Drug Rehab Can Effectively Break the Chains of Addiction. Why is it So Hard to Get Started?
Committing to Get Treatment Can be Overwhelming
Addiction is a chronic disease, and like other chronic illnesses, it must be confronted and managed. But it’s not easy to admit you need help, and it’s even harder to commit to enrolling in a drug rehab program in Arizona.
Who suffer from addiction look for excuses to avoid change or deny that they have a problem. Even those who recognize that they need help may feel hopeless, defeated, and uncertain that recovery is possible.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has found that most people who enter a drug rehab program and finish drug treatment can overcome their addiction and greatly improve their overall well-being. But committing to drug rehab is often the most difficult part of the recovery journey because it involves making big changes in your life when you do not feel strong enough to do so. If the decision to commit feels too big, you can build up making a change through an exercise in self-reflection.
Preparing for Change Can Help You Commit to Treatment
Sometimes it’s easier to take a series of smaller steps before you take a giant leap. The idea of drug rehab may sound overwhelming, so first, reflect on your current situation and future goals in a way that depends on objectivity rather than emotion. Take inventory of your situation using an outsider’s perspective, and ask the following questions:
1. What do you value most in life?
It could be your partner, your children, your health, career, or something else that’s extremely important to you. Ask yourself what impact your drug use has on those things.
2. Are you aware of how often you are using drugs and which circumstances compel you to use?
Track your drug use by taking notes or documenting it on a chart. Monitoring your drug use can illustrate the specific ways in which substance abuse affects your day-to-day routine. Your drug use evaluation will also help to identify the emotions or events that lead you to use.
3. What will happen if you stop drinking or using?
Constructing a simple pros and cons chart about quitting drug use can highlight both the benefits and costs of using. It also permits you to be honest about why you’re struggling to commit to recovery.
4. Get a trusted opinion from someone else.
If there’s someone in your life that you can fully trust, ask him or her to tell you their true opinions about your drug use.
5. What is holding you back?
Finally, ask yourself what you think is preventing you from making a change. What are your specific fears or doubts? Is there anything that could help you decide to quit?
After you’ve assessed your current situation, it will be easier to consider change. You may need to take a few additional steps before you’re ready to commit to treatment. But reminding yourself about why you want to make a change and asking family and friends to support your efforts will encourage you to follow-through on your goals.
Overcome Fear of the Unknown by Researching Your Treatment Options
If you feel like your commitment to treatment means giving up control, be assured that you still have the power to decide which kind of program will work best for you. Investigate the various treatment options, such as long-term or short-term residential treatment, outpatient programs, or sober living facilities.
What all of these programs have in common is that their focus extends well beyond drug addiction. You’re not “cured” once you no longer have a physical dependence on the drug. Successful treatment requires uncovering your substance abuse disorder’s root and finding ways to cope without relying on drugs. All of these programs are customized to address your unique needs. And our programs include therapies designed to help you learn new skills and practice the behaviors that will allow you to lead a drug-free life.
Early Self-Discovery Work Will Pay Off in Treatment
The self-reflection that helped you to commit to recovery in the first place will be useful while you’re in treatment. It will also be helpful long after you’ve completed the initial program. Accepting responsibility for your decision to use drugs can make it easier to recognize that you’re also in control of your recovery and that ongoing accountability is the key to long-term sobriety.
Drug Rehab that’s Customized for You
At Desert Cove Recovery, our Arizona drug rehab staff develops a custom program for your unique needs. Using 12-step and holistic therapy methods, our patients learn to take accountability for their decisions and practice the skills to help them cope without drug use. Extended care programs are also available. Contact us to learn more about our treatment models and discover why you can finally have control over your destiny.
