Drug Addiction Treatment
Each and every year, about 23 million Americans struggle with addiction, substance abuse disorder, or alcoholism. Although addiction isn’t uncommon, as less than 10% of people who meet the criteria for a substance abuse disorder receive drug addiction treatment.
Addiction is also a deadly disease that doesn’t discriminate. Anyone, regardless of age, race, gender, or age, can develop a substance abuse disorder. Drug use is also deadlier than ever, as overdoses are now the leading killer among Americans under the age of 50.
One of the reasons why addiction is such a serious condition is that it’s a chronic and progressive disease. This means that your symptoms will continue to worsen until you receive drug addiction treatment. But regardless of what stage of addiction you are in, recovery is always possible.
What is Addiction?
Drugs and alcohol can cause both physical and psychological dependency. Addiction causes you to compulsively abuse your substance of choice, even if you want to stop using it. During addiction, your brain chemistry is altered, as changes to your pleasure and reward center cause your brain to reward your substance use. Since psychoactive substances like opiates, cocaine, and alcohol are neurotransmitter inhibitors, they force your brain to release more neurotransmitters than it should.
This rush is responsible for the pleasurable effects of intoxication but results in a significant neurotransmitter imbalance. Addiction also causes you to crave your substance of choice whenever you aren’t using, especially when you are exposed to triggers. Addiction can also impair your judgment and cause mood and behavioral changes.
The longer you use and abuse your substance of choice, the higher your tolerance becomes. In order to keep experiencing the same pleasurable, you’ll need to continuously increase your use. Not only does this increase your risk of overdosing but a building tolerance can create significant financial problems. Needing to constantly buy more in order to avoid withdrawal can leave you broke and in debt.
Drugs also damage your mental and physical health. Addiction can increase your risk of acquiring an infectious disease, like Hepatitis C, especially if you are an IV user. The longer you are trapped in addiction, the more difficult it becomes to recover without treatment.
What is Drug Addiction Treatment?
Drug addiction treatment utilizes evidence-based and holistic therapies to provide you with the skills and support necessary to recover. There are both inpatient and outpatient options, with inpatient programs being residential in nature. The additional structure and supervision offered by an inpatient drug addiction treatment are extremely beneficial if you have a co-occurring disorder, a severe addiction, or multiple recovery attempts.
An outpatient program can consist of:
- Partial hospitalization programs
- Intensive outpatient programs
- Detox services
- Support groups
- Individual, group, and family therapy
- Medication management
Both inpatient and outpatient drug addiction treatment centers focus on helping you identify and change negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Relapse prevention education is a very important part of drug addiction treatment, as it helps you identify your triggers and create healthy coping strategies.
Learning how to deal with triggers following discharge from an inpatient drug addiction treatment program is essential to prevent a relapse. Drug addiction treatment also offers you the opportunity to include family members and loved ones in your recovery.
Finding the Best Drug Addiction Treatment Today
Struggling with a substance abuse disorder can make it difficult to live a happy and healthy life. Addiction can cause you to lose your loved ones, career, and even your life. It is never too early, or too late, to reach out for drug addiction treatment. Call us today at [Direct] to learn more about our drug addiction treatment programs and how we can help you find recovery.