thoughts just as much as it feels like an alcohol detox.

 In alcoholism treatment, the spirituality of the 12 step program is great because it brings the body to a peaceful place as well. When your mind is at rest, your body can be as well.  You’ll realize that your desire to use will be lifted from you because if you were to relapse, you would know the pain you’d have to go through to accept your shortcomings. As abuse treatment, the 12 step program is a very vulnerable process. This isn’t meant to feel like it is punishing you, but why do something bad for yourself when the 12 steps give you a way to make the decision not to do it?  You’ll know exactly how it has changed your life, exactly how powerless you are able to come. You will be able to make large improvements to your lifestyle. Your behavioral health will be rearranged to understand the consequences of your actions on a whole new level. When you turn to sober living, so much of your anxiety will go away simply because your life is more healthy.

It Simplifies Things That Cloud Your Mental Health

Many mental health professionals hold that repetitive action calms the mind. What is special about the 12 step program is that you can continue to follow it in a cycle which be a tremendous help in managing anxiety disorders. The 12 step program helps you achieve self-acceptance. There are so many types of addiction, but the step program simplifies recovery for any of them. You follow the steps, and should things go wrong, you know to start again at the first step. It’s emotionally complex, but it’s also very simple. A recovery center is there to teach you this. Should you feel that your mental illness is too overwhelming, there will be people there to guide you.

Another benefit to the 12 step approach is that you can go through it at your own pace. Addiction often comes about when your mind can’t process how to handle something the right way.  Your rehab program will help you learn how to process these anxieties using each step. If it takes you a long time to accept powerlessness and feel comfortable at abuse treatment, then it’s okay. If contacting the people who you’ve hurt through your alcohol addiction takes you a lot of emotional strength, you don’t have to go on to the next step until you’re ready.

Recovery is a slow process and the 12 step program helps guide you through recovery in a way that can help you break up your thoughts. When you break your thoughts up, you actually process them way more which is excellent for your mental health. Your anxiety will feel easier to manage through the use of the step program as behavioral therapy. You’ll be able to slow down the fast-paced thoughts in your head and work them out.

Another aspect of the 12 step program that is great for sorting out your thoughts is alcoholics anonymous. When you meet and speak with people who understand what you’re going through, it’s easier to talk about your alcohol addiction. Talking about your feelings is one of the best ways to calm down your anxiety simply because it takes some pressure off of your mind.

The 12 Steps Can Be Followed Outside the Treatment Center

One of the most helpful ways how a 12 step alcohol rehab program calms anxiety is that it can be done anywhere, at any time. You don’t have to be in inpatient rehab to live by the steps. A sensible recovery is where you learn a new way of living. When you’re going through dual diagnosis and being treated for addiction and serious mental illness, the 12 steps are a great tool. They can be applied outside of your addiction treatment also. You can continue to take a personal inventory of all aspects of your life. You can monitor what things in the past led to alcohol abuse. You can ask for forgiveness. You can even go to alcoholics anonymous in your community. You’ll be around people who understand you as much as you want to be. The best thing for calming anxiety is to know you’re not alone.

The best thing about working a 12 step program after you leave your treatment center is that it becomes a lifestyle. You won’t have to feel like you’re being pushed into the deep end of the pool after you leave residential treatment.  You will live a very streamlined and healthy life because you will know how to get through your problems. There tends to be lots of changes once you’re finished with inpatient rehab. Lots of alcoholics get nervous about leaving their treatment programs because there is way more freedom in their lives. Sober living is a whole new world. While this can lead to anxiety, remember that you can accept powerlessness and look towards a higher power for guidance at any point in your life.  The 12 steps are there for you to utilize. Substance abuse and mental health issues are a very serious combination to get through. With the 12 steps in mind, you will be able to conquer your concerns without inpatient rehab. You don’t need an alcohol recovery center to go through this process.