The effect drugs and alcohol have on people who are addicted is devastating. Drugs and alcohol are responsible for many deaths and those numbers are rising everyday. Drug addiction has become a pandemic. With the midwest of the US feeling it the most. Drug overdoses are at an all time high and they don’t look like they are going to lower anytime soon. So what can we do to help those or even help ourselves? How can we change it so we do not become another statistic in drug related deaths? Drug and alcohol addictions are not something that can easily go away. It is a disease that you have to work with everyday. Sure we can recover but if we do not maintain our recovery then the drug and alcohol addiction can come back. We have some suggestions for you to recover from a drug and alcohol addiction.
You can recover
If you are wanting to recover from your drug and alcohol addiction you are going to have to work at it and work at it very hard. There is no magic pill or surgery you can have to eliminate it. But if you do work hard at it you can recover.
- 12 step meetings- 12 step meetings are an essential part of your recovery. 12 step meetings can include alcoholics anonymous or narcotics anonymous. These are meetings that other addicts attend to hear someone else’s experience, strength and hope. These are great because you get to fellowship with other addicts and alcoholics who are looking to recover. It is recommended that you go to a meeting everyday the first 90 days of your sobriety. A lot of things emotion wise are going to come up for you. It is important that you have a solid connection of people that you can talk to.
- Treatment center- Entering a treatment center for a drug and alcohol addiction is ideal if you’re able to. Here you will get the help that you need and be able to work on your issues with drugs and alcohol. Normally treatment lasts about 90 days but there are shorter programs as well. It is important to focus on yourself during this time as this is a life changing experience for you. A good treatment center will set up a plan for you and help you get an aftercare plan as you finish the program. If you have medical insurance you might want to see if substance abuse is covered on your plan. That will save you a lot of money in costs.
- Sober living- A sober living is a good idea for those who still need to work but also need a sober environment. A sober living is a shared housing concept with other sober people. Normally you have house rules that you must follow. And you must remain sober. Some sober livings offer single bedrooms. During your stay at your sober living you’ll be able to develop coping skills and learn how to deal with triggers. Make sure you tour the sober living before. It is important for you to live somewhere that you are going to feel comfortable at.
- Therapist- Finding a good therapist that has expertise in addiction is very important. You want to be able to talk to someone who is a professional. Find you a therapist that you feel comfortable with and feel safe talking to.
Recovery might feel weird or scary, but it does not have too. It is actually a beautiful transformation of life. If you take your sobriety seriously and follow a good program you will have a much easier time staying sober and enjoying sobriety.