How To Be Successful In Addiction Recovery

Understanding Substance Abuse

Substance use disorder, also known colloquially as addiction to alcohol or drugs, is a chronic condition involving compulsive use of addictive substances despite the intense negative consequences of a person’s substance abuse.

Other symptoms of the disorder include a person’s inability to stop or reduce their substance use on their own, and substance withdrawal symptoms that emerge when they try to reduce their intake of the drug. There’s also the phenomenon of tolerance, in which a person needs more and more drugs or alcohol to achieve the “highs” they are used to.

Though substance abuse problems can be among the deadliest of mental health conditions, if they find the proper substance abuse treatment options, many patients are able to overcome their addictions and enjoy a satisfying, full life on their unique recovery journey.

How To Find Success In Recovery From Drug Abuse

Many factors determine whether a given individual is able to achieve addiction recovery success. Depending on how severe a person’s addiction is, their treatment program may have to begin in detox, where they can be monitored by medical professionals for any sign of dangerous physical symptoms while their body adjusts to sobriety.

Then, they will be able to move on to rehab programs focusing on the psychological side of addiction recovery. Most treatment programs feature a variety of therapies that emphasize different aspects of the recovery process.

For example, one form of talk therapy called cognitive-behavioral therapy, which is among the treatments for addiction that has the most research backing its use, helps patients curb their substance use by helping them to reframe negative thoughts and to learn healthier ways of coping with stress.

Many American addiction centers also offer family therapy, which invites family members into the treatment process and helps families to re-establish healthier patterns of relating after addiction may have distorted them. For example, the treatment provider may be able to help children to accept that their parent’s addiction was not their fault, or parents to realize that they may have played an enabling role in a child’s addiction.

Addiction treatment can also involve treatment for any co-occurring disorders that may have played a part in a person’s addiction. These conditions will be addressed in specialized therapy, and a mental health professional may also choose to prescribe some patients any appropriate medications that might help them to live a more stable and satisfying life.

And while addiction treatment has been shown to be correlated with substantial improvement in the life outcomes of most people who complete it, with those who do showing greater recovery success and lower rates of criminal activity, for most individuals, treatment centers are only the beginning of the struggle to achieve recovery rather than a safe endpoint.

Thus, setting up an aftercare plan for any patient leaving rehab is critical, as is ensuring that each patient has a robust support system they can rely on to help them prevent relapse. Families and friends can be a part of that support system, but they also may not be enough, especially if families and friends were among the people the addict wounded most during the course of their drug use, or if children are too young to have a nuanced understanding of a parent’s situation.

While making amends with those family members should be part of a person in recovery’s long-term game plan, this is a reason that many people rely on support groups like those provided by twelve step fellowships earlier on in their recovery. Support groups often have strong structures in place that can reduce the risk that people relapse, such as lists of fellow group members people can call in an emergency, and participation in them can help recovering addicts to find success by fostering a shared motivation to get better and a rewarding sense of community.

Recovering addicts may also find support by choosing to stay involved in any alumni programming associated with their treatment center. They may also seek out a therapist to continue any necessary mental health treatment that they began in rehab to ensure they stay on track as far as their mental health. Additionally, many recovering addicts find success by leaving the area they associate with their painful addicted past and finding a new job and life where they will be plagued by fewer “triggers” to use drugs.

Drug And Alcohol Addiction Treatment Programs At Reco Intensive

Known as one of the most reputable American addiction centers and accredited by reputable organizations like the National Institute of Health, Reco Intensive is a treatment center located in Delray Beach Florida. We offer a variety of scientifically-backed therapies as a part of our comprehensive intensive outpatient program, as well as a variety of programming aimed at increasing our patients’ holistic wellness and to help them to heal as a “whole person.”

To learn more about whether Reco Intensive could be the right facility for you or one of your family members, feel free to peruse our list of services, or call us anytime at 844.955.3042 or contact us online anytime here. There’s no time like the present to get back on the road to a brighter future.