There are millions of people in the world struggling with a drug and alcohol addiction. However, not all individuals who are struggling end up getting the treatment they deserve. Unfortunately, the hopelessly alone and struggling individuals end up in jail or pass away due to the demands of their addiction.
It’s sad that there are people out there who think their life can never get better. Most people who never get help don’t even realize that getting help is an option. It’s important for you to understand that even though there are millions struggling with an addiction, there is a multitude of people who end up getting help and living a meaningful life.
In order to do this, you need to be completely aware of your addiction and what it has done. You need to realize once you’re done, you can’t go back to drugs and alcohol. However, if you do end up relapsing, it’s okay: there’s a chance you can make it back and use the relapse as a learning experience.
Using your relapse as a learning experience rather than something that brings you down is vital because once you come back, you’re back and that’s all that matters. So, once you’re aware and ready to start again on your sobriety journey, your first step is to understand your life will get better and everything will fall into place shortly after.
It may seem like you have a long road ahead of you but you cannot give up. The thought of going into detox to rehab can seem daunting but it’s what you have to do to get better. Plus, it’s better than the life you were living. You’ll start to learn who you are again, feel emotions and be able to express them accordingly. Once again, it’s a lifelong process, but it’s worth it.
Figuring Out Detox and Fighting Urges
It’s common for addicted individuals to not want to quit and start the recovery process because of their fear of experiencing the withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawals occur when you stop using drugs or alcohol. Your body will be in pain and you’ll begin to feel nauseous, have cramps and chills, run a fever, feel anxious and experience diarrhea and insomnia.
However, if you go to a medically supervised detox, you’ll be given medication to ease the pains of your withdrawal. Some of the medications you’ll be given are Suboxone, Buprenorphine, anti-nausea medications, antidepressants and many more depending on your drug of choice and your reaction to withdrawal.
These drugs will help with the pain but they may not take it away completely; however, in a sense, this is a great thing. In the future, if you feel like using you can look back on your detox journey and remember the pain and how you don’t want to go through it again.
Aside from medication, you will be regularly monitored by nurses and doctors. The nurses will check your blood pressure, temperature, heart rate and make sure the medication is working effectively.
The doctors will ask you how you’re feeling, go over your vitals and decide how to taper you off medications so you’re in the least amount of pain. You’ll also go to groups and learn about your addiction and what you can do to help yourself in the future so you’re not back in the same position.
When learning about your recovery, you’ll also work with a caseworker and get set up to go from detox to rehab. There are many different rehabs you can go to and the caseworker will go over all options to find the best fit for you and your individual needs.
Coming from Detox to Rehab
Finding a rehab is a process—you want to find one that will fit your needs. It’s best to go to a rehab that includes different types of therapies. Some therapies you want to look out for are individualized therapy, group therapy, meditation therapy and yoga therapy. These therapies combined are a great way to learn how to stay sober.
Individualized therapy is a personal approach to help you understand the underlying causes of your alcohol or drug addiction. This will help you in the future because you’ll learn how to approach negative and positive emotions that pop up without using drugs or alcohol. You will learn the same type of skills in group therapy but you’ll be around other people who are fighting the same battle as you. It will remind you that you’re not alone in this fight and there are always people around to support you when you most need it.
While individualized and group therapy are there to help you talk about your emotions, meditation and yoga therapy will help you find ways to calm yourself without drugs and alcohol. Both yoga and meditation teach you how to calm the mind and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. It may take a while to get used to focusing on your breath, and you may even feel silly doing it. When you get it down, however, you’ll be glad you learned something so beautiful on your journey from detox to rehab.
You Can Get and Stay Sober
Change is scary. Even people who don’t struggle with addiction usually dislike things that make them uncomfortable, but certain things that make you uncomfortable will only help you grow. This is what the recovery process is about: growth. It’s time for you to grow out of your old habits and learn new, healthy ones.
It’s going to take time to figure out your new life but it’s going to be worth the fight. You’re worth the fight. Believe in yourself because there are many people fighting for you. You can do this!
