There is always help for a person suffering from an addiction.
The choice to admit to yourself that you need rehab is not always as clear as we would like to think however once checked in, a rehabilitation centre gives a person a form of treatment which sits between two important levels, the intense care offered in inpatient hospitalisation and the more “independent” level that is outpatient treatment. Here are the tell-tale signs that you need rehab, now!
Getting involved in a rehabilitation programme is the all-important first move for many people who are looking to find the light at the end of the addiction tunnel in the form of recovery from substance abuse but many people who are addicted to a substance dodge the formal care these programmes provide and choose to battle the addiction alone. Although a strong and proactive gesture, it is hard for many to break the shackles of addiction without a helping hand especially when an addiction has reached deep waters. There are a few red lights to take heed of which will show you that perhaps your drug use has moved away from your control.
5 signs which should tell you that you need rehab, now.
- Nothing else matters but the drug
One of the surest ways to tell that you have an addiction is when you see that the substance you are using becomes the focal point of your life. If you think about it all day, you spend time, effort and money as well as any resources at your disposal to get your hands on the drug, you may have an addiction.
The stronger your addiction gets, the weaker your desire to participate in your usual activities and past times becomes, and you slowly remove yourself from the front seat, no longer driving forward with any passion. You don’t spend time with the loved ones you usually hung out with when doings things and you lose interest in events you once enjoyed. If this sounds like you then you may have a problem which needs attention in the form of an addiction treatment programme. - Your health is on the decline
The abuse of substances and a decline in your health and wellbeing go hand in hand. All drugs differ in their effect on your health and therefore there is no blanket comment or effect that you can say will or will not occur. An addition to alcohol could affect your liver and is associated with a few types of cancer, whereas cocaine abuse can affect your septum and affect your mental wellbeing as well as sleeping patterns. - Your body fails
One thing is certain; substance abuse beats your body and your mind into a negative state and can cause a number of mental and physical symptoms.
Here are a few things that happen to your body when you are addicted to a substance:
Your body fails: The levels of failure can range from small and mild to severe and deadly, it all depends on the time span of drug usage, the type of drug you have taken and the amount of drugs you have taken.
Your mind fails: Drugs, it can be said are almost always responsible for a change in a user’s mental state. It can be as small or big and it can range from agitation, angst and anger all the way to depression and even psychosis.
Ask yourself this question: “Am I changing the way I think, the way I behave and the way I feel, and not in a good way?” If you or your loved ones can answer that with a “YES” and you are taking a substance, you may want to look at seeking professional help by going to rehab. A major bonus of going to rehab is that you will be monitored and cared for in both the physical and mental arenas of your life. - It takes a lot to get high
Remember how much of a drug you took when you first got high? Notice how after a while you needed more to feel the same intensity that you first felt? It’s not unique. There is a reason why many addicts call that first high the best high of all. It’s a downhill slide from there as your body builds up a tolerance and you need more of that drug in order to get the same result as you did when you first got high.The more you take the more you increase your risk of an overdose. Drugs such as Heroin are downers, or depressants, so taking large amounts of the drug can slow your breathing and pulse down, which is a dangerous bodily function to mess with. Abuse of these functions can lead to a coma and even death.
There is not a single drug in the world that is more valuable than your life and if you are finding that you are using a high quantity of drugs and/or taking a drug quite frequently, then we have bad news for you: YOU ARE IN DANGER OF AN OVERDOSE and it is a tell-tale sign that you need to find rehab, now. - You Have a Mental Illness
There are many reasons why people abuse substances. One of the reasons why a person goes down the route of addiction may in fact be as a result of self-medication for a mental illness. An example from SADAG (The South African Depression and Anxiety Group) is telling. Around 9.7% of South Africans suffer from depression. If even half of those are on some of medication and have an addictive personality, it could lead them to initiate and continue substance abuse.Remember, almost all drugs alter the mind and as a result are used as a coping mechanism to change the way a person is feeling, thinking and often, behaving. Another point worth thinking about is that abuse of substances can act as a negative trip wire to a ticking time bomb which, when activated, can lead to an activation or intensification of a mental health issue which in turn will lead to continued use of a drug to dull the symptoms.In order to treat a condition which is co-occurring to the abuse Is no easy feat. The mental health condition will need to be looked at and treated in conjunction with the substance use. There is more bad news. You have a good chance of relapse if you don’t have the mental health issue seen to while having the addiction treated. - Trying to quit has been a swing and a miss
You gave it your best shot. You even saw the light of recovery but it was soon darkened by the terrible shadow of relapse. Sound familiar? Addiction is not a simple problem that has a simple solution; it is a chronic condition which is littered with times of relapse and recovery. When a person goes back to a drug or relapses, a new vow, or recommitment to abstaining in a different way will be needed to aid recovery. - Recurring nature of your drug usage
This is one of the tell-tale signs that you need recovery now, the recurring nature of your drug usage.
There are countless avenues people go down in order to end substance use, but the most common are definitely outpatient treatments and of course self – help groups. An issue with these methods may be that they are just not intense enough based on your needs and past results with addiction and recovery.If you have a history of less than successful outcomes when it comes to giving up a substance , either by solo or low levels of care, it may be a tell-tale sign that you need rehab now.You want help with an addiction – now find it!
There are a number of benefits for seeking out assistance for substance abuse in an inpatient rehab programme. Here are a few key reasons why a programme may be just right for you:
- They test and diagnose substance disorders.
- Co-occurring mental health disorders are also tested for and diagnosed.
- They test for alcohol and drugs
- They manage medication
- Education and treatment of mental health and substance use issues.
- Post treatment services such as planning your discharge and aftercare
- Management of cases in order to provide connections to available resources
Every rehabilitation centre will have different forms of care. Some for example focus specifically on mental issues which co-occur with substance abuse and if this fits your situation you may want to consider looking into that centre for treatment. Remember also that different programmes will vary in cost. As a general rule. Outpatient treatment is less expensive than inpatient. The cost varies as a result of the different services generally offered, with inpatient treatment adding medical and psychological care, 24 hour support, sober housing and meals etcetera.
Although the idea of finding a programme specifically tailored to your needs may seem a bit overwhelming, do not despair you are not going to do all the work alone. We can help you get back on track.
Call Houghton House on 011 787 9142
or
contact us on the emergency line (after hours) on 079 770 7532.
or
Fill in the contact form and one of our professioinal staff members will get back to you to discuss the variety of treatment options we offer
