Author: Charles Frank

Overcoming Drug Addiction

Although there’s no cure for drug addiction, treatment options can help you overcome an addiction and stay drug-free. Your treatment depends on the drug used and any related medical or mental health disorders you may have. Long-term follow-up is important to prevent relapse. For some of us, using drugs repeatedly can change the way certain areas of the brain work and communicate with each other.

1. Read, see friends, go to a movie, immerse yourself in a hobby, hike, or exercise.
2. BetterHelp is an online therapy service that matches you to licensed, accredited therapists who can help with depression, anxiety, relationships, and more.
3. When your life is filled with rewarding activities and a sense of purpose, your addiction will lose its appeal.
4. Withdrawal side effects can be bothersome, painful and dangerous to your health.
5. Then there are those whose substance abuse develops from a doctor’s well-intentioned efforts to treat a medical condition.
6. Also, talking about craving often helps to discharge and relieve the feeling and will help restore honesty in your relationship.

Naloxone temporarily reverses the effects of opioid drugs. Your loved one may run up credit card debt to support their drug use, seek loans, or ask to borrow money without any solid reason. They may even steal money or valuables to sell for drugs. It is critical that you begin by identifying the root cause of your addiction. You may be using substances to escape reality, get away from depression or anxiety, or to cope with something in your past.

Spending time with people who understand exactly what you’re going through can be very healing. You can also benefit from the shared experiences of the group members and learn what others have done to stay sober. Sober living homes provide a safe, supportive place to live while you’re recovering from drug addiction. They are a good option if you don’t have a stable home or a drug-free living environment. It’s also normal to feel conflicted about giving up your drug of choice, even when you know it’s causing problems in your life. Recovery requires time, motivation, and support, but by making a commitment to change, you can overcome your addiction and regain control of your life.

Drug paraphernalia to look out for

When someone you love has a problem with drugs, it’s easy to fall into the trap of shielding them from the consequences of their addiction. Other people turn to drugs to change how they feel, to fit in, or to alleviate boredom or dissatisfaction with their lives. Then there are those whose substance abuse develops from a doctor’s well-intentioned efforts to treat a medical condition. Of all the people prescribed opioids to relieve pain, for example, estimates suggest that more than a quarter will end up misusing the drug. Don’t feel like you need to figure out all the answers on your own.

With a journal, you can help yourself start a plan to stop addiction to help identify patterns, triggers, goals, and motivators. Take time to reflect on what is important to you, how addiction has negatively affected you, and how your life will improve with sobriety. The hardest part to recovery is admitting you have an addiction. Substance use disorders affect the brain causing it to look for excuses and justifications to keep using.

Ongoing treatment

In addition to doctors and psychologists, many clergy members, social workers, and counselors offer addiction treatment services. Medication may be used to manage withdrawal symptoms, prevent relapse, or treat any co-occurring mental health condition such as depression or anxiety. It may help to get an independent perspective from someone you trust and who knows you well. You can start by discussing your substance use with your primary care provider. Or ask for a referral to a specialist in drug addiction, such as a licensed alcohol and drug counselor, or a psychiatrist or psychologist. Emphasize that you care for the person and are worried about their well-being.

For some people, it may be safe to undergo withdrawal therapy on an outpatient basis. Others may need admission to a hospital or a residential treatment center. SMART Recovery offers online and in-person support worldwide for family and friends. Recovery for one person may mean total abstinence from drugs.

Quickly relieve stress without drugs

Offer specific examples of your loved one’s drug-related behavior that have made you concerned—and be honest about your own feelings. If you do not have a support system available to guide you through every step of the recovery process, you may be better off fighting your addiction in a traditional rehab setting. After all, you will not be able to rely on friends and family in the same way you can rely on doctors and nurse practitioners working at a treatment facility. If you believe the problem is related to a separate, underlying mental health issue, then it is imperative that you seek out professional help to guide you through rehab. Co-occurring disorders are extremely difficult for fully trained professionals to treat, let alone an individual performing self-guided rehab at home. Relapse is a common part of the recovery process from drug addiction.

At Maryland Recovery Center, our first priority is helping those struggling with addiction to get on the road to sobriety. We encourage those battling substance abuse problems to reach out to us to learn how we help those in need of professional treatment and care. If you were addicted to a prescription drug, such as an opioid painkiller, you may need to talk to your doctor about finding alternate ways to manage pain.

It’s not always easy to recognize if a loved one is abusing drugs. In teens, for example, drug abuse can often resemble normal adolescent moodiness. Furthermore, there’s no specific amount or frequency of use that indicates someone’s drug use has become a cause for concern. Whether your loved one is using every day or every month, it’s the adverse impact their drug abuse has on their life that indicates a problem. Whatever your loved one’s reason for starting, though, not everyone who uses drugs develops a problem.

Millions of readers rely on HelpGuide.org for free, evidence-based resources to understand and navigate mental health challenges. Please donate today to help us save, support, and change lives. Take the assessment and get matched with a professional, licensed therapist. Many people try to cope with their urges by toughing it out. When this happens, it can be useful to stay with the urge until it passes.

Sober living allows you to regain the positive aspects of your life. At Olympia House Rehab, we address co-occurring disorders such as depression and anxiety that can impact addiction. Regular exercise, adequate sleep, and healthy eating habits help you keep your energy levels up and your stress levels down. The more you can stay healthy and feel good, the easier it will be to stay sober. Be upfront about your history of drug use when seeking medical treatment.

Don’t expect a single conversation to fix the problem. This will likely be the first of many conversations you’ll need to have regarding your loved one’s drug use. It may take several conversations for them to even acknowledge they have a problem, the first step on the road to recovery.

In a recent article by Treatment Magazine, Dr. Senadhi discusses his medical model of evidence-based treatments at Olympia House Rehab. Yes, pets are a responsibility, but caring for an animal makes you feel loved and needed. Pets can also get you out of the house for exercise. Different quick stress relief strategies work better for some people than others.

This precaution will ensure that your withdrawal is not deadly and allow you to begin a natural rehabilitation process. Repeated drug use can also weaken circuits in the brain that help people exercise self-control and tolerate stress. Addiction and substance use disorders are often misunderstood. Some people believe continuing to use drugs even when they cause harm is a sign of weakness or poor character—but that’s far from the truth.

Ask for help from family and close friends to keep you honest. This is another instance where the choice to do recovery at home makes the process considerably more difficult. It will be very difficult to stop using if you don’t understand why you started in the first place. Before you can embark on the road to recovery, you first overcome the roadblock that is drug detoxification. A cold turkey detox is not recommended, as this approach can be deadly. Even if your ultimate goal is to recover on your own, there’s nothing to gain from putting your health at serious risk.

Then make a good plan and draw on help from support groups and counselors as you deal with withdrawal and start creating a life without drugs. Don’t overlook the advantages of participating in professionally guided treatment. The process of creating distance from unhealthy lifestyle habits and developing new responses to drug cravings is far easier to manage when done with the help of addiction recovery professionals.