The decision to go into rehab or an Addiction Treatment Center isn’t an easy one to make, but often, it can be vital to get your life back on track. People from all walks of life fall prey to the stresses of life and sometimes turn to drugs or alcohol, instead of more positive coping mechanisms. It isn’t a failure or a reflection of the personalities of those afflicted. It’s merely an unfortunate truth of life. Getting help is the first step to getting better.
How different facilities choose to deliver that help can vary. Some clinics take a more holistic approach, where patients are encouraged to deal with the traumas that cause them to turn to substances, while others take a much more clinical approach. No matter which clinic you go to though, there are some commonalities. Here are the five steps in any addiction treatment:
Becoming Aware of the Problem
The first step in any successful addiction treatment is to acknowledge that there’s a problem present that’s causing strife in the personal life of the person suffering. Sometimes, the biggest blind spot is the self, and it isn’t until someone else points out all of the things happening to others that they’re able to realize and take responsibility for their actions. No action needs to be made at this stage necessarily. But then, the problem won’t get resolved if the addicted person can’t admit there’s one to fix in the first place. Recovery has to come from within.
Considering Their Next Steps
Once awareness has been fully cemented into the mind of people in the rehab clinic, they then now need to figure out what needs to be done for them to become healthy again. At this point, an addict should be fully aware that their actions have far-reaching consequences outside of their own lives, and start moving towards actionable steps.
Choosing to Recover
Now that there’s motivation to regain control over their life, the addicts must now educate themselves on the recovery process, and what options are available to them during their clinical stay. At this point, addicts have fully committed to their choice to stop using drugs or alcohol, and to work for a better life.
A New Beginning
During this point, addicts are at their most vulnerable. They have stopped using drugs for some time now and are still very early on in their recovery process. They are taking this time to work out newer and healthier coping mechanisms, so they won’t need to turn to drugs or alcohol to get them through stressful times.
Continued Sobriety
Some argue that getting sober is actually the easy part; the real challenge is in staying sober. This part is known as active recovery. It requires the formerly addicted to make sweeping changes to their lifestyle that might include cutting out friends that aren’t helpful to their recovery, as well as avoiding places like the bars they used to frequent. They should have the tools to actively police their thoughts and behaviors to stay in recovery for the rest of their lives.
Parting Words
The recovery process is extremely hard and is a lifelong process that continues even after someone is discharged from the clinic. Making sure to properly work the steps and adhere to their new way of living is essential to recovery. It’s okay if there are some slips and falls along the way. However, something has to be done, and motivation has to be strong throughout the entire process.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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