You read and hear a lot of blah, blah, blah, about addiction and recovery and treatment of addictions. You recognize that you hear the same boring stuff over and over.
What does it all mean and how does it apply to you?
I’m a recovering addict, and that’s all I will say. I’ve been in lots of trouble and in and out of a lot of treatment centers and programs, and I want to wade through all of the professional jibber jabber and tell you what I finally figured out and what finally started to help me.
This addiction thing is pretty complicated. What you see in addictions today is a mishmash of problems that include social issues, physical and biological complications, and lots and lots of mental or psychological problems thrown in.
The suffering addicts today are mostly druggies of some type, although the boozers are still trying to hang on to first place. The addicts come in all ages from young kids in middle school to the old geezers in a nursing home. Addiction is an equal opportunity problem!
So, my first difficulty was that everything I looked at or tried was a cookie cutter solution that was created to treat a general addiction but didn’t account for the hundreds of different addictive substances or the wide age range and social situations of the addict. I hate cookie cutter stuff!
I’m special. I wanted something that fit my addiction and something that worked for me. I knew my situation was very different from the people around me in these programs that I tried.
I wanted to get knee-to-knee with someone who understood not only my addiction but also knew where I came from, what my ‘streets’ were like, what I had experienced, what the hardships were, what the temptations were. Between us, we could figure it all out and design a program that worked for me. I was desperate.
Those treatments I tried didn’t quite fit me… the therapies were kind of outdated, and the people running the programs seemed out of touch with reality and didn’t understand my crazy modern world and the real drug scene.
It seemed like they were just plodding along, spouting out the same old stuff, and were not too enthusiastic about digging deep and finding out what was needed to provide me with effective and useful help.
I designed my program based on my particular addiction, my physical condition, my psychological state, and the program would conform to things that directly treated my addiction in all areas and was slanted towards my age group and social status.
I’m not talking about ‘going it alone.’ I’m talking about a custom treatment program that included the correct treatment center, the right programs and therapies, and the type of professionals that I needed to do my work.
This program worked for me. It was hard work finding what I needed, and at times very painful, but I worked my way through it and in the end, had the perfect treatment center and a custom program that fit me like a glove.
It ain’t easy but if I can do it so can you. Here are the guts of what I did:
I made sure that all of the issues were resolved, like payments and insurance, and verified that they had what I needed and would be willing to create a customized program for me that had all of the things I wanted and needed.
I made an application and waited for a slot to open and a time when I could jump right into the program.
Maybe you’re curious about the future. Why bother?! You need to focus on the here, and now, that’s what’s important and what will help you. You can’t fix an addiction by thinking and dreaming about the future.
OK, I got it. In any form of addiction, hopes are high that no relapse will happen.
Relapse happens when an addict is unable to sustain the new clean lifestyle after treatment. There are drastic changes that occur after treatment, and it can cause anxiety and stress and force an addict to draw back to his former life; that’s why building a sustainable recovery is so very important.
When we talk about a sustainable recovery, we mean the long-term plans for a recovering addict. After your treatment, it is really important to map out the next steps
I can tell you that getting back into a normal and sober routine will not happen quickly and it won’t be easy. It’s important for you to be able to recognize potential trigger points in causing relapse:
In addiction recovery and treatment there are a lot of things that cause stress. It varies per individual. Stress comes in different forms and at different levels but when you hit a threshold and can’t handle it, you might look for ways of alleviating the discomfort. Sadly, it can be by returning to substance abuse.
Emotions and negative feelings cause discomfort. Nobody enjoys discomfort, and that’s why some addicts feel the only way to remove this powerful level of discomfort is by going back to drugs or alcohol.
Are you still exposed to drugs, alcohol or whatever it is you were addicted to? Whether you like it or not if you find yourself in a situation where drugs or alcohol are easily available, you may find yourself in a situation where the urge becomes too strong, and you end up giving in. Stay away from those situations!
Look, you can’t do this by yourself. The awful feelings of loneliness and isolation can lead you back to using. The groups and sponsorship will remove that problem from your life if you are willing to do the work.
Counselors and therapists are professionals trained to handle addiction. They are there to help and can help you find the path to a successful and sustainable recovery.
Recovering addicts just can’t do it alone. Don’t even try. Sustainable treatment means building a well-established network of people who can help you in your healing process. A network could be your family, your sponsor, other recovering addicts, or your counselor or therapist.
Get your head out of your addiction. Quit worshipping it. Addiction tramples your life and makes you withdraw, and that can lead to total isolation. Sustainable recovery should help you get back into mainstream society. It should allow you to function again, do meaningful work, and recognize your worth in the community.
Once you are back in your life and doing mainstream activities, you will face a lot of challenges and frustrations. That’s normal and normal people know how to handle those things. But we’re not normal. If we begin to feel overpowered by any stressful situation and feel an impending relapse coming, we must seek immediate help. We have the right network of people around who know and understand your problem and they are the ones you can turn to for immediate help.
The road to recovery seems to be unbelievably long, but it’s not like you have a lot of other choices. Get your head into this, create a powerful Sustainable Recovery Program, and march forward. The future is yours!
I wish you luck and success.
The facility is fantastic, the staff is remarkable, and the treatment and therapy menu is vast. You can easily find the components for your custom treatment program and the staff will be happy to help you.
These guys walk to walk and can talk the talk. It made all the difference to me in the outcome of my sustainable recovery, going strong after 5+ years!
Chateau Recovery Center
375 Rainbow Lane
Midway, UT 84049, USA
Phone: +1 435-654-1082
http://chateaurecovery.com
Please call our toll-free helpline which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is staffed by experienced and caring professionals who can answer your questions and help you navigate through the process of evaluating and securing a treatment program.
If you or someone you love has questions concerning the rehabilitation process, call our free helpline Phone: +1 888-971-2986 for more information. Calls are always confidential, private, and secure.