Addiction Treatment in San Angelo, TX
Addiction treatment in San Angelo involves a combination of therapies and treatments designed to improve likely outcomes for recovering drug and alcohol addicts. Entering into a drug and alcohol rehab facility provides a safe environment where the recovering person is removed from places and people associated with substance abuse.
What is Addiction?
Addiction is a chronic relapsing disease of the brain characterized by compulsive substance use, even when there are negative consequences associated with continued use.
Abusing drugs or alcohol can cause changes within the brain's chemistry. The brain starts to adapt to the presence of the substance in the system, so the user eventually needs to start taking higher doses in order to achieve the same effects. This is known as tolerance.
Taking increasingly larger doses causes the brain to eventually believe that it's no longer able to produce certain hormones or neurotransmitters without continued intake of the substance.
If the person stops using suddenly, the brain can't adapt. As it's no longer able to produce certain hormones without more drugs or alcohol, the brain enters into a hyper-excitable state. At this point, the user is considered physically dependent, or addicted.
The user experiences the change in brain chemistry as unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, some of which could be potentially dangerous or even life-threatening. It's common for many users to continue a cycle of addictive substance use in an effort to avoid the onset of withdrawal symptoms.
Steps in Addiction Treatment
It's common for many people to assume that drug and alcohol treatment centers only focus on helping a person get through the detox process safely. In reality, detox is only one of the first steps on the journey to recovery from addiction.
Addiction treatment in San Angelo begins with assessing each person to determine the type of drug being taken.
Assessment also takes into account the dosage being taken and the severity of the addiction in order to tailor the right course of treatment to suit each person's needs. It's also important to assess whether the person has any symptoms of mental illness that need to be treated simultaneously.
Once the assessment phase is complete, the detox process can begin at a center for drug detox in San Angelo. Depending on the type of drug being taken, the person may enter a medical detox program. Addiction specialists can administer prescription medications that alleviate the worst of any symptoms associated with withdrawal.
When the detox process is complete, behavioral therapies begin working to identify the underlying psychological triggers behind self-destructive behaviors. One-on-one counseling sessions teach the recovering person healthy new ways to manage cravings and cope with life without the need for drugs or alcohol.
A major part of any drug rehab program is learning strong new relapse prevention strategies. The person is taught ways to avoid high-risk situations associated with substance use, and then implement healthy tactics that help them remain clean and sober over the long term.
Types of Treatment for Addiction
Drug and alcohol treatment centers incorporate a range of different therapies and treatments designed to improve the likelihood of an addict making a successful recovery. Some common methods for addiction treatment in San Angelo include:
Medical detox: Withdrawing from addictive drugs can be potentially dangerous if the person tries to go cold turkey without proper medical supervision. There is also an increased risk of relapse.
By comparison, treatment in a drug and alcohol rehab in San Angelo provides medical detox treatments that include prescription medications that can make the process easier.
Behavioral therapies: Cognitive behavioral therapies use a positive approach to identifying the underlying reasons behind self-destructive behaviors and then discovering positive ways to overcome those triggers. The objective is to uncover the person's motivation for change and then encouraging healthy, new behaviors that aren't associated with substance abuse.
Individual counseling: Private one-on-one counseling sessions provide a positive outlet for pent-up emotions and frustrations that many recovering people may not otherwise have. Counseling works on teaching the person to identify their own unique addiction triggers and then begin building a strategy to remain sober.
Group meetings: Group support meetings provide a level of peer support and motivation that help reduce feelings of isolation associated with addiction recovery. Regular attendance at group meetings even after leaving drug and alcohol rehab can help maintain motivation to stay sober.
Outpatient drug rehab: Graduating a comprehensive course of treatment at inpatient drug and alcohol treatment centers is a huge achievement. However, not everyone who leaves rehab is ready to return to independent living without continued support and ongoing therapy. Many people leaving inpatient treatments step down to outpatient drug rehab programs that continue the same level of highly-structured treatments the person needs to continue the recovery process.
Alternative therapies: Most programs for addiction treatment in San Angelo incorporate a range of alternative therapies into each person's recovery plan. Alternative therapies are designed to provide healthy, natural ways to manage cravings, cope with stress, and relieve symptoms of anxiety or depression throughout the recovery process.
Call today at (877) 804-1531 to get immediate help.