Like many people, you’ve made the crucial decision to seek treatment for drug addiction. But once you’ve made that decision, what should you do next? A few first steps are recommended for essentially everyone in your situation. One of the most important of these steps is entering a detox program. Why? Drug detox for recovery helps set a firm foundation for treatment success when conducted by experts.
Medical drug detox is a specialty at New Start Recovery. Our targeted approach is designed to ease the withdrawal process as much as possible. In turn, successful completion of withdrawal gets you ready for the next phase of your lasting recovery.
Step #1: Going Through Withdrawal in Drug Detox
If you’re addicted to a drug, your brain has become reliant on its presence. When the level of that drug starts to drop, you can expect your brain to react negatively. You can also expect to feel the consequences of that reaction in the form of withdrawal.
As a rule, it’s impossible to overcome addiction without experiencing some of the effects of withdrawal. The specific effects vary from drug to drug. But they include:
- Mental and/or physical symptoms that make you profoundly uncomfortable
- A strong craving for more of the drug in question
- A general sense of feeling seriously unwell
One of the main goals of drug detox is to make it easier for you to tolerate withdrawal. This is essential. Why? The withdrawal symptoms can be powerful enough to make you doubt your commitment to getting sober. Unless you have help taming them, your chances for relapse are typically high.
Step #2: Getting Ready for the Next Phase of Drug Addiction Recovery
Detox also has another main goal. Namely, it prepares you for the next phase of drug addiction recovery: active treatment. Addiction experts universally recommend active treatment as a detox follow-up. Unless you take this step, all of your detox efforts may be wasted. That’s true because you won’t develop the skills needed to maintain your new sobriety.
How does drug detox prepare you for active treatment? To begin with, you will learn why this form of care is necessary. You will also get information on how it works. In addition, you will receive practical advice on what to expect when you enter your treatment program.
Step #3: Entering Active Treatment for Lasting Drug Recovery
Active treatment is designed to take full advantage of the gains you made in detox. It achieves this goal by doing such things as:
- Deepening your understanding of how addiction affects you
- Helping you avoid relapse while in treatment
- Explaining how your thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors may keep the addiction going
- Showing you how to change harmful thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors
- Teaching you practical methods of staying sober in day-to-day life
Medication is sometimes used as part of drug addiction treatment. However, there is no medication option for most forms of addiction. A far more common treatment is psychotherapy. No matter the source of your addiction, therapies are available to help you recover.
Learn More About the First Steps in Drug Recovery at New Start Recovery
At New Start Recovery, we offer treatment for all major forms of drug addiction. Whether your symptoms are mild, moderate, or severe, we’ll help you chart an achievable course to sobriety. Our services begin with a comprehensive drug detox program. And once you complete this program, you can continue to active treatment that fits your unique situation.
We’re dedicated to supporting your enduring success. To learn more about the first steps in your recovery, call us today at [Direct]. Help is also available through our online information form.