FAQ’s About Addiction Rehab and Recovery
FAQ’s About Addiction Rehab and Recovery
What is the best way to help your loved one when they are addicted to drugs or alcohol? Ask questions. Absorb all the knowledge you can about the disease of addiction. It’s the only way you will learn to cope and heal as a family. We’ve taken the liberty of putting together this list of frequently asked questions about addiction rehab and recovery.
Addiction rehab can help a person recover from drug and/or alcohol addictions. Some rehabs specialize in helping patients with a specific substance abuse addiction; others offer a broader range of drug addiction services. Some addiction rehab facilities are even gender- or age-specific, and some can be residential or outpatient centers.
Drug abuse, also called substance abuse or chemical abuse, is a disorder that is characterized by a destructive pattern of using any chemical substance, including alcohol, that leads to significant problems or distress. Those who abuse drugs and alcohol still have control over their lives. Drug addiction, also called substance dependence or chemical dependency, is identified by an inability to stop using a drug and failure to meet work, social or family obligations. Physical dependence alone does not constitute addiction, but it often accompanies addiction.
If you experience withdrawal symptoms after you stop taking a drug or drinking alcohol or if your doctor has told you to stop doing drugs or drinking for your health, you should seek treatment. If you’ve lost your job, had your spouse/partner leave because of your using or want to cut down or stop using the drug but can’t, seek treatment. If you are addicted, quitting drugs or alcohol by yourself is almost impossible and if you’re like most people, drug rehab is the only thing that will save you.
Detox is a process or period of time in which one abstains from or rids the body of toxic or unhealthy substances, such as drugs or alcohol, to become physically stable; detoxification.
After detox, which may last from two to three weeks or more, you should continue on with some form of addiction treatment to learn coping strategies for maintaining sustained sobriety. You will need services like individual therapy, group therapy, family counseling, a 12-step program, and relapse prevention training as well as behavioral modification and life skills classes. This phase may take place at a residential treatment center or outpatient facility.
The first step you can take to get your loved one into a drug rehabilitation center is to speak the truth to them. Many people are compelled to enter treatment by the pressure of their loved ones. Since people will often listen to professionals rather than friends and family members, contact us at 818.452.1676.
Various types of programs offer help in drug rehabilitation, including residential inpatient treatment, outpatient care, local support groups, extended care centers, recovery or sober houses, addiction counseling, mental health and medical care. Some rehab centers offer age and gender-specific programs.
While no two rehabs are exactly the same, there are many shared practices. During your time in rehab, you will receive individual counseling with a trained addictions counselor and participate in group therapy meetings designed to teach you the skills that you will need to live your life without drugs and alcohol. You will learn new coping skills, how to recognize situations in which you are most likely to drink or use drugs and how to avoid these circumstances, if possible.
You are free to leave at any time. They can’t force you to admit yourself and they can’t make you stay. No rehab or treatment program is going to work unless you are committed to it and willing to see it through to completion.
The average length of time for addiction treatment at a residential inpatient drug treatment center can vary. Different facilities offer programs of varying lengths, and different people need distinct therapies.
Typically, you will need a small amount of cash and a few personal items, such as a few changes of clothes, books or magazines, comfortable shoes and personal care items. You will need your insurance card and an ID, and also any medications prescribed by your doctor. You will be asked to leave at home things that are dangerous or suggestive of drugs or alcohol.
The fear of relapse should not get in the way of trying treatment again. People in addiction recovery relapse about as often as do people with other chronic diseases, such as diabetes. Treatment of any chronic disease involves changing deeply imbedded behaviors and relapse sometimes goes with the territory. It doesn’t mean treatment failed. A return to drug abuse indicates that treatment needs to be started again or adjusted, or you might benefit from a different treatment approach.
A residential inpatient program requires the individual to live full time at a facility for a period of time after the withdrawal phase is completed, typically one to three months. Programs with longer duration are often known as therapeutic communities and usually last at least six months.
Both approaches to drug rehab rely on group, individual, and family therapy programs. Both will counsel you on how to handle the daily challenges life presents with a new perspective, improved coping methods, effective communication tools, and successful problem-solving skills. Outpatient treatment should be one of the final stages of treatment in the drug or alcohol recovery process, allowing the recovering patient to continue to work and reside at home or in a special sober living residence.
During residential rehabilitation, you are able to put your sole focus on your recovery. Many addicted people find outpatient treatment extremely helpful in the first few weeks following residential drug rehab as such treatment is less supervised but still provides the structure those in addiction recovery need. These programs assist patients in preparing for re-entry into the world as sober individuals.
No, but they often overlap. Many rehabilitation programs have a detoxification program that they offer to addicted patients. The rehabilitation portion of treatment normally involves one-on-one therapy sessions with a counselor, group therapy sessions with other recovering addicts and therapies that can help addicts embrace a healthier lifestyle. These things can begin during the detox process.
When you have both a substance abuse problem and a mental health issue such as depression, bipolar disorder or anxiety, it is called a co-occurring disorder or dual diagnosis. The best treatment for co-occurring disorders is an integrated approach, where both the substance abuse problem and the mental disorder are treated simultaneously by the same team. Some facilities may have experience treating depression or anxiety, but not schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
Certain medications may be unsafe while in treatment. Each of your prescription medicines will be checked for its relapse potential as well as its safety by a medical professional. In some cases, an alternative, safer treatment will be prescribed.
Addiction therapy is greatly enhanced by positive and frequent family involvement. The support that a family provides to a patient recovering from drug addiction is essential to that patient’s success. Residential centers will often have not only visitation throughout the week or on weekends, but will also provide educational programs for family members, such as supportive and dynamic recovery workshops and sessions for family involvement.
Most substance abuse rehab centers have their own rules regarding personal family visits, but as a rule, rehabilitation counselors realize the importance of family and friends in the recovery of the individual and allow limited visits.
Like virtually any other medical treatment, addiction treatment cannot guarantee lifelong sobriety. Relapse, often a part of the recovery process, is always possible and treatable.
Many Americans may not have the money or sufficient insurance coverage to get the best drug rehab care for themselves or a family member. Simple interest healthcare installment loans add an affordable option that removes the stress of the inability to pay in full or to supplement inadequate coverage and allow the client to concentrate on their recovery.
As long as your job performance stays the same, the answer is “no.” Many courts have found that individuals experiencing or who are in recovery from substance abuse disorders are individuals with a “disability” protected by Federal law. The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act prohibit most employers from refusing to hire, firing, or discriminating in the terms and conditions of employment against any qualified job applicant or employee on the basis of a disability.
Facing the challenges of daily life after rehab is key. Just like diabetes, asthma or high blood pressure, addiction is a chronic disease. Managing it after you’re out of rehab requires lifestyle changes, finding sober friends, building a support network, doing volunteer work and attending 12-step or other addiction recovery support group meetings on a regular basis to avoid relapse.