Recent world events have left many people in a state of unhealthy isolation. If you are struggling with stress, isolation, and addictive behaviors, your life may be spinning out of control. Help is available, and you may be considering entering rehab or undergoing treatment. Are rehab facilities the same as a treatment center?
One of the biggest challenges for addicts looking for help is the criminalization of addiction. Addicts who end up in jail may have access to some basic care, but their detox will likely be hard and dangerous. Additionally, the physical damage done by addiction may not be easily addressed by the medical care available in a prison setting. One of the biggest differences between rehab and treatment is the lack of focus on therapies to help you move forward post-detox.
Treating Addiction as a Disease
Current research indicates that quality treatment is a much more effective investment than a simple detox and short-term rehab or prison sentence. Because addiction is such a complicated disease, monitored in-house treatment with physical, mental and emotional support from detox through therapy greatly reduces the risk of relapse. Additionally, the risk of addictive injury, including the physical damage done by the toxins of the drug, goes up with each relapse. The first stages of addiction treatment are generally focused on the physical. The earliest stages may include
- securing a safe environment for reality orientation
- protecting the body with fluids and nutrients
- monitoring during physical detox
Depending on the drug, detox can be fatal. Undergoing detox without physical support and professional monitoring can be deadly. If you are looking for treatment for yourself or a loved one, find out how much detox support is available.
Detox support may also include medication assisted treatment. For example, an opiate addict may need access to suboxone for a time and support to wean off this product. Additional physical support will need to include bloodwork to determine nutritional deficiencies and a physical assessment to note damage caused by the drug and care to repair this damage as possible. As the body begins to heal from physical cravings, emotional and psychological support will become the focus on quality treatment. This care can include
- assessment for underlying mental illness
- one on one therapy
- group therapy
Access to spiritual support may be of great comfort to you or your loved one through the recovery process. A quality treatment center will provide access to spiritual support, while a rehab facility may see this as a primary treatment option. If you can get to talk to a pastor at any time but can’t see a nurse when you need one, you’re in a rehab facility. This is not to say that rehab may not be helpful. However, addiction is a disease that can cycle. Any drug rehab or treatment process that can truly help you must help you overcome the destructive mental habits that contribute to addiction, such as
- remorse or guilt
- shame
- anxiety and depression
Getting you back to the mental space that you were in before you took your first dose is not enough. You may be dealing with genetic challenges, trauma, and untreated mental illness. A quality treatment center will help you to dig deeper into the pain that contributed to the aching need for relief from pain. The illness of addiction is extremely complex. You may be struggling to overcome conditions that you’ve never been made aware of, including
- environmental stresses
- biological pressure
- neurological conditions
- genetic tendencies
If you had a parent who struggled with addiction throughout their life, you may believe that addiction is either a foregone conclusion or that you can avoid addiction by never using that particular drug. However, all or nothing thinking can be an addictive behavior and contribute to risky behaviors in other ways. Quality rehab will help you understand your risks. It may also help you heal the pain of the past. Quality drug treatment requires support from multiple directions. Staying safe in the detox step is crucial, but so is a full mental health assessment and behavioral therapy. Help is available. Our counselors are available 24 hours a day. Call 833-820-2922.