How Do I Know If My Addiction Is Severe Enough to Require Treatment?

Doctors use a spectrum to diagnose substance use disorders. The criteria that they apply in trying to find out if you are an addict is useful because it can help you decide whether you have a severe, moderate, or mild substance use disorder. These criteria include:

• Dangerous use of drugs and alcohol
• Desire to stop using but finding that you are unable to do so
• Experiencing intense cravings for drugs and/or alcohol
• Lack of control
• Lack of responsibility
• Loss of interest in everything else apart from drugs and/or alcohol
• Problems with relationships
• Spending a great deal of time and energy trying to acquire your favorite substances of abuse
• Tolerance
• Withdrawal
• Worsening situations due to your continued substance abuse

The severity of your addiction will be determined by the total number of criteria that you meet. For instance, if any 2 or 3 of these criteria could be said to apply to your personal situation, then your substance use disorder would be mild. Even in this situation, you still need to check into an addiction treatment and rehabilitation center. This is because addiction requires immediate and urgent help - irrespective of whether it is mild, moderate, or severe.

What To Expect From Drug Rehab

If you find that your addiction is severe drug rehabilitation should be the next step. Checking into an addiction treatment center will ensure that you are in a safe, secure, and controlled environment surrounded by medical professionals. These experts will supervise and monitor all the stages of your ongoing treatment - all the way from the initial medically managed detoxification process and through the rehabilitation program until you check out of the center with a highly developed relapse prevention and aftercare plan.

Evaluation and Assessment

Upon arrival at the facility the staff will assess the following factors:

• The severity of your addiction
• The substances that you have been abusing
• Your family history of addiction
• Your mental health
• Your physical health and wellness
• Any other variable linked to your addiction

Detoxification

Through detoxification, you will receive medically supervised services designed to help you overcome any withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings that are likely to arise when you stop abusing drugs and drinking alcohol. These services will be tailored to provide you with medical stability before you progress to the other programs of addiction treatment.

Services Provided in Drug Rehab

• Aftercare planning
• Educational lectures
• Family therapy and counseling
• Group therapy and counseling
• Individual therapy and counseling
• Recovery from trauma and other psychological conditions (known as co-occurring mental health disorders)
• Relapse prevention lessons
• Skills training
• Special focus groups

Life After Drug Rehab

It is essential that you understand what should happen once you are done with a rehabilitation program. Many programs come with aftercare planning - which might include a stay at a sober living facility and/or participation in additional therapy and counseling.

These services will help you maintain your sobriety and go on to live a new lifestyle free of all drugs and alcohol.