Fighting the War Against Addiction, You’re Not Alone.
Addiction is a disease that can affect anyone, regardless of race, religion or creed. It is a real, tangible affliction that no one should feel ashamed to ask for help. Prolonged use of drugs and alcohol can alter the construction of the brain, rewiring neuropathways and creating an opening for addiction. Treatment is the best option to begin overcoming a problem with addiction and repairing the damage caused by addiction.
Fighting the war with addiction is a struggle in itself, let alone finding treatment. The sheer amount of information can be intimidating and make it seem overwhelming, but the effort will be well-invested to find the right therapeutic approach for your needs. Treatment facilities are all different, and each will have its advantages and drawbacks. Some will utilize the 12-steps while others will be more faith-based in their approach. The length of stay can range from 30 days to six months, there are some programs where people choose to stay for over a year. You should determine your treatment priorities. Having those priorities will help you decide which treatment center will best meet your needs.
No one can force you to go to treatment. It will be ineffective if you have no desire to change. Choose the facility that’s best for you. Remember, there are many options out there for you. While you may feel alone, you are not; there are support groups, treatment centers and therapists ready to help when you decide to call.
Be That Agent of Change & Find Substance Abuse Treatment Now
Alcohol and drug treatment centers will help prepare you to re-enter society. Drug and alcohol addiction, any addiction for that matter, can changes your behavior. Behavior changes can affect every aspect of your life. In treatment, you will begin to re-establish your life.
There are a variety of treatment centers that can serve your needs. Some centers specialize in helping you with certain addictions, while others offer an array of addiction services. Treatment facilities may be gender specific, which would help you feel more relaxed in the treatment setting. There are inpatient and outpatient facilities as well. There is a rumor that at treatment centers you are forced to stay. However, this is not true. You would be free to leave whenever you like. Treatment is only effective when you have the desire for change so you are free to leave if you feel that treatment is ineffective. There are circumstances, such as a court order, that may compel you into treatment even if you don’t want to go, but even this treatment can be successful if you can maintain an open mind.
Treatment centers have an array of features from luxury to basic. The type of treatment you will go to really depends upon your budget and insurance coverage. Yes, luxury centers offer more features over basic facilities, but they are not always the best choice for your recovery. You should take some time and research facilities before making your final decision.
Before enter treatment, you must undergo detoxification, often referred to as detox. Detox, as the name implies is the process of clearing your body of the toxins left behind by drugs and alcohol. Detox patients are monitored by doctors and nurses who provide medications to ease the discomfort of withdrawals. Once you have successfully detoxed, treatment should be your next step in recovery. The decision to go to a treatment facility may be the best one of your life. Treatment can save your life. A treatment center is a safe place to start breaking down the walls that your addiction has built around you. Here you will be able to learn and practice a new attitude toward the world and make a change in yourself.
From 2002 to 2015 there was a 2.8-fold increase in the total number of deaths from Opioid drugs.
What is Detox and Is It Really That Bad?
Detoxification, otherwise known as detox, occurs when all toxic chemicals left over from alcohol and drugs will gradually leave your body. Detox is essential to your treatment plan and could possibly be a life or death situation. You may feel uncomfortable while the body is detoxing itself from all harmful chemicals.
Unfortunately, there are side effects of detox that include but are not limited to seizures, tremors, delirium and even fatality. Since those side effects are possible, it is suggested to only detox your body when there is a doctor specially trained in detoxification in attendance. The doctor will be there to monitor your symptoms and give medication such as Naltrexone, Valium, or Suboxone, if needed during treatment. These drugs will prevent cravings and make the detoxification process easier to deal with.
Alcohol and/or drug detox is only the start. Detoxification can only do so much and wont curve the cravings forever. However, it is the first step you are going to take towards living a new life in recovery. Once you have detoxed, treatment must follow. In treatment you will learn new, healthier habits to replace those you created while in active addiction. Treatment will also exchange your learned psychological and behavioral patterns with new behaviors through therapy.
You may be introduced to therapeutic practices you might not be familiar with, such as group therapy. Also, there is a huge chunk of time spent in individual therapy to tackle your own insecurities and problems. Group therapy will allow you to rebuild a strong foundation with individuals who seem to be fighting the same fight with drugs and alcohol. Individual therapy will look at your problems on a personal level. This is the right path to take; do not waste another minute. Call us and get help today.
In 2014, 9,967 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes.
Inpatient vs Outpatient: Planning for Recovery
If you are ready to receive treatment for your alcohol and/or drug addiction, you are taking the right action; an action that will save your life. There are a variety of inpatient and outpatient facilities, and it may be difficult to know which one will work for you. To be clear, rehabilitation is just the first part of recovery, it isn’t a cure for your drug or alcohol problem.
Addiction never ends. However, you can learn to cope with your drug or alcohol problem with treatment so you can avoid using in the future. Treatment will give you the information, skills, and assurance you need to turn away from your life of using drugs and alcohol.
Choosing the right treatment center is an important decision to make. The effort you invest in your recovery is the effort you devote to saving your life. Your length of stay in an Inpatient facility can last from 30 days to six months, depending on the type of facility or your treatment plan. Inpatient is highly recommended for any individual struggling with drugs and/or alcohol.
Inpatient treatment is utilized to decrease the chance of relapsing during the early stages of recovery. Different types of inpatient programs such as 12-step programs, therapy-based programs, or multimodality programs are employed by different facilities. While inpatient treatment is extremely beneficial to recovery, there are outpatient programs as well.
An outpatient treatment program will allow you to maintain your obligations like work or family life, while also beginning your recovery. People chose outpatient because they can take advantage of the support they need in their recovery while their family is waiting for them to get some dinner at home. Each have their advantages. Starting with inpatient and then transitioning to outpatient provides the best chance for success in recovery.
People who begin using marijuana before age 18 are 4 to 7 times more likely than adults to develop problem use.
Embracing Your New Lifestyle: Aftercare & Sober Living
While you are in treatment, you will learn about yourself while gaining the tools and knowledge necessary to stay clean and sober. You will be able to practice using these tools in a safe and caring environment. Once you leave treatment, you must put your knowledge into action to maintain long-term recovery. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for people to regress to their bad habits and relapse into their addiction. Having a solid plan to hold yourself accountable can prove crucial to maintaining your recovery.
After treatment and rehabilitation, it is imperative to start taking small steps and start bringing the pieces of your life back together. This can be in the form of going back to work, repairing your finances, or making amends to the people who were harmed by your behavior.
Transitioning can be stressful after being held accountable in a treatment facility for any length of time, therefore it is important to consider transitional and sober living. Transitional and sober living provide a structured environment to help ease you back into your everyday life. This will be a large step down from the structure and accountability that you had in treatment; you will be able to leave for school, work, meetings, or even just to go see a movie with your friends.
Pairing an outpatient program with sober living will greatly increase your odds of success. Outpatient is a sort of treatment continuation; there are a few groups, and maybe individual therapy sessions that are all scheduled around work or school. Outpatient treatment is only a few days out of the week. It functions as a helpful, extra support structure during the “baby bird” stage of early recovery.
In early recovery, it will be helpful for you to develop a routine. A routine will help you maintain a sense of balance, as well as help you to stay busy and productive. Downtime can lead to boredom, and boredom is a disturbingly common reason for relapse in early recovery. There are many beneficial activities you can participate in outside of your treatment plan. There are sober sports leagues, community service organizations, and many other productive ways to spend time. While there are a lot of opportunities for you to have fun, and stay active, it is important to set aside time to take care of yourself; make sure you get enough sleep, try to get some exercise, and try to eat well. There is a bit of a learning curve, but balancing your life can make your recovery easier.
Defy Your Drug or Alcohol Addiction & Get Help Today
Getting treatment for your drug and/or alcohol addiction can be overwhelming. When you are struggling with addiction, recovery can seem like an impractical goal to reach. However, no matter what lies your addiction is telling you, recovery is never out of reach, no matter what hopeless situation you think you might be in.
Change is real and you can achieve the life you deserve with a little help from treatment, care, and by addressing the cause of your addiction. Never give up on yourself –even if you gave recovery a shot and had failed. You will face setbacks, pitfalls, and bumpy roads while trudging the road to happy destiny. But when you examine the problem and thing about what good change could do for you and your life, you will be on your way.
If you have failed and are scared to commit to recovery again, remember relapse is a part of recovery from any addiction. Relapse is aggravating and depressing, but it is also gives you a chance to get back up and learn from your mistakes. It will allow you to identify stressors and triggers, and correct the way you were going about your treatment.
You need to keep reminding yourself that relapse does not mean failure. There is no reason to give up on yourself. Pick up the phone and call your sponsor, go to a meeting, visit a family member, or go to dinner with a friend. You will be out of danger as soon as your sober. You will be able to see what caused the relapse and what you could have done differently. You can choose recovery over drugs and alcohol again, just use your experience to strengthen your commitment to recovery. You can do this. Never give up.
