Author: Alex Thompson

Addiction Recovery Toolkit: Treatment, Support, and Resources

Cravings are the intense desire for alcohol or drugs given formidable force by neural circuitry honed over time into single-minded pursuit of the outsize neurochemical reward such substances deliver. Cravings vary in duration and intensity, and they are typically triggered by people, places, paraphernalia, and passing thoughts in some way related to previous drug use. But cravings don’t last forever, and they tend to lessen in intensity over time. Committing to change includes stages of precontemplation and contemplation where a person considers changing, cutting down, moderating, or quitting the addictive behavior. Afterward, committing to change can look like working with a professional in identifying specific goals, coming up with a specific plan to create change, following through with that plan, and revising goals as necessary. Follow-up care or continuing care is also recommended, which includes ongoing community- or family-based recovery support systems.

Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction

Intervention works by confronting the specific issues and encouraging the person to seek treatment. Due to the complex nature of any substance use disorder, other options for treatment should also include evaluation and treatment for co-occurring mental health issues such as depression and anxiety (known as dual diagnosis). The 12 steps are also used in recovery programs for addictions other than alcohol.

How Does an Intervention Work?

Twelve-Step meetings are considered the “fellowship” part of the AA mutual support groups, where people come together and share their experiences. • Connection—being in touch with others who believe in and support recovery, and actively seeking help from others who have experienced similar difficulties. An intervention is an organized effort to intervene in a person’s addiction by discussing how their drinking, drug use, or addiction-related behavior has affected everyone around them.

LOOSID: Sober Social Network APP

They may know something about the person’s deepest aspirations and voice them as a reminder that can help the person remain on the road to recovery. And they can help plan healthy joint activities to ensure that there are good days. For some people, committing to complete abstinence is not desirable or is too daunting a prospect before beginning treatment. Many people desire only to moderate use and bring it under control. In fact, there is growing support for what is called harm reduction, which values any moves toward reducing the destructive consequences of substance abuse.

Behavioral therapies can also enhance the effectiveness of medications and help people remain in treatment longer. Just as the 12 steps outline the path to recovery for individuals struggling with addiction, there are also 12 Traditions that are the spiritual principles behind the 12 steps. These traditions help guide how 12-step recovery programs operate. The traditions focus on unity, effective leadership, and independence. They also address questions related to financing the group and managing public relations. For many members of 12-step recovery programs, these steps aren’t merely a way to overcome addiction—they are a guide toward a new way of life.

Alcoholics Anonymous Online Meetings Directory

Nevertheless, experts see relapse as an opportunity to learn from the experience about personal vulnerabilities and triggers, to develop a detailed relapse prevention plan, and to step up treatment and support activities. Because recovery involves growth, families need to learn and practice new patterns of interaction. Many people believe that they are powerless to change their own addictive behavior, and often it is a belief that keeps people addicted. The evidence shows that every day, people choose to recover from addiction on their own.

  1. Learning what one’s triggers are and acquiring an array of techniques for dealing with them should be essential components of any recovery program.
  2. Relapse rates for drug use are similar to rates for other chronic medical illnesses.
  3. No matter which pathway of recovery a person chooses, a common process of change underlies them all.

Treatment of Substance Use Disorders

Bear in mind that setting boundaries such as “I can no longer give you money if you continue to use drugs,” is not the same as threatening a person with punishment. While a person is free to say anything they want during an intervention, it’s best to be prepared with a plan to keep things positive and on track. Blaming, accusing, causing guilt, threatening, or arguing isn’t helpful. Roughly half of all adults being treated for substance use disorders in the United States participated in self-help groups in 2017.

Recovery may involve medication to help with cravings and withdrawal as well as different forms of therapy. A 2020 review found that Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step facilitation treatments produced benefits that were similar to other treatments. The research also found that these 12-step approaches were superior to other methods for maintaining continuous abstinence and reducing remission rates. While the 12 steps in use today are based on the same ideas written by the founders of AA in the 1930s, the understanding of the term “God” has since broadened to refer to any “higher power” that a person believes in.

Drug addiction is dangerous because it becomes all-consuming and disrupts the normal functioning of your brain and body. When a person is addicted, they prioritize using the drug or drugs over their wellbeing. This can have severe consequences, including increased tolerance to the substance, withdrawal effects (different for each drug), and social problems. Your path to sobriety is unique, and we’re here to support you every step of the way. Our guides provide a clear roadmap to help you understand your program options and what to expect once you start treatment. No surprises, just personalized care and the resources you need to find the perfect fit.