Currently, there are nearly 22 million people that are suffering from active substance use disorders in the US. 23 million people are in addiction recovery. 45 million people are directly impacted by addiction, and 1 and 3 households either suffer from, are exposed to, or are otherwise impacted by addiction. The conclusion is that Americans are in the midst of an addiction epidemic and people are often embarrassed or ashamed to ask for addiction help. 
Admitting You Have A Problem With Addiction
Suffering from a substance use disorder is one the most difficult things anybody can go through, but realizing that you have a problem and need treatment is the first step toward a life of recovery. I don’t know one person that has ever suffered from an addiction that wasn’t scared to start treatment. There are a lot of fears. The fear of detox is probably one of the biggest roadblocks for people to starting treatment. There is also the fear of change, structure, being told what to do and when to do it, and being away from your close friends and family members. Here is the good news, there are a lot of different options now for treatment. The next step is looking into those various options and deciding which is going to be best for the situation.
Treatment Options for Substance Abuse
Treatment for addiction is not one-size-fits-all. It must be individualized based on what the individual is going through. A lot of people that suffer from addiction also have untreated mental health disorders that must be addressed. If this is the case with you then finding a program that treats both the addiction and mental conditions is probably the direction to take. This is called a co-occurring or dual diagnosis program. Most substance abuse counselors and addiction specialists will recommend either an inpatient treatment program or medical detox for someone that has developed a physical dependence on a drug. In a supervised medical detox environment, you can be monitored closely and given medications to help make the process a lot easier. It is also much safer especially if an individual is coming off dangerous amounts of alcohol or benzodiazepines where fatal seizure activity could occur. In a medical detoxification program, the person would stay for usually at least 7 days to fully detox off of all substances and then be released to an outpatient treatment setting. In an inpatient treatment program, the individual goes through a medical detox and then moves over to the residential treatment side of the program. Inpatient addiction treatment is usually at least 30 days in a rehab facility. During this program, you will learn about the disease of addiction, attend meetings, support group functions, and do counseling and therapy sessions with licensed addiction specialists.
Sober Support for Recovering People
Other treatment options available can consist of medication-assisted treatment to help with detox and then either intensive outpatient therapy or regular outpatient services. Intensive outpatient therapy is usually 3 to 4 days a week for at least 3-hour sessions. While regular outpatient treatment is generally 1 or 2 days a week for 1-hour sessions. There are also 12-step meetings and support groups to attend and several different therapy options for addiction. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, rational emotive behavior therapy, and contingency management are just some of the different therapy options used to treat addiction.
Starting the Addiction Recovery Journey
Once you are ready to start the treatment process, a substance abuse assessment with an addiction counselor is usually the first step. The counselor will get a drug and alcohol use history, medical history, and psychological history from you. From there they will usually make recommendations for treatment. Of course, you don’t have to follow their recommendations, but they make those recommendations for a reason! Starting your recovery journey can be an overwhelming feeling and process. Some people are so sick with their addictions that they don’t know where to begin. Reaching out to someone for help is the best approach. There is always someone out there ready and willing to help another suffering addict. Reach out to someone and ask for help, your life is at stake here!
Drug Addiction Help is HERE
Evoke Wellness in Coconut Creek, Florida, offers a safe and comfortable environment for medical detoxification. Our patients are treated extensively so that minimal discomfort is experienced during the detox process. We provide residential treatment in a structured environment and then provide you with aftercare support which is very important when being treated for addiction. Our treatment centers offer a comprehensive approach to treating substance abuse with multiple levels of addiction treatment care. EVOKE Coconut Creek is here to help you! We want to get you on the road to long-term recovery.
