What is Drug Addiction?
Are you unable to stop taking drugs or alcohol? When someone abuses a substance, they can’t stop their destructive intake even when parts of their life is negatively affected. Why is it so hard to recover? According to A Better Today Recovery Services, too much drug and alcohol abuse can lead to affecting the actual structure of your brain.
This means you will become physically dependent on the drug and require medication to reverse or weaken your addiction. What might have started as social drinking or trying something new, affects your brain so much that it becomes a disease that you can’t run away from.
Why You Need Professional Help
People often ask addicts “Why can’t you just quit?”. The trouble is that it’s not as easy as it sounds and it’s not the same for some people. Without professional help, you could end up dependent on the drug, because your brain is telling you it wants more and more. Even if you want to quit, it can take over your free will to do so. There are treatment options out there that can help you get through the worst of your cravings.
Family Support and Therapy
Has your personal life become affected? If you are lucky, your family might understand that you need help to get better. Having the support of your family can be crucial in recovering from addiction. They can assist you in researching the best treatment center for you, but they can support you throughout the process by being there for you. Knowing that you have them in your corner during your stay in an inpatient treatment center can benefit your recovery.
You might also need their assistance during and after your treatment by going through family therapy. Working through family issues can reduce the chances of relapse occurring in the future.
Treatment Plans For Your Addiction
People around you might tell you that you’re too far gone to seek help from medical professionals. Or maybe doubts are lingering in your head that you’ll never get sober. However, no matter how addicted you are to drugs, you can reach a life of sobriety again. It’s never too late to get help, but you still have to ask for it. After you admit you need professional help, then you can figure out which treatment option is right for you.
Inpatient Rehab
If you are addicted to drugs or alcohol for a long time or have an extreme addiction, then you might require inpatient rehab treatment. Inpatient is more expensive since they need you to live on-site with 24/7 medical supervision. Medical professionals can administer drugs and other types of treatments to help combat what your altered brain is telling you to do.
This treatment is excellent for those who aren’t able to trust themselves to live on their own while trying to remain sober after their detox process. Inpatient is also more strict than outpatient since you are on a routine schedule that includes individual and group sessions with a therapist. There could be other activities during the day to help distract you from your cravings.
A professional therapist can also help identify your triggers that make you use drugs. They can create a prevention plan with you that will give you tips on how you can overcome your urges. This will help reduce your chance of relapsing after you leave rehab.
Outpatient Rehab
Are you short on extra cash? Or do you need to keep your job? Sometimes life is too difficult to get the treatment you need, but this is where outpatient therapy can help. It is more affordable since you can live at home. You will still have to attend individual and group sessions with your therapist. Outpatient rehab also allows you to work around the hours you have to work or take care of your children.
However, being tempted to visit old hangouts or people associated with drugs could be a downside to this treatment. After your detox, you might not trust yourself from going back to your former habits. You might have to work harder to resist going back to using drugs again.
Relapses Can Occur
There’s always a treatment plan out there that’s perfect for you, but remember that addiction is a disease. This means that it could take several tries recovering in a treatment center. You might want a quick fix, but that isn’t always going to happen.
Be prepared to go through the relapses just like anyone else with a disease, such as diabetes or heart disease. As reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there is a 40- 60% relapse rate for those with substance abuse disorders. However, even if you are among those who relapse, this doesn’t mean everything is too late for you.
You might have to pick yourself back up and start over again. This sounds daunting and hard, but this is life as an addict. Your life will be full of challenges since there’s no cure for addiction. Remaining vigilant in staying clean is essential, but relapsing is all a part of the recovery process.
Try not to give up on yourself even if you face several relapses because there’s always a perfect treatment plan for you out there. So, ask for help today by contacting an addiction treatment center near you. You won’t regret asking for help in getting and staying sober. It will show your family you want to make healthier choices for yourself. You can be happier without drugs and alcohol poisoning your brain and your life.