Alcoholism Treatment - Where to Start and What to Do

Update: July 2, 2025, 3:01 PM The decision to undertake alcoholism therapy is the most important and often the most difficult moment for an addicted person. It's an official admission both to others and to oneself that alcohol has taken control over life. An alcoholic may struggle with feelings of shame, which often causes reluctance and doubts before starting therapy. For many, this is a moment of uncertainty about what to do and how to proceed. However, it's important to remember that recognizing the problem and the desire to change is the first step to starting a better and more valuable life.

What Do You Need to Do to Break Through and Start Alcoholism Treatment?

Acknowledging that the alcohol problem has turned into addiction is the first and most important step toward health. Awareness of this fact requires courage, but it's precisely this that opens the path to change. The most important thing at this moment is to abandon fear and shame. Addiction is a disease, not a reason to hide. Only openly admitting the problem and actively seeking support from loved ones, therapists, or communities gives a real chance to exit the addiction. Returning to sober life is possible but requires consistency. Alcoholism therapy is learning to cope with emotions and difficult situations without resorting to substances. It means life without reaching for a glass either "for company" or out of helplessness. It's a process that, with appropriate support, leads to regaining balance, stability, and true freedom in daily functioning.

Alcoholism Treatment: Starting Therapy and Environmental Support

Starting treatment for alcohol addiction is a process that requires not only the decision of the addicted person but also real support from the closest ones. It's important to create an environment full of understanding, empathy, and acceptance that will help the person returning from therapy maintain sobriety and rebuild their life. This is not a time for judgments, bringing up the past, or sweeping problems under the rug. A mistake that loved ones often make is protecting the alcoholic from the consequences of their actions – justifying, explaining their behavior to others, pretending nothing bad is happening. In reality, such an attitude strengthens the mechanisms of illusion and denial that are the foundation of addiction. Equally harmful can be taking over responsibility for the addicted person's daily matters – this is often an unconscious form of codependency in which not only the alcoholic suffers but also their loved ones. Read also: Alcoholism Treatment in Łódź

How to Treat Alcohol Addiction – The Role of Environment

An important element of the recovery process is not only the therapy of the addicted person but also education and support for their family. Admitting the problem, acknowledging that drinking has gotten out of control, and the decision to change are the foundations of effective treatment. Also helpful are psychoeducation, participation in support groups, reading valuable books, or watching documentaries showing the path of other people coming out of addiction. With the distance that the role of observer gives, it's easier to see the scale of destruction and suffering that addiction brings, both for the alcoholic themselves and their loved ones. It's precisely this reflection that often becomes the beginning of real change. Speaking openly about the problem, breaking through shame, and actively seeking help are not signs of weakness but manifestations of the strength and courage needed to start a new, sober life.

How to Cure Yourself of Alcoholism with a Therapist's Help

An addiction therapist is a specialist who, in facilities such as Nasz Gabinet, conducts professional meetings with people struggling with alcoholism, supporting them at every stage of treatment. Alcohol addiction therapy is not only a recommended but often necessary step on the path to lasting sobriety. Sessions with a therapist are the foundation of psychological support and perfectly complement other forms of treatment, such as pharmacological therapy or aversion therapy, e.g., alcohol implant. During therapeutic sessions, the patient learns to understand their own problem and discovers what really lies behind the compulsive reaching for alcohol. This is often a complex network of false beliefs, thought patterns, and unresolved problems from the past. The therapist helps identify these mechanisms and begin changing them at their very foundations. Without this knowledge, attempting to exit addiction may be impossible to achieve.

How to Treat an Alcoholic After Therapy?

A very important element of treatment is preparing the patient for life in sobriety. This is not only giving up alcohol but rebuilding daily habits, skills in coping with emotions and stress, rebuilding relationships with family and environment, as well as returning to professional and social activity. The therapist accompanies the patient in this change, provides tools that help find themselves in the new reality and build a life without alcohol. Many of our patients emphasize how important and liberating the opportunity to tell their own story proved to be for them. Sharing experiences in a safe, professional space brings comfort, a sense of understanding, and strength for further struggle with addiction. Therapy is an investment in yourself that really brings results. Also see the article: How to Treat Alcoholism in Poland? The Problem of System Fragmentation

How to Prepare for the First Therapy with an Addiction Psychologist? Our Tips

Are you stressed before your first visit to a therapist? That's completely normal. You're in a new situation that can arouse uncertainty, fear of judgment, and feelings of shame. Remember that this very step can be the beginning of real change for the better. Brief preparation for the first meeting will help you become familiar with the new situation and better use this time. Here's what to pay attention to before the visit:

1. Gather Basic Information About Yourself

At the beginning of the conversation, the therapist will ask for basic data: age, education, professional and family situation. This is a standard element of every first visit that allows better understanding of the context of your life. It's worth being prepared for this to feel more confident and comfortable.

2. Think About What Led You to Seek Help

It's very likely that the question will be: What brings you to me? It's worth thinking beforehand about what exactly led you to undertake therapy – the desire to stop drinking, improving family relationships, an attempt to regain control over your life, or perhaps the need to talk with someone who doesn't judge? Naming this goal from the start allows better direction of the therapy.

3. Reflect on the Course of Addiction

Try to answer these questions: When did you first notice an alcohol problem? What emotions or situations most often push you to drink? Are there specific moments, people, places that trigger alcohol craving? Honesty will help the therapist better understand the mechanisms of your addiction and select the appropriate form of support.

4. Don't Be Afraid – You Don't Have to Say Anything by Force

Remember that the therapist won't force you to do anything. You decide how much you'll say. You have the right to hesitation, silence, and even tears. The therapist is not a judge but a person who wants to help you in a safe, neutral space.

5. Remember: The First Meeting Is Just the Beginning

The visit usually lasts about an hour. Often this is too short a time to say everything. Don't expect yourself to solve the problem already during the first meeting. This time mainly serves to get acquainted and outline a common path.

How to Cure Alcoholism? Comprehensive Treatment of Alcohol Addiction

At Nasz Gabinet clinic, we offer comprehensive support for people struggling with alcohol addiction. Our help includes both pharmacological treatment and psychotherapy, which together constitute an effective response to the complex problem of alcoholism.

What Do We Offer?

• Individual and group psychological therapies conducted by experienced addiction therapists, which help understand the mechanisms of addiction, rebuild self-esteem, and learn to live in sobriety.

• Alcohol detoxification – safe alcohol withdrawal under medical supervision, which is often the first step in treatment.

• Regenerating infusions accelerating the return to physical and mental strength after a period of intensive drinking.

• Alcohol implant (Esperal) – aversion therapy that can effectively support the sobering process by creating strong aversion to alcohol.

Our mission is not only treatment but also education and increasing social awareness. Alcoholism is a chronic and progressive disease in which a one-time decision to stop drinking is not enough. Systematic self-work, changing habits, and therapeutic and pharmacological support are necessary. Do you suspect an alcohol problem in yourself or a loved one? Contact us and find out how we can help you.

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