Addiction recovery can sometimes seem like a herculean process to work through, and this can prevent those who really need help from taking the initiative. If you’re already worn down, going through an addiction rehab program can seem impossible.
Thankfully, Louisville addiction treatment centers are all too familiar with the challenges you may face and wish to make this process as easy as possible for you. When they achieve this without depriving you of your own success, and without applying shortcuts to the very necessary healing process you are about to undergo, lasting change can be experienced.
For this reason, all treatments will process in measurable phases. This way, you can break up recovery into stages and avoid having to take on that mountain all at once.
4 Phases Of An Addiction Rehab Program
But what are the four phases of an addiction rehab journey, and how do these contribute to a successful recovery? The stages, developed by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, have delineated the process:
Treatment Initiation
Settling into treatment can be a new and intensive process, so most clinics will do their best to orient you as appropriate. This may involve introducing you to their outpatient or teletherapy services.
It will include talking through your addiction and its ramifications. Putting the entire problem into broad yet clear detail is an essential part of recovery, and if you’ll forgive the unintentional pun, can be very sobering to go through. However, this process is instructive, and can help rehabilitation seem less disconnected from you, rather a journey you can grasp with both hands should you accept it.
Here you will explore your feelings in regard to addiction, become motivated, and perhaps speak in honest terms with your supporters.
Abstinence (Early)
The second phase of rehab is known as early abstinence, and it deals with the immediate effects of withdrawal, weaning off a substance, and learning coping mechanisms for living a normal and fulfilled life.
This can take some time if you’ve been lost in your addiction for a while. Rehab treatments help you cope with cravings, and you’ll identify risks in your outside life that may have contributed to your sustained habit thus far.
However, this can also be one of the most hopeful stages of treatment, as you begin to adapt to a new normal and break free from your behavioral shackles.
Abstinence (Maintained)
After a common 3 months (or 90 days) of abstinence, the focus comes upon sustaining your healthy habits, dealing with unexpected cravings, avoiding relapse, and knowing the telltale signs of one.
It will also help you learn how to cope with stress in daily life without turning back to your addiction. This can help you curate better relationships, develop a drug and substance-free lifestyle, and also learn additional techniques to deal with undulled emotions, such as anger or sadness. Healthy substitutes to cope with these measures involve exercise and good nutrition. This provides the stability you need to move forward.
Further & Advanced Recovery
Roughly undertaken after five years of abstinence (it could be more or less depending on your needs), you will begin to think long-term, free from the shackles of your addiction.
However, those who have developed an addiction are always at risk, even minor risk, of falling back into their habits. This means that advanced recovery tuition prevents you from becoming lax, instead of helping you stay on guard. This carrot and stick approach not only prevents you from falling into a life you don’t wish to live, but it helps you chase one you find appealing. With every minor success, you make that more and more possible.
Remember – while rehab may have helped you, your achievements are your own. At this stage in the game, you will see that every single day.
Why not visit Louisville addiction treatment centers if you believe yourself in need of this service? Perhaps, today is the day when you make the rest of your life, the best of your life.