When a person enters an addiction recovery center, they are usually there for one reason: to get sober. Their main focus is to stop using the drugs or alcohol and get counseling through the withdrawal and recovery period. A big problem with many drug treatment centers is that they are only treating one thing: the drug addiction. It does not get deeper into the problems that contribute to addictive lifestyles. The person will leave the inpatient center and have a very good chance of relapsing.
What drives addiction? Often, it is depression. A person who feels sad or thinks they have lost control of their life will find comfort in their addiction. It will often take their pain away on a temporary basis, even if they admit that in the long run, it is making their problem worse. They cannot cope; they are just living day to day and a quick-fix to their depression is acceptable. Problem solving therapies known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be used to treat the anxiety a person is experiencing. Better life skills and having the know-how to make better choices will help to make any addiction recovery process more successful.
Many people simply are not getting the comprehensive treatment they need to battle substance abuse. Vista Taos Renewal Center in New Mexico believes in “whole treatment” therapies to heal both the body and mind from drug addiction and the triggers that spark it. More complete treatment will equal more effective treatment in the years after inpatient therapy is done to address the whole person.
Is it possible a person does not know or does not fully understand that they are depressed? Of course. When picking an addiction recovery clinic, making sure that there are licensed, expert therapists to help bring these underlying problems to the surface is a must. Treating the addiction is important, but what many clinics fail to realize and offer is that treating the reasons for addiction is just as important. If these reasons were not apparent during the admission phase, they may become more visible during the withdrawal phase. A person’s real emotions will surface once left to cope without the substance controlling their system. The clinic’s counselors should take the opportunity to really work with a patient to overcome the depressive issues that may bring on substance abuse after their stay at the addiction recovery center is over.
Some depressive issues are incredibly deep-rooted and can trace all the way back to a person’s childhood. These are problems that a few weeks or even months at a substance abuse treatment center may not be able to work through. Drug treatment goes far past inpatient treatment. Withdrawal and group counseling sessions are just the beginning of a lifetime commitment outside of the treatment center. If a person has serious mental health and behavioral problems associated with drug or alcohol abuse, their treatment needs to continue. It needs to continue on a regular basis, often for the duration of the person’s lifetime. This is called Outpatient Therapy. It is not just a short-term transition from life inside an addiction recovery center until a person can be comfortable again in the real world. It is much more than that. It is a promise to yourself and your family that staying sober is important. It is a practice that when applied, will help keep a person away from their addictions. Therapy past simple addiction counseling will not be time wasted; it is a proven fact that those who commit themselves to addiction recovery treatments and continue to get therapy related to addiction or mental disorders are more likely to remain sober.
Addiction usually does not just happen. There are reasons that will often lead to a person’s dependence on drugs or alcohol. Know that treating the addiction is just as important as treating the underlying mental disorder that may be fueling the flames.
