How Effective are Rehab Programs: Drug and Alcohol Recovery
The method of treatment used for drugs and alcohol addiction varies with each person and their situation. Before a treatment plan is devised, several factors including, how long an addiction has been present, how severe the problem is plus personal history are considered. A holistic view helps to determine the best treatment plan for success. Someone with a new age approach may not do well put in a very religious setting for example. There is a different ambience in each facility.
Prescription drugs like opiates, tranquilizers, stimulants, and depressants can have serious side effects. Often times, a person can unknowingly develop a prescription drug addiction, and still feel that they are taking the drug as directed. No one thinks they are going to become an addict to painkillers or prescription drugs. This sneaks up on someone who may not even be aware of their dependency.
If you are struggling with a heroine or cocaine addiction, it is important to seek out help from a residential rehabilitation facility. At a residential rehabilitation facility, you will have constant medical monitoring, and the trained staff will know how to help you safely withdraw from the drugs in your body. This is too hard for most people to do outpatient. Some people can succeed but the temptations are too strong in the environment. Most of the time, your medical insurance will cover inpatient drug and alcohol treatment. You can also find some programs that use a sliding scale to work with your own situation financially.
If you are addicted to a drug that you can safely withdraw from without medical intervention, it you may be able to do this on your own. You need to be honest with yourself and look at your own history of will power. Your insurance policy or payment program may only provide coverage for a short-term or emergency stay. Either way, once you leave the facility, you must choose an outpatient drug or alcohol treatment option to help you continue on your path to recovery. At some point you will be on your own, and will need the inner resources to overcome the voice that pulls you down.
There are several treatment basics with both inpatient and outpatient treatment options. A drug addiction counselor, will meet with you initially to get your background. During your first meeting, your counselor will need to find out more about your addiction, and will ask you questions about your medical history, any family history of drug addiction, and any psychological disorders you may deal with. Be sure to let them know if your parents were involved with drugs or alcohol. What you observed as a child is very influential on your life. It forms a lot of your assumptions and perceptions. These can be questioned with therapy.
Keep in mind that recovery is about recreating your life. As with any major change in life, there will be a period of adjustment, and you may struggle with many different feelings. You may feel very proud of your decision to seek treatment, and suddenly find yourself sad or angry that you must leave your old life and friends behind. Leaving one’s old associations is one of the most difficult things for people, even when you know they are destructive to your health. It is familiar and we like what’s familiar. You may question your decision to commit to treatment once faced with these difficult and conflicting feelings, but in you heart of hearts, you know it’s important to be true to yourself.
This can be a time when you can fall into relapsing during treatment. There is a part of ourselves that seems to want to drag us down. You can help to alleviate the stress and urge to relapse by formulating a plan early on to help you stay on track. Still, each day you must renew this committment similar to a marriage vow during the tough times.
Find something that relaxes you and helps you maintain balance in your life, while dealing with any problems you have right away, rather than piling them up until you are overwhelmed. If you start to think about your addiction or the life you lived before recovery, do not be hard on yourself. It is easy to beat yourself up and regress. There is no reason for you to feel guilty or dwell on things you have done in the past. Your illusions in the past are what created your past decisions. By becoming more conscious, you won’t make these decisions again but will choose healthier ones. One of the most important things you can do for yourself, is to find a strong support group that can help you reach your goals and encourage you if you begin to fall backwards on your journey. Find people that have been going for a while as new members may be on shakier grounds with their intent.
Drug relapsing happens a lot because people don’t want to overhaul their lives. We are creatures of habit and like to go back to the same pubs, see old friends (even if they are addicted to pot and potheads) and drown our sorrows. It takes usually a crisis to really want to change.
A lot of people that need alcohol services or drug rehab may need to go to dual diagnosis treatment centers because there can be underlying issues such as bipolar that is going on at same time. Unless chemical dependency rehab addresses this, someone may still stay stuck.