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A recovering alcoholic makes a case for different treatment methods

Just as every instance of addiction is unique, so too is every path to recovery. And, while organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous have helped a number of users triumph over their habit, it is important to note that not everyone responds to such treatments in the same way.

In a recent piece for The Independent, a U.K-based publication, Chris Owen – a PR consultant and recovering alcoholic who frequently writes on the topic of addiction – shared his experiences with sobriety. While he acknowledged the benefits of the well-known 12-step program has had for countless individuals who, like him, have struggled with alcoholism for years, he notes that hi recovery took a different form.

“My aim, when finally getting treatment in a rehab center, was very simple: get sober, get well, and get safe,” writes Owen. “Central to this was getting an understanding of the illness and learning long term strategies for maintaining sobriety once achieved. To this extent, I’ve done what I needed to do — and my life is infinitely better, more contented and more bearable than it was when in the throes of addiction.”

Now three years sober, Owen notes that several other recovering alcoholics, those for whom the AA’s 12 steps did work, have questioned how effective his treatment has been and whether or not he will relapse because he took a different path.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, approximately 14 million adults in the United States suffer form this form of addiction. And, while the journey to recovery is a personal one for every user, for many, the first step may be an alcohol abuse intervention. If someone you care about is struggling with a drinking habit, contact a professional interventionist for guidance.

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