There are an estimated 165 million people in this country that abuse drugs and alcohol. Since last year, there have been over half a million drug overdose deaths alone.
Do these statistics hit a little too close to home for you? They just might, if you’ve been unsuccessful at finding ways to quit drugs or drinking, yourself. Read this helpful guide on five ways you can take back control of your life today.
Signs of Substance Abuse
There are certain subtle and not-so-subtle signs of substance abuse. These signs usually result in changes to someone’s physical appearance. There may also be changes to their personality, attitude, or behavior. Some common signs of addictions include the following:
Changes in Behavior/Attitudes/Habits
Abusers will begin to disregard important life responsibilities. These responsibilities can include jobs or caring for small children. Abusers will also start to do activities that are dangerous to do while their high, like swimming and driving a car.
Abusers will also undergo drastic changes to their normal personalities. These changes can range from angry outbursts to unexpected oversensitivity. Abusers also start to become more forgetful and have difficulties focusing or paying attention.
Withdrawals
Abusers begin to experience withdrawal symptoms approximately eight hours after they consume. Then they’ll start to feel sweaty, nauseous and then start to have severe headaches. Withdrawals are also characterized by confusion or seizures.
Consumption
Abusers will begin to consume more alcohol or drugs over briefer periods to reach the same “high.” Addicts may also start lying about their consumption amounts.
Physical Body Changes
Physical symptoms that abusers will start to show include dilated or small pupils. These victims will also have bloodshot eyes more often.
Other physical body changes in abusers include their dramatic weight changes. These changes could either be weight loss or weight gain. These body weight changes are also usually accompanied by lingering body odors as well.
Treatment Models For Addictions
When it comes to giving up drugs or alcohol, many patients enroll themselves in a treatment facility. No two treatment centers are exactly alike. Some examples of these treatment facility models include the following:
Outpatient Treatment Programs
Outpatient treatment centers provide medical and testing services. A patient receives these services without staying overnight. Patients continue to stay with their jobs and homes. They only return to the site at scheduled times for treatment.
Inpatient Treatment Programs
Inpatient treatment programs are inside a hospital. These facilities will track a patient 24 hours a day.
Their goal is to stabilize them from any signs of abuse or addiction. This constant monitoring helps restore the patient to their normal stable health.
Therapeutic Communities
Therapeutic communities are another addiction treatment model. At a therapeutic community, both treatment providers and patients live onsite. A therapeutic community approach shows patients how they can make lifestyle changes. These changes can eventually help show them how to quit drugs.
Residential Treatment Centers
A residential treatment center is a health care facility located at a site that looks like a home. Staff don’t live onsite.
Some sites offer short interventions that only last a couple of days or weeks. Other residential treatment centers will offer longer-term treatment that lasts many months.
How You Can Quit Drugs or Alcohol
Enrolling in one of the treatment center models listed above is a good start. There are also five other methods that can help abusers quit drugs and alcohol for good. These five other ways include the following:
1. Detoxification/ Withdrawal
There is a withdrawal process called managed detoxification. Detoxification takes place under a physician’s care.
Managed detoxification takes place at inpatient treatment centers or hospitals. This process lasts anywhere from two to seven days. Sometimes doctors apply sedatives to ease withdrawals.
2. Behavioral Counseling
Behavioral counseling begins at an inpatient treatment center. This is where a patient sets goals for themselves. They use habit-changing techniques and other self-help resources to change their ways.
3. Psychological Counseling
Psychological counseling helps a patient understand the triggers of their substance abuse problem. Patients also learn how their addictions might be the result of another mental health disorder. This disorder might include depression or anxiety.
Both behavioral and psychological counseling work with groups or individually. They help a patient understand their substance addiction and support their recovery. Some patients may benefit from either family or couples therapy sessions. Family support plays an important role in the recovery process.
4. Medication
Another process you might try to quit drugs includes taking certain medications. For example, doctors will dispense medications such as Vitriol and Antabuse. These drugs aim to help patients who are giving up drugs.
These drugs will stop your cravings after you quit consuming. Doctors dispense Vivitrol injections to abusers once a month. Vivitrol dampens any “feel good” sensation that drugs and alcohol create.
Doctors can also dispense Antabuse to help curb your habit to drink. This drug doesn’t end the urge to drink or cure alcohol abuse.
Instead, this drug produces physical reactions such as vomiting, headaches, and nausea. These reactions alone may be all you need to see why it’s time to quit.
5. Ongoing Peer Support
Peer support groups include Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. They help patients continue their hard work after they leave a treatment center.
Peer support helps recovering patients make necessary lifestyle change or work through relapses. This support is usually delivered by attending support group meetings.
Ready To Quit Drugs For Good?
Talk to your doctor. Ask for their advice on which facility treatment model will work best for your situation. Check your personal and professional responsibilities. See if a residential or outpatient treatment program would work for you.
If you’re ready to research treatment centers on your own, check in with the folks at the Drug Rehab Agency (https://www.drugrehab.agency.) They specialize in connecting treatment centers with patients. Let them help put you back on the road to recovery to reclaim your good health.
