Recovery from Drug and Alcohol Addiction

Recovering from drug or alcohol addiction is very difficult because there is both a strong physical and mental component to addiction. Even once the body is cleaned of drugs, an addict’s destructive behavior can be a deeply ingrained personal habit which is hard to change. However, with the right program and support, individuals can successfully beat their addiction and go on to live happy, healthy, and drug-free lives. What rehabilitation method is successful varies for each individual. Their results depend on the nature of their addiction, history of drug and alcohol abuse, personality-type, support system, and their level of commitment to recovery and sobriety.

There are many different kinds of drug treatment programs, which can be residential or designed on an out-patient basis. The best programs include drug detox or alcohol detox, where the substance of the addiction is safely removed from the patient’s system in a medically supervised environment. The addict is cleaned from the drug until they are longer physically dependent on it. Sometimes medication is needed to help mitigate the side effects from the drug’s withdrawal. Many live-in programs work to improve a patient’s overall health at this stage, as often many addicts also suffer from poor nutrition and sleep habits. The length of an addict’s confinement to a residential treatment facility also varies on the patient’s personal circumstances; however, 30 days is a common duration of stay. After the detoxification, a patient then needs to work on the psychological element to their addiction, which can take much longer. Psychological treatment may consist of group or individual meetings (or both), counseling sessions, and educational classes which focus on new ways to cope with stress and avoid addiction triggers. Such programs are frequently referred to as 12-step programs. Community gatherings of recovering addicts can also be very helpful. Many recovering addicts find that they do well with continual group support and a mentoring model. Well-known 12-step programs are Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous, which also have a spiritual component to their healing. Other addicts find they need to address the underlying causes of their addiction, such as physical or sexual abuse or family estrangement, before truly finding their road to recovery. Drug and alcohol addicts who have been successfull approach their recovery one day at a time and surround themselves with postive friends and family. The most important aspect to their remaining clean and sober is their desire to stay that way.