Role of a counselor in alcohol therapy

An instrumental step to recovery from alcoholism is by getting help from a trained or experienced person. It could involve group counseling, one on one counseling, or even rehabilitation centers in severe cases.

The abuse of alcohol can be referred to as an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Alcohol reduces the ability of the brain to function adequately. Body functions are also affected as continued alcohol consumption results in a change of activities in the body.

When a person decides to stop, it breeds what is known as withdrawal. Withdrawal is one of the stages to overcome as its symptoms could be severe in some cases. Some of these symptoms include lack of coordination of hands, migraine, and sweating.

A person just recovering from AUD goes through intense psychological depression and physical changes in a bid to adjust. When one does not pay adequate care to precautions, there is a high possibility for ease of relapse. A counselor is instrumental in following these precautions and maintaining sobriety.

Counselors try as much as possible to provide the required support needed to overcome the withdrawal and recovery stage. They give tips, advice, and time to make sure the person does not relapse.

Some other roles of a counselor in alcohol therapy are:

• Sharing advice and, in some cases, experiences as to maintaining sobriety.
• Encouraging, rebuking, and creating reward systems for each milestone of sobriety.
• Documenting timely evaluations to ascertain progress.
• Helping root out various triggers that can breed relapse

The recovery process is a very delicate one, and as such, it is necessary to pick the right counselor. The counselor should be someone who has had a good track record of dealing with AUD patients. Also, the person in withdrawal must freely discuss issues relating to his/her recovery process with the counselor to help tackle the problem.