Substance abuse is one of the leading health issues in the United States. An estimated 107,500 people died from a drug overdose in 2023, and the number only increases year after year. It’s not primarily poor people’s problem anymore, all segments of the population are affected. So if you find yourself addicted, it’s essential to realize that you are not alone with your problem and ask for support or professional help if you need to.
This article will help you understand if you need treatment in alcohol or drugs rehab, what is rehab for, and where to find help.
How Do You Know if You Need Rehab?
Addiction is not just a bad habit. It is a long-term disease that affects the brain and causes a person to keep using drugs or alcohol despite negative outcomes. For some, the harmful effects of substance abuse become obvious in the short term, while for others, these effects may be less noticeable until the addiction has become severe. If you have at least some of the following symptoms, going to a rehab center could be the safest option.
- You have a high tolerance for the substance. Experiments with small doses of drugs and alcohol are common, and this is actually how most people start. However, if you start to use it more regularly, you will notice that you need a larger amount of substance to cause the same effect. This constant increase can lead to serious health problems, including long-term brain damage or even overdose.
- Substance use takes its toll on your brain and body. Together with obvious physical harm, you face constant mental problems: anxiety, depression, and apathy. Furthermore, you can’t be in a good mood without substance anymore.
- Your withdrawal symptoms make you want to use it again. It’s a sign that your body and brain can’t run normally without drugs or alcohol. In this case, the answer to the question “Do I need rehab?” will be “Yes.”
- Your performance is suffering. You have troubles at work or with education, skipping your workout routine, and a healthy lifestyle.
- Your important relationships are starting to be neglected. Constant conflicts with your friends and family have become a common reality. Or, even worse, they got tired of your harmful behavior and burned bridges.
- You are being dishonest about your use. If you are lying about your addiction, it’s a sign that subconsciously you already understand the scale of your problems.
- You’ve tried to stop on your own, but you can’t. It’s time to seek help. Research shows that treatment in a program is much more efficient than struggling to cope with addiction without support.
How to Stop Doing Drugs Without Rehab?
One fact that is crucial to understand is that overcoming severe addiction without a professional treatment program is possible but extremely dangerous. When a person stops using drugs or alcohol after a long period of abuse, he or she will experience extremely severe withdrawal symptoms that may jeopardize their health and even be fatal. The initial 48 hours to seven days after discontinuing drug use are typically the most challenging. During self-guided recovery, the risk of coming off is too high.
Some Withdrawal Symptoms for Common Addictive Substances:
| Substance | Withdrawal Symptoms |
|---|---|
| Alcohol | Tremors, seizures, sweating, rapid heart rate, handshakes, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, hallucinations, and insomnia |
| Opioids | Muscle aches, bone pain, tremors, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, chills, convulsions, hallucinations, and cravings |
| Cocaine | Depression, fatigue, increased appetite, vivid nightmares, slowed thinking, and insomnia |
It is much easier and safer for you to undergo the detox phase of your recovery under medical supervision at a treatment center. In a medical environment, healthcare professionals can monitor the stages of withdrawal and provide appropriate medication when necessary.
What Does Rehab Look Like?
A rehab or rehabilitation center is a medical facility where people can recover from serious addictions. Its goal is to return the patient to sober living.
Drug addiction treatment must be comprehensive, consistent, and long-term so that the drug addict needs not only physical but also social and emotional rehabilitation. Only under such conditions will a patient be able to return to a normal life.
Key Aspects of the Rehabilitation Process
Detoxication
The basis is what detox rehab offers. Drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs begin with this step. Stopping substance use provokes severe withdrawal symptoms. To help people overcome them, medical treatment and constant supervision are used.
Detoxification is a necessary step in a rehab program. With its help, the patient’s body returns to a normal state.
Treatment
Therapy and rehab programs include medical and psychological treatment. Depending on your level of addiction and physical condition, rehabs offer two main types of therapy programs:
- Inpatient treatment. It involves staying at a hospital or residential facility. Allowing for intensive, around-the-clock treatment and medical supervision.
- Outpatient program. Provides more flexible levels of care, ranging from partial hospitalization programs that meet for several hours most weekdays, to less frequent services like weekly therapy sessions. The specific type of outpatient treatment should match the patient’s needs at that stage of recovery.
Aftercare
Refers to the continuing support and treatment that is provided to patients after finishing an addiction treatment program. It can include participating in support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous and working with an addiction counselor or recovery coach on an ongoing basis. The goal of aftercare is to help manage addiction over the long term after intensive treatment has been completed.
Should I Go to a Rehab Nearby or Travel to Another Place?
Traveling to a distant place for addiction treatment could be tricky and overwhelming. First of all, you become far away from family and friends who could be very supportive in this crisis period. Furthermore, you can face insurance issues because finding a drug rehab outside your local area or state that is still in-network could be challenging. Arranging aftercare after finishing the basic rehabilitation course could also be complicated.
On the other hand, you can get a fresh start in a new place without old triggers that provoke use. Also, you can customize your treatment and find better accommodations.
So whether you travel or not to rehab depends on your personal goals and abilities.
Make the First Step in Your Substance Abuse Therapy Program
Alcohol or drug addiction is a disease that people are usually not able to overcome on their own. So it’s important to remember that you are not alone and can always ask for help. Making this decision could be challenging, but it will be your first step to sober living.
Find a methadone clinic near me or contact a treatment provider to get a comprehensive consultation.
