Searching for a Substance Abuse Treatment Center in Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara is an ocean-side city that has become a popular tourist destination. The city economy includes a large service sector, education, health care, technology, and manufacturing. Education is particularly high on the list with five institutions of higher learning, including two-year and four-year colleges. Even with such a high emphasis on education and a booming economic system, Santa Barbara like most other cities, still has people who need help for substance abuse.
Santa Barbara has treatment centers ready to help its residents as well as people who are traveling for treatment. There are both inpatient and outpatient rehabs or treatment centers to choose from. Since every rehab is different you it's important to find the one that is best for you. This might take a little research but in the long run it is worth it to give yourself the best opportunity to long term sobriety. Taking the step to get help is a scary one, but you can do it and you can live a sober life.
What are the Signs and Stages of Addiction?
Everyone's path is different and the progression of their disease will vary, making it difficult in some cases to see the situation for what it is. According to the National Institute of Health, or NIH, there are four stages of addiction. These are experimentation, ongoing use, dangerous use, and finally dependence or addiction. In many cases it would be beneficial for people to receive addiction treatment in the early stages of the disease as well as in the later on, when more devastation has occurred.
The more progressed the disease, the easier its symptoms are to spot. Some of the many symptoms include tolerance, which is when you need more of the substance to achieve the original or desired effect. Tolerance leads to consuming increasing amounts of the drink or drug, and this symptom is a clear sign of a budding or possibly full blown problem. Even if you have only recently started drinking or using a substance, however, find that you need more and more, consider getting professional help for addiction.
Signs of addiction are varied and numerous and a person does not need to exhibit all possibilities to qualify for the diagnosis. Other signs may be changes in mood or behavior, such as changing friends, activities, withdrawing from previously enjoyable hobbies, lying, hiding the amount and frequency of use, irritability, and physical symptoms. Physical withdrawal will occur in more progressed cases, however, symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, or anxiety may be indicating a problem in less severe cases.
If you are struggling with substance abuse you are always welcome at any Twelve Step meeting. Twelve Step programs are a proven method to successfully to obtain and maintain abstinence from drugs and alcohol. People struggling with the disease of addiction are strongly encouraged to attend meetings regularly and to find a sponsor. The sponsor is a sober member of the group who has already worked the Twelve Steps and is able and willing to take a newcomer like yourself through them as well. It is important to get connected by finding a homegroup, a group the meetings of which you attend on a regular basis and get involved in the business of the group. Fellow members support and guide one another and carry each other through difficult times. Bonds formed by peers in the halls of Twelve Step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous are strong, help people overcome even the worst of circumstances and last a lifetime.
