The Bridge Between Addiction and Sobriety

A Long Road

Addiction is a terrible thing. Drugs have a unique method of changing the activity of one's brain. Because it is wired to promote things and activities that cause pleasure, a positive experience given by a drug often leaves the brain craving for more. Unfortunately, constant use of this drug means that dopamine levels within the brain are eventually depleted. To feel happy at all, users have to continue taking the drug. As tolerance builds up, so does the usage until something potentially lethal can occur.

As such, when you're starting the beginning stages of addiction recovery, it's crucial that you equip yourself with the tools of success. The benefits of Intensive Outpatient Programs is exactly such a tool that an addict can utilize to help them achieve and maintain sobriety. It's a long road, but an outpatient program like the ones Serene Beginnings have can be exactly what you need to make that journey worth something.

What Is An Outpatient Program?

There a lot of terms when it comes to rehab and addiction recovery. Rehabilitation, inpatient, and outpatient are just a few of them. In regards to an outpatient program, the overall goal is to equip the recovering addict with the tools and resources after a successful detox to make sure that they don't relapse. Too often, recovering addicts feel good after a detox. However, since they don't have continuing support afterward and are just dropped back into the same situation that forced them into becoming addicts in the first place, they relapse.

The outpatient programs at certain drug rehab facilities aim to make sure that doesn't happen. They're the bridge between rehab and independent life. After your detox has been finished, SB will create a program just for you. A team of medical doctors, therapists, behavioral health technicians, as well as case managers all work together to consider your case and craft a program that they believe will keep you sober.

Therapy

The treatments that SB primarily promote are varying forms of therapy. Whether it's group therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy, trauma therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy, among others, that you may be suggested to take on to promote your sober lifestyle. Which therapy you're best suited for is primarily what the doctors, therapists, and such will determine. Your comfort is also crucial. After all, no one wants to promote a therapy that makes you so uncomfortable, you don't end up showing up for your sessions.

As such, each treatment program is considered carefully. SB suggests therapy for numerous reasons. For one, it's an excellent place for education. Therapists can help you to understand how addiction works. For you, specifically, they can point out risk factors that you may want to avoid because they could trigger an impulse to take a drug. By understanding addiction and how it affects you, personally, you can easily recognize situations and decisions where you might be led down a path that could result in a relapse. By arming yourself with education, you can have a plan. That plan can keep you sober.

Group therapy also has its benefits. Because addiction can sometimes feel like an isolating experience, you're never alone. The team is devoted to helping you, and your peers that you meet in group therapy are there to support you, too. After all, they've been in your exact shoes. They can offer empathy as well as insight into their own stories. In addition, you can draw from their own hard-earned lessons and benefit from their experience. They can also clue you in on a few experiences that your team of professionals might be aware of, simply because some of them may have never gone through the recovery process themselves. As such, your peers are a remarkable resource for helping you through those early stages of recovery, and in those first few days of independent life.

Finally, therapy can equip you with the tools and resources you need when it comes to work and employment. Many addicts find themselves without a job due to their addictions. Therapists and your peers can help you find a job that provides you with satisfaction. With this stability, you can start a new life. By having SB at your side, you can be equipped with the tools and resources to make sure your recovery is successful.