Addiction affects numerous individuals. When it’s time to get the help they need, they undergo a treatment plan. What needs to be emphasized is that not all recovery programs are created equal.
This guide will explain the reason why not all addiction recovery programs are the same. It should vary from person to person. Even though a psychological evaluation in North Carolina may be a standard procedure, one person dealing with addiction may not have a mental disorder (compared to others).
Let’s take a look at the following explanations as to why the same addiction recovery program may not work for everyone.
Addiction is a complex issue
It’s true that addiction is a complex issue. That’s because there are physical and psychological components that need to be addressed. The physical part will require medical evaluations and treatments.
A person will go through a detox period which includes withdrawal symptoms. Some of them will be seriously compared to others. That’s why medical attention may be needed around the clock.
Drugs can even do enough damage to a person’s body. It will depend on how long they have abused or been addicted to the drug. The damage may be reversed when someone quits the drugs in question.
Yet, there’s not always a guarantee. Some may even suffer health problems long after they have maintained sobriety. This may be due to the damage done to the body.
However, there are certain lifestyle changes and approaches to avoiding those health issues so you can live a worry-free life of sobriety. Now that we’ve extensively discussed the physical aspect of addiction, let’s talk about the psychological aspect.
The psychological part of addiction involves a more personalized approach. For this reason, it’s a precaution to have a psychological evaluation done. This will ensure whether someone has had a mental illness, they have been combatting using drugs.
It’s never a good idea to use drugs to self-medicate a mental disorder. Nine times out of ten, these mental disorders were never diagnosed. If there had been a previous diagnosis, there might have been no addiction, to begin with.
This is why a dual diagnosis exists. You can be diagnosed with both an addiction and a mental disorder. Which means you will need to be treated for both.
This requires therapy and medication. Yes, your medical staff will be able to put together a plan where your medication will not interact negatively with each other. Here’s something you need to know about dual diagnosis treatment plans.
When it comes to therapy, you will meet with two separate counselors. One will focus on your substance abuse, which covers learning about certain coping mechanisms and approaches to reduce the cravings and likelihood of relapse.
The other counselor will focus on your mental health disorder. They may be specialists or someone that focuses on mental disorders in general. Either way, you don’t want to meet with a therapist that will handle both your substance abuse and mental disorders.
You will need organization and structure during this treatment process. Without this, things will get stressful. Thus, it will make the process a lot more stressful.
It will be difficult to beat the addiction. And you will face a higher chance of relapse. It’s possible to tackle both addiction and mental disorders – albeit through an organized treatment plan.
No condition should be put on the back burner in favor of the other. Meaning your mental disorder should not be taking a back seat when your addiction treatment is being focused on 100 percent of the time.
Once again, ignoring one issue in favor of the other will complicate the process. Thus, the recovery process will be much more difficult than one anticipates.
The factors to consider
It’s important to note what the factors are when it comes to addiction. A person dealing with it may be dealing with addiction, but it won’t be due to a mental illness. They may not have one and may deal with their addiction because they couldn’t get enough of the high.
With that said, let’s take a look at the following factors:
- Genetics: A person may develop an addiction due to a genetic disposition. For this reason, it may be important for someone to take the necessary precautions to prevent them from developing one of their own.
- Trauma: A person may experience traumatic episodes in their life such as neglect, abuse, or violence. This can increase someone’s risk to addiction. However, it’s important to take care of the underlying mental health disorders that may arise from trauma.
- Mental health disorders: Disorders such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD can lead to addiction. Again, it is important to tackle both the mental health disorder in question and the addiction.
- Environment: A person, mental disorder or not, may develop an addiction due to the environment they’re in. They may feel like it’s OK to try it out for themselves with little to no pressure from their peers. That’s why when being treated for an addiction, a change in their environment is more than necessary.
- Social support: It’s important to have solid social support to ensure that you get the treatment you need. Having a positive support system consisting of friends, family, professionals, and fellow recovering addicts will make the process bearable. A lack of support can complicate the entire process.
Final Thoughts
An addiction recovery program isn’t made equal. That’s why it should be important for a person to have one created just for them. The needs will vary from person to person.
While the plans may be similar from one recovering addict to the next, there are some differences. For example, one treatment plan will also focus on mental health treatment, and others may not.
If you need help as soon as possible, see what New Waters Recovery can do for you. Don’t wait any longer. This is a life-changing decision you’re about to make.
Contact New Waters Recovery today and get the help you need.
