Welcome. This may not be where you imagined your life going, but you’ve arrived at the right place. You’re looking for help in overcoming your addiction. It’s not an easy task, but nothing worth doing is easy, right?
It may be that you’re looking for some advice on where to start, as there is a lot of information out there and some of it contradicts other pieces of information. The good news is that there isn’t a set process you must follow to get through substance abuse treatment. Each person’s journey is different, and may be shorter or longer than others. So if you’re looking for rehab facilities in Commerce City, let’s go through a loose timeline of what you might experience.
Is the First Step the Hardest?
You’ve heard people say ‘the first step is always the hardest’ about anything difficult and life changing. And while the sentiment is there, it’s not always going to be the hardest step you take. When you’re staring down the face of your addiction, it might be the easiest step to decide you want help and you want to change. Your first step won’t always look the same as another’s.
“I don’t want to live like this anymore.”
This might be what you said to yourself when you decided it was time to come clean. You looked around and saw things that you didn’t like. You desired change. This statement leads some to start thinking critically about where they are in their lives and sometimes to the doors of a treatment center.
“We need to talk.”
Maybe it was a friend or family member who came to you about your current lifestyle. They came to you and told you that there was a problem and offered their hand to help you. Sometimes, all it can take is for someone to tell you that they care to bring your attention to a problem.
“Pfft. Get Clean? Yeah right!”
If your friends and family sound like this, however, this may also lead to a revelation. Sometimes, your family and friends don’t want you to get better. Sometimes they’re too afraid of letting you go and being alone in their own problems, or they themselves may be so deep into your shared lifestyle that they can’t be supportive. They will try to draw you back.
Sometimes it’s just ‘one for the road’ or a ‘last hurrah’. These people may have been the only ones there for you in a dark time, so sometimes they can be convincing. You may have to build a new support network from the ground up. Just remember: Sometimes people grow apart and you might have to leave them behind to improve your life.
Check here for more tips on your journey: https://www.verywellmind.com/overcoming-addiction-4157285
Going to rehab
Your next step is actually going to a rehabilitation program. These can be inpatient or outpatient, and can vary in length of time. Generally, expect to spend around six weeks in this program. It seems like a long time, but it will be well worth the effort you put in.
Outpatient treatment
Outpatient treatment involves traveling back and forth between a treatment facility and home. This term can apply to many types of procedures, ranging from surgery, metal health and substance abuse treatment. There are various reasons to choose outpatient therapy over inpatient therapy.
Distance: You are close to a treatment facility and have the means to travel back and forth.
Lifestyle: You are easily able to divorce yourself from your old lifestyle and have a support network of family and friends who can help you along the way.
Work: You either want to or have to work during treatment in order to support family, keep health insurance, or pay the bills.
For substance abuse disorder, this is often the first type of treatment to try. However, not everyone may be able to use outpatient treatment.
Inpatient treatment
When choosing inpatient treatment, you are staying at a facility for the duration of your treatment. Like with outpatient treatment, this also applies to mental health, surgery, and substance abuse disorder. Why choose inpatient treatment?
Lifestyle: You have a difficult time getting away from your vices, and need time away to not only get treatment but to make other living arrangements. You may not have a support system of friends and family.
Transportation: You don’t have reliable transportation to and from a treatment facility, or the nearest addiction treatment program is far away from your current location.
Relapse: You may have already tried outpatient treatment and experienced a relapse. If that is the case, it’s okay: for some, relapse is part of the process of getting away from addiction.
For some more tips on getting over addiction, click here.
After Treatment
Your journey doesn’t end after ending your treatment program. Staying clean can be a constant process. Luckily there are more resources for you to take advantage of after you get out of rehab.
Group Therapy
There are many groups that can provide support for your continuing journey. The first that may come to mind are groups like Alcoholics Anonymous. This and similar 12-step programs can be found for many kinds of addictions and can help you by connecting you to those also recovering, people who have recovered, and others. This also provides a chance to help others as well.
Another type of group therapy you can try is for treating mental health, trauma, and PTSD. For many, addiction stems from the past and from mental health as an unhealthy means of coping. Like a group for addiction, these groups will connect you with professionals and others experiencing some of the same things. These groups will help form the basis of a stronger support network.
Individual Therapy
Sometimes you don’t want to share your problems with a group. That is okay: You can take advantage of individual therapy. A counselor can help you work through issues that may have affected you and may have to be solved to further recover from addiction.
Stay strong: Recovery is in sight.
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