Recovery from addiction to substances or habits can seem like a long road, but it is not impossible. What makes it possible is the support from family and friends and the guidance from a team of professionals. Addiction can best be overcome with rehab programs that help the addict acknowledge the existence of a problem and then overcome it with proper medication, treatment and extensive counselling. Without rehab, overcoming serious and chronic addiction becomes extremely difficult as there is no method to the recovery and the addict can give up at any point in time.
The very first step in overcoming addiction is to get the addict completely checked out - mentally and physically. Any addiction leaves its marks and also has causes intrinsic to the person's personality which need to be properly explored with the help of modern technology and medical professionals. This cannot be done without a team of rehab guidance counselors and doctors. Addicts have a tendency to neglect their health, and physical reformation is as important as psychological.
Rehab programs establish a routine and timeline in the treatment of its addicts. These programs help create a safe environment of like-minded individuals, which would otherwise be unavailable to an addict if he or she seeks to explore therapy on his or her own. Outpatient therapy is conducted through weekly meetings and is useful for mild or moderate addiction. This employs cognitive behavioral therapy or a 12-step program as primary treatment modalities. Inpatient therapy provides intensive residential treatment for a brief period of time and makes use of similar treatment strategies as outpatient therapy, but with constant monitoring for 3 to 6 weeks. Participants in this treatment are further guided to self-help or outpatient groups. There are many residential therapy programs which care for the patient 24 hours a day in a non-hospital setting, providing a safe haven for the patient to relax and rejuvenate and explore their problems on their own terms, without a time period. They build a community model where addicts help each other to learn from their mistakes and support the rehabilitation.
It is quite difficult to let go of an addiction without a method or regulation and suppport from peers. People often venture to handle addiction on their own, but come back unsuccessful mostly because they give themselves the power and responsibility of overcoming an addiction that they have helped foster. This power is lost very easily and the addicts fall back into addiction, which becomes all the more difficult to handle.[distance1]
Even people who try to rid themselves of addiction on their own often have to rely on the support of others. People take help from prayer groups or self-help groups that meet regularly and explore the causes and concerns of the addicts. These groups keep track of the addict's progress and offer support in the form of counselling, monetary help and company. This is also a form of rehab that the addict intitiates on his own. It might be successful only if sustained. For this, the addict needs to have a lot of will power, which is not a trait most addicts possess.
It is only when the addict's self esteem is boosted through proper rehab programs that he or she can venture out on his or her own terms and face the challenges of overcoming the addiction forever. Liberation from the addiction and self dependence are crucial steps in rehabilitation and can only be obtained with formal and professional support. The addict and his family cannot always have firm hand or reprimand for falling back into old habits. It is a wiser choice to opt for rehab the very first time, instead of wasting several attempts on self treatment.
