What are the Keys to Drug and Alcohol Recovery?

Drug addiction and alcoholism are more than just mere problems or bad habits. They are diseases that can take control of lives when drug use and abuse start to increase and become a regular everyday occurrence. Drug and alcohol addiction usually begin with recreational use. Partying on the weekends and getting high or drinking with friends may seem like normal activities for young adults and teens, until use begins to increase. Once an individual starts to take or drink more and more to achieve the same effect as when they started, they begin to develop tolerance and dependence, which ultimately lead to addiction.

Alcoholics and drug addicts become so used to being intoxicated that their body and mind crave the substances and need them in order to function normally. Without drugs or alcohol, they will go through withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to severe, depending on the amount of drugs or alcohol being consumed. Symptoms include anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, irritability, sweating, shaking and even seizures which can lead to cardiac arrest. With certain substances, especially alcohol, withdrawal can be fatal if the symptoms are not properly treated by medical professionals. When individuals suffering from alcoholism or drug addiction want to get sober, drug rehab and alcohol rehab are most often the best solutions for treating their disease. In a controlled environment, recovering addicts can be monitored and treated with certain medications that will soften their withdrawal symptoms and potentially save their lives.

Although drug rehab and alcohol rehab can be extremely effective in treating the diseases of drug and alcohol addiction, it's up to the addict to commit to their recovery. If they do not have a serious desire to get clean in order to better their lives, and they feel that they are there only because they have to be, they will most likely not have a successful recovery. Even if they never take drugs or drink again, recovery is a physical, mental and emotional process that must be taken seriously in order to work. There are various methods for treating patients in alcohol recovery and drug recovery, such as group therapy, one-on-one assessments with treatment professionals, and psychiatric studies that are meant to get at the root of the issues that led to addiction in the first place.

Most addicts take drugs and alcohol to self-medicate for some deep underlying traumatic experiences or stress-inducing situations in their life. They may not realize that they are trying to numb themselves and forget the issues that are driving their addiction. When in rehab, treatment professionals will work with recovering addicts to uncover these issues, open them up, and teach patients how to deal with them in a healthy fashion, without taking drugs or alcohol. It's important that drug addicts and alcoholics in recovery fully participate in this process, otherwise they will not get all they can from treatment and learn how to effectively deal with the problems in their life without taking drugs or alcohol.

Another key to drug and alcohol recovery is sticking to a healthy routine and using the tools learned during treatment to deal with life's problems after leaving the facility. Drug rehab and alcohol rehab are not easy fixes to addiction. Alcohol and drug addiction are incurable diseases, but they can be treated. Upon leaving treatment, it's up to the individual to stick to their sobriety, resist the temptations of drug and alcohol, and stay focused on their recovery. This may require a lot of changes. Some recovering addicts may have to find new jobs, new friends, and new places to hang out that do not involve drugs and alcohol. It may seem hard at first, but in the long run, they are minor changes in the lifetime recovery of an alcoholic or addict.