When you’re addicted to drugs nothing else matters except finding the next fix, the next high or the next pill. When you realize that you are addicted and you want to get well, chances are you are so unfamiliar with the steps of drug recovery that the entire process may be overwhelming and you may even choose not to try because you just don’t even know where to start. The steps to recovering from drug addiction begin with small day by day baby steps that work their way up to attaining goals meeting and exceeding expectations and ultimately finding the path to long term and lasting sobriety.
Drug recovery steps are different for each individual, each addiction and each recovery program but in general the steps to recovering from addiction begin with detox and end with long term follow up care. What happens in between can include counseling, therapy, inpatient or outpatient treatment or both, and many other actions. Below is a look at the typical breakdown of drug recovery steps for the recovering addict.
The First Step to Drug Recovery is Detox
The first step of any effective drug recovery process is drug detox. Drug detox is the process of helping an addict through the withdrawal phase that comes as a result of the abrupt quitting of the use of drugs. Drug detox can often be dangerous, uncomfortable and even deadly but drug detox centers and treatment centers are able to provide patients with the support, medical monitoring and supervision that is necessary to assure a safe and effective drug detoxification process from start to finish.
Most importantly, do not think that once you have completed drug detox you have thus completed drug recovery. Drug recovery has many steps and drug detox is just the very beginning. Once you have completed drug detox you can begin long term treatment in an inpatient drug rehab center.
Inpatient and Outpatient Drug Treatment
Various types of treatment are offered but the most common types of drug treatment to follow detox include inpatient treatment and outpatient treatment. Inpatient drug treatment is provided to addicts in a residential facility where they will live and work for the duration of the treatment program. Outpatient drug treatment provides many of the same services as an inpatient program but they do not provide housing during the treatment process. Depending on the level of addiction you suffer from, your drug recovery may step from drug detox to inpatient treatment and then to outpatient treatment or you may pass inpatient treatment altogether and move on to outpatient treatment immediately after drug detox.
Follow Up Care
Once you have completed an inpatient or outpatient rehab program and have made progress towards your recovery from addiction you will likely continue to require long term follow up care. Most rehab centers and drug treatment centers provide aftercare or follow up care and there are also many other aftercare programs and support methods to help you maintain lasting sobriety. Some of the most common support groups that many individuals choose to use for long term care include Alcoholic’s Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Additional aftercare programs may be provided at the outpatient treatment center or through various community offerings.
Opiate addiction affects more than 1 million Americans and this number is steadily on the rise. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the reason for such an alarming number of people becoming addiction to opiates is likely a result of the high number of Americans who are being prescribed (and subsequently becoming addicted)….
If you or a loved one is addicted to drugs or alcohol then you already know how difficult it is to quit. Unfortunately, some people need more than just one reason to seek help before they actually make the call and the commitment to getting sober. If you’re one of those people who needs a….
A therapeutic community (TC) is a type of treatment program that many residential rehab centers use to help recovering addicts learn better behaviors associated with drug use, socialization and combatting negative perceptions and attitudes held by those individuals. This type of treatment program can be confrontational and is usually very structured, but it is often….
Every treatment center is different but in most cases they all have many similarities. Your treatment will vary according to your own individual needs and the type of addiction that you suffer from but otherwise knowing what to expect at a treatment center is pretty standard. Here’s a look at what you can expect when….
As one of the most commonly experienced mental health problems, depression can affect people of all ages and backgrounds diminishing one’s quality of life in distinctive ways. Depression can vary in severity and duration with some conditions taking so severe a toll on a person’s well-being as to bring on full-blown disability. Signs of depression….
Opiate medications have swept the nation and taken many members of local communities down into the dumps of addiction. Many of those who become addicted to opiates such as prescription drugs or heroin structure their entire lives around the drugs and no longer have stability outside of their drug use. Most cut off ties with….
Various types of therapy are provided by rehab centers for the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. The most common types of therapy include individual therapy, fitness therapy, group therapy and various specialty therapy sessions such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Some therapy sessions will also include the ability for family members to participate with the….
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, it is always good to have a support network while you go through withdrawal. Although every individual is different, there are some common reasons why you do not want to go through withdrawal alone. 1. Everything is Harder on Your Own Although it might not always seem….
Methamphetamine abuse quickly leads to addiction, and once an individual becomes addicted to the drug, it is nearly impossible for them to stop abusing it on their own. While there are many rehab centers and treatment types that can be used to help a person recover from methamphetamine addiction, it is not an easy process…..
DisabilityVoice and Rehab Centers are poised to provide opportunities for people with all types of disabilities to get the word out about their disability, promote public awareness and change the public perception of various disabilities. Rehab Centers is an online community resource that provides access to a rehabilitation service provider directory, various rehab information, and….
Calls to numbers on a specific treatment center listing will be routed to that treatment center. Calls to any general helpline (non-facility specific 1-8XX numbers) will be answered or returned by one of the treatment providers listed below, each of which is a paid advertiser:
ARK Behavioral Health
By calling the helpline you agree to the terms of use. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. There is no obligation to enter treatment.
