When you’re struggling with a substance abuse problem, you’re in the fight of your life. And addiction doesn’t care if you’re tired, hurting, or fed up. It’s going to keep coming at you relentlessly, every single day.
But this isn’t a fight that you have to win on your own. To beat your substance abuse problem and begin a life in recovery, you’ll rely on the help of professionals and peers. And you may also find that a trip to a specialized rehab facility is just what you need in order to jump-start your recovery.
Professional help
Addiction is a mental illness. Addicts aren’t lazy, and they don’t “choose” to keep returning to the substance they’re abusing. This is a real medical condition, and it needs to be treated like one.
More people need to understand these things about addiction — and, sometimes, the people with the most dangerous misconceptions about addiction are the addicts themselves. Let’s get this straight: Trying to “go it alone” against addiction will not end well for you. Conquering a substance abuse problem is like battling cancer or heart disease; it takes commitment and effort on your part, but it also takes the expertise and assistance of a professional. To go without real help is crazy.
So seek out counselors and psychologists who specialize in substance abuse. You may also want to consider joining a twelve-step program or a peer support group to help you stick to your commitment to sobriety.
And you may also find that rehab is the right move.
Why rehab?
If you go to rehab, you’ll find many of the same support tools that you’d find in a treatment plan outside of rehab. In rehab, addicts detox, chat with psychologists and counselors and join group therapy sessions. We’re still making advancements in how we understand and treat addiction, but you’ll find the same sorts of best practices at a place inside and outside of rehab.
So what’s the point of rehab? The big idea of drug rehab centers is that they change your location and shake up your routine. Going away to rehab, particularly to an inpatient facility, will allow you to take a break from a daily life that may be full of triggers and enablers. Removing you from your typical environment may make it easier for you to establish new habits and routines.
Rehab also gives you space and type. Many rehab facilities are beautiful, soothing places; and while kicking a substance abuse problem is certainly no vacation, it may be nice to address your issues in a better environment. You’ll be able to focus entirely on your problems and your goals in rehab, which might not be the case if you were still at home or heading to work. Having time and space to focus on what matters most is a huge part of why rehab works.
Choosing a rehab facility
Rehab may very well be your best bet! If you haven’t begun your journey to sobriety yet, you could start by checking yourself into a Philadelphia rehab facility. If you’re already working with mental health professionals, start by talking to them about the possibility of adding rehab to your treatment plan. You’ll have lots of options, including inpatient and outpatient programs. Some rehab facilities specialize in one particular type of addiction, while others offer a range of services and may even offer specialized treatment plans that address both addiction and other problems, like depression. There will be facilities near you and facilities far away, and your mental health care provider may have some recommendations.
The important thing is that you start the ball rolling and start thinking about how you’re going to tackle your substance abuse problem. This is your life — take control!