In some addiction treatment circles, there is a term that goes something like “stinking thinking.” The term refers to the way addicts think while they are in the throes of addiction.
A common thought you will find among addicts is they believe they can stop at any time and do so without the need for treatment. Is there any validity to that way of thinking? The short answer is not really. Sure, there is the occasional addict who will stop cold turkey and be able to walk away from drugs without a second thought.
However, that individual is very rare. The reason it’s so difficult for someone to stop using drugs and stay sober on their own is that the individual never takes the opportunity to look at the personal issues that ultimately drive the addiction. Categorically, pretty much all addicts are driven to use drugs by their desire to escape from things that aren’t going well in their lives.
They might start using drugs for some recreational value but in the end, it’s their personal issues that drive them to step deeper into the world of drug abuse. One of the things that often causes addicts to abort attempts to stop using without help is the onset of withdrawal symptoms. When an addict’s withdrawal symptoms start causing high levels of discomfort, it’s very common for the individual to avoid the pain by simply going back to using drugs.
The recovery rate among addicts who decide to stop using without getting treatment is between 2% and 5%. Those kinds of numbers make clear something is getting missed without treatment. What’s getting missed in the opportunity to address the root causes of the addiction. Setting aside self-help options that don’t work, the best chance an addiction sufferer has at a full recovery from their addiction is by seeking help from a top drug addiction treatment center like ours.
Why Getting Formal Treatment is so Important
As we indicated above, there are almost always personal issues that drive the addiction sufferer into the throes of addiction. Without addressing those issues, the need to keep hiding behind drug abuse will always exist. The treatment process is vital in two ways. First, the addiction sufferer gets the opportunity to go through a formal detox program. That’s often very important because some withdrawal symptoms can present real threats against the drug user’s long-term health. Here are some common withdrawal symptoms of note:
- Severe issues with breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure
- The loss of the ability to control thoughts and body movements
- Stomach cramping, nausea, and vomiting
- Nightmares and hallucinations
- Psychological issues that include suicidal ideology
- Body convulsions and tremors
The other way in which getting treatment is vital is the addiction sufferer gets an opportunity to find out why they feel the need to abuse drugs in the first place. Addressing these problems is done through therapy. While working with a therapist, each addiction sufferer goes on a journey of self-discovery. They go looking for answers that will provide them with a target for healing. The healing often comes in the form of learning how to better cope with the stress and triggers they have in their lives. That usually requires the development of better coping and life skills.
Therein lies the real value of going through the treatment process. Each client gets a chance to learn how to cope with their problems without having to turn to drugs or even alcohol. After leaving rehab, it’s the development of these coping and life skills that will often determine whether or not a client will be able to maintain sobriety. As long as they have the ability to navigate around temptation and their triggers, they will have a fighting chance of staying sober well into the future. Without the chance to develop better coping and life skills, a life of chronic relapses becomes a certainty.
That’s why getting treatment is crucial. Assuming you want to get past your drug addiction, you only have one viable option if you want to succeed. You have to be willing to seek help from a treatment center. In your case, we can be that treatment center. All you have to do if you want our help, and we hope you do, is to pick up your phone and call us at 833-364-0736. That one phone call is all that’s needed to open the door to a lasting recovery.