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Understanding Drug Rehab And Its Benefits

Posted On: Nov 26, 2018Posted In:
Rehabilitation Center,
Posted By: tyler

Drug rehab is fundamental for anyone with a substance dependency problem. The journey to sobriety is not a one day event but a series of processes and comprehensive professional interventions to help overcome addiction and bring your life back on track. Understanding drug rehab is the key to living a drug/alcohol-free life you’ve been longing for.

What Is Drug Rehab?

Drug rehabilitation is the process that incorporates medical treatment for substance dependency. For anyone to overcome a nasty addiction from prescription drugs, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, heroin or other drugs/alcohol, finding a professional way to confront addiction is the way to go.

Drug/alcohol addiction can cause a lot of negative physical, psychological, social, financial and legal impacts to anyone. Drug /alcohol cessation is difficult and an addict needs help to overcome drug dependency. Addiction treatment is an intense treatment marked by a series of dangerous withdrawal symptoms, thus the need for professional supervision.

Who’s In For Drug Rehab?

Anyone who is struggling with any kind of drug/alcohol addiction needs drug rehab to help bring his/her life back on track. If you find it difficult to control the amount of alcohol you drink or amount of drug you take, or if you struggle with crazy cravings any moment you fail to take the drugs/alcohol, then you should know that you have become an addict.

There are many reasons why people use drugs. Some do it for fun or just because friends are doing it. Others do it to improve their athletics performance. Curiosity is also another reason why people use drugs. Some individuals also use drugs/alcohol to overcome a certain problem like stress, depression or anxiety.

All the same, drug/alcohol use does not automatically progress to drug abuse or addiction. The amount of drugs/alcohol consumed or the frequency of use does not matter. What everyone must look at is whether the drug/alcohol is causing problems in his/her life. If you find out that your drinking or alcohol use is causing problems with your job, family, relationships or school, then, you need to know that you have a drug abuse problem or that you are suffering from an addiction. Therefore, understanding addiction will help you know when to find help and why.

Addiction is a complex mental and physical disease that can affect anyone using drugs or alcohol. What many people think about addiction is that quitting only requires willpower. This is not always the case. Willpower alone cannot help anyone suffering from a severe addiction. Addicts need help to overcome drugs dependence in a safe, fast and healthy way.

Is Drug Abuse Worrying You?

If you are having a friend or family member who’s badly affected by drugs, the condition might be worrying you and you may be wondering about what you can do about it. All you need to know is that help is available. Call a doctor now and discuss the addiction problem to find help from professionals.

Did You Know That Addiction Is A Family Disease?

When one member of the family whether a spouse or child is in addiction, the effects of drugs dependency affect the entire family. When an individual is addicted to substance use, a lot of things start happening in his life.

Addiction affects an individual’s personal appearance since drugs takes the first priority and doesn’t have time for grooming and healthy feeding. In order to quench the strong cravings, an individual spends a lot of money on drugs/alcohol. This affects a family’s financial stability. In most cases, you’ll find that children fail to receive quality education, healthy feeding, proper housing or clothing because the parent(s) spend all money on drugs.

In case of a child’s addiction to drugs, the situation troubles the parents and other siblings in a great way. Substance dependency affects brain development in children and this might hinder a child’s future progresses. Substance dependency hinders a child from achieving the academic goals and this child might not make it to become the person he was meant to be.

Children brought up in families with a history of drugs or alcohol are likely to engage in drinking habits at a very tender age. The environment in which a child is brought up in also determines a child’s behaviors and many teenagers get into drugs/alcohol and irresponsible sexual behaviors due to what’s happening in the surrounding environs.

When an individual is addicted to substance use, he/she loses control over his life and self-control gets out of topic. The consequences are unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, accidents, destruction, fights and violence may result. The person might face heavy legal actions and fines as a result and all these affect the family.

A spouse who is addicted to drugs/alcohol may cause may cause trouble to his/her relationships with the other spouse. Misunderstandings, quarrels, fights and family break-ups are some of the consequences of addiction in a family. When a spouse fails to fulfill family responsibilities due to drugs, family ties are weakened.

What To Do To Overcome Addiction

Confronting addiction from a point of understanding is very significant. Learning about the nature of drugs and addiction, how it starts, what it looks like and effects of addiction gives you the understanding on how to deal with it and achieve long-term goals.

The journey to sobriety is not easy. It is easy to enter into addiction but getting out of it can be a real hustle. Willpower alone is not enough to get you out of that nasty addiction. you need to understand drug rehab and learn how you can find your way to freedom.

The key to overcoming addiction is to first understand that you are in a real mess and you need to find a way out of the problem. Do not fear talking about your substance dependency problem. Speak out and find help.

Many people suffer from addiction in silence because they fear talking about it. The more an individual stays in addiction the more difficult it becomes to recover. So, find help immediately you know that you are in an addiction to avoid suffering from severe alcoholism or drug abuse.

It Is Never Too Late! Find Help Now

Whether you have been in that nasty addiction for years or months, you can still find help. The only difference is that the longer you stay in that addiction, the more complicated the recovery process is going to be. If you have a friend or loved one struggling with addiction, help him find professional help before the addiction becomes severe.

How Do You Know That You Are Suffering From An Addiction?

If there is one thing that has made many people suffer a lot from addiction, it is denial. This happens when one knows very well that he is having a drinking or drugs abuse problem and denies the fact that he is in a real mess and that he needs to find help.

If you find that it is becoming difficult to control the frequency or amount of drugs or alcohol you take and experience strong cravings when you fail to take the drugs/alcohol, you need to know that you are in an addiction. Addiction makes you put drugs/alcohol on top of your priorities and makes you neglect other important issues like job, family, school or relationships.

It is a bit tricky to know when your teenage child is suffering from an addiction because the child will do the best to make sure that you do not realize his/her addiction behaviors. That’s why every parent should learn about drug/alcohol addiction in children so as to help them know how to detect addiction in children before it progresses to uncontrollable levels.

A child suffering from substance abuse stays in isolation from close members of the family and you learn that he has lost interest in things that he used to get a lot of pleasure in. you’ll find that a very playful child now wants to stay cool and has lost interest in school and family activities.

The child loses control over his emotions, becomes moody and short tempered and can easily fight or cause drama at school or home. You may notice redness of the face or eyes. The child may start stealing and selling family properties to get money to buy another dose and he may become restless and suffer from sleeping disorders.

What everyone needs to know about addiction is that addiction is a disease like any other. You need to understand that the individual is sick and that he needs you to help him recover. We should avoid judging them and instead we need to find immediate help for them.

Drug Cessation Isn’t As Easy As Many People Think

Some people think that addiction recovery is simple and that it only requires willpower then change of behavior. Drug cessation is complex and it is a difficult process coupled with several dangerous withdrawal symptoms. You don’t have to go through recovery treatment alone.

What was once a fun puff puts your life into a real mess and getting out of the addiction is not easy. Majority of individuals who decide to confront addiction alone end up in a relapse. Relapse is dangerous and must be avoided at all cost.

What Is A Relapse?

Relapse is going back to drugs/alcohol after a period of abstinence. Due to the dangerous withdrawal symptoms and strong urges and cravings for substance during withdrawal, an individual opts to take one more dose to find a quick relief then continue with treatment. Learning how to prevent a relapse is very important before you start recovery treatment. Due to the inability to resist the intense compulsions to take drugs, withdrawal without professional intervention can easily lead to a relapse.

If you find yourself not concerned with personal care and you are no longer active in the support groups, know that chances for a relapse are very high. If you feel like you don’t have a problem taking a single dose without anyone knowing and you no longer value doctor’s appointment, you should know that these are signs of a relapse and you need help.

Don’t Be Quiet – Talk About It!

Know that relapse is very deadly. The effects of a relapse are worse compared to when you were in the previous addiction. If you notice any sign of a relapse, talk about it. Don’t give up along the way simply because a relapse occurred, take it as part of your recovery lessons and learn from it. At least it helps you know what to avoid so that another relapse don’t occur again. Before sobriety is achieved, relapses may occur many times but only the strong-willed individuals make it to a successful recovery.

What Is The Role Of The Family In Drug Rehab?

Now that you know that addiction is a family disease, I know you must be eager to know the role of the family in drug rehab. During the days of active addiction, an individual loses trust with friends and relationships are badly affected. The society may reject and show no love or respect to the addict and only the family can stick to him/her at all times.

When a family learns that a member is addicted to substance use, they should avoid being judgemental but rather understand that the person is sick and he needs help. Show him that you understand that his life is in a real mess but you still care and love him. Help him know that he needs to find help and give him the assurance of a successful recovery.

The family should help the addict find help at the local rehab center and be willing and ready to offer every financial support needed. Understanding that sobriety is not achieved in a day is very important since it helps family to stay calm and patient during the entire recovery process.

When you take the patient to the drug rehab center, the doctor needs critical information from you to analyze the addiction history to determine the rehab program to put the patient into. In case of a severe addiction, the patient may be put into an inpatient rehab. At this point, the family must be willing to help the addict carry out family responsibilities like childcare for the duration he/she will be receiving treatment at the rehab center.

It is the responsibility of the family to create an ample atmosphere for recovery. Remove all the alcohol and empty alcohol bottles at home as well as drugs and drug pills left at home. Remove anything that might trigger the urge for alcohol /drugs to help the patient recover fast.

In case of a relapse, the family should avoid getting mad at the patient but instead, you should know that this is not the end but part of the recovery process. Help the patient continue with recovery and offer every support needed to achieve long-term recovery goals. relapse does not signify treatment failure but an indicator that treatment need to be reinstated or that an alternative treatment should be given to help the patient regain control and recuperate.

Effects Of Drugs – Why You Need Help

Drugs contain chemical substances that affect the normal functioning of your brains. These chemicals interfere with the brain’s communication system thus disrupting the normal process of how your brains receives, processes and sends information. Drugs either imitate your brain’s natural chemicals or overstimulate the brain’s reward circuit. After using marijuana, heroin, or other drugs for a long time, your brain’s neurotransmitters are affected and drugs fool your brain receptors to send abnormal messages.

Drugs such as cocaine prevents the normal recycling of brain chemicals by producing abnormally large amounts of neurotransmitters that are normally produced by the brains. The normal communication process of the brain is disrupted.

What most drugs do is that they directly or indirectly disrupts the brains neurotransmitters that control emotions, movement and emotions as well as feelings of pleasure. The over stimulation caused to the brains’ systems that affects a individual’s natural human survival behaviors like eating and social life.

With time, the euphoric effects produced affect the individual’s response to drugs/alcohol, thus setting in a pattern that makes an individual repeat the behavior of using drugs. As a result, an individual becomes addicted to substance abuse.

If this pattern continues, the human brains gets adapted to producing less dopamine and for one to keep the dopamine receptors or functioning back to normal, the urge to take more drugs becomes uncontrollable.

According to research, long-term drug abuse causes changes to the brains circuits and system to critical areas responsible for memory, judgement and learning as well as decision making and behavior control. The strong drive to use drugs/alcohol becomes uncontrollable.

What Determines The Severity Of Addiction Between Different Individuals?

I know that you might be wondering why some people become addicted while others are not. Or you might not be comprehend why you are different from your friends when it comes to the use of drugs/alcohol.

There are various factors that influence the risks of addiction between different individuals. No one can predict whether an individual can become addicted to drugs or not. A combination of factors like age, gender, genetics, family history, social background, health status or whether an individual is taking a combination of drugs dictates the severity of addiction. An individual with many risk factors is more likely to become addicted to drugs.

Why You Need To Quit Drugs

Apart from the negative effects on brain’s system and circuits, addiction can cause a number of physical problems. Severe addiction can cause liver, kidney and heart problems. There are a number of cancers linked to drugs/alcohol use. Substance dependency on pregnant women can cause harm to the developing fetus. An addict does not have time to eat healthy foods and therefore a lot of health problems can occur.

If you find yourself struggling with a nasty addiction and you don’t know what to do, ask for help. Decide to quit drugs immediately you realize that you have a drinking or drug abuse problem. Avoid taking chances lest the conditions gets out of hand. The best time to find help is now.

Do Want To Start Your Journey To Recovery Today?

If you are fed up with that disgusting addiction and you feel that you want quit drugs today, you’ve made the right decision. However, for you to achieve long-term sobriety, you need to understand the withdrawal process so as to be mentally and physically aware of what to expect.

Drug rehab is a combination of medical steps and procedures meant to help an individual recover completely from substance dependency. The three stages of recovery are detoxification, rehabilitation and maintenance.

Detoxification

This is the initial stage of recovery. It involves flushing out all the chemical and drug substances in the body system. The stage is marked by dangerous withdrawal symptoms like nausea /vomiting, diarrhoea, dizziness, anxiety, stress, depression, changes of moods, uncontrollable sweating, high blood pressure, increased heart rate, severe cravings, headache, muscle pains, hallucinations, seizures and suicidal feeling among others.

If proper medical attention is not given at this level, the effects of withdrawal can cause severe health complications or even death. The withdrawal symptoms are very severe during the first 72 hours .That is the key reason why understanding drug rehab is very crucial. Don’t take chances, seek help from professionals before you start any recovery program.

Rehabilitation and maintenance are the stages that follow to help an addict gain stability and achieve sobriety. The duration an individual takes to completely recover from an addiction depends of his/her willpower, discipline, determination and patience with the right support.

Do You Still Struggle With Drugs Despite The Negative Effects Causes?

If you are still struggling with an addiction despite the negative effects it causes and you need help, call your local rehab center now. Help is available to any individual who want to quit drugs.

It doesn’t matter the severity of the addiction, anyone can find help with drugs cessation. The only thing to avoid is going about it alone without seeking help from professionals. Drug cessation can be a bit expensive depending on its severity but the results are worth it.

Need Help With Addiction?

If you or a loved one is suffering from drugs/alcohol addiction, speak up and find your way out of the addiction. Don’t wait until it is too late, talk to a doctor now and discuss your addiction problem and begin your journey to enjoying a drugs-free life then live your life to the fullest.

Filed Under: Rehabilitation Center Tagged With: alcohol and drug detox center, alcohol detox, alcohol detoxification, drug detox, drug detoxification, lighthouse treatment, orange county rehab center, rehab center OC, rehab center orange county, substance abuse

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Drug Addiction Issues: Family And Addiction

Posted On: Nov 20, 2018Posted In:
Drug Detox, Rehabilitation Center,
Posted By: tyler

As the basic unit of a society or community, family plays a significant role in the lives of all people in the world. The bond that your family members build from birth mold you into an individual that is unique from any other. If well built, this bondage becomes quite strong and handles various issues including pressures of life. However, if it is weak, the family members begin to face problems that are tricky to settle.

The recent times are nothing like the past. In the previous centuries, most families were complete starting with the nuclear part and extending to the extended structure that comprises of the in-laws, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles.

Currently, the family structure seems to have taken a whole other different meaning due to disruption from abandonment, incarceration, and death and drug addiction. It has ended up in types such as single parent, nuclear, step, foster and multigenerational families.

Drug Addiction

The dependency on any psychoactive drugs takes place almost every day in multiple parts of the world. It is impossible to realize this fact if you hardly abuse drugs and are busy with work and other responsibilities. However, it is a sad truth that you can witness, if you look closer at your streets and hospitals.

If not a reported death due to an overdose, then it is some dirty, paranoid and confused persons hovering around a corner waiting to buy drugs from their dealer or even begging passersby for money. Note that not all people looking like this are into drug addiction; some are just homeless, hungry and in need of a home.

Unfortunately, some of these drug addicts are family members to people that care about them but hardly know how to help them. They are so dependent on drugs that functioning without them is impossible and causes serious and unbearable withdrawal symptoms. If you are a drug addict it is time you realize the sort of damage that you are doing upon your family.

It is likely that you continuously do harmful things to your family members, all in the effort of acquiring drugs. These may involve stealing their valuables and money, and also getting violent whenever they are not able to provide for you.

If you are an important family pillar such as a bread winner, neglecting your duties is common, which hurts your loved ones since they are completely dependent on you. These issues cause the breakdown of the family bond due to the frustrations and psychological damage upon family members.

Family Member’s Addiction

Since addiction is as a result of multiple uncontrollable ad controllable factors, it is quite unfair to blame you entirely for landing in the menace. This conclusion means that anybody in the family structures mentioned earlier can as well fall victim.

Unfortunately, there are consequences due to this fall. For instance, if you are part of the nuclear family, the rest of the extended family may choose to stay away from all of you, simply because you seem like a rotten mango that will damage all the rest.

What’s worse is the effect that your addiction will have on your children. Due to the intergenerational issues that are likely to occur, your children will either follow your foot steps by indulging in drugs as well, especially to escape the pain you caused them , or they will hate anything to do with drugs with so much passion.

The negative side of these occurrences is that they could affect the growth of your grandchildren. With the former, your children will behave just like you and continue the cycle of hurting others, which in this case include your grandchildren. On the other hand, the latter will result to excessive strictness due to paranoia, thus cause psychological issues upon these kids.

Addict’s Family Characteristics

If your family is not the cause of your drug addiction, then it highly likely that you could cause one or more of your family members to fall in the same pit, just as explained above. The following are some of the factors that could cause this occurrence:

  • Parental inconsistency

As a parent that is addicted to drugs, your decision and your spouse’s will result in some inconsistent behaviors that could confuse your children when differentiating between right and wrong. The family structure will seem inadequate due to erratic rule setting and inconsistent enforcement.

Since your kids do not know the limits they will do anything just to test your response and thus get your attention. Among the activities they may indulge is drug abuse, to see if it will hurt you like you hurt them.

  • Negativism

Drug addiction always causes some type of negative energy in the family. So your family members could end up indulging more into the negatives than positives since they hardly know happiness. Complains, criticism and displeasure expressions increase while appreciations decrease.

  • Self medication

Instead of being a good example to you family members, your behaviors especially under the influence of drugs will cause your home to become toxic. This will cause your loved ones to develop issues like anxiety, depression and intolerable thoughts and feelings.

When it gets too much to bear, they may opt to conduct self medication, which involves consuming psychoactive substances like drugs and alcohol. If change does not take place, addiction will kick in quite fast.

  • Parental denial

A combination of negativism, parental inconsistency and self medication eventually leads to parental denial. This is the point whereby your children are so into drugs that they change their behaviors from good to bad to worse. They may start being rude, arriving late to school or even missing classes, and begin dropping in performance.

However, you will not notice since you are busy on the other side as a drug addict. So you will hardly believe your children’s’ teachers even when they bring reliable evidence. In fact, you are likely to pretend that you have the most perfect family.

  • Unrealistic parental expectations

Despite being a drug addict, it is possible that you once had dreams that your children should prosper in life and acquire more success than you. That dream is still in your subconscious mind and will often pop up whenever you are under the influence of a drug.

Unfortunately, you will present this vision in a negative way and instead of inspiring your subjects, you will push them to limits that they cannot handle. This may include forcing them into careers that they do not want or giving them unrealistic targets. All these will lead them into drugs for comfort.

  • Miscarried anger expression

Your children will always be angry with you for your actions while under the influence of drugs and actually for being an addict. If they are not able to express this anger in the proper way, they will end up expressing it in the wrong way, which is through indulging in drugs while searching for calmness.

All these factors could lead to a never ending spiral of drug addiction if you do not get rehabilitation and focus on being a better parent. Imagine being an addict and having children that are also falling into addiction? What becomes of such a family?

 Family Trauma Due To Addiction

Trauma is something that takes control of a person’s mind to the point of having symptoms that seem to rewind the occurrence of the bad or traumatic experiences. As an addict, you are likely to cause trauma upon your family members since you have lesser control over your senses and cognition. This does not only apply to your children, but also to your significant other.

Trauma due to addiction comes from your behavior while under the influence of drugs. Are you rude? Do you use offensive words? Do you emotionally abuse your family even for the slightest mistakes? Are you violent? Do you threaten to harm or kill them?

If you repeatedly indulge in all or some of the above, then you are likely to cause psychological effects upon your family, which will lead to trauma. Due to these traumatic experiences, your family members are likely to develop certain characteristics that will indicate that there is a serious problem

The following are some of the characteristics of a traumatized family:

  • Depression

As mentioned above, your family members may have anger, sadness or rage towards you for the way you treat them. If these emotions are blocked or unexpressed, they grow inward thus forming a flat internal world. This internal pain has no resolution, unless external help comes by such as therapy.

  • Anxiety

With frequent traumatizing experiences, your family develops worries since they hardly know what you will do next, especially if a mistake occurs. These anxieties may project in the form of sleep disturbances and phobias.

  • Loss of faith and trust

As you continually abuse your family, physically or emotionally, you turn their orderly world into tiny pieces consisting of ruptured dependency relationships. Therefore, they hardly have faith in anything and also distrust everyone around them.

  • Traumatic bonding

Despite that your family will lose trust, they will tend to be more comfortable in relationships that have power imbalance since their mindset has already tuned in to such a lifestyle. Therefore, they are likely to enter into unhealthy bonding styles with other people in their lives.

  • Relationship issues

Not all people in your family’s lives will bring about traumatic bonding. Some will come with good intentions like making their lives better by helping them realize their potential in life. However, problems will arise due to mistrust, under or over engagement, extremely cold and hot emotions and withdrawal.

  • Desire to self-medicate

At times, the thoughts running through their minds will be too much to bear, and they may desire some calmness. Due to the relaxation and euphoric feelings caused by drugs like alcohol and cocaine, they may feel tempted to indulge to numb their pain, just for a few seconds or hours.

  • Survival guilt

Experiencing and witnessing abuse may make some of your family members to run away in search of a better environment where they can be at peace. However, the trauma will still kick in and they may begin having survival guilt. This occurs because they managed to survive whatever came from you, but still left others under the unhealthy family system.

  • Hyper-reactive

They way you abuse your family members stays vivid in their minds, especially if it occurs repeatedly. While in other environments away from you, they will be hyper-reactive due to stimuli reminiscent of trauma. They will be sensitive to loud noises especially if you yell at them, gunfire if you are used to banging things in their presence and acting out.

The above are few among the many signs indicating that your family is traumatized. The worst part is they hardly realize they have these issues until somebody else realizes the difference between normal and traumatized behavior.

 Other Addiction Effects on Family

Since addiction resembles a disease, trauma is just one among the multiple effects that your addiction will cause on your family. You are likely to cause tension and miscommunication that will often cause arguments.

As negativity increases the stress levels will also become high. You will also cause emotional pain, anxiety and mistrust due to the unpredictability of your behavior even when sober. Other emotions may include blame, resentment, fear, hate and anger.

As you continue indulging in drugs, your family’s foundation will crumble due to erratic and abnormal behaviors, job instability and late nights. All these issues will arise due to your unfocused, forgetful and distracted mind.

Other addiction effects upon your family include:

  • Isolation

The society and other extended family members are quite observant when things go sour in a certain family. Due to your addiction, your family may suffer from isolation since other people see the damage you cause upon your family members and thus wish to safe.

This may also mean exclusion from family or social events since people do not want you to join in and come while under the influence of drugs. They tend to think that you must cause chaos.

  • Financial instability

Poor performance at work is likely to cost you your job. Furthermore, what will be left to spend if you value your drugs more than catering for your family’s needs, which include food, school fees and clothing?

  • Adult children struggles

It is obvious that your children may not abandon you despite the depth of your addiction. Due to parental respect, they will not afford to see you sleeping hungry and thus will offer to provide for you. However, your addiction may tempt you to take advantage of this generosity. You may end up stealing their valuables, as well as their funds when a chance arises.

Since they most likely have other responsibilities, you will be adding more struggles to their current ones, which is not fair.

Repairing Family Bonds

If a time comes that you desire to change, you will have a lot on your plate. First you will need to get clean through rehabilitation and then focus on mending those broken bonds in your family. Rehabilitation is all about detoxifying your body, facing your psychological issues while treating any co-occurring mental and physical health challenges and participating in various therapies in order to reach full recovery.

This process is not easy since you will have to undergo much pain both physically and psychologically. However, the toughest part will be during the repairing of those family bonds that you broke with much vigor.

From all the above information, it is likely that you will have caused too much pain to forgive in a day. A family member with trauma will have suffered for a long period and thus very angry to even look at you. Others might not even want to acknowledge your existence and here you are desperate to have them back in your life.

So where do you start and how do you endure rejection without relapsing?

Family Therapy

The only way to get your family back is through family therapy. This is a combination of therapy sessions whereby you and your family are supposed to talk to a therapist on matters related to your addiction. If your family drove you into drugs, this is the best moment to let them know.

Since they may not fully understand, the therapist is there help them see their faults clearly, since you need to heal. On the other hand, they as well talk about the pain you put them through as an addict. One session of family therapy is not enough.

Therefore, as they proceed to take place, the therapist ensures that both sides work towards forgiving each other. If one part is resistant, mostly family members, your therapist will offer encouragement since forgiveness is not a one day affair. He or she may also offer some tips on how to survive rejection.

They include the following:

  • Have realistic expectations, despite having the enthusiasm to regain your family. You may have recovered from your drug addiction, but your family is yet to heal from the pain you caused. So if they are still angry, apologize endlessly and hope to earn some forgiveness.
  • Reach out to them because they can hardly afford to run after you after all that went down while under addiction. Since you want to make a things right, look for them so that they can attend family therapy with you. If they do not respond continue to reach out; they might eventually give in.
  • Focus on rebuilding trust since it is among the most important things that got lost. This is no easy task since once trust s broken it takes a very long while to regain. However, through consistency, you can make your family again. You must avoid anything that could ruin this process. Otherwise you will lose it all for good.
  • Incorporate healthy communication methods, especially since it broke down before. If you feel angry for some reason do not shout like you used to, since you will trigger their memories and trusting you will now go back to zero. If you make a promise, ensure to keep it. If not make a notification early enough to avoid disappointments.
  • Be honest because your loved ones need to know how sincere you are in recovering the love back. This help a lot in gaining their trust as well since it will allow vulnerability. As an honest person, consider their feelings too since they matter.
  • Eliminate unhealthy bonds such as those between you and other drug dealers. Your family needs to feel secure that you will not go back to your old ways. Keeping in touch with people that propelled your addiction will raise question marks about you changing for good and may cause anxiety.
  • Have patience since doubts will be present here and there, especially with people that did not attend the family therapy. As time goes by, they will see that you have truly changed ad embrace you.

Benefits Of Family Therapy

Family therapy determines the way forward as a family, and thus has numerous benefits. They include the following:

  • It keeps you engaged and motivated to proceed with treatment
  • It gives your family the opportunity to understand your addicting deeper while voicing their feelings
  • It eases addiction related feelings like fear, confusion, stress and anger, among others.
  • It improves the skills of communication between you and your family
  • It helps address addiction mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

In conclusion, the family is the most affected unit whenever a member begins getting addicted to drugs. Addiction causes pain in so many dimensions such that you may end up losing people permanently, or causing permanent damage.

Therefore, regardless of your issues, think twice before going into drugs. Seek help as you consider your family, instead of waiting to cause damage. Be selfless enough to love you family more and focus less on escaping your issues.

Filed Under: Drug Detox, Rehabilitation Center Tagged With: alcohol and drug detox center, alcohol detox, alcohol detoxification, drug abuse, drug addiction, drug addiction treatment, drug detox, drug detoxification, lighthouse treatment, orange county detox, orange county rehab center, rehab center, rehab center OC, rehab center orange county, rehabilitation center, rehabilitation treatment center, substance abuse

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Drug Detox and Withdrawal Symptoms

Posted On: Nov 16, 2018Posted In:
Drug Detox,
Posted By: tyler

Eliminating existing substances or alcohol from the system is an initial and a very important step to start recovery from addiction. Drugs contain chemicals that remain in the bloodstream even for weeks after consumption. Detox or detoxification is the process of getting rid of the drugs from the body.  It can be done in various settings; outpatient clinic, inpatient clinic or at home. However, it is usually very effective in a residential medical facility.

During detox, the urge to consume the drug decreases, and thus chances of relapse are significantly reduced.  Drugs damage almost every part of the body and by removing the ones left behind, you prevent any further damage. It assists the addict to regain their ability to think well and make the right decisions again.  Length of the detoxification plan varies among st individuals and depends on the drug one is addicted to, how long they have been addicted, and many other factors.

The process can be dangerous and painful.  Hence it is advisable to consult a doctor before you quit any substance. The withdrawal symptoms can to lead to death. Medics help in managing them by prescribing drugs that mimic the effects of the drugs. Also, therapies are offered to help the patient relax.

Process of Detox

Every patient has got different needs that should be addressed during the process for effective recovery. The process is personalized and basically involves the following three steps;

  1. Evaluation

This is the first step.  The medical team evaluates all the physical and mental health conditions that the patient could be having. Screening of the blood is conducted to measure the amount of the substances in the patient’s bloodstream.  The tests assist in determining the medications to be administered.  Also, the physician conducts medical and psychiatric histories to help in devising a long term plan for addiction recovery.

  1. Stabilization

This is done to prevent harm to the patient during the treatment plan. Medicines and therapies are given to stabilize the person. Also, they help in preventing complications and manage the withdrawal symptoms.

  1. Preparation to start treatment

It is the final step of detoxification.  It prepares the patient to start a treatment plan. The medic team familiarizes the person with the entire treatment process. Everything that one needs to know, starting from medicines, therapies and the side effects that they should expect.  Also, they tell you what they expect from you for an effective plan.

First Stage of Detox

The first days of detoxification are the toughest.  They can be very intense for many people.  However, if the process is medically supervised, specialists and psychiatric staff will be there to provide the support and motivation that you require.  For instance, for heroin addicts, after the last dosage of the drug, one may experience anxiety, muscle pain, sweating, insomnia, and runny nose.

Though the symptoms are not deadly, they can be very uncomfortable and one can be tempted to take the drug again.  Various issues come up as you continue with the detox and they are addressed immediately they occur.  The issues are dealt with according to the urgency, one by one until the patient stabilizes fully.  The following are some of the issues that occur;

  • Violence

Some drugs like synthetic cathinones increase violent behaviors in people who use them.  The user is most likely to hurt themselves or people around them.  Patients who pose dangers to others may require sedation to protect them and the medical team or are isolated. This only done if his/her physical behavior is uncontrollable and they have attempted to harm the staff.

  • Injury

Some addicted people hurt themselves while under the influence of the substance.  Others, due to their violent behavior they are physically hurt or sexually abused before they enter the detox plan.  For an instance, phencyclidine is a strong dissociative substance which can cause feelings of increased energy and invulnerability.  Therefore, its consumers put themselves at danger because of the impression that they will not be hurt.

Additionally, they are more likely to have suicidal thoughts that can hurt them if the suicidal act is not successful.  All physical injuries on any part of the body should be treated first before one starts the treatment process.

  • Diseases

Many individuals who suffer from chronic pain usually use opioids to relieve the pain. Though the painkillers are recommended by the doctor, they can develop dependence towards them.  As one starts to detox from the painkillers, the chronic pain reoccurs together with other painful withdrawal symptoms

Thus, the doctor should evaluate the medical condition and treat all its symptoms and the pain in the right way before starting the detox process.

  • Signs of Psychosis

Psychosis is a severe complication due to the impacts of substances like cocaine.  If one consumes excess cocaine, they experience paranoia even before they experience the total blown psychosis.  The symptoms include hallucinations, both auditory and visual and delusional thinking.  Psychosis can also be as a result of other co-occurring mental conditions such as insomnia and schizophrenia.

Patients of psychosis can be very unpredictable. Before you proceed with the detoxification, address all underlying mental conditions appropriately.

  • Threat to oneself

Withdrawal from drugs and especially opioids can cause severe depression that might be accompanied by suicidal thoughts. If a person portrays signs of suicidal thoughts, they should be monitored all the time.  If such issues are determined during the first step of detox evaluation, they are treated until the patient is stable enough to go through the process.

Drug Detox Withdrawal symptoms

The withdrawal symptoms during the detox process can be very painful and life-threatening.  This is the reason why addicted people are usually advised to consider medical detox.  The environment at the medical facility is safe and comfortable.  Though the extent of medical supervision varies with the plan, it will help in managing the complications of detox.

Researcher’s state that an instant quit to drugs has multiple symptoms depending on the drug that one was addicted to.  Also, the severity of the withdrawal symptoms is different among individuals.  The following are some factors that might influence the severity of the symptoms;

  1. The length of the addiction- obviously, if you have been addicted for three years, you can’t expect to experience the same intensity of withdrawal symptoms as a person who has been addicted for one year. Daily use of a substance for a long period, can lead to high levels of tolerance and dependence on the substance. Moreover, the withdrawal symptoms can be severe too.
  2. The combination with other drugs- depending on various drugs can lead to terrible withdrawal symptoms. Every drug has got its specific withdrawal symptoms which will be addressed separately and it might take a long time before stabilization is achieved.
  • The dosage of the drug- the amount of the substance that one takes immediately before starting detox can affect the intensity of the withdrawal symptoms. As one begins to use drugs, a small dosage is required to achieve the effects. But with the time, the body develops tolerance. One requires more and more dosage to achieve similar effects. This is known as tolerance.  The larger the amount of the substance, the more likely that the symptoms will be more painful.
  1. The existence of other co-occurring mental or physical conditions- if a person is having other mental health conditions like anxiety, stress or depression the withdrawal symptoms could be more intense. Also, if one has physical disorders like chronic pain, they might experience significant stress and more painful symptoms.
  2. The half-time of the substance- generally, if a drug has a short half-life its withdrawal symptoms are short-lived. On the other hand, if it has a long half-time the withdrawal symptoms might take a longer time to disappear.

Various drugs cause different withdrawal symptoms, but the following are common;

  1. Mood swings- this makes the patient very unpredictable and hard to deal with. The moods disturbances can include irritability or agitation.
  2. Insomnia- probably, one has been depending on the drug to sleep. Once it is withdrawn from the system, you might have sleep disturbances and excess fatigue.
  • Physical problems- the body suffers physically either through nausea, severe headaches, runny nose, vomiting, sweating, colds or tremors. Although they some might look minor, they can be very uncomfortable.
  1. Strong cravings- the withdrawal symptoms are traumatizing, and the urge to take the drug in order to avoid them is strong than ever.

Drugs and their Specific Withdrawal Symptoms

Each drug has got specific withdrawal symptoms.  Listed below are some specific withdrawal symptoms for drugs that require medical detox.

  1. Alcohol

The withdrawal symptoms of alcohol can be very severe and deadly.  However, there are various medications and therapies administered to help in relieving them. They can be physical and psychological, but how often and how much, and for how long you have been drinking influences the intensity of the withdrawal symptoms. Heavy drinkers might experience extreme symptoms.

Withdrawal symptoms of alcohol

Nausea, vomiting, nightmares, shakiness, headaches, irritability, depression, tremors, and seizures are some of the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.  Also, some patients may experience delirium tremens. This is an intense withdrawal symptom that causes confusion, hallucinations, and tremors.

Delirium can lead to death if not immediately treated.  It can cause heart complications and severe injuries as a result of sudden seizures.  It is estimated that out of 20 people who are undergoing alcohol detox, one suffers from delirium tremens.

Duration of the withdrawal symptoms

One experiences the first withdrawal symptoms 5-10 hours after taking the last drink. Tremors are the immediate signs of alcohol withdrawal.  After some time, seizures and hallucinations occur.  Although it can be terrible in the first days, as you progress with medication, the symptoms subsidize gradually.

Physical symptoms can disappear faster than the psychological ones. Also, long term impacts such as sleep disturbances and depression can take even a year before they taper off.  In the first twelve hours during detox, the patient may experience insomnia, sweating, rapid heartbeat, and increased blood pressure.

Symptoms become more intense after 1-2 days of alcohol withdrawal. They may include night terrors, seizures, and panic attacks.  In 3-5 days one may have mood swings and delirium tremens.  After detox, usually, more than 6 days after the last drink, the symptoms such as insomnia, irritability, and anxiety may persist.

  1. Heroin

Individuals who are struggling with heroin addiction keep on using it to avoid its painful withdrawal symptoms.  They are felt twelve hours after the last intake of the dose.  Withdrawal of heroin feels like the worst flu ever with severe pain and discomforts.

Withdrawal symptoms may include muscle pains, sweating, agitation, diarrhea, anxiety, insomnia, and many others.  The duration of the symptoms depends on the length of use. Long use of heroin alters the brain’s components which affect the mood and behavior. This can last for months.  Some symptoms that can last include insomnia, fatigue, and depression.

Heroin withdrawal timeline

6 hours after consumption of the last dosage of heroin, one might feel pain on the muscles. The pain gets severe with time over the first two days.  You may also experience shaking, diarrhea, and panic attacks within the first 2 days.  After 3-5 days abdominal cramps, sweating, vomiting, and shivers may occur.

After a week, all the acute symptoms of withdrawal such as muscle aches and nausea disappear. One might feel normal, but still weak and tired.  However, some heroin addicts experience post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS). This is due to the alteration of the central nervous system function. These symptoms can include depression, anxiety, and irritability.

  1. Benzodiazepine

Taking high dosage of benzos for a long period can lead to tolerance.  When one quits using the substance, withdrawal symptoms emerge, whether they were prescriptions or you were abusing them.  Recently, doctors have reduced prescribing benzos to patients due to their high addictive power and severe withdrawal symptoms.

They can be emotionally and physically traumatizing and can lead to death if not medically addressed properly.  Some of these symptoms include dizziness, hallucinations, sweating, seizures, nausea, and irritability.  Nevertheless, they are prescribed to treat sleep and anxiety disorders, when one stops using them, they can suffer from restlessness and anxiety.

Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Timeline

The first withdrawal symptoms of shorter acting benzos such as Xanax and Ativan occur 6-8 hours after taking the last dose of the substance.  For longer-acting benzos like Valium, Librium, and Klonopin, the symptoms can appear within 24-48 hours after the last dosage.  Within those hours, one may experience insomnia and anxiety.

Between 1-4 days after quitting the use of benzos, anxiety and insomnia may intensify. Moreover, the patient might experience increased heartbeat, sweating, and nausea.  Individuals, who are addicted to long-acting benzos, experience the first signs during this period. Also, 10-14 days the withdrawal symptoms may begin to peak.

Types of Drug Detox

There are two main types of detox programs. Various factors can influence your choice such substance you are addicted to, length of addiction, support from family and friends, and personal preferences. Some drugs such as alcohol, heroin, and benzos should be constantly supervised during withdrawal.

If you have been addicted for a long period, the withdrawal symptoms can be severe and thus medical supervision is important to ensure effectiveness and prevent relapses.  People who have supportive family and friends can detox at home if the addiction is not intense.

  1. Outpatient detox

Specialists rarely recommend this type of detox, unless in cases where one has been addicted for a short period.  It can only be effectual for individuals who are committed to recovery.  Treatment sessions are scheduled according to the patient’s availability.

This program is best for people who have obligations at home or job, but they want to recover from substance addiction.  One checks in with their doctor for counseling and medication.  The program comes in various ways. In day program, one is required to attend treatment sessions 5-7 days in a week.

For IOP (Intensive Outpatient Programs) there are measurable milestones to measure progress.  As you achieve each milestone, the commitment is reduced. The other option in the outpatient program is the continuing care. This involves groups such as the Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.  They assist individuals to maintain sobriety and are managed by a licensed therapist.

Advantages of outpatient detox

Outpatient programs are affordable. Since one stays at home, you can continue with your work. Your source of income isn’t affected. Also, one doesn’t incur costs of accommodation like in the inpatient program.  Signing in for outpatient detox program offers you flexibility. You only check with your doctor within the agreed time. One is also able to get support from family and friends since they are always around.

Sadly, it isn’t very effective due to constant triggers.

  1. Inpatient detox

Not only does inpatient detox program offer24 hour medical support, but also the patient receives emotional and motivation from staff and other patients who are undergoing the same process.  They provide the best medical supervised detox. In this program, the patient resides at the treatment facility for a certain period of time. (30 days, 60 days, 90days or even more)

The duration of stay depends on the intensity of addiction, the presence of other co-occurring mental or physical health conditions, and if a person has ever been in a rehab before.  Many facilities provide family programs and therapies, where one’s family members can participate. This helps to mend broken trust and identify any dysfunctional relationships that could trigger a relapse.

Before you settle on the inpatient program, consider the following;

  • The types of addiction the facility treats.
  • Types of therapies offered.
  • The type of aftercare programs and sober living home for patients after the recovery.
  • Credentials the facility has.
  • Peer groups available and the payment options that the facility accepts.

Benefits of inpatient detox

Inpatient detox program is ideal for individuals who are struggling with severe addiction.  The environment is safe and free from external triggers.  The medical specialists ensure that the process is comfortable.

Methods of drug detox

Depending on the substance one is addicted to, there might be various options to choose from. No method is a sure bet for any person.  However, the effectiveness is determined by the drug addicted to, the last dosage consumed before starting detoxification, the length of addiction and if a person has been using other substances. The following are three detox approaches;

  • Cold-Turkey detox – this simply means stopping to consume drugs on your own without any medical help. The patient experiences all the withdrawal symptoms no matter how severe they might be or how long they might take.  To some drugs, this approach may work since the symptoms can only take days, but to others, it can be very difficult.
  • Short-term medicated detox – the patient is given some medicines calm down the withdrawal symptoms. The mediation is often given for a short time to make one relax. For instance, if a person is having problems with sleeping, some non-addictive medicines can be given to help them sleep.
  • Long-term medicated detox – this usually recommended to opioid-addicted patients. A patient may be given methadone to reduce the severity of the withdrawal symptoms. The medication is taken until one is totally free from the drug.

Duration of Drug Detox

Detoxification will last as long as the withdrawal symptoms occur.  A patient is only free from the drug, if they are stable physically, mentally and emotionally. The detox doesn’t only help in getting rid of the substance but also prepares the patient for the counseling and therapies ahead.

Not all people are successful in the first attempt to detox from drugs.  Even if you fail, try again and again, you will surely achieve sobriety.

Conclusion

The decision to quit drugs is a very important decision in an addict’s life. One requires support and encouragement during the entire period. There are two options with which can choose from; inpatient and outpatient detox program. Although the process is painful, medications are given to ease the pain.  Some people may opt to do the detox at home, though it is unsafe and there are high chances of a relapse. Also, some withdrawal symptoms are severe and life-threatening.

Filed Under: Drug Detox Tagged With: alcohol and drug detox center, alcohol detox, alcohol detoxification, drug detox, drug detoxification, lighthouse treatment, orange county rehab center, rehab center OC, rehab center orange county, substance abuse

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