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Although it may become the most difficult journey of your life, recovery from drug addiction is possible and worth all the work it takes to get — and stay — sober. And you don’t have to do it alone. Cumberland Heights, a premier alcohol and drug abuse treatment center, is here when you’re ready to commit to a happier, healthier life.
First, it may be useful to learn more about addiction in general and then, specifically, cocaine and heroin addiction treatment and recovery.
Addiction is the state of compulsively using a chemical substance despite the negative consequences of using it. It is not the same as drug/alcohol use or even drug/alcohol abuse. Use refers to occasionally using drugs/alcohol. Abuse refers to either using a drugs/alcohol excessively or using a drug/alcohol in a way that it was not intended to be used.
A person doesn’t have to be physically dependent on a drug/alcohol to have an addiction. Addiction can occur without physical dependence, and physical dependence can occur without addiction. For example, a person can become physically dependent on blood pressure medication, but that doesn’t mean the person is addicted. Similarly, a person may have a cocaine addiction yet not experience physical withdrawal symptoms when he or she stops using.
No one knows for sure what causes addiction. But several factors seem to play a part. Addiction is often linked with the following:
• Genetic make-up of the individual
• Pharmacology of the particular drug/alcohol
• Peer pressure
• Emotional distress
• Anxiety, depression and environmental stress
According to the National Institutes of Health, at least half of people with an addiction also have depression, attention-deficit disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder or other psychological problems.
Addiction is best treated within a drug abuse treatment center. Treatment for addiction varies by rehab center. Generally, treatment includes a combination of detoxification and behavioral therapy that is based on support from others and abstaining from future drug/alcohol use.
Detox
It’s common for addiction treatment to begin with detoxification, or detox. Detox is the act of stopping the use of a drug/alcohol while under medical supervision. The detox process rids the body of certain toxins (harmful substances) while helping manage withdrawal symptoms, often with medication. Withdrawal symptoms vary by substance and can be very uncomfortable. It is very difficult to undergo drug/alcohol detox without help from addiction professionals. Quitting without help can even be life-threatening. Medically supervised drug/alcohol detox ensures that a person is safe and comfortable while the body adjusts to being without the substance.
Counseling
In most rehab centers, the counseling process begins during or directly after detox. Addiction treatment often consists of an inpatient or residential rehab program that lasts 30-60 days. Many rehab centers also offer outpatient programs. Both inpatient and outpatient treatment may include individual and group therapy, family workshops, 12-step program meetings and recreational therapy. Many reputable treatment centers also offer aftercare and relapse prevention programs, designed to help patients re-enter the community after treatment ends. The goal for most addiction treatment programs is lifelong abstinence.
Often, addiction is accompanied by an underlying psychological problem such as depression. This is called “dual diagnosis.” Quality rehab centers provide screenings to determine if patients have a dual diagnosis and then work to treat both the addiction and the mental health issue.
Many treatment centers choose a holistic approach to treating addiction. This means treating every aspect of the person, not just the addiction. A holistic approach to treating addiction factors in the person’s physical, emotional, spiritual, family and social life as well as a person’s cultural background and special needs.
Help is available for all types of addictions, including cocaine recovery and heroin recovery.
Cocaine Addiction Treatment
Once addicted, it is difficult to stop using cocaine without professional help. For those who seek cocaine addiction treatment, promising treatments are used, including cognitive behavioral therapy, a collaborative treatment for cocaine addiction involving a close partnership between therapists and addicted individuals. Residential and outpatient treatment programs cover many aspects of addiction. These cocaine recovery programs may include:
• medically supervised cocaine detoxification (detox)
• group and individual counseling
• family therapy
• 12-step program meetings
• relapse prevention
• aftercare programs.
Medical researchers are also currently working to develop pharmacological options for cocaine recovery.
People who don’t voluntarily seek cocaine addiction treatment can still be helped with their drug addiction. Often, intervention is a useful part of chemical dependency treatment, especially with a highly addictive drug such as cocaine. Intervention by friends and family can help addicts face their drug addiction while giving them the encouragement they need to stop using drugs.
Often, when an individual seeks treatment for addiction, family members can also benefit from programs offered in an addiction treatment center. When family members understand how to help their loved one, the addicted person’s chances of cocaine recovery increase.
What is the Cocaine Recovery Process?
As previously mentioned, withdrawal and recovery from cocaine addiction is best accomplished under the supervision of a medical professional in a cocaine treatment center setting. Staff at cocaine rehab centers can assist with physical withdrawal symptoms and feelings of paranoia, depression, irritability and anxiety that can accompany cocaine detox.
After successful detox and treatment, it’s imperative to continue the lifelong recovery process through attending 12-step meetings and aftercare programs.
Heroin Addiction Treatment
Stopping heroin use abruptly causes a number of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Drug withdrawal, especially from heroin, can cause the user great discomfort. Few people can stop using heroin without going through a heroin addiction treatment and recovery program, which often includes heroin detoxification or detox. Detox is the first step in treating heroin addiction, but detox alone doesn’t cure heroin addiction.
Available heroin addiction treatments include pharmaceutical therapy with synthetic narcotics that block the effects of heroin, such as methadone. When combined with therapeutic substance abuse rehab programs, these medications can help the heroin addict regain a stable and productive life. Both residential and outpatient drug treatment programs provide a broad base of support for people with heroin addiction. In addition to medically supervised detox, these heroin recovery programs may include:
• family counseling
• group therapy
• 12-step program meetings
• relapse prevention and
• aftercare programs.
Because heroin interferes with self-care, a heroin addict may be very unlikely to seek treatment. For this reason, intervention is often necessary for a person with heroin addiction. Fortunately, a person doesn’t have to seek treatment voluntarily to benefit from heroin rehab. Intervention by friends and family can help a heroin addict face drug addiction while offering the support he or she needs to stop using drugs.
What is the Heroin Recovery Process?
Withdrawal and recovery from heroin addiction is most effectively accomplished under the supervision of a medical professional in a heroin addiction treatment center setting. Staff at heroin rehab centers can assist with physical withdrawal symptoms and intense cravings for the drug, along with associated restlessness, disturbed sleep patterns, abnormal blood pressure and pulse rate, dilated pupils and irritability.
After successful detox and treatment, it’s imperative to continue the lifelong heroin recovery process by attending 12-step meetings and aftercare programs.
Some people falsely believe that addicts can simply stop using drugs/alcohol if they want to. The truth is that once a person is addicted it is very difficult — and often very dangerous — to quit without help. Quitting without help almost always leads to relapse. Studies show that when people use drugs/alcohol for a long period of time, their brain experiences changes that exist long after use is discontinued. In other words, use affects the brain in lasting ways. These biological factors make people more susceptible to relapse in certain situations; for example, when they experience stress or when they see friends who still use. Relapse can also occur when people encounter places or objects that they associate with past use.
Formal addiction treatment through a qualified drug abuse treatment center gives people a much better chance at quitting for good. A medically supervised detox program, for example, helps cleanse the body of drug/alcohol-related toxins while helping the person through uncomfortable and often painful withdrawal symptoms. And behavioral therapy, offered in most rehab centers, helps people examine the origins of addiction while teaching them the skills needed to maintain sobriety. Addiction treatment focuses heavily on relapse prevention and aftercare, which may include involvement in the 12-step program meetings and other resources designed to help a person stay drug/alcohol-free. Addiction treatment also comes with a system of support, so people don’t feel alone while they work through treatment.
Denial tends to play a major role in addiction. People with addictions often unconsciously block reality and insist that they are not addicted. Meanwhile, they engage in increasingly self-destructive behavior, damaging their relationships, jobs, and self-esteem. Denial is so prevalent with addicts that addiction is sometimes called the disease of denial.
If you use drugs/alcohol, it’s important to come to terms with patterns of denial. To evaluate your drug/alcohol use and determine if you have an addiction, ask yourself the following questions:
• Have you ever felt you ought to cut down on your drug/alcohol use?
• Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drug/alcohol use?
• Have you ever felt guilty about your drug/alcohol use?
• Have you ever used drugs/alcohol first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get the day started?
If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, drugs/alcohol may have become a problem in your life. Even if you’re simply abusing drugs/alcohol, you may be on the path to a serious addiction. Consider getting help. A treatment program can help you treat or avoid addiction.
The good news about addiction is that generally even the most severely addicted people can enter recovery with commitment and the proper treatment. Often the biggest challenge is getting the person to accept he or she has an addiction and needs to seek help.
If you feel that you have an addiction, consider making a call to a rehab treatment center like Cumberland Heights. Making a call doesn’t obligate you to go to rehab. It simply allows you the chance to talk to a professional who understands the pain you may be going through. You can learn about your options and decide if addiction treatment is right for you. It may not be easy, but it is the first step toward regaining the life you may have lost because of your addiction.
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