Drug addiction - Help and resources
Drug addiction like cocaine or heroin addiction can happen to anyone and destroy lives. But no matter how hopeless your situation seems, there are solutions, and you can overcome drug addiction with the right help and treatments. This article provides information on recognising drug addiction, how to get help, and the steps you can take to overcome addiction for good.
When to get Drug Addiction Help and support
Addiction makes it difficult to control drug use despite the harm caused. Signs of drug addiction include:
- Taking more drugs, more often
- Failed attempts to quit using
- Spending less time on activities unrelated to drugs
- Continued use despite health or social consequences
- Neglecting responsibilities
- Using drugs even when alone
- Risky behaviours like driving while intoxicated
- Experiencing withdrawals when not using
If you recognise or are concerned with any of these in yourself or a loved one, it's time to get help. The sooner addiction is treated, the better the chances of recovery.
Tips for cutting down or stopping your drug use
Taking active steps to cut down, control, or stop drug use can help regain control of your life. Consider:
- Tracking your drug use to identify patterns and triggers
- Setting goals to reduce your dosage slowly
- Avoiding "risky" situations where you commonly use drugs
- Replacing drug use with healthy activities
- Making lifestyle changes to reduce stress
- Building a support system of friends/family
- Focusing on reasons you want to quit
- Seeking counselling or therapy
Where to get help for drugs
Don't struggle alone. A number of options exist to help overcome drug addiction:
Charity and private drugs treatment
Charities like Addaction, talk to Frank and the NHS provide free drug treatment, while private rehabs offer residential stays or outpatient programs for a cost. Treatment aims to address psychological addiction through counselling while assisting with withdrawal symptoms.
Talk to your GP
Your doctor can refer you to NHS drug addiction services providing medical assistance and psychosocial therapies.
Call the NHS helpline
Contact trained advisors for guidance on finding treatment that suits your situation.
Consider support groups
Peer support groups like Narcotics Anonymous connect you with others overcoming addiction.
Explore your addiction treatment options
Treatment plans are tailored to individual needs and situations. Common options include:
Inpatient rehab: Live on-site while undergoing intensive residential treatment over 28 days or more. Offers a safe, structured environment away from triggers.
Outpatient programs: Attend structured therapy sessions 1-5 days a week while residing at home. Flexible for those unable to take time off.
12-step programs: Work through recovery steps with support of a sponsor and group. Based on tenets of support and spirituality.
Individual counselling: Work one-on-one with a therapist to uncover root causes driving addiction and help with any mental health problems.
Group counselling: Share experiences and learn from others in recovery under guidance of a therapist.
Medication: Prescription medications can ease withdrawal symptoms, reduce cravings, and prevent relapse.
How you can start to reduce or quit taking drugs
Making the decision to get clean is a huge first step. Some practical tips and advice for drug addiction treatment include:
- Make a firm commitment and set a quit date
- Remove drugs and related paraphernalia from your home
- Avoid people, places, or situations triggering drug use
- Look for anti-drug addiction support in your community
- Engage your family and friends as a support system
- Replace drug use with healthy routines and activities
- Be prepared to manage withdrawals
- Consider undergoing detoxification under medical supervision
- Seek counselling or therapy to address underlying issues
Tips for finding the best drug addiction treatment for you
The most effective treatment for addiction recovery addresses both physical and psychological components of addiction. Considerations for choosing a program include:
- Your substance abuse history and current state of addiction
- Presence of co-occurring mental health problems
- Personal preferences for treatment therapies and level of care
- Cost, location, length of program, amenities
- Success rates and credentials of facility and staff
- Aftercare planning and ongoing recovery support
- Discuss options with addiction specialists, family/friends, your GP, and insurance to select the best fit.
The first step to overcoming drug abuse and addiction
Admitting you have a problem is the first and most difficult step toward recovery. Be honest with yourself about your drug use. Let close ones know you need help and want to change. talk to your GP about treatment options. You don't have to continue suffering addiction’s devastating consequences.
Our Drug Rehab Centres
At www.findrehab.co.uk, we help people take that critical first step. Our advisors compassionately assess your situation to match you with trusted, accredited addiction outpatient and residential treatment centres across the UK. We support you from the start of your recovery journey and beyond. Contact us today to learn more about our drug rehab options and for confidential advice.
What drug treatment involves
Drug addiction treatment utilises a variety of techniques to help you safely detoxify, achieve sobriety, and maintain it long-term. It often includes:
Detoxification (detox)
Detox medically manages withdrawal symptoms that occur when drug use stops. Based on the substance abused, it may utilize prescription medications, nutrition therapy, and IV fluids under 24/7 medical supervision for 5-10 days.
Behavioural therapies
These therapies help you develop skills and strategies for coping with addiction's psychological and environmental triggers. Options include cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing, and family counselling.
Support groups
Peer support provides accountability, encouragement, and lived experience to help prevent relapse. Groups like Narcotics Anonymous are often incorporated into treatment plans.
Aftercare planning
Aftercare helps transition back to everyday life while reducing relapse risks. This can involve ongoing therapy, medications, housing support, recovery coaching, and peer support groups.
Learn healthy ways to cope with stress
Unhealthy coping mechanisms like drugs are often ways to self-medicate underlying issues like stress, trauma, or mental health disorders. Treatment helps develop positive stress-management skills through exercise, relaxation techniques, art therapy, journaling, meditation, yoga, music, etc.
Build a meaningful drug-free life
Creating a fulfilling, substance-free lifestyle motivates you to stay sober. This may involve picking up old hobbies, making new friends, spending more time with family, starting a career, or pursuing education. A strong support network provides accountability.
Keep drug triggers and cravings in check
Avoiding people, places, and things associated with past drug use reduces exposure to triggers. Treatment also teaches refusal techniques, distraction methods, and relapse prevention strategies when cravings arise. Medications may help curb urges.
Professional help for drug treatment and recovery
Overcoming addiction is a challenging process requiring comprehensive, individualised treatment and ongoing support. Drug addiction help professionals guide your recovery journey, empower you to take control of your health, and help you live a meaningful, fulfilling life free from addiction. Reach out today to start your recovery from drug and alcohol use and for confidential advice.
Why contact us at Find Rehab?
At www.findrehab.co.uk, we use our vast knowledge and experience in the drug and alcohol addiction treatment field to help guide you or your loved one's recovery journey every step of the way. From your initial contact with us, our caring advisors will take the time to understand your unique situation and needs in order to match you with the rehab options that are the right fit, offer advice and support. Whether that's residential rehab, outpatient programs, support groups, or a combination, we will be there providing advice, resources, and encouragement from the start of recovery through aftercare. Our goal is to ease the stress of navigating treatment options so you can focus on achieving sobriety. We know addiction is a challenging disease to overcome, which is why our support extends beyond just rehab placement. Contact us now by phone, email or online message if you or someone you care about needs help taking the first steps towards freedom from drug and alcohol use.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the signs of drug addiction?
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Signs of drug addiction include inability to control use, continued use despite consequences, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, neglecting responsibilities, risky behaviours, and spending a lot of time seeking out drugs.
- What are the stages of drug addiction?
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The stages of drug addiction often include experimentation, regular use, risky use, dependence, addiction, and recovery/relapse. It is a progressive disease that worsens over time.
- What are the most effective drug addiction treatments?
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Common effective treatments include detoxification, behavioural therapies like CBT, medications, support groups, and comprehensive long-term care with aftercare planning. Personalised treatment addresses both physical and psychological addiction.
- How can you help a drug addicted family member?
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Support a family member with compassion, encourage them to seek help, provide resources, be patient through relapses, participate in family counselling, avoid enabling behaviours, and take care of your own mental health.
- What happens in drug addiction therapy?
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Therapy tackles psychological triggers behind addiction through methods like CBT, motivational interviewing, and psychoeducation. The goal is learning coping mechanisms, changing addictive behaviours, and addressing any co-occurring disorders.
- How do you know if someone is addicted to drugs?
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Signs of drug addiction include inability to stop using, relationships suffer, loss of interest in activities, neglect self-care, constantly talking about using, take risks to obtain drugs, experience withdrawal when stopping.
- Can you ever fully recover from drug addiction?
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While addiction is a chronic disease, it can be managed effectively with ongoing treatment and vigilance. Making a commitment to lifelong recovery including sober community, therapy, and healthy lifestyle greatly reduces risks of relapse.
