Getting Sober & Staying Sober

Becoming sober and healthy is hardly a simple path. You must dedicate the rest of your life to sobriety for it to work, but such a commitment is well worth it. The path to sober living, like any journey, starts with one step at a time.

 

Addiction Rehabilitation Steps

Rehabilitation steps are determined based on the kind of addiction, the individual’s health, and the treatment system utilized. That said, every recovery generally has the following in common:

1. Intake.
2. Detox (detoxification)
3. Rehab (rehabilitation)
4. Continuous Recovery

 

If you have a query about the rehabilitation process or your own path to sobriety, feel free to speak with one of our support advisors who will address your questions confidentially. Call 866-932-8563 any hour of the day without any kind of commitment.

 

Intake

Intake establishes whether a specific rehabilitation facility is ideal for you. At this stage, you can ask questions about the center to figure out if they are the right fit.

 

The rehab center will likely ask you some questions as well. You might be asked to undergo several diagnostic screenings or tests to determine how the program can meet your specific requirements and addiction stage. The facility will probably ask how severe your addiction is, your history of drug use, the family’s addiction history, and how the treatment will be paid for.

 

Ensure the Program Addresses Your Needs

 

With regards to addiction treatment centers, there are several out there for you to choose from. It is vital to look for a program that is a proper match for you.

If you are content with the center you’ve selected, you’ll be more inclined to remain with the program and stick with it until the end, which raises your odds of long-term sobriety and optimal health.

 

Treatment for Addiction: 13 Important Principles

Based on research conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are several important principles to be aware of when beginning treatment for alcohol or drugs:

1. Addiction impacts both your brain and behavior.
2. For a successful outcome, it is important to treat addiction as early as you can.
3. You don’t have to be admitted voluntarily. Several people are forced to go to rehab by a court ruling, their bosses, or by friends and family.
4. Individual treatments are used for each person at every center – there is no such thing as a single approach to achieving sobriety and healthy living.
5. Proper treatment should holistically address all aspects of your lifestyle, not just your addiction or substance abuse.
6. There is a connection between drug addiction and mental illness, which will also be assessed during treatment.
7. Rehabilitation will likely also evaluate any co-existing physical illnesses, including hepatitis, HIV, and tuberculosis.
8. You need to dedicate sufficient time for treatment to properly beat your addiction. Your addiction grew through time, and so, too, must your recovery.
9. Physical detoxification is vital, but is merely the initial stage of treatment. Long-term changes in behavior generally warrant continuous support and behavioral therapy.
10.  The most typical treatment system involves behavioral therapy — which might be comprised of family, group, and individual therapy sessions.
11.  In association with therapy, pharmaceutical medications are usually needed.
12.  Quality treatment programs will track you for any potential relapses over the course of your recovery.
13.  Treatment plans must be regularly revised to accommodate your adjusted situations and requirements.

 

What to Keep in Mind Prior to Enrolling

Last year, an organization named Recovery Brands conducted a survey that asked patients leaving treatment facilities what program aspects they considered the most important. The most popular answer was the financial choices provided by the center, such as payment options, financial support, and accepted insurance. Further, they stressed the importance of what the facility offered (quality of housing, comfort, food). Individuals thinking about treatment will want to assess the financial policies of a program in addition to what the program offers.

 

Rehabilitation Center Types

You might be provided with the following at a rehab facility:

•  Outpatient services
•  Inpatient services.
•  An integration of both types of services.

Whether you select outpatient care or inpatient addiction treatment, the intake process will be almost identical and performed by a qualified counselor.

 

Inpatient Treatment

Inpatient treatment programs take people wrestling with addiction away from their current unhealthy habitat and into a facility that provides care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Inpatient eliminates stress, temptation, and the possibility of a relapse.

Residential treatment is typically most recommended for those who either have co-existing mental or medical health issues (referred to as dual diagnosis) or long-term addictions.

 

Inpatient treatment might take place at one of these two locations:

•  A hospital: inpatient centers within hospitals provide more intensive, all-day medical service as well as supervision from healthcare professionals.
•  A residential center outside of a hospital: several inpatient facilities won’t provide 24/7 access to healthcare professionals, but they do provide all-day care from employees, and have access to multiple hospital-based services, which can be arranged when .

Elegant inpatient centers provide posh, vacation-like amenities that make one’s stay more relaxed.

Executive inpatient centers offer luxury living areas that accommodate busy people, allowing them to remain involved in their work priorities on a regular basis and undergo treatment for addiction simultaneously.

 

Outpatient Treatment

Outpatient programs resemble inpatient programs, the difference being that you’re allowed to go back home every day after treatment. If you have a large amount of work or family commitments, like caring for elders or youngsters, you can maintain several of those priorities with outpatient care.

Outpatient care is a viable choice for individuals with early or mild addictions. It might be a smart option for people with dual diagnosis conditions or with extreme, long-term addictions.

 

Detoxification

Many alcohol and drug addictions warrant a stage of detoxification at the beginning of the treatment process. This detox stage is developed to eliminate any trace of alcohol or drugs from the body. In several instances, maintenance prescriptions might be administered to reduce the withdrawal symptoms that come with some drugs, such as heroin and opiates.

How extreme the detox process will be will be based on the following:

•  The person’s specific metabolism and body composition.
•  The specific dosage and drug that was taken.
•  The duration of drug use.
•  If other addictions crossed over.

Detox is usually a safe process conducted in an environment that is medically supervised. Self-administered detoxification may be quite extreme for some people, and in some instances, fatal. Detox is highly discouraged from being done on one’s own.

 

Withdrawal

When an individual uses drugs or drinks alcohol consistently, the body gets used to having specific substance levels in it. After the removal of the substance, the body might start to go through withdrawal symptoms. Based on the type of substances taken, withdrawal symptoms might begin to show up within hours, although they generally appear during the initial 24 hours after the most recent dosage.

Withdrawal symptoms will differ based on the drug taken. Some common withdrawal symptoms might involve the following:

•  Difficulty concentrating
•  Severe depression
•  Extreme fatigue
•  Reduced appetite
•  Runny nose
•  Agitation
•  Sweating
•  Inability to sleep
•  Cramping
•  Nausea
•  Shaking or trembling
•  Diarrhea
•  Difficulty breathing
•  Rapid heart rate
•  Muscle pain and tension
•  Headaches
•  Stroke
•  Seizures
•  Heart attack
•  Hallucinations

Prescriptions Taken During Detox

The treatment approach – which includes any medication prescribed while detox is transpiring – will be determined based on the exact kind of addiction being treated. Before detox, you will be examined by a medical professional to establish what kind of assistance will be required during your detoxification.

Although specific addictions might not warrant detoxification to begin rehabilitation therapy, some substances — like opiates, heroin, and alcohol — usually warrant prescriptions to lessen the extremity of the withdrawal process while detox is happening.

Prescriptions administered will vary based on the addiction being treated. Several instances of prescriptions that might be used during detox include:

 

Methadone

Usually administered during detox from opiate prescriptions or heroin, methadone aids in reducing the struggle for those addicted to drugs. The methadone dosage administered is gradually lessened with the idea that the patient will at some point be purged of all dependencies on drugs.

However, some recovering patients may keep taking methadone for years, and possibly for the remainder of their lives, as the drug – ironically – can be very addictive. This potential risk of replacing one addiction with another is an example how treatment methods can vary for each person.

 

Buprenorphine

Buprenorphine is administered to those recovering from opioid prescriptions and heroin. As of late, buprenorphine has turned into a popular alternative to treat methadone, as it doesn’t make patients feel “high”, making abuse less probable. Much like methadone, the objective for those prescribed with buprenorphine is to wean the dosage down gradually. Some patients, however, have been known to take it for months and even years at a time.

 

Benzodiazepines

These are anti-anxiety medications that are usually administered while alcohol detoxification is happening. Benzodiazepines are sometimes prescribed to:

•  Decrease the chances of detoxing patient suffering a seizure.
•  Reduce the extremity of withdrawal symptoms.
•  Help alleviate depression and anxiety that is usually linked to detoxification.

 

Barbiturates

Barbiturates are mild sedatives which alleviate irritability and anxiety while detoxification is taking place. Similar to benzodiazepines, they might additionally decrease an individual’s chances of having a seizure, which is typical while alcohol detoxification is transpiring.

If you have any queries to make about withdrawal and detoxification, give us a call at 866-675-0016. One of our treatment support staff will be glad to address any concerns you have or help you find a rehab center.

 

Rehabilitation

After patients complete the first detox from alcohol or drugs, they will proceed to rehab. It is here that an individual can get to the reasons why they are addicted, and face their troubles head-on so that they can properly live a drug and alcohol-free lifestyle.

 

Individual Therapy

During individual behavioral therapy:

•  Patients sometimes perform internal work by thinking back to when they started using and when they started abusing a substance.
•  Patients obtain approaches to channel their time so they can concentrate on activities or interests.
•  Patients learn time management skills to make the best of their days, giving them less free time to consider relapsing.
•  Patients understand how to identify what triggers drug use and how to manage those triggers. When patients have a plan on how to handle such alluring scenarios, they are more inclined to execute their plan and bypass a relapse.

This kind of cognitive behavioral therapy takes on the thoughts patients have that are associated with substance abuse. It helps people restructure their paradigms and make changes to their behavior in order to live a sober, healthy lifestyle.

 

Group Therapy

Group therapy is usually part of the addiction rehabilitation process. During group therapy, patients engage with others who are in similar circumstances. It is generally beneficial for those in recovery to understand that they aren’t alone with their problems. Likewise, patients in the group find comfort when these people share their own tales of recovery and addiction. This feeling of community support is vital to the rehabilitation process.

 

Family Therapy

Most addiction rehabilitation centers provide family therapy as a feature of a program. Addiction affects more than just the user— it affects the user’s loved ones as well. Members of the family are usually the ones most affected by an addiction, and they are a critical element of the person’s recovery.

In several treatment programs, members of the family are encouraged to engage in family therapy sessions. It is during these sessions that family members can talk about the pain inflicted by their loved one’s addiction and their hopes to see that person live a healthy lifestyle instead. Resolution can come about during a family therapy session, allowing the family to offer support to the patient upon their departure from the treatment center.

 

Recovery

Once patients have finished their treatment program, they must continue working on their recovery. For most patients, recovery lasts a lifetime, warranting regular work and focus. Occasionally, it will be hard for people to endure the temptation to relapse. It is a journey that comes with differing terrains, so it is vital to provide lifelong support.

Before exiting an addiction rehabilitation facility, the patient will consult with counselors to go over an aftercare plan. Most addiction treatment centers provide follow-up programs to help patients as they ease back into their regular lives. These follow-up plans might be comprised of weekend stays at the treatment facility when the patient thinks a touch-up stay is warranted.

A patient also has the option to reside in a sober living center for a set amount of time among other recovering addicts. When in a sober living facility, patients work at an external job, complete chores, and engage in group therapy sessions. This provides a helpful transitional period for patients prior to going back their regular lives.

Most patients stick with their ongoing therapy sessions well after receiving treatment. Some are scheduled for drug tests as an incentive to keep them faithful to their sobriety. Group therapy is an ideal approach to establishing a local support system.

Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) are but two of the more popular 12-step groups that recovering addicts can attend. Both NA and AA have meetings all over the nation at convenient times.

Additionally, there are numerous offshoots of the AA model for other addictions, including:

•  Pills Anonymous (PA).
•  Overeaters Anonymous (OA).
•  Gamblers Anonymous (GA).
•  Emotions Anonymous (EA).
•  Cocaine Anonymous (CA).
•  Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA).
•  Crystal Meth Anonymous (CMA).

The kind of support available in a niche 12-step group can be helpful for a particular addiction. However, most people tend to obtain the assistance they require from broader support groups.

Participants get what they put into aftercare support groups, and as such, are advised to engage with other members and share what they went through with the group. After an individual is more set in a sober lifestyle, they might opt to be a mentor to someone new to addiction recovery.