Stopping cold turkey could kill an alcoholic. That’s right – sometimes getting clean from alcohol is fatal and we’re going to tell you why. It is especially important to know, now what we suspect its ‘alcohol detox time’ for you or someone you care for.  

It has to do with the alcohol withdrawal or detox process. Basically, alcoholics have taught their body a new normal (alcoholism) and the shock of taking that away can cause everything from a stroke to a week-long headache.

In some cases, alcoholics will suffer from delirium tremens or DT’s, which are often fatal without treatment.

With that information in mind, it’s essential to do alcohol detox time in a professional facility. They can treat symptoms as they arise and intervene if the more severe effects come up.

You’ve already lost years of your life/your loved ones life to alcohol. Don’t lose them to the process. Want to learn more about why a detox program is important? Read below.

Alcohol Detox Time: How Long Does it Take?

Detoxing from the chemical itself in your body can take up to a week, but rebuilding your life from alcohol addiction can take years. The more supported the alcoholic is in the initial detox and rehab process, the higher the chances are of them succeeding in their journey to sobriety.

However, you can’t force an addict to recover when they’re unwilling to recover. You can put them through a detox and rehab program, but you can’t make them stay away from alcohol once they come out.

One major reason people relapse is that their rehab didn’t address their dual diagnosis. A dual diagnosis is when someone has a mental health issue that they use the substance to treat.

If someone with anxiety drinks to slow down their thoughts, stopping drinking isn’t going to treat their anxiety. They may come out and not drink again, but turn to another drug that treats their symptoms.

When you’re finding a detox program, look for a facility that can treat dual diagnoses as well. That’s the ultimate recipe for success.

The Alcohol Withdrawal Timeline

Each alcoholic is different so the timeline can change from person to person. One alcoholic may experience the withdrawal symptoms for three days at one stage, while the other person only has them for one.

The different times have to do with genetics, the amount of alcohol in the system, the length of the addiction, and general health.

That said, here’s what the process looks like.

Stage 1: The Initial Comedown

About six to twelve hours after the last drink, the alcoholic will begin to sober up and may have the symptoms of a hangover. Many alcoholics drink upon waking to keep a hangover away, so it’s hard to tell what is detox and what are classic hangover symptoms.

They may feel nausea, headaches, and sensitivity to light or loud noises. Emotionally they may feel anxious, irritated, and they may even shake. These are the signs of the body asking for more alcohol, to maintain it’s “new” normal.

Strategic people sometimes aim to sleep through this stage, though they’re not often successful. The body is so used to alcohol-induced sleep that insomnia during the entire detox journey is common.

Lack of sleep exacerbates all the withdrawal symptoms and can make everything from headaches to moods worse. Your body can also develop seizures from lack of sleep – which we’ll explore more in the next stage.

Many alcoholics, on their own, never pass these first hours. Though it’s an unpleasant experience, this is not necessarily the worst stage of detox.

Stage 2: Day One Post-Alcohol

The first twenty-four hours after your last drink are some of the hardest, at least on the surface. You may feel the same as you did right after the drinks wore off, but for two to three days.

Loss of appetite and a general feeling of exhaustion are common, and the inability to sleep doesn’t play well into that. You may find you can’t keep anything down or that you’re vomiting up nothing – it’s all part of this stage’s course.

Mood swings are almost unavoidable during this stage. Depression may set in and can last for weeks or months after getting sober.

You may have tremors in this stage, meaning your hand or body will shake without reason. These are not the same thing as tremens, which you could encounter in stage three.

For most people, this stage lasts one to two days. It could last up to three if you’re particularly unlucky.

Stage 3: Days 2-4

For most people, the second stage ends on the second-day post-sobriety. For others, it ends at three – so this stage’s start time may be at day two or three, or four or five.

This stage is a little more intense, physically speaking. Your body is not happy and your systems are on high alert.

Your heart palpitations from stage two may turn into a racing heart and higher blood pressure. Your breathing may quicken and you may sweat more – as your body temperature will likely go up. You don’t have a fever from an illness, but from your body working hard to establish a new normal.

During this stage, you may feel irritable and confused, along with generally anxious. Many people have panic attacks in this stage, some over and over again. Panic attacks have their own physical symptoms, which look a lot like what your body is experiencing in this stage.

Hence, a panic attack may make your pre-existing symptoms worse. This is when medical professionals would step in and medicate the addict to slow the body processes down and treat the symptoms – but only if they’re in a medical detox facility.

Stage 3: The Most Dangerous Stage

It’s thought that Amy Winehouse died in this stage – not as a direct result from alcohol poisoning. And deaths happen more in this stage than any other stage – given the intensity of the psychological symptoms.

While you may feel physically better than you did in the past stages, it’s now your brain’s turn to deal with the effects. Many people in stage three, which starts four to five days after your last drink, experience hallucinations.

Hallucinations can drive people to do unsafe things, as they’re unaware that what they’re seeing isn’t real.

It’s also the stage where delirium tremens and seizures come into play – which are the most deadly symptoms.

A seizure is essentially a heart attack but in the brain. Some scientists and doctors choose to call them brain attacks. In this brain attack, something blocks blood (with oxygen in it) from reaching a specific part of the brain.

That part of the brain starves for oxygen and can lose capabilities or stop working entirely. That’s why you see some people lose the ability to speak or walk after a bad stroke.

Delirium Tremens

Delirium tremens are unlikely. They happen in three to five percent of people, many who have been alcoholics for years. We don’t necessarily know what causes them, but it’s like a central nervous system rebound.

Some people think it has to do with alcohol-depleted stores of GABA in the brain.

For some people, the tremens are just like a mild shake, but for others, they’re accompanied by hallucinations or delirium (the inability to separate fact from fiction in reality).

The worst DT’s can cause seizures, as we talked about in our last point. The combination of all these symptoms can lead to death, which happens anywhere between 5-15% of the time.

In those instances, the extreme change from alcoholic to sobriety was just too much for the body to handle on its own.

If you’re worried about you or your loved one experiencing DT’s, then getting into a supervised medical detox is a must. They can pick up on the early signs of DT’s and treat them before they become worse or fatal.

Medical Detox Programs

Though the detox process is grueling and rebuilding your life is a hard and long process, both are worth it. Your life or your loved one’s life will be so much better a year from now, it’ll be almost unrecognizable.

To make the process a little less miserable, find a medical detox center. Not only will they help you or a loved one start rehab, but they’ll treat the worst of the alcohol withdrawal symptoms as they come along.

It costs more, but in the case that you or a loved one develops seizures or DT’s, it could save lives.

Starting the Detox Journey

If you’re ready to start or help someone start their alcohol detox time? It’s the best way to invest in sobriety and in the future.To talk to one of our intake counselors, click here.

Did you know over 21.5 million Americans aged 12 or older experienced substance use disorder in 2014 alone? This has affected millions of other lives, including their families’ and friends’. If you’re looking for more information, chances are you could use some help answering the question, ‘Am I an enabler?”

However, some of the reasons why an addict may have continued abusing substances are their friends and families, too. They may be enablers, which might have prevented an addict get the type of help they needed at the time.

If you have a loved one suffering from addiction, how do you know you’re enabling an addict? How do you know your help isn’t perpetuating the problem instead of solving it?

Enabling can be in the guise of help; read on to see which actions are enabling.

1. Lying to Cover Up Their Behavior

It’s quite common to cover up your loved one’s behavior to save face or to protect them from consequences. Families will lie to employers on behalf of their loved one who has failed to show up for work for days. They might lie to the addict’s friends and other family members to keep his/her condition hidden.

Although these actions are understandable, they do nothing to help the addict. Losing a job isn’t desirable but it’s a natural consequence of being unable to show up.

Lying to prevent an addict from facing consequences enables their addiction. They don’t realize the effect of their condition on them and on their loved ones.

Well-meaning friends and relatives might also be in the dark about their addiction. This would make them unable to help them the right away, further sending the addict down the rabbit hole.

2. Making Excuses on Their Behalf

Addiction isn’t always obvious. Your loved one might have symptoms here and there but nothing apparent. This is why friends and family might make excuses in their minds for a sudden change in behavior.

Enablers will tell themselves, “it’s because of stress” or “he’s acting different but there must be another reason.” Often, they don’t want to think of the worst case scenario. They may also have doubts about whether their loved one relapsed or not.

This is enabling because it delays treatment and it lets the addict continue with their ways. As you delay accepting the truth, they might even continue on to do some irreversible damages. These include the loss of a job, a car crash, or even a loss of life.

3. Ignoring Their Potential Dangerous Behavior

If the addict is already exhibiting dangerous behavior, acting like there’s nothing wrong shouldn’t be anyone’s choice of action. If you do know that there’s a problem but you choose to overlook it, you might get yourself in a risky situation.

Their brains change with the use of drugs. If they were harmless before, that doesn’t mean they can’t hurt you now. If they can’t get their next fix, This can make them restless, irritated, and even violent.

4. Supporting Them in Financial Matters

An addict will have no second thoughts on spending their money on drugs. Most of them spend it until they’ve exhausted their savings and properties. Many can’t even hold a job together, losing their main source of income.

As a result, they’re bound to run out of money for buying drugs and alcohol. They won’t also be able to pay their bills, rent, and get other essentials like food.

At this point, they’ll resort to asking for financial help from their friends and family members. They’ll tell you they’ll use it for paying bills. This can be a good enough reason for some people to be comfortable about giving them money.

Now, there are times when they’ll tell the truth and the money is for bills and groceries. Still, this isn’t any different from giving them money outright so they can fuel their addiction. It teaches them that they can continue to use their own money for buying drugs and alcohol instead.

It can be hard watching a loved one struggle, but practicing restraint on your part may be the help they need. Having no more money to fund their addiction might be the push they need to better their lives. If you continue to provide financial support, you’re saying in a way that their addiction is okay.

5. Takes Over Their Responsibilities

An addict will lose the ability to perform their responsibilities at home or work. They may forget to clean the house, keep the lawn trimmed, or bring the children to and from school. As a result, a spouse or a family member may feel obligated to pick up these tasks.

Losing a job, for example, means the spouse has to work more hours to keep up with their bills. When an addict fails to wash the dishes, their sibling might take over that duty instead.

This has the same effect as giving them money. You’re saying that it’s okay for them to continue using drugs as someone else will pick up their responsibilities. Not forcing them to do their chores will also give them more time for their addiction.

6. Avoiding Confrontation with the Addict

The signs are all there and the addict is well on their way to hitting rock bottom. Still, some people will avoid confronting them about it for various reasons. They may not like confrontation or they may not know how to go about it.

Either way, the inaction is unhelpful, and it may even be harmful. The addict will continue on a downward spiral until someone gets hurt.

Still, these reasons for avoiding confrontations aren’t unfounded. An addict gets defensive; they’re often in denial about their condition.

They often have the reasoning that they “can stop anytime they want.” They may also lash out at you, get violent, or say hurtful things to keep you off their backs. The truth is that they also don’t want to confront their addiction.

If you avoid confrontation, however, nothing is standing in their way. As a result, they’ll continue on with their lives as if nothing’s wrong.

7. Giving Them Too Many Second Chances

Often times, people don’t want to do anything drastic the first time they’ve gotten wind of a loved one’s addiction. They’ll talk to the addict, who might then apologize and say they’ll stop and get better.

This is not often the case, however. Without professional help, it’s easy to relapse and go back to their old ways. The next time you confront them about it, they’ll say the same thing.

The same thing happens – you’ll forgive them then give an ultimatum. You’ll end up thinking to yourself, “he’ll come around” or “he’ll keep his word this time” over and over.

The cycle then continues until one of you decides to do something about it other than forgiving. Sometimes, an addict needs to face the consequences of not following through on a promise in order to change. That won’t happen if you keep giving them second chances.

8. Having a Codependent Behavior with the Addict

Sometimes, the actions above are because of codependency with the addict. Many fear that talking to them and staging an intervention might cause the addict to be angry and run away.

In this scenario, they’re being dependent on the addict as much as the addict is dependent on them. They may need the addict close by in order to fulfill their emotional and/or physical needs. Thus, they end up enabling the addict, whether they’re unaware or not.

This is sometimes rooted in the fact that other people like feeling that another one “needs” them. An enabler may take pleasure from being a caretaker of another human being. They make sure that the other party always “needs” them.

This becomes unhealthy when this feeling overrides the desire for the addict to become better. This behavior isn’t helping them get over their addiction, it’s helping them stay sick.

The Difference Between Helping and Enabling an Addict

To stop enabling an addict, it’s important to know when you’re helping and when you’re enabling. By definition, enabling means performing actions that don’t allow the addict to reflect, thus delaying their confrontation with their condition and situation.

In this scenario, helping might be inaction; not supporting them with their bills, chores, work, and other responsibilities might be the help they need.

Of course, you can also take action to help, such as by staging an intervention or forcing them into rehab. You may also extend financial help by paying for an institution to assist with their rehabilitation.

When the addict gets better, you can further help by not mentioning the substance around them. You may also help them get back to their feet by providing a room in your house or assisting them in looking for a job.

Find Help for Addiction Now

If you find yourself enabling an addict, it’s time to take measures that will help instead. Contact us today and let us know what you’re going through. Let’s discuss how we can help with your loved one’s addiction.

Many addicts, already know they need help. Yet, not many of them are able to receive the help they need. Nearly 200,000 people die prematurely every year because of drug abuse. North America takes the lead, with the most drug-related deaths worldwide.

While death and drug addiction seem to go hand in hand, they don’t have to. Rehab is an effective way to save lives, and help addicts heal.

So why don’t more people attend treatment? For many, it’s because they are full of doubt. Not knowing what to bring to rehab, or what will happen during their stay, can make the whole process feel overwhelming.

Instead of sitting in doubt, empower yourself by learning about what rehab is really all about. Read on to learn more about what items you should bring with you to rehab, and what you should leave at home.

What to Bring to Rehab for Clothing

Many substance abuse centers will already have specific rules and regulations when it comes to clothing options. Before you start packing up your wardrobe, call and find out if there are any dress code rules.

If you don’t know what facility you’ll be attending, or aren’t able to contact them, that’s okay. Here’s a brief list of the clothing items you can bring

• Comfortable shoes
• Robe
• Sweater
• Shirts
• Pants
• Shorts
• Socks
• Underwear
• Bathing suit
• Shoes
• Flip Flops
• Slippers

How long will you be staying at the rehab center? If you’re only staying for 7 days, make sure you don’t overstuff your suitcase.

Once you arrive, you’ll have a limited amount of space, and might not have room for excess clothing. Yet, if you’re planning on being at a center for closer to 90 days, you’ll want to make sure you bring enough clothes to provide you with some variety.

The majority of rehab facilities today will have an onsite washer and dryer. So don’t worry about having enough clean outfits to last the duration of your stay.

Preparing for Unexpected Weather

You may find yourself going to a rehab facility that’s not in your home state. Since you’re not a local, you might not know what to expect the daily and nightly temperatures to be.

You also may be unprepared for sudden changes in the weather pattern. To prepare for unexpected weather changes, bring clothes you can layer with. For example, a t-shirt, with a cardigan, and a jacket, would be a great place to start.

Toiletry Dos

Once you have all of your clothes gathered, you can begin collecting toiletries. Here’s a short list of the toiletries you’ll want to bring with you.

• Lotion
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Hairbrush
• Hair Dryer
• Basic Makeup

We suggest that if you have a disposable toothbrush, you buy a new one for your time at rehab. This way you can prevent any risk of having to deal with sickness, on top of working on your recovery.

Make sure you bring enough toothpaste, shampoo, and conditioner to last the entire stay, plus 3 days. This way if you spill some or accidentally overuse some, you’ll still have plenty to last the entire time.

If makeup is something you enjoy wearing, there’s no reason you should have to stop. Yet, keep in mind, you’ll want to stick to only bringing the basic makeup items you need.

For example, you can bring your foundation, blush, eyeliner, eye shadow, and lipstick. Yet, try to avoid over packing by bringing multiple options, or unnecessary items.

Toiletry Don’ts

Avoid bringing any items that contain alcohol in them. Toiletries with ingredients like propyl alcohol are not only harmful to your body but are also considered contraband.

For example, hand sanitizer and hair spray would not be acceptable items for you to bring. Instead, you’d want to pack a bar of soap, or liquid soap without any alcohol in it.

As for your hair care, look for gels or mousses that are completely alcohol-free. Items that have any amount of alcohol are prohibited because of the risk they pose to yourself and the other visitors of the rehab.

One plus side about going alcohol-free with your toiletries is more healthy looking skin. Not only are items with alcohol a potential hazard for a relapse, but certain ones can also dry out your skin and hair.

Since your body will already be going through a major change, you’ll want to do everything you can to help it. Staying away from things that can dehydrate you, even with toiletries, is a great place to start.

Papers To Bring

Now we can start looking at the important documents you’ll need to bring with you. Here’s a short list of the papers you should definitely have.

• Identification
• Insurance Cards
• Debit Card or Credit Card
• Cash (small amount)

For your identification, you’ll want to bring one that has a photo with it. Your state ID, drivers license, or passport will work great. Next, you’ll need to make sure you have all of your insurance cards with you.

Finally, you’ll want to have some method to help you make payments. You don’t need to bring your debit card, checkbook, and credit card.

Instead, pick one of the three forms of payment to bring along with you. Also, make sure you have a little bit of cash on hand for small items from the vending machine.

Prescription Medications

Many people are afraid to bring their prescription medications to rehab. They are afraid the items might be contraband or may end up going missing.

Yet, the reality is, you need to bring any and all medications that a doctor has prescribed to you. The medications need to be in their original bottles. If one of the medications you use is a type of liquid, you’ll need to bring a brand new bottle.

The brand new bottle of your liquid medication also has to have an unbroken seal on it. Make sure you have a list that includes the name of every prescription you’re bringing with you, along with the recommended dosages.

It’s always a good idea to include on your list the name and phone number for your physician. Your prescription medications will not be contraband and will be under the supervision of the on-site staff.

Avoiding Becoming Homesick

So far we’ve been discussing practical items to make your stay more comfortable. Now, it’s time you start packing up a few items, that can help keep you from getting homesick. Here’s a short list of items that can help lift your spirits.

• Journal
• Hobby Items
• Personal Momentos

When you first get to rehab, you might not want anything to do with writing in a journal. Yet, after a few days go by, you’ll begin to have glimpses of clarity.

Journaling in Recovery

New thoughts and ideas will begin entering your mind, and you’ll want a way to capture them. Another reason to journal is that writing down your thoughts, and feelings can be extremely therapeutic.

Hobbies Pass the Time

If you already have a hobby, you can put it to good use during recovery. Hobbies such as photography, drawing, or reading can help put you in a good mood. Before you pack any books, check with your rehab center to see if they have any book restrictions.

Personal Momentos

We also recommend you bring a few personal mementos that remind you of something happy at your home. Since you don’t want to overpack, only choose 1-3 small items to accomplish this task.

For example, you may want to bring a picture your child drew for you, or a photo of you and your loved one. If you have a favorite dog, bring a photo of you and them having fun together. These small items can help tremendously when you need a reminder of what you’re working towards.

Life After Rehab

Knowing what to bring to rehab can lift a tremendous weight off of your shoulders. Now instead of guessing if you’re packing the right items, you can zip up your suitcase with confidence.

Another way you can remove doubts surrounding rehab is by looking at the bigger picture.

When you’re only looking at what’s in front of you, going away can seem like a life-long commitment. Being away from your loved ones for more than just a couple of days can feel overwhelming to some people.

Instead of looking at rehab at the end of the road, look at it as the beginning. Going to a substance abuse center is just the first step, in building the life you’ve always wanted.

Here at Best Rehabs In Arizona, we are on a mission to help addicts heal, and recover. Our highly qualified staff members have medical training, experience, and a passion for making a difference.Are you struggling with an addiction? Or do you know someone who is? Waiting to take action, can be a matter of life and death. Don’t wait any longer to start your journey towards recovery. Reach out to us today using our contact us page, and let us tell you how we can help.

Addiction is a disease, and many diseases are hereditary. But addiction is also behavior-based, which makes it more complex to study than, say, sickle cell anemia.

To fully understand is addiction hereditary or not, we have to look at the science of nature vs. nurture. Then we’ll look at the statistics of children of addicts and see what that science tells us.

In essence, addiction is both genetic and behavioral based. Here’s how that paradox works out based on the evidence we have and what we know about the human brain.

What is Addiction, Biologically Speaking?

Your brain is like a pharmacy. It needs and runs on chemicals to do all sorts of processes. Some of these processes need electro-chemical impulses, which are what send messages from one part of the brain to another.

Other parts of your brain use neurochemicals to control your behavior. And you likely already know this. Think back to elementary school when your teacher used to put gold stars on your papers.

That made you feel good, right? You did something worth rewarding and then you got a reward. If we think of your brain as the homework/paper you wrote, dopamine is the gold star.

Dopamine is the reward chemical, it gives us that little boost that makes us feel like we did a good job, or feel happy. And it’s also a major aspect of what leads to addiction.

Drugs and Dopamine

Humans want to be happy. It’s written into the US constitution, that we have the right to pursue happiness.

But not all of us lead lives where we can make that happiness organically or find it in our communities. Or maybe we can, but something else in our brains is off and we don’t process the happiness we have.

That’s where drugs come in. Almost every recreational drug (and some pharmaceuticals) have an effect on dopamine. They make their levels shoot up, which is why people feel good when they’re high.

In the case of some drugs, like heroin, some people say that they never feel that good (after quitting) ever again. Drugs are heavy hitters when it comes to dopamine levels.

You could almost think of your dopamine levels as one of those “how hard can you hit this” games at the carnival. The drug slams your dopamine way up to the top of the game, and it gets stuck there.

Your daily activities and other happiness factors can never hit with the same strength. That means there’s a gap in what your brain expects to get in dopamine, and what daily living provides.

The Addiction Cycle

So – now imagine that situation over and over again. You keep taking drugs and your brain experiences higher and higher levels of dopamine. Eventually, the drugs are supplying your brain with so much dopamine that your brain says “I don’t need to make my own anymore”.

Then when the person comes down off of drugs, they feel awful. Their brains are no longer making dopamine, and don’t have the ability to make as much dopamine as the drugs have it used to.

So to feel okay again, the person does the drug again. Starting the cycle over, as the dopamine stores get lower and the brain gets lazier. It’s called a positive feedback loop.

Nature vs. Nurture in the Brain

Now let’s shift to the idea of something being hereditary. As scientists see it right now, about 50% of who we are is fixed at birth (from genetics) and the other half is shaped by our environments.

Now if someone has some genetic history of addiction but they’re raised in a responsible family and taught about safe/no drug use, the “nurture” 50% can win out. They may never have issues with addiction.

But the opposite is true as well. If someone has a genetic history of addiction and are brought up in a household where addiction is either obvious or obvious but ignored, that person has almost a 100% chance of becoming an addict.

Actually, if you look at the science, children of addicts (mostly biological but some adopted) are 8 times more likely to become addicts.

So that would prove that addiction is hereditary, right? Not quite.

There are still children who are born into a line of addicts and raised by addicts, that stay sober (or use responsibly) their entire lives. And we don’t know why.

Twins in Addiction Studies

A lot of studies are done on twins, in the nature-nurture debate, since they have the same genetic material. If both twins are adopted separately, one could end up an addict in a non-addiction household and the other could end up fine.

That happens about 40% of the time.

That’s where the science runs out – we don’t know why this happens. One idea would be that one twin got more of the gene where addiction lives, but that’s not true – identical twins have the same DNA.

The other 50-60% of the time, if one twin is an addict, there’s a high chance (the percentage above) that they’ll be an addict too.

The best form of explanation we have for these differences is the nurture argument.

If 50% of addiction is genetic, as shown by most twins, that means 50% of it is nurture, taught or behavioral based.

In the same twin study, the researchers determined that the twins that didn’t develop an addiction had better coping skills. They could deal with stress or uncomfortable situations better than the addicted twin.

Why? We assume the healthy twin learned that from their environment, but that’s not always true.

Hence we get back to the question, why are some children who are raised by addicts never addicts at all? They have both nature and nurture pushing them towards addiction, yet they’re able to resist.

It’s the nature/nurture addiction paradox.

What to Do if You’re the Child of an Addict

If you’re the child of an addict, you need to know that the way you process or look at drugs/alcohol will never be the same as someone without addiction in their family.

While that non-addiction prone person may binge drink in social situations and be fine later, that’s not necessarily the case for you. It’s unfair and you did nothing to deserve it, but you have to carefully consider the consequences of your actions.

The safest bet would be to avoid substances altogether. You already know that your body could use your biology against you if you partake.

But 100% abstinence isn’t reasonable, in most situations. Which would lead us to encourage you to strengthen your other 50% – your nurture.

If your parents are active addicts, you’re not going to learn these coping skills from them. You may have to seek out therapy on your own and make teaching yourself a goal.

Setting limits with yourself and with your therapist can help you avoid the addiction brain cycle. But still – there’s a chance that you could have those coping skills and become an addict.

It’s really a toss-up – and we wish we could tell you why.

If You’re an Addict and a Parent

Being a parent is a job and addiction is a disease. Doing a good job at your job with a disease is hard. We absolutely get that and we commend you for reading this article – because it means you’re trying.

If you’re worried about passing your addiction onto your child, you may need to work on yourself before you work on teaching them.

You, too, may need to go to therapy/drug rehab and work on those coping skills and self-control factors. It may mean that you take doctor-prescribed medications to get your dopamine back to a healthy level.

Only when you’re healthy can you show your children how to be healthy. You have to be honest with them about your struggles, as embarrassing as it may seem.

They need to know what they’re up against, and you need to build that nurture 50% up as strong as possible, to give them a chance of overcoming their biology.

It’s going to be hard work and a lifelong battle. Remember that kids will do what you do and learn from your every movement – even when you think they’re not watching.

But that’s a good thing. If they see you investing in yourself and taking time to face your problems, they’ll learn they can do the same.

If you want to learn more about how seeing = learning and doing, read about mirror neurons.

Is Addiction Hereditary?

To summarize, yes addiction can be hereditary, but not always. The chance of someone becoming an addict is stronger if they have both nature (DNA) and the nurture (environment) of addiction.

So . . . yes and no is the best answer we can give you, and the best science has to offer at this time. Deciding is addiction hereditary in your family is going to depend on specific features and personalities.

If you sense something is off or need to treat your addiction so you can avoid your child developing one, call our councilors here.

Did you know that 1 in every 10 Americans has a drug or alcohol addiction? What’s even more shocking is this:

Only 11% of addicts and alcoholics ever receive treatment.

There are varying explanations as to why so many struggle to recover from addiction.

Many lack access to affordable healthcare. Some aren’t educated on the methods of treatment available. The medical community’s approach to treatment is always advancing – but it is not perfect.

In the end, an alcoholic or drug addict needs to make the conscious decision to recover. Often the road to recovery begins by opening the lines of communication. The loved ones of an addict can certainly help open these lines – but what is the best way to do so?

Here’s how to help a drug addict or alcoholic recover through communication!

Communicating in Active Addiction

Do you know someone who is currently suffering from active addiction to drugs or alcohol?

You want your loved one to get better and to receive help. But the powerful grip of addiction can make it difficult for the addict to see that they need help.

Understanding the signs of addiction is an important first step in communication. Keeping the signs and symptoms in mind, ask yourself:

• How severe is their addiction?
• How is their addiction affecting other areas of their life?
• What other evidence of addiction have you gathered?

It may be the case that your loved one has openly used or abused drugs and alcohol in front of you. Regardless, knowing the extent of their addiction will help you take the next best step.

But before considering treatment options, be open and honest with your loved one.

Start with a Conversation

Sitting down one-on-one with an active addict is a good way to open the lines of communication. It will make both of you feel more comfortable and less tense.

Try to have the conversation in a relaxed and private environment. Invite them over for coffee or to meet in a park.

The fewer distractions around, the better. Try to have the conversation when they’re not under the influence.

You don’t want to judge or accuse them of having an addiction. Instead, express to them that you’re concerned. Ask them if they’re willing to hear your thoughts and talk about your concerns.

If they’re willing to listen, tell them about what you’ve noticed in a calm and warm manner. Don’t blame them or raise your voice. Open up with something like, “I’ve noticed you don’t seem quite like yourself lately.”

It’s not uncommon for active addicts to get on the defensive. It’s important to remain calm and to remind them that you’re coming from a place of concern. You can let them know how certain actions or behaviors have made you feel.

Stage an Intervention

If your loved one is open to conversation, ask them if they’re willing to discuss treatment. But what if they’re not receptive at all to the conversation?

In this case, it’s best to let the conversation go. Your next step should be reaching out to other friends and family.

Staging an intervention may be a more intense way of communicating. But it may be the only effective means of getting an alcoholic or drug addict the help they need.

An intervention begins as a plan coordinated by the friends and family of an addict. Many interventions are often supervised by doctors, therapists, or licensed intervention counselors.

Those involved go around and discuss how the addiction has affected both them and the addict. The goal is to lay out a treatment plan and have the addict accept the help. Many interventions will lay out consequences if the addict refuses help.

During an intervention, it’s important to stay calm and collected. While you should be open about your feelings, you don’t want to confront your loved one in an aggressive way. It’s helpful to have a mediator there when emotions start to run high.

Communicating with an Alcoholic or Drug Addict in Early Recovery

Once an addict accepts help and begins recovery, you may start to wonder, “How can I help?”

Offering your support is crucial during early recovery. The chances of relapsing are high, especially in the first 90 days. Your loved one needs constant reassurance at this time.

Detox & Inpatient/Outpatient Rehab

When your loved one goes off to detox or inpatient rehab, it’s important to stay in touch.

Before they go off to detox or rehab, write them a card or give them a motivating memento. Here are some examples of gifts you can give them that will communicate your support:

• A necklace or bracelet
• A journal or book
• Photos of family, friends, pets, etc.
• Stuffed animal or new blanket

In the beginning, they may feel like they’re being “dumped off” or abandoned. These feelings coupled with withdrawal can make for a whirlwind of emotions.

Calling them on a regular basis will remind them that they’re loved and supported. Visit them in rehab as often as possible.

If they’ll undergo an outpatient program, communicate your support by offering them rides. You can also invite them out to breakfast or a late lunch before or after the day program.

If they’re not feeling well, keep the conversation light and easy. If they’re agitated or express anger or frustration, remain patient and levelheaded. In time, their mood will improve and communication will begin to open up more on their end.

Transitioning into Recovery

Transitioning back after rehab can be tough. Your loved one will need to make big decisions as to where they’ll be living. Even though they’ve had some time to sober up, they may need guidance on taking the next best step.

Invite them to coffee or lunch to discuss their living situation. You want to make them feel encouraged – not interrogated. Ask them where they plan to live and what they plan to do after rehab.

Some recovering addicts may believe they can resume their old life and still stay sober. They may suggest moving in with friends or family who are still in active addiction.

You can gently remind them that this may not be the best option. Instead, suggest better alternatives.

Exploring Living Options

If they’ll be moving in with you, it’s important to lay down some rules and expectations. It’s okay to be stern with them, but you can do so in a way that doesn’t intimidate or antagonize them. You should do this without blaming or nagging them.

You can also explain to them why moving in with you isn’t an option. Again, you should do this without putting blame on them. Let them know that you acknowledge their efforts to stay sober and offer your help in other ways.

Moving into a sober living facility or a “halfway house” may be an option. Don’t exclaim, “You need to move into a sober house.” Instead, ask them to share their thoughts on the option.

Support in the First Year of Recovery

Once your loved one has transitioned out of rehab, the road to recovery is still far from over.

Emotions in early recovery can be immensely difficult to endure. Your loved one may be feeling anger, remorse, or depression. They may start to feel the urge to use drugs or alcohol to cope.

It’s normal to feel frustrated or angry yourself. But you should refrain from saying things like, “You’re a drug addict!” or “What is wrong with you!?”

You should never threaten or present them with ultimatums. Don’t remind them of how they’ve hurt you or what they’ve done in the past. They need patience and positive communication moving forward.

You can even communicate your support without words. If you notice them struggling, ask them if they’d like to attend a 12-step meeting. Or, you can offer them a ride to therapy or get out of the house for a couple hours.

Your loved one may feel left out because they’re in recovery and can’t enjoy old places or activities. Offer to do sober activities with them like rock climbing, going to the movies, or to a yoga class.

Communicating in Long-Term Recovery

Addiction never goes away. But keeping the lines of communication can help ward off relapses for years to come.

Understanding the signs of relapse can help you and your loved one stay vigilant.

If you notice them slipping into old behaviors, you can gently remind them of their recovery. They may benefit from trying new sober activities, which you can enjoy with them. Or, they may need to return to a 12-step program or start seeing a therapist.

Don’t scare them or threaten them into staying sober if you notice them slipping. Again, you shouldn’t bring up things in the past that can make bad memories resurface. If you both feel the need to talk about the past, you can do so in a calm and positive manner.

As the loved one of a recovering alcoholic or drug addict, it’s important that you receive support, as well. Support groups and 12-step programs for the relatives of addicts can be helpful. You may find therapy helpful, as well.

Supporting Your Loved One Through Addiction

Open communication is one of the stepping stones to recovery. If you know an alcoholic or drug addict, showing your love and support is crucial to helping them recover.

If your loved one is ready to take the first step into recovery, he or she doesn’t have to go at it alone. Contact us to learn more about how we can offer addiction help.

Understanding the Top Signs of Heroin Addiction

Are you afraid that someone you love may be addicted to heroin? If so, check out this guide to learn the top signs of heroin addiction.

People who do heroin are 6-20 times more likely to die than non-heroin users.

Heroin use usually stems from underlying depression and unhappiness.

Stay on alert and look for signs in loved ones who may suffer from mental health issues and other addictions.

Recognizing the signs of heroin addiction, especially early on, is often difficult. Luckily, it can be done.

You need to be vigilant and constantly check for signs. If you suspect a loved one is a heroin user, there are resources that can help them overcome their addiction.

The details of heroin use in this guide are thorough. However, it’s important to remember that the way heroin use varies from person to person.

This means that a person is not likely to exhibit all the signs listed here at once. It does mean that if a person displays a few signs very consistently, they could be a heroin addict.

Knowing the signs of addiction can save lives and prevent trauma.

To prevent your loved ones from suffering from heroin abuse, familiarize yourself with the signs in this guide. And know what to do if a loved one has a heroin addiction.

A Seemingly Normal Person Suddenly Acting Strange

When people picture heroin users, they usually don’t picture a normal looking person.

Media has taught people that heroin users are often poor. They are often portrayed as intimidating. They live in broken down trailer parks and are wild and reckless.

In real life, though, many heroin users manage to do more than look normal. They can be stylish and wear the latest clothes from top designers.

Their apartments can be tidy and upscale, with no trace of heroin residue on tables or countertops.

Heroin users can even be students in a dorm with average looking rooms. Or just regular people with everyday jobs.

They can cover up the physical symptoms with makeup or tattoos. And, except for constricted pupils, nobody could be any the wiser that they are a heroin addict.

It is usually not until peak heroin usage that their habit begins to break their life down. They might need more heroin but not have enough money to buy as much as they want.

This time period is most often when family and friends notice something is wrong. They might start acting strangely, and heroin withdrawal can take effect.

This is why it’s important to recognize the more subtle effects of heroin. It’s also important to know who is most at risk for developing a heroin addiction.

Most Likely Groups with Signs of Heroin Addiction

During the 1960s and 70s, heroin was mostly a problem of inner-city youth.

This is no longer the case due to the rise in prescription opiates, economic stress, and higher rates of depression.

Now, 90% of heroin users are white working class suburbanites. Most of them started using prescription pain medication as prescribed by their doctor.

But because opiates are addictive and cause euphoria, it was easy for many people to get hooked.

This has resulted in more young people selling their prescriptions to afford heroin. As of 2010, there is an almost equal chance of heroin being used by men and women.

People who have experienced a major injury are also more likely to use heroin. This is especially true if their doctor stopped prescribing them opiate medication.

Self medicating for a mental illness such as depression or PTSD is another reason people turn to heroin. Therapy may not be getting them the results they want.

Heroin makes the pain and trauma of mental illness go away for short periods of time.

A person can also develop a heroin addiction from using other drugs that have been laced.

Many drug dealers want repeat clients, so they may cut cocaine with heroin to start selling it to more people.

Odd Changes in Behavior

Heroin is highly addictive. As a person begins to use heroin, they require more of the drug to get high. This is because they are constantly building a tolerance to it.

The more of a drug someone needs, the more they are forced to purchase from a dealer. This increase in cost eventually outweighs the user’s budget, and they change their behavior in their desperation for money.

The first and most common behavioral change is that the user will start asking friends and family to borrow money.

They also tend to lie about what this money is for. More often than not, they will also never pay back these loans. Having unpaid debt often puts stress on these relationships.

Losing connections with once valued friends is often a source of distress. This distress can lead heroin users to seek even more heroin.

If a heroin user does somehow manage to procure more heroin, this puts them at even more risk. For one, their chance of overdosing goes up.

They will also start chasing heroin just to feel normal. This is because their tolerance has grown so much, they can no longer get high.

Also, going for long periods of time without heroin can cause withdrawal. Withdrawal can look like flu symptoms but is caused by chemical dependency on heroin.

Heroin Paraphernalia in Their Spaces

There are many tools and items that heroin users need to do heroin. For example, heroin often comes in small Ziploc bags, small aluminum squares, and rubber balloons.

If someone does black tar heroin, they would typically dissolve it into a liquid so it can be injected into their veins.

As such, items used to do black tar heroin often include:

• A cord to tie off the arm
• Lighters to melt the heroin
• Burned Spoons where heroin is melted
• Syringes for injection

To snort more pure heroin, users often have:

• Straws
• Rolled up papers
• Hollow writing tools
• A hard surface to snort the dust off of

To smoke heroin, users will often resort to:

• Inhaling the vapors from burning aluminum cans
• Burning the heroin on foil
• Using a straw to better inhale vapors
• Pipes to smoke heroin more directly into the lungs

Heroin is most often injected. Most heroin users will have track marks going down their arms, or their necks if they can no longer use their arms.

Many heroin users stop concerning themselves with hygiene. As such, many of them use dirty needles. These needles can cause infections, leading some heroin users to scratch at their arms constantly.

Recognizing Withdrawal in Heroin Users

Heroin withdrawal does not usually occur in first-time users. Withdrawal happens to users who have built up a chemical dependency to heroin. Some withdrawal symptoms include the following:

• Runny nose due to snorting heroin and irritating the nasal passages
• Diarrhea from heroin drawing excess water into the digestive tract
• Vomiting as a result of the body trying to purge harmful chemicals from itself
• Fever due to the body working overtime to process new chemicals

Additionally, heroin users can also experience psychological issues like:

• Anxiety due to the brain’s chemical dependency on heroin causing the sudden lack of the drug to prevent the brain from functioning properly
• Insomnia from too much brain activity
• Irritability occurs from the strong desire of the body to have heroin but not receive any
• Strong cravings for heroin because of its highly addictive nature, and the sudden lack of what the brain now perceives as a necessary chemical

Thankfully, there are ways to overcome withdrawal symptoms.

Having a light workout routine can help build structure and regulate the body’s needs.

Staying in touch with family and friends provides a good emotional support structure. They will be there whenever the user needs to talk about their experience or just keep them from feeling lonely.

Maintaining a positive attitude and remembering that the symptoms are only temporary can also go a long way on the road to recovery.

Talking to Your Loved One About Their Heroin Use

If you do find out that your loved one is abusing heroin, remain calm. Don’t panic, but give yourself time to collect your thoughts.

Be sure to approach them with a positive, caring attitude so that they don’t feel afraid. Make sure they feel safe and comfortable so they’re more likely to open up to you about why they started doing heroin.

If you continue to notice signs of heroin addiction after talking with them, continue to be patient with them.

They may not be ready to give up their habit, and you can’t force them.

Make sure to develop a plan with them, so you know what to do if they overdose. Remember to keep naloxone in the house at all times. And keep knowledge of who their dealers are in case they overdose because of a bad batch.

Knowing who their dealers are will allow you and your community to better pinpoint the exact source of the bad heroin.Finally, look for a reputable rehab clinic near you. Almost all heroin users do genuinely want to quit, so it helps for you to be prepared to guide them.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports that 7.9 million Americans suffer from both a mental disorder and a substance use disorder at the same time.

Are you one of them?

Known as dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder, this condition is far from rare. And, despite how it may feel right now, it doesn’t have to be isolating or debilitating.

In fact, there are plenty of treatment centers equipped to treat patients with a dual diagnosis. If you fit this category, it’s wise to address both issues at once to ensure a successful outcome.

Today, we’re sharing 10 things to expect as you begin your dual diagnosis treatment. The journey is less intimidating if you know what lies ahead and what hurdles you’ll need to clear along the way.

Ready to learn more? Let’s get started.

Symptoms of a Dual Diagnosis

Before you can seek treatment for it, it’s important to recognize the symptoms of co-occurring mental disorder.

If you’re currently engaging in substance abuse, you might find that you also feel angry most of the time, or anxious for no reason.

Or, you might have sudden urges to become violent, withdrawn, or irritable. All of these could be a sign of an underlying mental condition also at work.

Here are some more warning signs to look out for:

• Difficulty keeping up with professional or educational pursuits
• Compulsive behaviors
• Excessive guilt
• Thoughts of suicide or death
• Extreme fatigue
• An excessive urge to cry
• Feelings of hopelessness or desperation

If you or your loved one is experiencing these tendencies on top of a substance use disorder, there’s a chance it could be a co-occurring disorder. It’s important to seek a professional evaluation right away to verify.

1. You’re Not Alone

When you’re in the throes of an addiction or a mental disorder, it can feel as though you’re the only person in the world suffering from the condition. In turn, this sense of isolation and stigma can drive an increase in substance abuse.

Research shows that Americans with a diagnosed mental illness consume 69% of the country’s alcohol and 84% of its cocaine.

Rather than seeking solace in addiction, sufferers can seek treatment instead. Here, they’ll connect with experts trained in helping them manage their condition and can also learn alongside others who are walking the same road.

2. Dual Diagnosis Treatment Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All

Dual diagnosis treatment programs take into account that each person’s case is unique.

After delving deep into your history and current condition, a trained expert will develop a custom plan for your recovery, centered on your specific triggers, special circumstances, home environment and more.

There is a wide range of combinations that could comprise your diagnosis. For instance, you might suffer from an anxiety disorder plus alcohol addiction. Or, you might have depression and be addicted to heroin.

In short, you’re not a number. You’ll be treated as the complex and capable person you are.

3. The Process Isn’t Simple

As there isn’t a universal patient type, nor is there a treatment approach that works the same way every time.

Rather, your treatment staff may need some time to dig into the root of your condition. It can be difficult to discern, for instance, if your depression is stemming from your drug use, or if it’s an underlying mental illness.

From there, you may enter into a range of therapy types, including:

• Trauma Therapy
• Individual Therapy
• Group Therapy

There are also 12-step programs designed to help patients re-adjust to the outside world as they prepare to leave the confines of a treatment facility.

Your treatment plan may center on one of these therapy plans, or it might include components of all of them, depending on your case.

4. You May Be Considered High-Risk

Though there have not been any definitive studies confirming that those with mental illness display more aggressive tendencies, research does show that substance abuse on top of a mental disorder amplifies one’s propensity toward violence.

For instance, one study shows that women diagnosed with alcoholism and antisocial personality disorder are 40% to 50% more likely to commit homicide. A diagnosis of schizophrenia, on the other hand, only increased the risk by 4% to 5%.

Thus, expect to be treated as a high-risk patient, even if you have no plans to harm yourself or engage in violent behavior during your treatment.

5. You’re Susceptible to Addictive Behavior

Especially if you’re entering into an outpatient treatment program, it’s important to remember that if you’re diagnosed with a mental illness, you could be more likely to develop an addiction to drugs or alcohol.

This is because many people who suffer from a mental health condition will turn to substance abuse to help them cope with their symptoms. While this may offer a short-term distraction, they serve to alter our brain’s chemistry in a way that most often worsens the condition.

Over time, your brain may rewire its rewarding effects, meaning that you become predisposed to continual drug use.

While you’re not engaged in treatment activities, it’s important to remain aware of this inclination and surround yourself with positive influences that can keep you going in the right direction.

6. Not Every Treatment Facility Will Fit

A treatment facility has to be set up to assist patients with a dual diagnosis. That means one that focuses primarily on helping people overcome drug and alcohol addiction may not have trained and licensed medical doctors, psychologists and therapists on staff prepared to treat mental illnesses.

The reverse is also true. Some mental health facilities might not be capable of helping someone through a drug addiction.

This is where it pays to do your research. As you seek treatment options, look for facilities that

advertise an ability to work with dual diagnosis patients. Don’t expect to handle one of the conditions on your own as you tackle the other. A comprehensive approach is best to ensure long-term recovery.

7. Integrated Treatment is Best

At the same time, look for a facility that will take an integrated approach to your dual diagnosis.

Some may prefer to tackle each issue separately, but the intertwined nature of the two conditions makes this difficult at best, and usually impossible.

In an ideal situation, you’ll enter into an inpatient rehab program that allows you to work through your two diagnoses at the same time, under the same roof, with the same therapists.

This consistency is key to helping your treatment plan stick and ensuring you address your issues in their entirety.

8. A Reputable Facility Won’t Rush You

Yes, there is a timeframe in which most patients complete their dual diagnosis treatment. And there may be other factors, such as your insurance terms, work schedule and family life that dictate how long you can spend in a facility.

Still, a quality treatment center won’t speed up your process.

Rather, the staff will understand that it’s critical to work at a pace you are comfortable with. After all, you’re dealing with a condition that includes an extra layer on top of traditional substance abuse or mental health disorders.

As you interview facilities, ask about anticipated treatment timelines and make sure you’re comfortable with the answer before moving forward.

9. Expect a Longer Process

The reason you shouldn’t feel rushed? Due to the mental health component of your condition, it will likely take you longer to successfully complete treatment than someone with an isolated addiction problem.

There are specific terms and conditions to factor in when you’re dealing with mental health. Your therapist might devise a plan that spans months or even years longer than your peer’s.

10. A Licensed Expert Will Evaluate You

Before you enter into a treatment facility, a licensed physician or psychiatric professional will evaluate your individual condition.

This may involve a series of questions that probe deeper into your history of substance abuse and mental illness.

You may need to recall traumatic childhood events or other instances from your past that could attribute to your condition. Moreover, you should explain if there are any environmental triggers, such as chronic stress, that could contribute to your addiction or mental disorder.

After the evaluation is complete, the physician will use this data to create a treatment and recovery plan tailored to your individual case.

Seek Dual Diagnosis Treatment Today

When you’re suffering from an unshakable addiction on top of a crippling mental disorder, the road to recovery can seem an unending one.

The good news? It doesn’t have to be.

When you’re ready to seek dual diagnosis treatment, we’d love to help.

We’re a Scottsdale-based recovery center that specializes in treating dual diagnosis patients as well as alcoholism, heroin addiction, prescription pill addiction, and methamphetamine addiction.

Reach out to us today to discuss your needs. Let’s take this critical first step together.

There are 20 million Americans over the age of 12 suffering from a drug or alcohol addiction.

But not all addictions are the same.

And if not all addictions are created equal then it follows, naturally, that the same treatment plan or addiction treatment service won’t work for everyone the same way. You’ve got to find a rehab, treatment plan, or service that works for you.

Your addiction treatment services should be tailored to you and your needs and the addiction from which you suffer.

So how do you find the right treatment for you? Well, that’s what we’re here to discuss.

Read on to discover our tips on how to pick the right addiction treatment services for you.

What Is Addiction?

The first thing that’s important to know is the difference between addiction and substance abuse. People with a substance abuse problem use a substance (alcohol, painkillers, etc.) too much or in the wrong way – but they can quit or change their behavior. Addiction is a disease and it means you can’t stop using even when your condition causes you harm.

There are also many different kinds of addiction. There is shopping addiction, gambling addiction, sex addiction, gaming addiction. You should pretty much know that if it’s out there then there’s probably someone addicted to it.

Addiction has two basic qualities:

1. You use more of the substance than you want to or would like to. Instead of having a drink or two, you drink until you’re drunk. Every time.
2. You continue to use the substance even though it has harmed your relationships, job prospects, family, etc. You don’t stop even when there are negative consequences.

Addiction is defined by having three or more of the following symptoms:

Tolerance: The need, over time, to use more and more of the substance to achieve that “high”.

Withdrawal: Experiencing physical or emotional withdrawal when you are away from the substance for a period of time. This can show itself as anxiety, irritability, shakes, sweats, nausea, and more.

Limited Control: A loss of self-control or impulse control that keeps you from being able to stop using and/or abusing the substance.

Negative Consequences: Continuing to use the substance even though it’s negatively impacted your relationships, job prospects, family, mood, etc.

Neglect. If you avoid your social activities or don’t do your household activities because of your substance abuse then you might be an addict.

Spending Significant Time/Energy: If you’ve spent significant time and energy obtaining and using the substance – or concealing your use of it – then you may be suffering from an addiction.

The desire to Cut Down: If you’ve thought about cutting down on your use or lessening your use of a specific substance and have made failed attempts to do so then addiction may be the cause.

Finding the Right Addiction Treatment Services for You

Now that you know what addiction is let’s talk about finding the correct way for you to treat it. As stated above, not all addiction treatment services are created equal – and what works for one person may not work for you.

You’ve got to make sure when you’re looking for a rehab center or treatment program that you’re looking for the right things for you. You need to make sure that you ask the right questions. And that you know what you need.

Otherwise, you may end up in a program that doesn’t help you the way it could.

Check out this post to figure out how to prepare for addiction treatment and then read on below to discover five things to remember when searching out addiction treatment services to help you with your recovery:

1. Get an Assessment Before You Do Anything Else

You want to start out the process by being assessed by a doctor certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. An assessment by a licensed clinical social worker or a psychiatrist experienced in treating addiction and substance abuse will also work.

This is important because you may not need full-on inpatient rehab – or, alternatively, that may be the only option that will work for you. Sometimes intensive outpatient programs, partial hospitalization programs, or a good old 12-step program might be the right fit.

Assessors make this determination based on whether or not you’re still able to perform activities of daily living. If you’re able to provide yourself some stability already – can still interact with your family, can still go to work, etc. – then a less full-on program may work for you.

Additionally, if you’re addicted to something that leads your assessor to believe you’ll suffer from difficult withdrawal symptoms (such as opioids) then they will recommend inpatient rehab so that the program can help with that.

2. Do You Need Dual Diagnosis Treatment?

A dual diagnosis means that in addition to suffering from an addiction you’re also suffering from something like depression or anxiety. It means that your treatment will need to be tailored to account for both behavioral health problems to make sure that you have the greatest chance of success.

There are approximately 7.9 million people with dual diagnosis conditions – so it’s important to make sure you get that assessment (as mentioned above) to make sure you’re treating everything you need to treat.

And since mental illness and addiction often go hand in hand, you want to avoid treatment centers that don’t offer resources such as counselors specifically trained in dual diagnosis treatment.

It’s important to ask and to make sure if you’re suffering from mental illness, that the treatment program you’re considering will help you treat this because not many treatment programs specialize in both addiction and mental illness. Dual diagnosis treatment is a rare thing to find.

But it’s out there!

And if your assessor recommends something less intense – like partial hospitalization or a 12-step program, then make sure you’re seeking out mental health resources on your own, such as therapy specifically designed to help you deal with that.

3. Check Whether Medication is Offered

This applies specifically to opioid addiction. If you or your loved one is suffering from that and seeking treatment for it then you may want to use medication to help you treat withdrawal symptoms.

But again, not all rehab centers are equal.

Some rehab centers believe in the “cold turkey” method – where they follow the abstinence model to treat opioid addiction. Others, however, do offer medication to help ease withdrawal symptoms.

So if you want medication to help then you’re going to want to make sure that you pick a treatment center that offers that. If you’re unsure, call to ask. They’ll be more than happy to answer your questions.

4. Luxury Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Quality

This is an important thing to remember. Because if you’ve got swimming pools and plush couches and huge TVs, it doesn’t mean that the rehab center is any good.

There are three tiers of rehab facilities:

• High-end programs that typically cost $50,000 to $75,000 a month
• Middle market programs that typically cost $25,000 to $35,000 a month
• Traditional inpatient programs, which range from a few thousand dollars to $20,000 monthly

But again, because there’s a higher price tag doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s got quality.

You want to make sure you’re picking your rehab facility based on the level of care they offer, the type of counseling they have, and how hard they’re going to work you to make sure you stick to your program.

A rehab center with 800-thread count sheets isn’t any good if you can get away with skipping group or not following the 12 steps.

5. Watch Out for Guarantees of Success

This is a huge red flag. Any rehab center that guarantees success is plain lying.

There’s no such thing as a guarantee of success with addicts because the addict is the one who decides if things are successful or not. It’s up to the individual to follow their discharge plan once they leave the treatment center.

In order to guarantee success, the individual addict needs to make the decision every single day to stay clean. The rehab center has nothing to do with that and has no control over that.

The only person who can guarantee success is the addict.

Final Thoughts

Addiction is a terrible disease to live with or to watch your loved one wrestle with. But you can get help. With these tips, you can find the right rehab and addiction treatment services.

For more information on what to look for in a drug and rehab facility check out this post.
And if you’re looking for a rehab facility and want to talk with us then feel free to contact us to discuss your options and what we can do to help you.

How to Make Amends With Loved Ones After Rehab

Chances are, you hurt some of your loved ones during the throes of your addiction. Read on to learn how to make amends with loved ones after rehab.

In 2014, an estimated 24 million people over the age of 12 struggled with addiction.

Struggling with addiction it can be painful. That pain intensifies when you’ve realized you’ve hurt the ones you love severely.

In this article, we’ll outline how to make amends with those you love and hopefully help you take steps to repair the relationship

What is Addiction?

Addiction is, or substance disorder can be somewhat tricky to define. Mostly it’s a brain disorder, in which the individual is solely focused on a substance whether it’s drugs, alcohol, or other things. For a person wrestling with addiction, they are willing to go to any lengths necessary (even if it means putting themselves or others in harm’s way), gaining the substance.

Addiction can be diagnosed by a mental health professional such as a phycologist or counselor who specialized in addiction.

Who Struggles with Addiction

Unfortunately, addiction does not discriminate. Anyone can be plagued by it – men, women, teenagers, old, and young – all can fall victim to addiction.

It is not uncommon for people diagnosed with other mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, or ADHD to experience addiction as well or have a genetic component.

Making Amends and Just Apologizing

While apologizing and making amends might seem similar on the surface, they’re very different.

Apologizing is recognizing what you’ve done wrong, saying you’re sorry, and moving on.

Making amends is about reconciliation and repair of the relationships that have been damaged. It’s reaching out to those you’ve hurt and display your desire to make things right.

Types of Amends

It might seem strange that there are types of amends, but it’s true. Making amends is the 9th step in AA 12 Steps to Recovery. Let’s take a closer look at the three types.

Direct Amends

Direct amends involved going to the person you have wronged, apologizing, and helping make it right. It takes bravery and humility to fulfill direct amends.

For example, if you broke a friend’s plate in anger, you would apologize and then replace the plate. Learning from your mistakes is also an element of direct amends. From now on, you would respect your friend’s property and learn to control your angry outbursts.

Indirect Amends

Indirect amends usually follows a direct amend and deals with the motivations behind your behavior. Indirect amends happens when you cannot physically reach out to the person you’ve wronged.

An example of indirect amends would be if you (unfortunately) were driving drunk and killed someone. You could not approach them directly, but you would find a tangible way to justice. An example would be using your time to educate others on the dangers of drinking and driving.

Living Amends

Living amends is precisely what it sounds: deciding to change for the better and showing others by a shift in your behavior or lifestyle. This takes dedication and drive, but it’s worth it to stay clear from destructive behaviors.

Why You Should Make Amends

Overcoming addiction and then moving on as nothing happened can’t be done. Making amends may be challenging, but it’s necessary for the health of those involved in your life, and for yourself.

Here are some benefits to making amends:

Stress Relief

Imagine seeing someone you haven’t seen since your addiction and feeling uncomfortable because you’re not sure how to react. Making amends reduces this feeling of stress and shame you could experience, especially if the person didn’t know you were in recovery.

Rebuilds Trust

Addiction severs trust. To rebuild trust with people is not easy, but if they see that you’re willing to do the grunt work required to establish greater confidence, they might be willing to learn to trust you again.

Clears Your Mind

While in a drug rehab center you may come face to face with feelings of regret or remorse about everything that’s happened with your addiction, including how you’ve hurt others. Making amends with them gives you (and them, hopefully!) relief about what’s happened, though you still have a long way to go!

Boosts Your Self-Esteem

Continuing in a victim mentality is dangerous and toxic. When you take responsibility for your actions, you learn how to right a wrong, and in turn, build your self-esteem and credibility. Knowing that you’ve done the right thing increases your confidence.

6 Ways to Make Amends With Loved Ones

If you’ve battled addiction and are wondering how to apologize to someone you hurt deeply, keep reading to understand more about making amends. Here are ten ways to start today.

Write Out A List of People You Believe You’ve Hurt

If you can, try and think about all the people who might have been negatively affected by your choices or lifestyle. You’re not that person anymore, and you want to reconnect. Write down all the names, so you don’t forget anyone.

Just adding people to your list is not recommended. Do some digging and soul-searching and think through those who might have been deeply affected by your actions.

Apologize

While making amends is important by far, it begins with apologizing.

But how do you craft an apology? First, as painful as it can be, evaluate your actions and consider how they hurt the person. Step into the shoes of the person affected and see yourself from their angle.

The apology must be sincere and genuine, while genuinely understanding how the other person is feeling. If possible, try writing it out first (similar to the list), so you get a better understanding of exactly for what you’re apologizing.

The best way to begin your apology is by asking the person if they’d like to meet privately and go from there. Always have a plan about how you want to approach them and what you’re going to say.

Take Responsibility for Your Actions

No one enjoys owning up to their wrongs, but when you’re making amends, the hurt person needs to see this, so be as clear-cut as possible about your behaviors. Taking ownership of your actions shows that you are avoiding blaming others and yourself. It also shows that you’re working towards a more positive lifestyle.

Reach Out For Reconciliation

When you’re working towards amends, it’s important to ask the other person what specific things you could do to help them heal. Communicate with them how much the relationship means to you, and that you’re open to hearing what they would prefer to you to do.

Be Ready for Any Response

After making amends, be prepared for a variety of responses. While some people may be more forgiving and eager to jump back into a relationship with you, others may be more cautious, or even flat out refuse. Be understanding and empathetic to their answer, no matter if it’s positive or negative.

Do your best to answer all their questions honestly if they ask, avoid impatience at all costs. They have a right to try and understand what’s happened.

Be Proactive

Talking about making amends is terrific, but it’s more important that you follow through. Decide the steps you want to take towards making amends and be purposeful about it.

Have Patience

Trust is not easily gained back once it’s been destroyed. If someone has decided they will continue in a relationship with you, be patient with them, as they might need time to process their feelings or thoughts.

It’s true that sometimes people do not want to hear it. They don’t care about your recovery, what you’ve been through, or how you’re trying to overcome. That’s OK, as long as you’re trying your best.

The people who do not wish to make amends at the time may need time to think as well, and you’ll have to accept the fact that they may never come around to forgiveness. Allowing people their space and being patient with them is a significant indicator to them that you’ve changed. Keep moving towards those people who are welcoming and ready to accept your amends.

Making Amends: It’s Good For Everyone

Honesty and humility are vital factors when working to make amends. Yes, addiction has taken a toll on you, but it’s also affected those you love. When you choose the right step towards reconciliation with family members, you’re setting yourself up for a bright future surrounded by loved ones. Are you or someone you know struggling with addiction? We’re here to help in a non-judgemental and compassionate way. Contact our recovery center today to see how we can help you.