Drug Rehab Program
Categories: Arizona
Understanding Arizona Drug Abuse and Alcohol Abuse
Understanding Drug Abuse and Alcohol Abuse
Alcoholism and drug addiction are pernicious problems in our society – in fact the National Institute on Drug Abuse published a report in June 2012 indicating that 21.5% of young adults (ages 18-25) have used or abused alcohol and/or drugs in the past 12 months. Drugs and alcohol are everywhere!
As Clinical Director of a Arizona drug rehab I get asked a lot of questions about what is and is not addiction, what to look for in a treatment center and how to know when a person really needs drug treatment. These aren’t easy questions to answer – every addict is different and every addiction manifests itself differently.
The fundamental element of an addiction is the inability to stop despite adverse consequences. The more adverse the consequences, the greater the likelihood that there is an addiction present. On a side note, nearly all addicts have someone in their life who will shelter them from consequences of their behavior and who thus delay (sometimes terminally) the addicted person getting into recovery. It’s a sad truth, but sometimes they really won’t get better until the have to choose between sobriety and living on the street…
What to look for in a treatment center is a bit more of a complicated question. Long-term addiction treatment is always, always better. I can’t stress this enough. There is significant clinical evidence that less than 15% of graduates from 28-day programs are sober in a year. We now know that a lot of that has to do with the brain chemistry in early addiction – addicts and alcoholics just need a few months for the serotonin levels in their brain to stabilize! I’m not saying that it can’t be done with 28-day treatment and great aftercare, just that when it’s AT ALL possible, longer-term options should be pursued.
The purpose of drug treatment is to remove a person from the obstacles to sobriety in their day-to-day lives. Most alcoholics and addicts prefer spending time with other alcoholics and addicts – especially if their friends drink or use more! That way they can say “I’m not in trouble – THAT GUY has a problem though!” Removing them from their environment is often completely essential if there is to be hope for sobriety.
Categories: Rehab
Welcome to Arizona Drug Rehab & Treatment Blog
We will post information, tips & advice to help anyone dealing with drug & alcohol addiction themselves, or with their family & friends.
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