Drugs and alcohol addiction has been a problem for many individuals. Most of the addicts are not aware of what to do when they discover that they wish to quit the habit. Besides, even the drug- affected communities are unable to help their family members who might be affected by drug and alcohol addiction. Most of the addicts have no idea that they are suffering, making it challenging to convince them to admit that they have an addiction issue. The first stage of the recovery process is to persuade the addicts to accept the fact that they have a problem with drugs and alcohol addiction. This phase is the most difficult one since most tend to think that it is just a habit that will fade away soon, but mostly that is not the case. Then, for a rehabilitation program to succeed, specific measures have to be taken to guide the process of making addicts to accept their addiction issues and embrace the treatment process wholly.
One of the common questions asked by potential addicts is whether they have a problem or not. Admitting that one has a problem is the first critical step to recovery. Once the persona has admitted to having the problem, they also need to start recognizing the common signs that they might have that links them to the addiction problem. The most common symptoms involved with addiction are mostly negative consequences which are derived from the use of drugs or alcohol in various settings such as at work, and home or even at school (Grant et al., 2015). Although it might become difficult to admit these facts especially to oneself, it is always advisable for the addicts to share their stories with a person they trust most in matters concerning their private life. After sharing one’s story with a trusted person, it is good to seek further help from a professional who is qualified in matters concerning drugs and alcohol addiction for further solution.
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After accepting their status, their attitude plays a significant role in whether they want to get help or not. As the saying goes, "denial is the first and the largest part of addiction" so is the breakthrough of self-deception which becomes hard. This means that the addict should have the appropriate attitude which should be positive instead of waiting until they reach at their low point in life to admit to the issue. In acceptance and admitting, one has to realize and recognize the consequences of the abuse level. In most cases, the abuse levels usually are higher than usual, but most do not know it until their body gets damaged through long-term effects of drug abuse (Grant et al., 2015). Also, another part of positive attitude and acceptance is being honest with oneself. The implication of this is that one has accepted that they have a problem and are ready for help and treatment. Some may tend to lose hope, thinking that they are not worthy of living a healthy life. In this case, they need to be encouraged that every living person has a right to living a healthier life by seeking quality treatment. Addiction is a disease like any other diseases. It was not their wish to be addicts. Here, motivational quotes from biblical scriptures can have a significant impact.
There are four main steps for getting an addict into a rehabilitation program. These steps are also accompanied by a maximum chance of post-rehabilitation success which should follow up and make sure that the addict is fully recovered. The steps in the rehab process include intake, detoxification, rehabilitation, and ongoing recovery (DiClemente, 2018). Although these are the main steps involved in a rehab process, specific individuals might not share these common steps, and they may vary depending on the type of addiction, the plan of treatment employed, and eventually the specific individual seeking help. But despite those differences, almost all the rehab processes used tend to share these key steps to achieve a successful recovery plan. The intake step involves a critical evaluation process that will later be used to determine the treatment plan for the individual. Detoxification step entails the management of the withdrawal of the unpleasant symptoms. The rehabilitation process consists of extensive therapy, which is directly aimed at rectifying drug-seeking behaviors. Finally, the ongoing recovery process is determined to provide the addicts with long-term support and prevent them from going back to their previous behaviors (DiClemente, 2018). But as much as the steps might look or sound simple, one should be familiar with the fact that the journey is not as quick and easy as they might think. It is a long-life journey filled with hard work and dedication. The individual should also be committed to the treatment process.
There are different types of addiction which can exist in the form of either behavioral or substance-related. Both of them are characterized under the same category by the intense feelings of emotional need or physical craving. Despite both of them having various similarities, behavioral addiction does not contain the same physical symptoms regarding drug addiction (De Leon et al., 2015). Different physicians have been seen on many occasions disagreeing on the similarities as well as differences between the consequences and symptoms of both types of addiction. For instance, in drug addiction, the substance used affects the normal functions of the body particularly the brain in the way it handles communication and processes information. However, it is essential to note that different drugs are known to affect the body differently as well as the period the drugs have been used (Best et al., 2016).
On the other hand, alcoholism is the term that is used to refer to alcohol addiction. This is one of the most common habits in the US with a higher number of an approximate of 16.6 million people suffering from alcohol addiction. This what led to many physicians in the belief that most of the treatment process provided is unique and individualized due to the different drugs addiction and the period that the substance has been used.
There are also various factors that determine the success of a rehabilitation program. The first and most important factor is making sure that one has a robust support system. The system support mainly consists of the family members who are mostly close to you and they have already accepted your request and desires of overcoming substance abuse. This plays the part of emotional support which is the most critical segment of the treatment (Best et al., 2016). But if the family members are not willing, one has another option of filling the emotional gap with friends or a faith community as well as other relatives who might have supported one before. The other factor is knowing what you need through working closely together with the rehabilitation medical staff and other counselors. This process will help one in assessing their needs, especially during the treatment process. This is important because each has different needs that might not work for the others as well. By doing so, one will have catered for the requirements that need to be explicitly addressed (Pivovar, 2015). The other factor is that one has to be motivated to change but not forced. If one is not willing, then it will be challenging to reach the success point of the treatment. This means that one has to be ready to change and leave the destructive path they were following earlier. Each also needs to have a positive relationship with the rehabilitation staff. The rehab staff will be there for you as the struggles with the substance abuse and addiction begin.
As said earlier, recovering from drug abuse is a process that is ongoing and takes hard work as well as commitment and dedication. This fact has been assumed by many, and are seen slipping along the way. One should be familiar to the fact that completing rehab does not mean one is adequately treated; it is instead a continuous process that takes time and effort. There are various things that an individual can do to make sure that they do not go back to the drug abuse habit again after rehabilitation (De Leon et al., 2015). What one does after rehab is what contributes to the success of the treatment. One thing that individuals must do after rehab is finding friends who are sober living positive lives. Since addiction is often associated with the influence of other people who are addicts, finding sober friends will also influence a non-addict lifestyle. Sober friends will also reduce the level of temptation (Pivovar, 2015). It is also vital for the addicts and the rehab staff to keep follow-up appointments. Since rehab programs involve a stair-step like a model, the addicts will later be able to handle the sobriety on their own without assistance and head to appointments on their own. Finally, it is crucial for the addicts to find support groups which will help them erase the feeling of loneliness.
In conclusion, there is no specific definition for measuring the success rate of different drug rehabilitation programs, which means that no standard metric of success for rehabilitation centers has been provided so far. Most of the rehab programs measure their success by the number of patients who have completed the treatment program while others by the sobriety in the follow-up programs. However, this does not mean that rehab centers are not useful. There have been successful stories by different patients in the world who have been treated by the rehabilitation programs (Pivovar, 2015). It is; therefore, better to fail to try than to not try at all. They have been doing a good job, and they should continue. On the other hand, they should enforce the follow-up program to make sure that their patients are fully recovered.
References
Grant, B. F., Goldstein, R. B., Saha, T. D., Chou, S. P., Jung, J., Zhang, H. ... & Hasin, D. S. (2015). Epidemiology of DSM-5 alcohol use disorder: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions III. JAMA psychiatry , 72 (8), 757-766.
Best, D., Beckwith, M., Haslam, C., Alexander Haslam, S., Jetten, J., Mawson, E., & Lubman, D. I. (2016). Overcoming alcohol and other drug addiction as a process of social identity transition: The social identity model of recovery (SIMOR). Addiction Research & Theory , 24 (2), 111-123.
DiClemente, C. C. (2018). Addiction and change: How addictions develop and addicted people recover . Guilford Publications.
De Leon, G., Perfas, F. B., Joseph, A., & Bunt, G. (2015). Therapeutic communities for addictions: essential elements, cultural, and current issues. Textbook of Addiction Treatment: International Perspectives , 1033-1047.
Pivovar, L. (2015). Predictors that influence relapse and recovery among adolescent substance abusers post-treatment (Doctoral dissertation). The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Chicago. USA.
