Ativan Rehab
Ativan is a highly addictive benzodiazepine. Despite being used as a medication for conditions such as anxiety and insomnia, this drug can rapidly cause physical dependence and addiction.
Users who find themselves addicted to Ativan may struggle to wean themselves off, due to the withdrawal symptoms and powerful cravings that accompany an Ativan detox. This is where Ativan rehab comes in.
In Ativan rehab, trained medical professionals help you through the detox process. They have experience in treating patients who are trying to overcome an Ativan addiction.
They know what medication to prescribe to ease your withdrawal, and they can offer support and advice through this difficult time.
Not only that, but in Ativan rehab, you can also receive therapy to help address some of the root causes of your addiction.
Detox treats the body, ridding it of toxins; therapy treats the mind, helping you to understand all the little quirks of your mind and how they contribute to your addiction.
Over time, with the help of therapy, you can work out strategies for staying abstinent from Ativan in the future.
Ativan rehab is available both in inpatient and outpatient forms. We discuss both later in this article.
What should you consider when choosing an Ativan rehab?
There are a number of things to think about when selecting an Ativan rehab. We’ve listed a few below:
- Does the rehab offer a number of therapy options?
- Are the staff fully qualified?
- How much does the rehab cost?
- What are the amenities like?
- How far away is the rehab?
- Does the rehab have provisions for dealing with individual needs, such as disability, addiction to multiple substances, and mental health disorders?
We recommend asking some of these questions (and any others you think might be relevant) before booking into Ativan rehab.
Inpatient Ativan rehab
Inpatient rehab for treating Ativan addiction is one of the best options out there, especially for those who have a severe, long-standing addiction to Ativan.
What makes inpatient rehab so effective? Well, one of the key things inpatient rehab offers is freedom from temptation. When detoxing at home, or in outpatient rehab, you are still surrounded by the same set of circumstances that accompanied you during your addiction.
That might include drug dealers, broken relationships, enabling friends, and more. When you check in to inpatient Ativan rehab, you leave behind all that.
You enter a situation in which everyone is trying to get clean, and staff are on-hand to make sure that nothing that could act as a potential trigger is left lying around. Inpatient rehab, in other words, is a secure, safe environment, in which you are free to focus entirely on your recovery. That is what makes it so effective.
A typical stay in inpatient Ativan rehab lasts around 28 days, although it can be longer depending on your needs.
Patients can choose to quit Ativan cold turkey, although this carries some risk due to the severity of benzo withdrawal symptoms. The safer option is to taper off Ativan using long-acting benzo such as Valium. By tapering, you limit the withdrawal symptoms you are exposed to.
As well as detox, inpatient rehab involves therapy, meetings and group activities. Rehab programmes try to keep you as busy as possible by giving you a full schedule. This helps to keep your mind off things.
The aim of therapy is to help you overcome some of the mental hurdles which led you to use drugs in the first place. Rehab therapy can achieve this through a variety of means.
Some of the forms of treatment you may encounter during your stay in inpatient Ativan rehab include:
- 12-step programs
- Cognitive behavioural therapy
- Experiential therapy (equine therapy, art therapy, etc.)
- Group counselling
- Holistic therapy
- One-on-one counselling
No inpatient rehab programme is the same. Your programme will be adapted to suit your needs. If you prefer one form of therapy over another or find it more effective, then you can focus on that form of therapy.
Outpatient Ativan rehab
In general, those with milder addictions to Ativan are probably more likely to benefit from outpatient programmes.
Those with more severe addictions may find that an outpatient programme does not offer them enough in terms of round-the-clock care, therapy and freedom from temptation.
But outpatient programmes can be very good, and they are generally cheaper than inpatient programmes.
In an outpatient programme, you continue to live at home, while attending an outpatient centre for treatment. This saves money on accommodation, although it does mean that you are exposed to the same triggers which can put you at risk of a relapse.
You can detox in most outpatient centres. You won’t get 24/7 medical care, you will get attention from medical staff while you are at the outpatient centre. They will also be able to prescribe medication to help you through withdrawal. For Ativan, this may include long-acting benzos such as Valium for tapering purposes.
Outpatient programmes may not carry quite as high a success rate as inpatient programmes, but they are still a very good service.
Some of the positives of outpatient programmes include: helping users to meet other people going through similar experiences; helping them to deal with the root causes of their addiction through therapy, and preventing them from relapsing through regular meetings with addiction professionals who can offer help and advice.
Ativan relapse prevention
If you have been through Ativan detox and rehab, you may be wondering what strategies you can employ going forward to help you stay clean. We’ve compiled a few ideas for you:
1. Avoid enablers
It can be hard to cut people out of your life, especially if those people are family members or close friends. But if you used to use drugs with someone, then being around them is going to make you want to use drugs. The sensible option is to stop spending time with them.
2. Establish a support network
When things are hard, you need a network of people you can call who will offer support and encouragement to help stop you from using. Having a good, trustworthy support network is one of the best ways to stop you from relapsing in those high-risk moments.
3. Look after your body
Physical health is deeply linked with mental health and addiction. Making sure you sleep well, eat well and exercise regularly will help you to feel better, which in turn will reduce the chances of a relapse. Try to relapse the ‘release’ you get from drugs with the buzz of going for a run or lifting weights.
4. Maintain a schedule
Free time is the enemy of addiction recovery. If you have too much time to yourself, you get bored; if you get bored, you start thinking about using drugs. Even if you are someone who doesn’t tend to make a schedule, it’s worth planning out your time when you are in recovery. This will help you to prevent any mishaps.
5. Speak to a therapist or counsellor
As well as a support network, which is often composed of friends, family and an Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous sponsor, it’s good to have a professional who works in addiction treatment to offer advice and support. A therapist or counsellor will be able to help you form strategies for dealing with triggers and high-risk situations (see below).
6. Work out what your triggers are, and develop strategies to avoid them
This process will often start in rehab, so you may already have some idea of what your triggers are. However, being out in the real world may produce new triggers that you have to deal with. If you have access to a therapist or counsellor, then they are the person to talk to for dealing with triggers.
Final thoughts
Ativan rehab can come in inpatient and outpatient forms. Whichever option you choose, make sure you give it some thought. Getting rehab right the first time will save you a lot of money and stress.
If you are looking for an Ativan rehab, we wish you all the best with dealing with this challenging addiction.
