Addiction significantly affects a person's life, caused when a person engages in the repetitive use of potentially harmful substances such as alcohol and drugs. Other addictions involve incessantly undertaking damaging activities like gambling.
Unfortunately, while one can get over their addiction, there's no single treatment that works for all kinds of individuals. Rehabilitation may work for some, but not for others. As such, people have to find the best way to treat addiction in the most effective means for them.
On the bright side, researchers have made a lot of progress and developed more approaches to addiction treatment over the past few years. This guide will discuss the different strategies you can take when dealing with addiction.
One of the most popular approaches to addiction treatment is rehabilitation. This is an extensive treatment that involves therapy and medication. Most rehab programs include counselors who provide emotional support and advice, and medicine to help patients fight their withdrawals. Specific rehabilitation centers also offer patients access to self-help groups and other services. In other words, rehabilitation is a combination of numerous addiction treatments, and you'll get to know more about them later on.
On that note, if you're looking for a recovery center, it's worth checking what services they offer, although it's advisable to sign up for facilities that provide counseling and medication. One example is Jackson House Addiction and Recovery Center. It's also worth noting that there are two types of rehabilitation programs:
Rehabilitation programs are complex and often involve a combination of different treatments. Detox, therapy, and self-help groups are just a few examples. If you want to get over your addiction once and for all, signing up for rehabilitation programs may be a good choice, however, this is not the only available option.
Individual counselling or therapy is when an expert provides support and advice to patients according to their individual needs. While this is often suited for behavioral addiction, it also works when you're coping with drug or alcohol addiction as it can:
Usually, one can sign up for individual counselling or therapies by looking for addiction psychiatrists, psychologists, or even psychotherapists.
However, while these experts certainly know what they're doing, don't forget that counselling is a joint operation. It won't work if the counsellor is the only one putting in the effort. You, as the patient, also need to contribute, and you can do that by providing them the information they need.
Take note that counselling or therapy implemented in rehabilitation programs are often different from individual counseling you get from an independent counsellor. For instance, rehabilitation counseling may often involve one or more therapists catering to a group of people, while individual counseling, as the name suggests, involves one-to-one interaction. Speaking of groups, you might also want to look into self-help groups.
Self-help groups, by definition, are communities of people that come together to address a common problem to most of them. For instance, a self-help group on drug addiction may consist of heroin addicts, cocaine addicts, etc.
Although they're often called 'self-help' groups, some are led by professional therapists; the only difference, perhaps, is that it doesn't require participants to pay for the support. They simply rely on one another to solve their common problems. Most self-help groups can be made to deal with mental issues such as:
Unfortunately, self-help groups are often not enough to treat addiction. It may be a worthwhile approach, but you'll need to undergo other treatments on top of it. Nevertheless, participating in self-help groups has its perks:
If you want to join a self-help group, it's possible to look for one by asking people who are in the same situation. You may also form the group from the ground up if you want. But if you're not fond of sharing your experiences with people you haven't known for long, then it's never too late to involve your family with your problem. After all, they're the closest people to you and know you the best.
Usually, when people want to get over their addiction, they'll seek professionals and perhaps even individuals in the same situation as they are. But addiction isn't all about you. It can sometimes take a toll on the entire family, so it's only fitting to seek your family's help when dealing with addiction, especially if the main reason you're suffering from addiction is because of your family. Family therapy can have numerous benefits, including:
When treating addiction, a lifestyle transformation is essential. What's more, changing your lifestyle may also lead to other positive changes such as a healthier body, a more robust immune system, and better social skills. Here are some lifestyle changes that may assist you throughout your addiction treatment:
If you manage to make these changes within your lifestyle, you'll find it a lot easier to deal with your withdrawals as you become too busy to engage with unhealthy activities.
Detoxification, or detox, is the process of eliminating the traces of drugs within your body. Its primary purpose for those suffering from substance abuse is to ensure that they can manage their withdrawal symptoms more quickly. Regardless of what approach you pick, it's always important to undergo detoxification for extra measure.
Rehabilitation programs also offer detoxification options, which is yet another reason to sign up for rehab facilities. Here's a closer look at questions you should ask when deciding on how you should approach detoxification:
If you're suffering from behavioral addiction, detoxification isn't necessary, though it's still worth taking a shot, especially since there are now medical devices specifically designed to combat addiction.
Lastly, you can undergo faith-based programs. As the name suggests, these programs focus on the individual's spiritual needs to help them cope with their medical and emotional issues. While it may sound quite far-fetched, faith-based programs have seen a fair share of success stories. However, similar to the use of anti-addiction devices, this may not the first approach you'll look-upon when thinking about getting addiction treatment.
Addiction can be life-changing, and the longer it lasts, the harder it is to eliminate it in your life. Know that whichever option you choose, addiction treatment will always offer you a community of ongoing support and encouragement.