In 2017 over 30% of American adults battled drug use disorders. However, only one in ten Americans sought treatment. Once you start abusing substances, it’s hard to quit because your brain develops a dependency on drugs and alcohol and cannot find relief elsewhere. But this reliance can be detrimental and derail your life completely. Addiction can also have fatal consequences, as more than 70,000 Americans had passed away from a drug overdose in 2019.
Therefore, it’s pivotal to find help like a non 12 step rehab program before it’s too late. There is no shame in realizing you need help and struggle to turn over a new leaf by opting for rehab. A rehab facility has all the tools and resources you need to get back on track. You can learn new habits, find a routine and deal with all your bottled-up emotions. So, reclaim life by going to rehab right away. Here are some more reasons why you should explore this option:
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Safe medically-supervised detox
Detox allows substances to leave your body which is essential for recovery. If you try this at home alone, chances are you’ll relapse with little resistance and restart the vicious cycle of substance abuse. Rehab facilities like Serenity at Summit have a trained medical detox team to help you safely wean off drugs and alcohol.
You may need more attention if you have been a heavy user since your withdrawal symptoms may get intense, leaving you in need of supervision. These may include high blood pressure, seizures, intense body aches, sweating, and vomiting. Nurses employed at the rehab will help you manage these symptoms and, if needed, administer FDA-approved medications such as Naltrexone and keep you hydrated.
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Provide you with structure
Addiction steals stability from you, which rehab facilities can return to your life. Inpatient programs have a tightly designed schedule that keeps you occupied and offers you minimal time to be alone with negative thoughts. You get a proper sleep schedule, mealtime, access to exercise activities, and indulge in relaxing activities like tai chi.
When your body is on a routine, it calms you down, revives your emotional well-being, and lets you comprehend the impact addiction had on you. The structure also keeps you from relapsing as the desire to use again fades with time, making you cling to this newfound peace in early sobriety.
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Rebuild relationships
Your family and friends may have suffered heavily because of your substance abuse. You may have lashed out, neglected your loved ones, and deprived your family of what they needed. Once you wean off the drugs and alcohol, you will be able to confront the damage you last behind and acknowledge your shame. Rehab will provide you with the necessary tools to meet your family and converse at length with them. While this is not easy, it is essential for your health and well-being and your loved ones.
Rehabs have mediated family programs with a trained professional offering intervention when needed. You also learn accountability, expressing grief, and accepting the love your family still has for you. This can be an overwhelming experience, and the staff in rehab facilities will ensure you navigate through your emotions without feeling overpowered with the need to escape.
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Get to study addiction
There is much stigma around addicts and the concept of addiction. You may even share some of these stereotypes and assume the underlying cause of substance abuse is weakness. This will only cloud you with guilt, make you feel horrible, and stroke the flames of self-hatred within you. Rehab facilities aim to both treat and educate you.
The purpose is to inform you what the addiction cycle looks like and how it propagates. You may have started using it as a coping mechanism, may have had untreated mental health disorders, or may become addicted because of genetics. You will also see how sensory events like violent families contribute to substance abuse cases. Understanding addiction will also help you explore your triggers. You will have a better insight into what makes you tick and causes you to crave drugs. This will help you develop countermeasures and let these urges flow out of your body.
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Explore different therapy options
Rehabs have a slightly different outlook towards therapy. You’re not simply a client for them, but a resident of the community and will get treated as such. These facilities ensure you get the most out of attending therapy sessions with regular follow-ups and access to an inpatient counselor. The therapy options are as follows:
- Motivational Interviewing (MI). It’s not easy to commit to change, even if it benefits you. This is where motivational interviewing comes into play. A therapist will help you strengthen your resolve and help you tap into your courage to stay motivated to continue. The acronym RULE summarizes how a therapist will take care of you. RULE means resisting forcing the patient, understanding the motivations, listening empathetically, and empowering the patient. So, when you make a choice, you get to process why you want to continue, establish steps to remain dedicated, and examine why you felt stressed enough to quit.
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). By practicing DBT, you will get to regulate your emotions, minimize self-destructive behaviors and practice more healthy coping mechanisms. A therapist will walk you through four different skill sets following DBT. You will learn to tolerate and understand the distress, manage your emotion, become mindful of yourself, and act calmly. DBT helps you subside cravings and refuse opportunities that contribute to your relapse by using healthy coping mechanisms. Such as drinking water when you feel like having alcohol.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Through EMDR, a therapist will help you recover from traumatic experiences that make you want to return to old habits. This method uses a dual stimulation exercise in which you will discuss past trauma while engaging your brain through bilateral eye movements, tones, and taps. As a result, you get to process information, feelings, and emotions without getting overwhelmed and stressed. This helps you have difficult conversations without feeling the need to hide, lie or underestimate your problems.
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You feel less alone
Inpatient rehab facilities let you interact with other residents. When you share your space with others who are going through a similar infliction like yours, it makes you feel accepted. There is a silent understanding between addicts, from the language you use, your thoughts, and the experiences you witnessed from substance abuse.
While therapists are there to help, they cannot relate to your circumstances. Sometimes, the lack of connection makes you resistant to change. Therefore, going to rehab enables you to build a support system of your own and make friends who help you think about your life before sobriety.
Conclusion
Going to rehab is the best choice you will make for yourself. It is not safe to deal with your addiction alone. Therefore, let well-reputed rehab centers help you. These facilities have all the tools you need, from nursing staff to help you detox to therapists to configure the way you think. As a result of positive exposure, you will distance yourself from addiction, rebuild your relationship with your family, and develop healthy coping mechanisms. When you rebuild yourself again, it will help you enjoy life with a better and fresh perspective.
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