Challenges and Ways to Cope During Treatment at Rehab
Recovering from a substance use addiction isn’t solely a matter of inner strength or the individual’s intention to quit. Millions of people worldwide diagnosed with drug addiction disorders seek treatments at in-patient rehabilitation facilities to boost their chances of recovery. In most cases, patients find themselves drawn into vicious cycles and patterns of substance abuse fueled by bodily dependence.
You see, the human body adapts to psychoactive substances to survive and reduce the adverse impact on crucial organs. This adaptability leads to a bodily dependence on substance use, compelling the individual to continue using to avoid painful withdrawal symptoms. Rehabilitation programs combine pharmaceutical interventions with counseling to help patients cope with addiction withdrawals and embrace healthier lifestyles.
Even with the assistance of professional and experienced Outpatient Mental Health & Substance Use Services, rehabilitation comes with scores of challenges, and patients must develop coping mechanisms to stay committed to the process. Keep reading to learn how patients can cope with the challenges of rehabilitation.
Coping with Withdrawal Symptoms
The first few weeks of rehabilitation are the toughest, as patients experience severe mental and physical anguish while quitting. Patients cannot wake up one morning and decide to leave a substance as powerful and addictive as heroin. Even if they want to, it simply isn’t possible, and attempting to do so can prove life-threatening. Cold turkey is strongly discouraged in cases of prolonged addictions to powerful psychoactive substances like heroin and opioids.
Patients receive medications to reduce opioid withdrawals and help body organs function without psychoactive interference. Doctors administer controlled doses of the substance to eliminate its bodily dependence using pharmaceutical interventions. These controlled doses don’t fuel the addiction but reduce the intensity of the withdrawal symptoms and adverse health impacts.
Quitting marijuana and cannabis is comparatively more manageable, but in-patient heroin treatment is crucial for recovering from opioid addictions. Rehabilitation facilities have addiction experts dealing with physiological and psychological effects to help patients recover. The exact treatment design depends on the substance in question, usage duration, dosage, and addiction severity.
Psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors work in teams to help patients recover using cognitive-behavioral interventions. Medications, one-on-one counseling sessions, and group therapies help patients cope with the excruciating discomfort of withdrawal symptoms. Numerous medicines help reduce the intensity of the withdrawal symptoms and prevent patients from relapsing to overcome pain.
Resolving Underlying Trauma & Stress-Busting
Research reveals that addictions and substance use are coping mechanisms that people develop due to overwhelming trauma, stress, and anxiety. Psychoactive substances like alcohol, heroin, cannabis, and opioids numb emotional pain by stimulating the brain and offering an escape from mental anguish. However, this escape and comfort are temporary and set the stage for a mind-altering addiction that latches onto the body.
People reeling from the trauma of child abuse, dysfunctional family dynamics, sexual abuse, or everyday stress are more vulnerable to substance abuse. It’s natural for us to reach out for a drink or light a joint to silence obsessive thoughts threatening to drive us crazy. And the relief we obtain from psychoactive substances encourages us to keep indulging until the indulgence develops into an addiction.
It’s pertinent to see substance abuse as a stress response or compulsive behavior that keeps anxiety at bay. Addressing underlying trauma that pushes us towards substance use and escape mechanisms is crucial to preventing relapse. Succumbing to the compulsion of using drugs or gambling provides temporary relief, but the cravings return shortly after giving in.
Therefore, it’s essential to resolve underlying trauma and mental concerns that fuel and encourage addiction. Rehabilitation facilities offer patients access to licensed therapists and counselors to help them resolve emotional trauma with mindful therapeutic interventions.
Finding Healthy Recreation
Most people diagnosed with substance use addictions suffer due to their lack of healthy recreational activities. They lack creative and artistic outlets to nourish and rejuvenate their brain and enjoy deep inner satisfaction. Rehabilitation facilities maintain multiple recreational facilities, such as fitness studios and art rooms, to encourage patients to embrace healthy activities.
Addiction specialists encourage their patients to start a fitness regime or take up healthy activities like art, gardening, or yoga. Art therapy is a popular intervention to help people struggling with numerous mental afflictions enjoy contentment and mental stimulation. Arts and crafts are powerful stress-busters, and creating art activates the brain’s reward pathway to release mood-enhancing neurotransmitters.
Art therapy is associated with the natural release of dopamine and serotonin – the same feel-good neurotransmitters artificially stimulation by psychoactive substances. The natural release of dopamine and serotonin engulfs the mind and body with happiness and inner peace waves. Likewise, yoga and meditation also stimulate the release of happiness-inducing endorphins to alleviate stress and experience contentment.
Group Therapy
Finding a tribe of people who understand your struggles without judgment or criticism is incredibly empowering and crucial for recovery. Group therapy sessions are beneficial for patients struggling to find their place in the world. It’s natural for patients diagnosed with addiction disorders to have severed relationships and broken ties with family and friends. Group therapy helps them connect with people with similar experiences and struggles and find support.
Final Thoughts
Distracting the mind isn’t easy when one’s body is racking with the excruciating pain of substance withdrawals. But developing coping mechanisms makes it easier to distract and engage the mind in healthy activities. Rehabilitation facilities offer patients numerous recreational avenues to embrace healthier and more fulfilling lifestyles.
