Drug Rehab

If someone is addicted to drugs or alcohol, there is very little that can be done about it unless the individual seeks professional help in a quality drug rehab program. Individuals who become caught up in substance abuse may not seek help in a drug rehab right away for a variety of reasons. Some will try and convince others, because they are truly convinced themselves, that they can "quit whenever they want to". Some substance abusers are under the illusion that they don't even have a problem to begin with, which is typically known as "denial". An example of this would be someone who drinks heavily after work on a regular basis, and can easily explain this away to themselves and others because this type of drinking is socially acceptable in our society today. Another example would be someone who is abusing pain pills, but has a legitimate prescription. This too can easily be explained away and the problem made to appear less severe, because a doctor has prescribed the powerful narcotic which has similar effects to heroin in high doses.

All of these things are just excuses, and evidence of the body and mind having control over the individual instead of the individual taking back control of their life. The control that drugs and alcohol can take over a person's body and mind is not something an individual can always take back readily, particularly on their own. Ask someone who has tried to kick a heroin, meth, cocaine or pain pill habit, or someone who is struggling with alcoholism. It isn't that they don't want to quit and have a better quality of life, and it is never just a matter of will power as most would assume or hope. Individuals with drug or alcohol dependence can have the best of intentions to quit for themselves and the ones they love, but if several important factors aren't in place to ensure this is possible, the vast majority of individuals will never be able to do so. In a drug rehab, the elements which can make the rehabilitation process successful are readily available so that individuals can take back the control that drugs and alcohol once had and improve their quality of life.

Let's say the individual in need of drug rehab will not accept this help, and just simply refuses to go to drug rehab for whatever reason. Maybe they are in denial, maybe they feel ashamed, or maybe they are scared. Whatever the case may be, if something isn't done to get them in drug rehab they will continue to lose their dignity, their health, and the respect and fellowship of their friends and loved ones who they are hurting in the process of their addiction. There is something that friends and loved ones can do to intervene, if the addicted individual wont budge and leave for treatment right away. There is a very powerful tool which has been used for many years to turn the tide and convince individuals who have otherwise been unconvinced to go to drug rehab, and it is called a drug intervention. So before anyone totally loses hope that anything can be done, after trying to help them get help, try a drug intervention first. It will very likely be the right solution to getting the individual started in drug rehab, rather than totally giving up.

A drug intervention is a very efficient and effective way to persuade an individual to go to drug rehab, because of the way the individual is approached as part of an intervention and how it is conducted. Just yelling at someone, crying at them or begging them to go to drug rehab is most often not going to work. Making someone who is addicted to drugs and alcohol feel guilty is rarely ever a successful method of persuasion either, and usually just drives the addicted individual to become even more self-destructive. The beauty of a drug intervention is that the process isn't aimed at placing guilt and blame, and it most definitely isn't a venue for friends or family to vent their anger or discontentment. All of these negative emotions and thoughts are put to the side, no matter how real they may be, so that the addicted individual can be helped. This is accomplished by gathering those who are closest to the person, and whose opinion will make the most difference as part of the intervention. Even if those assembled to be a part of the intervention harbor anger or other negative feelings, this can in no way be a part of the intervention process. All of that must be put to the side, and if anyone feels that they cannot put these negative feelings to the side and follow the intervention process exactly, the simply cannot be a part of the intervention.

Once the intervention participants have been selected and gathered, it is very wise to solicit the help of a professional interventionist to ensure the individual who will be the subject of the intervention actually makes it to drug rehab. An intervention is sometimes the last ditch effort to get someone into drug rehab, so if it fails it may be the individual's last chance to get help from loved ones and friends. Because interventions can be highly emotionally charged meetings, it is a good idea to have an unbiased party involved who can help put things back in track if they go awry. An interventionist can also put participants at ease about the whole process, by delineating exactly what must be done to prepare for the intervention and to simplify the process so that everyone involved can feel confident that the intervention will be a success. An interventionist can also ensure that the correct drug rehab program is chosen for each particular individual's circumstances, because interventionists work with all types of people from all different backgrounds and substance abuse histories.

The basic steps of the intervention process are to have each person communicate to the addicted individuals how their substance abuse has negatively impacted their life and the life of others. This is then followed up with how this can be turned around right away, with the help of treatment professionals at the drug rehab which has been chosen for them to participate in. The individual will typically be told that everything has been put in place for them to leave for rehab immediately, with no hesitation. Intervention participants should have taken care of any logistical issues prior to the final meeting so that this is in fact possible. This can seem scary and unthinkable at first for those who are heavily addicted to drugs or alcohol, but it can also be just the right amount of love and truth needed to push them over the edge to get help right away.

When someone decides to go to drug rehab, if they have decided to go on their own or after a successful drug intervention, many physiological, emotional and mental changes will begin to occur which may very well hit them like a ton of bricks. Some of these emotions and changes will be welcomed, and some will be hard to deal with. Some may even seem unbearable. This can be a very touch and go time that needs to be expertly guided so that the individual doesn't change their mind or relapse. This is a time when friends and family should never fall prey to any type of coercion or idea that there is any place better for the individual to be, because it is very common for individuals to try and back out of this decision when faced with withdrawal and the reality that drugs and alcohol will never be a part of their lives again. It has been described as "losing ones best friend". There is obviously no truth to this, but it can be overwhelming, which is why it is so crucial to be in drug rehab when recovering from addiction where constant support is available.

First and foremost when entering drug rehab, individuals will have very real physical obstacles to overcome because of drug withdrawal and as a result of their bodies detoxing from drugs and/or alcohol. It isn't uncommon for individuals who are detoxing from drugs and alcohol to feel ill, depressed and a number of other symptoms, all depending on drug history and the extent of a person's history of substance abuse. Someone who is going to be detoxing from methamphetamine for example will have a very different experience than someone detoxing from alcohol, although both circumstances can be challenging and difficult to overcome without help. Detox professionals at a drug rehab know how to handle each set of withdrawal symptoms, because they will have a grasp of the individual's substance abuse history and what steps to take to make detox as comfortable as possible. While it may seem like the end of the world to some individuals who are going through it, detox is a process which can be overcome in a matter of days with the help of detox professionals in a drug rehab.

Aside from a traditional detox, there are detox facilities which utilize medical drugs to help individuals through detox with minimal discomfort and in some cases with no withdrawal symptoms. Individuals should be aware of the fact that in many cases, the drugs used to accomplish this also cause dependence. Because of this, a continuum of care is often required to avoid withdrawal from these medical drugs. Unless completely medically necessary to avoid life threatening symptoms of withdrawal, as is sometimes the case with alcohol and a category or prescription drug known as benzodiazepines, there is no need to utilize medical drugs during routine detox procedures. Individuals withdrawing from most substances will fare just fine with traditional detox which can be uncomfortable and even painful, but can be overcome in a matter of days in most cases.

The biggest mistake treatment clients can make is to leave drug rehab once they have achieved abstinence, without actually treating the root of their addiction issues. The newfound confidence that individuals feel once they get through detox is a great thing, but may lead to disillusionment that they will be able to maintain this abstinence with no further treatment. Detox is not actual treatment, and this is what addicted individuals and their loved ones must understand if they really want to stay off of drugs and make a better life for themselves. Actual treatment involves many weeks of intensive therapy and the application of various other techniques which can bring real life issues to the surface, the same issues which will surely prompt further substance abuse in the future if not resolved. Acknowledging and resolving anything in ones life that is holding them back from being the person they want to be and being drug and alcohol free is what the next phase of rehabilitation is all about once detox is complete.

Drug rehab programs which provide a sufficient stay based on actual results are those which require an inpatient or residential stay for at least 90 days, but individuals should be prepared to remain in drug rehab longer than that if necessary. Drug treatment professionals will determine when a treatment client is ready to graduate based off of individual progress, so treatment length is going to vary from client to client. As an individual uncovers and deals with layer after layer of psychological and emotional issues in their lives which need to be handled in drug rehab, the chance of that person being able to remain off of drugs and alcohol once they leave drug rehab becomes more and more likely. Leave one stone unturned, and you can be setting someone up for a disastrous relapse. Another reason inpatient and residential drug rehab programs are a far more superior choice, as opposed to outpatient drug rehab, is because many of the issues which need to be resolved in drug rehab are purely environmental. Individuals in drug rehab will often need to make monumental changes in their lives to make sure they don't fall into the same traps and pitfalls as they did before coming to rehab. This could mean ditching certain companions who encourage and/or contributed to ones substance abuse.

In the end, individuals who are addicted to drugs and alcohol have nothing to lose by putting their faith and effort into an effective drug rehab program. In fact, there is so much to gain from making a honest effort to better one's quality of life and the lives of those around them. If you need help for substance abuse or know someone who does, speak with a drug rehab professional to get the information needed to get help today.