Understanding Substance Abuse Treatment: A Complete Guide

Substance abuse can be incredibly dangerous and damaging to a person’s life. When they decide it’s time to stop taking substances, they will likely need … Read more

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Substance abuse can be incredibly dangerous and damaging to a person’s life. When they decide it’s time to stop taking substances, they will likely need help and support. Rehabilitation programs exist to help those who are ready to end their addiction and move forward with their life, whether due to their own decisions or outside pressure to get healthy again. While everyone’s journey to sobriety is different, there are some general steps that most people will take as they work on their recovery.

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Look Into Treatment Centers

It’s important to choose the right treatment center, as they are all different and may have various pros and cons that make them the right or wrong one for a specific person. Look into the services they offer, the rate of success for prior patients, and other details at places like verticaltreatmentcenters.com to find one that’s going to be an excellent fit. Depending on what’s offered and how the treatment center works can make a big difference in the person’s ability to start their recovery and have a better chance of success going forward.

Decide Between Inpatient and Outpatient

There are both inpatient and outpatient programs, depending on the help someone needs and what fits their current life the best. Those who are not working, who have a severe addiction, or those who need to get away from home to start the recovery process may do better in an inpatient program. In programs like these, they can get the help needed to have a much better chance of recovery and to get a good start on sobriety before moving back home or to a new place where they can work on trying to avoid triggers.

An outpatient program may be better for those who have already completed an inpatient program and desire more help, those who work full-time or have small children at home to watch, or those who can’t do an inpatient program for any other reason. The outpatient program will vary but typically consists of therapy and classes the person can take to learn more about their addiction, how to avoid triggers, and how to prevent a relapse as they work on their recovery.

Medical Detox

Patients may need to go through a medical detox to safely get the drugs or alcohol out of their system before they can start learning how to live without them in their lives. A medical detox is done so the person is supervised through the detox process to ensure their safety. This is done on an inpatient basis and the amount of time it can take depends on the substance, the person’s use, and other factors. Once the medical detox is done, the person can begin an inpatient or outpatient treatment program based on their needs and desires.

Begin Treatment

After going through the detox stage, the next step is to begin treatment. The person will work with the treatment center to create a personalized treatment plan that consists of everything they’ll do as they work through the program, regardless of whether it’s an inpatient or outpatient program. The person can ask questions while they learn about their personalized plan and will work with the treatment center to make adjustments to the plan as needed to aid in their recovery.

Therapy – Individual and Group

The person will likely go to therapy while they’re receiving treatment, especially if they have a dual diagnosis of addiction and a mental health issue. Individual therapy is done to help the person learn more about why they became addicted, what triggers them, and what is needed to stop the addiction. This can include assistance for mental health issues if necessary. Group therapy is done with other people who are going through addiction treatment at the same time. This allows people to share their stories, learn from each other’s experiences, and discuss the addictions in a healthy and supportive place with a professional to help guide the conversation.

Education and Information

While the person is in treatment, they’ll learn quite a bit about addiction, including theirs specifically, how it works and what causes it. They’ll also learn how to avoid the substance they’ve abused, how relapses happen, and what they can do to avoid a relapse. It is crucial to learn about a person’s individual triggers, as this gives them the opportunity to spot potentially triggering situations or events and avoid them, reducing their chance of relapsing. They’ll also learn what to do if they end up relapsing.

Outpatient Assistance

If the person opted for an inpatient program, it is often followed by outpatient assistance that allows them to continue receiving professional help for their addiction after the program is completed. They’ll be able to reach out for help if it’s needed, get help if they relapse, and have someone to talk to if they’re worried about relapsing. It is important for those who have completed a program to continue to have assistance and support, and to be able to return to the treatment center if they need further help, to enable them to continue to work on sobriety.

Dealing With Relapse

Relapses are unfortunately common for those who are going through addiction treatment. It is crucial for the person to recognize triggers to try to avoid them as much as possible or learn how to deal with them in a healthy way. If a relapse does happen, they should know what steps to take next to get help and avoid letting it take control of their life again. By having support throughout the treatment process and long after a treatment program has ended, it’s even easier for someone to move past a relapse and move forward with their life.

Addictions can be treated, but recovery is a life-long process that begins with choosing the right treatment center. For those suffering from addiction, getting the right help enables them to learn to move past the addiction, to look forward to a brighter future, and to get the help they need to minimize relapses or their impact. To help yourself or a loved one suffering from addiction, start looking at available treatment centers today.

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The post Understanding Substance Abuse Treatment: A Complete Guide appeared first on Top Entrepreneurs Podcast | Enterprise Podcast Network.