Have you ever wondered what the steps to addiction recovery are? Or what kind of addiction recovery resources should you be using? Well, there isn’t just one answer for this. Let’s start with defining addiction. The textbook definition of addiction is the psychological and physical inability to stop consuming a chemical, drug, activity, or substance, even when it’s causing psychological and physical harm. However, the textbook definition of addiction touches the surface of how it affects people’s lives. Addiction has a tendency to root from an issue as early as when you were a child. With that being said, there is no single story of what steps to take in order to recover from addiction. Everybody’s journeys are different, hence, treated differently. But, there are some common programs and treatments that reach and help a lot of people.
Body Positive Works takes a holistic approach to your addiction recovery, by digging deeper into it. Seeking to understand the reasons behind the individual’s addiction – exploring relationships with family, friends, and most importantly – relationship with the self is all a part of the approach that we take. That’s why we identify and address the heart and mind issues behind the addiction, walking alongside the individual on their journey to short-term stabilization, and long-term growth, health, and wellness. It’s not just about rehabilitating your physical being, it’s about your mental being too. Steering clear of your addiction and going through rehab can be just as important as sitting down with somebody and talking about it.
There are many common things that people find themselves addicted to. But the list goes further than drugs and alcohol. Some others that are common are gambling, food, exercising, pain, shopping, and more. The list goes on and on. But how do people seek treatment? What kinds of treatments are out there?
Besides sitting down with a therapist and talking, there also comes a time where there needs to be real detox from your addiction. Here are some of the most common addiction treatment programs.
- Short-Term Residential Treatment: Short-term residential programs offer intensive but generally brief treatment based on a modified 12-step approach. These programs were originally designed to treat alcohol problems but have progressed to treat other types of substance use disorders.
- Long Term Residential Treatment: Long-term residential treatment offers care 24 hours a day, usually in non-hospital settings. The most well-known residential treatment model is called a therapeutic community, with planned lengths of stay of between 6 and 12 months. They focus on the “resocialization” of an individual and use the program’s entire community. Having a community in your recovery, including other residents and staff can serve as a really beneficial component in recovery.
- Outpatient Treatment Programs: Outpatient treatment programs vary in the types and in the intensity of the services they offer. In several outpatient programs, group counseling is used often and can be a real benefit in recovery.
- Individualized Counseling: Individualized drug counseling doesn’t just focus on stopping drug or alcohol use, but also dives deeper into where the addiction is rooted from, and what other parts of your life may be holding you back. Like I mentioned before, talking about your recovery process is just as important as doing it, and making sure you are mentally in the right place during it all is crucial to recovering.
Group Counseling: Group therapy is a great way to capitalize on the social reinforcement provided by discussion among peers. This has been proven to help promote active and efficient recovery. Having others around you going through the same thing can help you relate and feel more comfortable, visualize your goals, and motivate your recovery.
