Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment

You’ve probably heard the following phrase before.

“The hardest step in overcoming addiction is recognizing that you have a problem.”

There’s a lot of truth in this statement. Perhaps the word “hardest” is better replaced with “first” for some people, but the essence of the quote is the same. Recognizing your problem is the starting point. Refusing to acknowledge your addiction will not get you anywhere!

Once you’ve come to terms with the fact that these drugs or drinks are more powerful than you’d initially given them credit for, a great weight can be taken off your shoulders.

Rather than silently dragging around the ball-and-chain of addiction in self-defeat, this admission will bring you strength. Many people are riddled with feelings of insecurity, or self-doubts about being unable to shoulder a burden that their drinking/smoking buddies seem to handle so easily.

Admitting that maybe, just maybe, this burden isn’t so easy to carry—that maybe those who drink and smoke without a doubt in their minds will one day find themselves collapsed under the weight of the burden they refused to acknowledge—and you’ll begin to see light on the other end of the tunnel.

People can drink and smoke themselves to the grave without ever believing that they have a problem. If you’re reading this page for yourself, then you can congratulate yourself for having more wherewithal than some of the people who fall victim to these tragic incidents.

And, if you’re reading this page in hopes of helping someone else, you can find solace in the fact that your loved one has something incredibly valuable that some people never find: someone who cares about them enough to try and understand their addiction.

The next thing for you to decide is whether you’re going to seek out alcohol rehab or drug rehab. At first, the choice might seem like it doesn’t really matter. After all, don’t both treatment programs teach the same thing?

However, there are certain things to take into consideration.

Remember, the chief difference between a treatment program at an alcohol rehab center is the fact that they require your commitment to a medically supervised detox. Medically supervised detox programs are often recommended for patients seeking treatment for other addictions as well, but rarely are they considered a necessity.

The first week or two following a detox from alcohol can be so dangerous as to be fatal. Overexcitation in the body's glutamate system causes your nerve cells to fire rapidly, far beyond the rate at which they normally operate.

Most alcoholics are familiar with some of the symptoms of this condition, such as shaky hands and anxiety. More serious symptoms, however, may include seizures that can be deadly.

You might think if you don’t drink alcohol then you’re off the hook for alcohol rehab, and that might be the case. Unfortunately, it’s not the alcohol specifically that causes this dangerous symptom. It’s the way that it interacts with the body's neurochemicals.

Other drugs of abuse, as well as many prescribed pharmaceuticals, also interact with the same system. Commonly-prescribed anti-anxiety drugs like benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium), GHB, and barbiturates are all heavy GABAergic drugs that can induce seizures during withdrawal.

Furthermore, with the opioid epidemic, a steadily increasing percentage of street drugs sold as heroin or fentanyl are testing positive for significant quantities of benzodiazepines as well as other dangerous, potentially fatal drugs like xylazine.

Anyone taking these drugs should also undergo a medically sanctioned detox to prevent the risk of having a fatal seizure. Granted, most rehab centers will probably have the necessary tools, equipment, and medications to treat both alcoholics and people addicted to other GABAergics. However, it can be reassuring to work with specialists trained to treat your specific addiction.

Once you’re ready to commit to rehab you can expect most places to follow the same basic procedure.

1. Admissions : This phase, which may be done in person or over the phone, involves placing you with the proper counselors and in the proper programs/courses. You’ll be interviewed regarding your past emotional and physical health, history, and addiction problems.
2. Detox : Again, not all places will require you to go through detox, especially if you’re already sober. However, some rehab centers will require you to go through at least a short detox phase even if you are completely sober when you begin the program.
3. Therapy : The backbone of rehab is therapy. You’ll most likely receive cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) but you’ll also get to enjoy other types of therapy that may be better suited to your past, your personality, and your addiction.
   1. It’s up to what sort of therapy your rehab center offers. Some places may offer things like rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT), Jungian analytical therapy, contingency management, or, with their consent for involvement, family or couples’ therapy.
   2. You will probably attend a combination of one-on-one therapy sessions as well as group therapy sessions that focus on sharing and connection, as opposed to therapy which focuses on the identification and resolution of issues.
4. Group meetings : For many, group meetings are the toughest part of rehab simply due to the social nature of the meetings and the requirement that they remain sober throughout them. Many people have self-medicated for years with drugs to avoid their social anxiety. Hopefully, you have time to let your counselor know about your social anxiety prior to your first meeting.
   1. On the other hand, group meetings also tend to become the most important and revered part of many peoples’ recovery. Countless times have we heard people say that “group meetings are really what keep me going,” or, “I definitely would still be sober if I kept up with my group meetings.”
   2. There’s something special about getting to share your story with others who are eager to listen, as well as having the chance to hear other people tell their stories. Most people struggle to find a receptive audience during active addiction.
5. Extracurricular activity : In the most basic of rehab centers, extracurricular activity consists of little more than exercise and perhaps watching television in a common room or reading books. Higher-end rehab centers may offer massage treatments,shia tzu, yoga, qi gong or any other holistic treatments that can help accelerate your recovery.

So, you’re ready for rehab. Congratulations! Realizing that is the first step, and it’s a huge step to take, so don’t forget to take some time to congratulate yourself! (But make sure not to let it get to your head, either. Sure, you’re committed, but you haven’t actually gone to rehab yet, so don’t start acting as if you’ve already overcome your addiction. The hard part is yet to come.

Remember, though, that the hard part probably isn’t going to be as hard as you think! As you learn new tools and skills to cope with life and develop relationships with others, rehab will start to seem like less of a chore and more of a gift to be grateful for.