Addiction Treatment
If you have a friend or a relative who is addicted to something, you might be wondering how you can help. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to find the courage to help someone going through the addictive cycle. However, your help might support them in overcoming addiction.
This article is a guide for individuals who help their friends and family who are struggling with an addiction. While every individual situation is unique, there is a specific guideline that can help.
Table of Contents
Addiction: What It Is?
Addiction is defined as not having control over doing, taking, and using something to the point where it starts hurting you.
Talke gambling, for example. We know that we can lose everything in the process, but the glimmer of hope of winning everything keeps us addicted to this game.
Similarly, we are addicted to drugs, alcohol, and smoking. In fact, it is possible to remain addicted to anything.
Internet.
- Work.
- Shopping.
- Solvent.
What Causes Addiction?
There are a lot of reasons why addiction begins. For instance, in the case of drugs, nicotine, and alcohol, these addictions affect the way you feel. These feelings become strong and create powerful urges to use the substance again and again.
Then there is gambling that gives you that HIGH feel that comes after winning the game. After winning, the feeling that you experience urges you to play the game to experience the same. This can develop into a habit that becomes hard to stop.
Addicted to something means it has no OFF button. You don’t know how to stop yourself from doing the same thing repeatedly.
That being said, if your friend and family are going through an addiction cycle, call for professionals. Arizona Detox might be the best to deal with the situation. If you are interested to know more, read more about it here. Detox is a crucial step in rehab that you should make sure you do not skip. If you want to get the best possible detox service out there, consider getting alcohol detox in Chicago.
How Can Addiction Affect You?
The strain of managing your addiction with the other important things in life breaks the natural flow. You start prioritizing your addiction over your work and family. It even affects your mental and physical state.
Studies show that being addictive is partly genetic and more environmental. Such as being around people who have the same addiction as you.
Furthermore, your current life can also play a major role in pushing towards addiction. For instance, if individuals are going through life problems, they tend to go for substance abuse to forget all their problems. In fact, unemployment and poverty can also trigger addiction.
Addiction Treatment: Things you should Know
You must understand that addiction treatment is not one-size-fits-all. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and has different reasons for being addicted. So, you cannot expect that the same method works for everyone.
However, there is a significant guide that outlines the basic problem and can help become addiction-free.
1. Admit There Is A Problem
First thing first, the individual must admit that they have a problem and need professional help to get rid of their addiction. Addiction treatment cannot start if the individual is unwilling to get out of the addiction.
Addictive treatments are only helpful when you have made up your mind. Once you know you need help, look for professionals who can help you.
2. Detoxification
Detoxification is the first step of the treatment. This process involves clearing substances from your body and mitigating the withdrawal symptoms. In most cases, medicine is used to reduce withdrawal symptoms.
However, with the recent technological advancement, the industry has got its hands on many technological devices that can help you reduce your withdrawal symptoms.
3. Counseling & Behavioral Therapies
Following detoxification comes counseling and behavioral therapy. The therapy and counseling might be done one-to-one or with the family members based on the requirements.
Different type of therapy includes:
Multidimensional family therapy: It helps the individual behave normally with the family members.
Motivational interviewing: It involves encouraging the patient to become more confident and motivating them to show the willingness to come out of their addiction.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy: This therapy involves guiding their thinking process and making them understand the side effects of substance use.
4. Rehabilitation Programs
Rehabilitation programs are important for patients suffering from addiction. It is highly effective and encourages people to remain substance-free.
Fully licensed residential care is available 24/7, provides a safe housing environment and offers all the necessary medical inventions.
However, while looking for a rehabilitation center, you will come across different types of rehabilitation centers with different programs.
Recovery Housing: This provides a short-term stay in a house to make them aware of their responsibilities and a life without substance abuse.
Therapeutic Community: This is for the individuals seeking long-term treatment in different forms of addictive disorder.
Short-Term Residential Treatment: This only focuses on detoxification and preparing individuals for a longer stay in the therapeutic community.
With these three types of rehabilitation centers, be selective about which one you want. The best way to select the right one for you is first to make a checklist and see which one can fill most of your blanks.
5. Medication
Yes, medicine plays a significant role in withstanding the backlash of the withdrawal symptoms and their related complications. The medication used varies depending on the substances that the person is addicted to.
Longer-term medicine use ensures that the person is not suffering from craving or relapse. However, medicine is used to cure addiction. One must not consider it to be a standalone treatment. The patients must also go through counseling to ensure they can easily mix with the social world.
Take Away
Substance-related disorders are chronic and complex diseases that require the prolonged use of intensive medical treatment. Once you are addicted to some, the type of substance involved and the severity of the addiction will dictate which treatment to follow.
The treatment always starts with a detoxification process to reduce the withdrawal symptoms. The patients go through counseling and behavioral therapies to sustain their normal behavior.
