The societal stigma against drug addiction is one of the key reasons that many people struggling with substance abuse don’t seek help. One of the first steps toward fighting the epidemic is to provide general awareness of public health concerns.
Another is offering more safe spaces for anyone suffering from a substance abuse disorder, allowing them to seek help and recover safely at facilities like Highlands Recovery.
Recovery is a multi-faceted process that requires a comprehensive and personalized approach. Care should address individuals’ physical and emotional challenges on the path to long-term recovery. While traditional programs like the 12-step program can be vital tools, patients have positively responded to a blended approach of modern treatments and more conventional options.
The Individualized Approach to Recovery
People may not realize how often untreated mental health conditions or periods of situational depression can result in substance abuse. Yet, on top of simple genetics, self-medication is one of the core reasons many people start using drugs. That’s why offering patients evidence-based therapies that provide skills like cognitive-behavioral techniques is vital.
Everyone has their own story, background, genetic makeup, emotional triggers, support networks, and mental health conditions — meaning it’s vital to tailor recovery to each individual instead of using one-size-fits-all methods. Ultimately, longevity is the ultimate goal when it comes to recovery and wellness.
Encouraging Long-Term Results
Quick-fix methods are just that: quick fixes. Patients need the tools to stick with their recovery after they leave treatment centers. Traditional and behavioral therapy can help patients work through past trauma as well as offer them methods to monitor and adjust the behaviors that may lead to relapse.
One patient may benefit from group therapy, while others prefer one-on-one options. Putting recovering patients in a box could trigger the very stressors that may lead to relapse, even if these resources are meant to help. Treatment centers must evaluate each individual’s needs to develop a post-rehabilitation game plan that works for them.
Understanding and Treating Underlying Mental Health Struggles
Whether someone is going through a significant life hurdle like divorce or job loss or has an untreated mental health condition, it may start with one drink or drug and quickly turn into two and then ten until it feels unmanageable. Those feelings can soon turn into a web of triggers — many of which can stem from the substance or alcohol abuse itself. That only compounds the pre-existing problems.
Struggles like anxiety, depression, and trauma often accompany substance abuse disorders, making it vital for patients to receive supportive counseling. Through that care, patients can learn safe and effective coping mechanisms and develop resilience that encourages them to stick with the program even when faced with those stressors or symptoms.
Finding Community and Care After Treatment
Substance abuse recovery isn’t temporary — it’s a life-long process. Patients have to work every day to keep up with their sobriety after completing recovery programs. The patient needs to work on an open dialogue with family and friends. Often, patients may have fractured relationships with the people they love most. However, putting in the work to make amends can help foster healthier relationships with loved ones.
By including family and friends in the early recovery stages, loved ones who may have been hurt can better understand that substance abuse is a disorder. While accountability is vital, understanding can go a long way.
In addition to the support of loved ones, patients often benefit from peer groups to gain assistance from others who understand what they’re going through. Long-term follow-up programs are also adequate resources to reduce relapse rates and maintain progress.
Working Together to Create Change
It’s not just up to the individuals suffering from substance abuse disorders to tackle the epidemic. Empathy, understanding, and education can go a long way. Healthcare providers, social services, and local organizations must work together to offer well-rounded and informed support for care and prevention.
It’s time to stop the stigma by focusing on education, prevention, and an open dialogue to build supportive communities and enact change on all levels.
Written in partnership with Tom White
