When to go to a Rehab for Addiction Treatment

With rates of drug and alcohol addiction sky rocketing, many of us know someone who is struggling to control their use of substance. Addiction in India has been increasing steadily in the past few decades, with more and more availability of a variety of drugs, and the youth getting increasingly affected by the illness. Many people do not know how to even identify addiction and distinguish it from frequent driving or using substances. Even if they know, they may not be aware of the treatment options and there may also be a lot of stigma associated with labeling someone an addict and acknowledging that they need to seek help. A general of awareness, information, resources and guidance prevails our society when it comes to deaddiction or treatment with mental health issues.
A rehab is seen as a last resort of many people who seem to have tried a lot of things and failed at getting over their drug or alcohol addiction. The perception that a rehab is a dangerous place, a place where one is tortured or put in a locked room, a place where one is stripped off their dignity; is a harmful perception. Of course there are still places which operate that way, but in today\’s day and age, there are many different kinds of rehabs and treatment options. Educating ourselves about what options are available is a very important step in beginning treatment.
A much bigger confusion that many people face is when to look or go to a rehab for treatment. This may be a difficult decision as the person who is an addict will have some resistance to seek treatment. Here are a few signs to look for when it comes to seeking treatment at a rehab. These are behavioral that if observed in an addict for a while, a rehab may be the best option.

1. Loss of Functionality in different Areas of life

Addiction is a progressive and debilitating problem. Eventually, an addict starts having problems in different areas of life: health, work, social life, personal life, hobbies, relationships with close ones, sexual problems, and so on. There may difficulty in focusing at work, performance may decline, they may need a drink simply to sign a document or even go to work. If the addict is a student then academic performance is affected. There are fights with close ones or they become isolated and stop confiding in family or friends. There may be a loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities. An addict can still be highly functioning at work, but if you look closely, there may be signs of problems in some or the other areas of life.

1. Repetitive Empty promises

An addict can be pretty manipulative and convince others that they don\’t have a problem or that they have their addiction under control. But many times, they may not be lying. They actually may believe that their problem is not big, or that they will stop their drinking or using when they wish. When confronted about their addiction, they may make promises about quitting or cutting back, making sweeping declarations that they won\’t drink or use from tomorrow, the next week, or after some occasion. While some people do quit cold turkey and can manage to keep their promises, it becomes more unlikely when their addiction had progresses to a more intense level. An addict may manage to keep some promises but many of them relapse when some other trigger presents itself. Without proper treatment, they rely on will power alone and that is not something that can work without learning new tools and skills to deal with cravings.

1. Emotional Instability

Addiction is a coping mechanism, one compulsively uses or drinks to avoid facing difficult feelings, boredom, stress and so on. But this is a suppressing coping mechanism, so the feelings that get suppressed, often return with full force. Compulsive substance taking is associated with mood fluctuations, anxiety, depression, aggressive behavior and negative thinking. One may become more reactive to situations or people, or may also suppress more and go into a shell, sweeping their emotions under the carpet. Over a period of time, the addict\’s ability to deal with difficult emotions in a healthy way, let them go or process them, express emotions, all gets hampered. It is time to get treatment when the emotions start overwhelming and ruling the logical mind of the addict.

1. Increased Tolerance, Increased Quantity

There are many people who have one or two drinks after work, or some who enjoy their glass of wine. Quantity doesn\’t define addiction, however, it is obvious that the more one consumes, the chances of becoming addicted are significantly higher. An addict\’s body slowly gets accustomed to the quantity of substance which makes them tolerant to that quality and they need more and more quality to reach the same high. Three drinks may become five, one joint may become two or three, the quantity may steadily increase over a period of months or years.

1. Withdrawal Symptoms

Withdrawal is the body\’s response to the lack or decrease of the amount of substance in the body. When an addict wakes up in the morning they may experience physical symptoms that will occur along with craving of the substance. Depending on the substance, the withdrawal symptoms differ. Until the addict does not consume the substance, their body will be in discomfort. This is the physical dependency or physical need of the addict which over rides any logic or rationale as now the body is asking for it. For instance, alcohol withdrawal involves shakiness, tremors; opium withdrawal involves muscular pain, restlessness, tremors, nausea. There may also psychological withdrawal that takes the form of mood swings, irritability, increased anxiety or panic, loss of sleep or appetite, etc. Withdrawal symptoms are many times a major sign of addiction that has progressed to the point of needing inpatient rehabilitation.

There may be many other signs and reasons that one may start considering rehab treatment for addiction. Financial burden of addiction, social pressures, isolation from family and friends, high risk taking behaviors such as being arrested for driving under influence or having verbal or physical fights, and many more. It is important to educate the addict as well as the family on what a rehab does and why it is important to go for inpatient treatment. The idea is to provide a safe, positive environment, free from one\’s triggers and issues, where one can stay away from substances and receive psychological intervention for treating their addiction.
At ZorbaCare Rehabilitation Center, we believe that a supportive and conducive to recovery environment where one voluntarily engages in treatment, without force or coercion, is the best way for one to overcome their addiction and/ or mental health issues. Choosing a rehab in India may be a daunting task, but making an informed decision is always possible. The idea of a rehab may seem so foreign to many people, that getting an addict to even visit a rehab may be tough. That is why we provide \’Prehab Counselling\’ to many addicts and their families. Through this counselling, we provide crucial information and educate the patient and their families on the process of rehab and recovery. The individual who wishes to recover is motivated and exposed to the possibilities that a treatment program can bring which can improve their quality of life. A holistic approach is used by our team of professionals whereby the individual learns to live life, free from substances, and reintegrate back into society having learnt useful mental health self care, tools, techniques and an awareness of dealing with issues and stress effectively. After all, if one doesn\’t see the value in a life of recovery, why would one choose it?