Addiction to drugs is a vicious cycle which can trap the affected person in its unrelenting grip even for years. The process of getting rid of addictions can be a long and difficult one, and in many cases the affected individual may need more than just mental resolve to free oneself from this vicious cycle. Typically termed as ‘recovery’, freedom from addictions can be attained by following a step-by-step method involving abstinence, doing it in moderation, going for a treatment and finally stepping on the road to recovery.
One of the most potent ways of getting rid of an addiction is through practicing abstinence in life. No treatment can be practically more effective than stopping one’s indulgence in drugs either through moderation or by stopping it at once. Though, there are lots of ifs and buts involved with sudden abstinence, it can probably be the best way of leading a drug free life for people who are still moderately addicted to drugs. But for those who are addicted to drugs such as heroin, sudden abstinence can lead to many problems because of the effects of withdrawal experienced afterward. For them, taking the slow path of cutting down on doses in a phased manner will be more effective and useful towards reaching an addiction free stage. In that regard, Suboxone seems to be helping a lot of people from what I’ve read and seen.
The road to Addiction Recovery
The process of a person getting out of an addiction is somehow quite identical to how the person got into the addiction before. The very fact that getting addicted to a habit does not develop overnight, same way goes the recovery process which is also does not happen overnight. After taking the first step of self-controlled abstinence, the process needs to be followed up by proper treatment for countering the withdrawal symptoms, which can be very stressful for the addicted person. The withdrawal symptoms too can vary depending on the level of addictiveness of the person, and the nature of drug that the person had been addicted to.
Addictions involving some drugs may also require detoxifying the body of the remaining traces of the drug from the affected individual. And once the person’s body is completely cleansed of any sign of drugs, the phase of rehab is put into place for stopping the relapse of addiction in the cured person. This process is very critical in carrying the cured person resolutely forward on the road to recovery. It involves developing a strong mental framework in the person’s mind to shun the path of seeking dependence on drugs, and lead a healthy and addiction-free life forever.
In order to comprehend the process of recovery from addictions, one needs to understand the various stages of an addicted person’s mind. Self realization and acceptance is the 1st stage when the addicted individual starts realizing that he or she is addicted to something, and follows it up by accepting it in front of others, one can be sure that the addicted individual is ready to walk the long road to recovery. Seen as an inclination to find out ways of recovery, the 2nd stage is towards enhancing one’s know-how regarding the pros and cons of addictions and what possible implications could it have on the person’s life. Characterized by a strong resole, the 3rd stage could be a fresh resolution to quit addictiveness. And finally what follows is the stage when the recovery process is strengthened even more and new addiction-free life is finally put into motion.
After achieving an addiction-free life, restoration of life’s routine can also take a long time to normalize, though the support of family and friends would always be key in leading a healthy life afterward.