Substance Abuse and Your Path to Wellness

Addiction is a neurological disease related to the brain and frequently requires inpatient drug recovery. It is an inability to consistently abstain from use and by problems in behavioral control and is also a chronic disease because it has a relapsing remitting cycle. Substance abuse and mental health communities are striving to identify and use good methods to address the issue. There is a wide range of the disorder from a mild form to a severe state of compulsive drug taking. Treatment seekers and their families today have many choices. There is education, counseling and medication support. Recovery is a voluntarily maintained lifestyle characterized by sobriety, personal health, and citizenship.

Substance abuse is frequently characterized by a stigma and patients may be rejected by the treatment community. Furthermore, patients frequently will not recognize their problems and may have a dysfunctional emotional response. Unfortunately, denial is a common theme among those suffering addiction. Someone may be addicted but does not think he has a problem. This can hamper treatment and it can also take a toll on loved ones. Medical technology has been evolving to find ways to alleviate pain from withdrawal symptoms, remove biological dependency and reduce cravings.

It’s important to understand what leads a person to use drugs in the first place. This way lapses and relapses can be prevented. A lapse is a single-short-lived action where someone deviates from the goal of abstaining from alcohol and other drugs. Relapse occurs when you become dysfunctional in recovery that ends with renewed symptoms of addiction or related mental or personality disorders. Over the course of treatment a patient may experience a lapse of relapse and it is important for the patient to manage their treatment so that they can get back on track to being healthy. Ideally, the patient will experience a prolapse when someone understands what triggered the lapse and how to prevent it from happening again.

To better address substance abuse issues, treatment centers for inpatient drug recovery describe themselves as traditional or holistic. An important emerging trend is for facilities to offer many different services rather than one path. Trained staff use assessment tools to pinpoint areas in a person’s life that need the most attention. Furthermore, they are also trying to integrate Western and Eastern medicine. Western therapists have inspiration from yoga, adventure therapy, acupuncture, animal therapy and gardening therapy. In addition, The client can have training in healthy eating, enjoyable exercise, fulfilling leisure activities, and building healthy friendships and relationships. This way, they can address the root cause of addiction and help those in recovery create new habits and interests that improve their quality of life.

Treatment centers promise to use the latest cutting-edge technologies. For chronic diseases, there is a cycle of relapse and remission and without treatment addiction is progressive and can result in disability or death. One should look into the qualifications and certifications of the staff, the recommended length of stay and what type of aftercare and support systems are available. Furthermore, addiction treatment in an inpatient drug recovery setting is changing. Clinical practices are shifting and emphasizing disease management models along with recovery support and functional outcomes. Concepts of addiction are being clarified when patient profiles are changing and basic assumptions about treatment are being questioned. Lastly, there are improvements in evidence-based practices and the use of new technologically based protocols. You are not alone. We are here to help you on the path to recovery for a better and healthy lifestyle.