When a person is struggling with addiction in life, and the time comes that they choose to reach out for addiction treatment services, something in the dynamics of their relationship with the substance they are using changes.
Regardless of the outcome of the endeavor, the shift has begun and that person is on the right path. There is hope for change, there is hope for freedom. Not everybody that struggles with addiction is ready the first time they get the notion to quit, however, what matters most is that when they are ready that there are places they can go to for help.
What is Addiction Treatment?
People from all walks of life, from all areas of the world struggle with addiction. For some, opioids such as heroin and pills are the problem, for others cocaine or alcohol. For some, it is all of the above-mentioned and anything else they like to try.
Addiction is a state of mind and a physical ailment that is difficult to change and even harder to overcome. The more help a person has when they are ready to make changes, the better.
Addiction treatment can be a variety of techniques and will depend on the type of substance the person is abusing.
First and foremost, addiction treatment is helping a person that is suffering from addiction, also known as substance abuse disorder, to get off of the drugs that they are using and keep them off of them for good.
Types of Addiction Treatment
As most of us already know, there are tons of different types of substances out there that one can abuse. The type of treatment a person will get in order to free them from the substance they are using will depend on a few different factors:
- The type of substance
- The level of willingness
- The physical health of the individual
For example, a person that has been drinking alcohol on a regular basis for the last 10 years every day will be treated differently than somebody that is abusing methamphetamines.
In addition to the type of substance, the overall willingness of the individual will depend on what can be done for them. For example, if the person is not willing to stop using their substance long enough to do something about their addiction, they may have a much harder time than somebody that is willing to stop for at least one day.
In addition to the type of drug and the willingness of the person, the condition of their health is a big factor as well.
There are a couple of different types of addiction that come into the picture as far as health is concerned:
- Physically addictive
- Psychologically addictive
Both of these types of addictions are powerful and destructive, however, drugs that are physically addictive are more prone to cause severe damage if they are suddenly stopped.
If a person that is not reasonably healthy tries to stop using a drug that is physically addicting without weaning off of it, they could die.
Opioid Addiction Treatment
Opioids are one of the toughest types of drugs to get free from. Not only do they allow the user to stay in a state of euphoric bliss, but they also become a necessary life force for the person to be able to function.
Opioids are physically addictive. What this means is that after an amount of time of daily use, the body becomes physically dependent on them.
While we all have chemicals that the brain tells the body to produce in order to calm down, relax, numb pain, and so on so that we can go to sleep when we are supposed to, feel fewer pains and aches as well as even relax and have healthy blood pressure, when opioids take over the brain stops telling the body to produce these chemicals because they are already present in the system.
You can imagine the havoc this situation can create in the body.
When it comes to opioid addiction treatment it is important that the process is tough enough to help the person break free from the drug but gentle enough to not kill them while it’s happening. In most cases, the person that goes to a treatment facility for opioids of any kind will be put through a “detox” stage where they will be weaned off of the drug in the best manner for them.
Alcohol Addiction Treatment
Although many people do not consider alcohol a drug, the truth is that it is one of the most addictive drugs on the face of the Earth. Not only is it addictive, but it is also legal, cheap, and easy to get.
Treatment centers that offer alcohol addiction treatment should always be aware that if a person has been drinking every day for a long period of time that they will most likely suffer from DTs if they suddenly stop drinking.
People can die from DTs, so it is imperative that anybody that is trying to stop drinking gets help. Period.
Much like an opioid addiction treatment center, an alcohol treatment center will put its patients through a detox period where they can safely and slowly get free from the alcohol.
One of the most difficult elements of alcohol addiction treatment is that many of the people that are addicted to alcohol do not want to admit it. They say that they can stop at any time. When it comes to alcohol you don’t need to come up with hundreds of dollars and find a connection to get it…all one has to do is have a few bucks and they can buy some cheap wine from just about any store.
One of the most important gifts that a person struggling with alcohol addiction can get from a treatment center is the truth about themselves. While so many people fail to get free of the hooch, the ones that take an honest look within, have a much better chance.
Methamphetamine and Cocaine Addiction Treatment
While scientists and doctors may argue the point of whether or not methamphetamines are “physically addictive” the truth is that it causes a lot of damage both psychologically and physically.
Many people who abuse methamphetamine and cocaine go days without sleeping or eating. The consequences of no sleep and food are pretty devastating. It is not uncommon for people who abuse methamphetamine to be grossly skinny to the point where their bones show right through their skin. A person that has been awake for several days and has not eaten any food can look much like a zombie.
Treating methamphetamine addiction and treating cocaine addiction are different. Believe it or not, cocaine is one of those drugs that is considered physically addicting and the body becomes dependent on it. However, both of these drugs are powerful stimulants and can cause severe problems within the central nervous system.
Just like any other drug, a person will have to go through a detox stage, but unlike heroin and alcohol, there is no weaning off of it. People can be given a sedative that will help them relax and get through the initial phase of getting off of the drug, but there is no way you can continue to give somebody little bumps of meth or cocaine so that they don’t have to crash hard.
Getting a Second Chance
Regardless of the person’s drug of choice, once they get free from it they have a chance to live life without the chains of active, destructive addiction. Sometimes it takes more than two or three chances…some people have to lose everything they have and start over again hundreds of times before they finally make the choice to stay away from that drug.
What addiction treatment services can do for a person is give them another chance at life. That person can get a moment of clarity strong enough to pull them out of their delusional funk and move forward into a new way of life that is free from active addiction.
Although some people may not seem to have it in them to stop using drugs and get free, the fact that there are resources out there for them to go to when they are ready, makes a whole world of difference.