What To Expect In Treatment For Drug And Alcohol Addiction
When going into a drug or alcohol treatment facility most people are filled with apprehension and stress. This stems from uncertainty about their need for treatment, the unexpected conditions, and the inescapable fact that they will be leaving behind the coping mechanism they have been depending on during years of substance abuse. When looking for the proper drug and alcohol treatment facility, it is essential to ask the consultant you talk with what the day-to-day routine will be like. This can help allay your concerns of the situation and let you know what to expect.
If part of your treatment includes a detox from drugs or alcohol then a good portion of this time will be spent resting and allowing your body to recover from years of drug or alcohol abuse. If you’re entering into a 28 day (or longer) residential treatment program then much of your day will be consumed by group meetings, drug and alcohol education, stress management, and other seminars focused on rebuilding life skills without the crutch of chemicals.
The effects that different drugs and alcohol have on a person’s body depend on the substance of abuse, the years of abuse, and the physical well being of the man or woman entering rehab. Older opiate addicts (including heroin, oxycontin, and others) can expect their detox to last anywhere from 10 days to 2 weeks or more before their body begins to feel regular again. Detox symptoms for opiate addicts commonly include body aches and other difficulties like stomach cramps and intestinal problems. Younger alcoholics, however, can get through their detox in as little as 5 days and proceed quickly into an productive and meaningful plan of addiction therapy.
After you have had the opportunity to detox from your chemical of abuse (either drugs, alcohol, or both), your addiction treatment should focus on behavioral therapy. This can be done in either a residential treatment setting or an outpatient treatment program. Behavioral therapy like counseling (one-on-one or group), cognitive therapy, or psychotherapy supplies people in recovery with tools and strategies for dealing with issues like pressure and cravings. Addiction treatment also educates addicts how to avert relapse and how to deal with a relapse should one occur. On occasion the treatment specialists at the drug and alcohol rehab facility may suggest medications to the addict that will help lessen cravings and even stabilize their moods without the use of drugs or alcohol.
Before exiting the drug and alcohol rehab center, the counselors should help you develop a structured plan of recovery for your life after treatment. While a thorough treatment program will get to the root causes of your disease (and addiction is a disease), it is critical that you have an ongoing program for your recovery when you are back to the real world. This continuum of care should be written out and can be provided by attending 12 steps meetings like NA or AA, taking part in an outpatient rehab program, and building relationships with other addicts in recovery.
While no one expects perfection from the addict in recovery, the best chances of success are achieved by working with others that understand your disease either from a professional perspective or from personal experience.
