Many preparing themselves to work through the recovery process feel like they are being held back by fear. Many worry that they gave in to fear for too long, and now it is too late for them to achieve long-term recovery.
They are afraid that if they seek out help for their drug or alcohol dependency, they won’t be given it, and they will finally have the confirmation that they are a lost cause. We can promise you that this line of thinking, while common, is also silly.
It is simply theirs and your anxiety taking over where your logic should be. Logically you know that it is never too late to receive treatment for a drug or alcohol dependency. But, especially with our services at OK Rehab, you will never be turned away.
It doesn’t matter if you think you should have begun your journey to long-term recovery years ago. What matters is you are ready to start it now/ There will always be an excuse not to begin, but again that is just your anxiety wanting you to give in to fear.
Fear is a very strong emotion, and it is perfectly normal for you to experience it as you prepare yourself to put in the work to achieve long-term recovery through drug and alcohol rehab services. But our ability to admit that we are afraid but carry on regardless is what makes us human. Our resolve in the face of the unknown is because we know we will come out on the other side happier and much healthier.
We will take things slow and introduce you to the various treatments you will experience during your time at a drug and alcohol rehab centre in the Thetford area. You will be OK, there is nothing to be afraid of. We promise this will all feel much better very soon. You just need to put your trust in us.
What happens in a drug and alcohol rehab centre?
A drug and alcohol rehab centre can be simply thought of as a specialised medical facility that focuses on helping those living with a drug or alcohol dependency. They offer personalised one-to-one treatments designed to combat your drug or alcohol dependency at different levels.
To simplify this very complex set of treatments, you can separate the services they offer into ways they deal with chemical dependency and the ways they deal with mental dependence.
Both the chemical and mental aspects of a drug or alcohol dependency must be seen as the reason behind the prolonged substance abuse tends to be a combination of the two.
Treating the chemical dependency
Chemical dependency is what happens when your substance abuse goes from a bad habit to something that requires specialised treatment.
A drug or alcohol dependency develops because when you abuse substances, you create a rush of dopamine, the feel-good chemical, in your brain. This rush of dopamine causes you to experience pleasure, and your brain wants to experience this again.
Eventually, your brain chemistry will change, and you will no longer feel the same kind of rush without more and more drugs or alcohol. Instead, your brain will crave your substance of choice until it is either given what it wants or goes into withdrawal.
Withdrawal symptoms can be very dangerous and are the main reason why it is strongly discouraged for you to attempt to quit abusing substances alone.
These symptoms can include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Migraine
- Muscle pain
- Muscle spasm
- Hot flashes
- Chills
- Shivering
- Delirium
- Dehydration
- Hallucinations
- Seizures
The main treatment for the chemical dependency is the detox. The detox is, to put it simply, a way for your body to naturally rid itself of all toxins, which include drugs and alcohol.
You will experience the withdrawal symptoms during this process. Still, it will be in a safe and controlled environment monitored by fully trained medical staff qualified to give you medication to relieve the withdrawal symptoms should they prove too much for your body to handle. By treating the chemical dependency, the goal is to give your body a fresh start.
It should allow you to focus on the rest of your treatments without the distraction of your cravings or having to worry about going through the withdrawals alone. So long as the detox is done in a drug or alcohol rehab centre or some other kind of medical facility, it is perfectly safe.
Treating mental dependency
It is very rare that substance abuse just becomes a drug or alcohol dependency. It tends to need a trigger that allows it to spiral into the complex medical condition that it is.
The leading cause of substance abuse is trauma. Many people experience a traumatic event such as military service, a car accident, loss of a loved one, etc.… Trauma changes the way your brain can respond to stress. It causes you to live in a state of hyper-vigilance, which means your fight or flight response is much more easily triggered.
Many living this way turn to drugs or alcohol as a way to dull these responses so they can try and live an everyday life.
Another very common cause is an undiagnosed mental illness that they are trying to self-medicate.
Many people living with anxiety or depression will use various drugs or alcohol to try and regulate their moods, so again they can just carry on with their lives. Unfortunately, improving your mental health is not that simple. Substance abuse will numb the pain in the short-term, but in the long run, it will only make your mental health worse.
This is why in a drug and alcohol rehab centre in the Thetford area, you will attend regular group therapy sessions. There you, along with others staying at the centre, will work to understand what triggers your cravings and how to replace your substance abuse with a healthier coping mechanism.
How we can help
At OK Rehab, we have devoted years to understanding what makes a good drug and alcohol rehab centre.
We have worked tirelessly to work to understand what each one in the Thetford area can offer you and how that can apply to your specific needs. We simply ask you to give us a call at 0800 326 5559, and you can begin your free initial assessment.
We are ready and waiting to help you.
