Identifying, Treating, and Planning
Addiction is proven to be a disease and like most diseases it is also very treatable. However, unlike most diseases, the treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation from addiction is highly subjective and irregular and one of the most complicated diseases to treat successfully.
One of the most baffling and hard to understand diseases, addiction treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation processes are extraordinarily varied and complicated. Addictions have long been considered to be social diseases with blame placed squarely on the shoulders of the individual suffering from the disease. It is now understood that addictions are physical and scientific in nature and are often related to the biological or genetic makeup of the individual and it has been determined that the disease is not a Personality Flaw.
Addiction as a Social Disease
Another dynamic in the case of individual addictive disorders and treatments is the fact that it is not only the individual who is addicted that is impacted. Families, friends, neighbors, and communities are almost always affected when the addict harms those around him and/or commits crimes or violent acts against society. Therefore, any treatment and recovery program, in order to be successful, must include family, friends, and even communities and governments.
Part One: Identifying an Addiction
Addictions can be difficult to to spot, however, there are many common and recognizable behaviors.
There are stages in an addiction. We don’t just wake up one morning and find ourselves addicted. The addiction process is usually slow and takes place in phases over time. In brief, the process, regardless of what the addiction is, always looks like this:
Experimentation - They first test to see what it’s like.
Gratification - They find that it gives a reward of positive feeling
Overuse - The increase usage and shift from regular use to excessive and risky use
Addiction / Dependence
Recognizable Signs and Behaviors
Actual possession of a drug or illegal or questionable substance.
Possession of drug paraphernalia… can be needles, pipes, strange powders.
You can usually smell marijuana and alcohol due to distinct odors.
Illness or possible side effects.
Behavioral changes like school attendance or grades.
Missing work and making excuses
Extreme moodiness and depression and unwillingness to speak or discuss.
Changes in eating habits or sudden weight changes.
Staying out late, unexplained hours, and not coming home.
Unexplained missing money or valuables in the home or workplace
Part Two: Addiction Recovery Plan
One of the most powerful methods of bringing an addict to a treatment or recovery program is evidence-based intervention. It could be a legal or court ordered intervention, a caring individual, or a family member, but an intervention is necessary in dealing with addicts because they will rarely, if ever, come to a treatment or recovery program on their own accord.
For people seeking recovery, the road can be painfully long and filled with seemingly insurmountable challenges and roadblocks. The challenges are physical, emotional, and mental and almost at the same time.
Recovery might seem impossible and sometimes feels like a futile attempt. However, it’s important to remember that anything is possible and with each successful step comes a powerful learning experience and a new growth and opportunity for the future.
5 Stages of Recovery
In any addiction recovery program you will recognize these stages:
Denial Stage - Begins with the denial of the addiction
Uncertainty Stage - Unsure and conflicting emotions begin to surface
Acceptance and Planning Stage - Accepting the need for help and planning the treatment program.
Move to Action Stage - Putting the plan into action and beginning the treatment.
Stability and Relapse Prevention Stage - Gain some solid footing and stability with the program and watching for signs of Relapse.
Choosing a Treatment Program
When an addict has reached the acceptance and planning stage, they will need help in reviewing options and making choices. To answer your questions and provide information about choice options we offer a comprehensive and complete Q&A report that was created and managed by Chateau Recovery.
As you begin to study treatment programs and offerings you will find it can be very confusing. Here are some specifics about the addiction treatment offered at Chateau Recovery.
Dual Diagnosis
“Our professional team uses comprehensive psychosocial interviews and addiction-specific assessments to help us create direction and focus for your treatment experience.”
Innovative Choice Approach
Treating The Whole Self
Finding Balance
Value Development
Addiction recovery groups
Commonly referred to as 12-step programs patterned after the most successful and most famous and well-known, ‘Alcoholic Anonymous’, these are groups of anonymous people who meet together with a common desire to overcome addiction.
Different groups use similar methods, which have proven to be effective in an addiction recovery and rehabilitation program. Here are the most common groups:
Twelve-step addiction recovery groups
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
Cocaine Anonymous (CA)
Heroin Anonymous (HA)
Crystal Meth Anonymous (CMA)
Marijuana Anonymous (MA)
Nicotine Anonymous (NicA)
Narcotics Anonymous (NA)
Pills Anonymous (PA)
Sexaholics Anonymous (SA)
Part Three: Addiction Relapse Prevention Plan
Feeling good will help you make better choices. In recovery, you will have to take care of yourself by adopting healthy routines. Part three is all about taking care of yourself. Your body performs best when you:
Follow a healthy diet of whole foods with minimal processing
Discover an exercise routine you can stick with
Get at least eight hours of sleep every single night
Learn to Rely on Your Coping Skills
Make a list of the coping skills that you have learned and when you will use them. Keep this as a specific list that you can refer to when you need a reminder, such as when you are feeling stressed or anxious.
This is also the perfect opportunity for you to monitor your usage of coping skills. Keep notes on when you used the skill and how effective it was. The more you know what works best for you, the better opportunity you have for success.
Design a Relapse Crisis Plan
As much as we don’t like to talk about it, relapse is very common, especially when you are fresh out of recovery. Hopefully you will never need to utilize a relapse plan but just in case, you should design one
Should the situation arise, who would you call, or where would you go? Make sure you have a thought-out plan that you will take and that you have the support of all involved. Should you ever need to use it, this step will see you through.
Frequently Asked Questions About Treatment
Does Addiction run in families?
Yes, it happens in a great many cases however many addicts come from families with no history of the disease. There is actually no scientific proof that genetics plays a role in addiction but for some reason there seems to be an abnormal number of addicts in certain families. Other circumstances may come into play in those cases.
How long does it take to recover from an addiction?
Addiction Treatment and recovery programs vary greatly depending on the type of addiction and the degree of seriousness. Most treatment programs are between 30 and 90 days, depending on your addiction and personal circumstances. The programs are designed and administered by skilled professionals who will assess your situation and determine what program is best for you and the minimum length of time needed.
It’s a very personal situation. One great determining factor is how well you adapt to the treatment program and what your attitude is and your willingness to work hard towards your success.
Can addiction be cured?
Let me use this example: in the case of a serious disease like cancer we often say that it is in ‘remission’ and then we are watched and monitored, often tested, and never ignore the fact that the cancer is still ‘lurking’ in our system and although it’s considered to be in remission it could just come alive again without notice.
The same is true of addiction. We may go through a great addiction recovery and treatment program but since we have had the experience of an addiction to a specific substance we can assume that the possibility of a relapse and re-addiction is always there.
The secret to success in recover is to manage your treatment program and your life successfully afterwards.
What are the chances of relapse after rehab?
It happens. The answer might be another question, “How bad do you want quality of life, joy, and happiness?!” A lot of your success depends on your treatment and rehabilitation program and how hard you work at getting and staying straight.
Why does an addict relapse?
It’s usually caused by something negative in their life. They get lazy in their rehabilitation program; they might experience some extraordinary stress that causes them to break. They might have some new fear or frustration, they might suddenly become depressed or anxious. These are emotions or experiences that can certainly lead to a relapse.
What are the warning signs of relapse?
The most common signs of a potential relapse are:
Anxiety
Intolerance
Anger
Defensiveness
Mood swings.
Isolation
Not asking for help.
Not going to meetings.