My Recovery Story: From Addiction to Sober and Strong

Lonnie — Fri, 26 May 2017 15:30:02 +0000

I was born on a Tuesday at 5:58pm. I was overall a good kid – did well in school and was involved in as many extra-curricular activities as my mother could squeeze me into. I remember from a young age the importance my mother put on being well rounded to prepare for college applications. I also remember her doing much of my homework for me as she could obviously do it better than an elementary school girl. My grades somehow defined her. I learned from a young age that my mother’s well-being and emotional stability was contingent upon me being ok. Therefore, I quickly learned to put on a happy face, no matter how miserable I felt inside. Being an only child, coupled with the fact that my father was a traveling salesman and gone much of the time, I learned to be my mother’s “emotional partner.” The covert/emotional incest lasted into my late 30’s. As like most kids in high school, I experimented with alcohol and marijuana. While those were not my drugs of choice, I can see clearly that every time I drank or used, I had major consequences (i.e. had my stomach pumped). College was uneventful as far as addiction as I was too focused on school and being an athlete. Once I graduated, my addiction took over. I didn’t live in the same state as my parents. I was able to convince them that I needed help for depression, not drugs. At this point, my family had no reason not to trust me. I went to my first treatment center at the age of 25 as I was convinced they could cure me of depression. By the age of 27, I had sold myself to the devil, smoking crack cocaine round the clock. I was arrested for drug possession, I lied and stole from everyone, and I prostituted myself for just one more hit of crack. During the time I was in that first rehab, my parents learned about addiction and the benefits of getting involved with Al Anon – or at least my mother did. My parents did everything they could think of to help – by putting me through numerous treatment programs, giving me money, helping me relocate, etc. At the age of 32, I begrudgingly agreed to go to a long-term residential program. The best thing my mother did was not talk to me for 6 months. While I know it was tough love, it felt like abandonment at times. At that point, I had no internal motivation to change or to do the work necessary to stay sober. Whoever tells you that you have to want recovery in order to get sober, is absolutely wrong. I’m living proof of that! I learned that as difficult as it was to hear, having a same sex support group willing to call me on my denial, the lies I tell myself and my irrational belief system was critical. I used to hate going to 12-step meetings where members identified as “grateful recovering addicts.” I didn’t understand how anyone could be grateful that had a drug problem. Today, I understand it. I was a liar, cheat and a thief way before I knew about drugs and alcohol. If it wasn’t for this program, I would have continued on in negative behaviors. Alcoholics Anonymous taught me how to be honest and to be “happy, joyous and free.” Recovery is a daily reprieve from active addiction. Over time, I have learned that I can do anything for just one day. To start your recovery journey, please contact Valley Detox Center 24/7 at (888) 544-6049.

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The Importance of Medical Detox Within Addiction Treatment

Lonnie — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 18:29:21 +0000

With many drug rehab treatment centers utilizing drug & alcohol detox, it is important that patients be aware of its importance within the recovery process

Although you may have finally resolved to quit taking drugs, your good intentions, discipline and strength are no match for the effects of addiction. Your desire to quit cold turkey may be admirable, however, in the long run, you are not giving yourself a fair and realistic chance at lasting sobriety. What we can’t ignore is the basic facts of drug and alcohol addiction and the long term damage of the disease. Just as a disease of cancer wreaks havoc on your body, you would not consider overcoming it’s power without a proper course of treatment. So, the basic facts about withdrawal from drug and alcohol addiction are such: substance abuse causes physical and chemical changes to the brain; physical and psychological symptoms occur in withdrawal and there are several health risks involved upon withdrawal. For these reasons and so many more, it is imperative that in order to ensure safe withdrawal and lasting sobriety, it is essential to begin your path to recovery with medical detox.

Typical drug rehab will unlikely be able to offer the level of care and sophistication that a facility specializing in medical detox can provide. Choosing an actual sub-acute medical facility with a hospital type setting versus a standard drug rehab allows your first and most important step in recovery to be patient-centric, rather than the patient having to go along with the rehab’s business needs. Furthermore, having treatment professionals who specialize in medical detox and who can cater to your withdrawal symptoms and medication management is paramount to your recovery success.

The two fold reasoning for medical detox – ridding the body of toxins from substance abuse and to minimize the physiological and psychological symptoms of withdrawal – has flooded the nation with a host of options for both drug rehab and medical detoxification facilities. You are not alone for wondering and perhaps being confused as to the best path for you or your loved one. The first thing to understand is that medical detox, albeit a critical step towards recovery, is merely the first phase, and by no means is it considered treatment for chemical dependency. That being said, your treatment is actually an entire plan and process that must be effectively designed especially for you, based on your specific situation.

Before choosing a treatment facility, please consider the following factors:

The Treatment Facility – condition and cleanliness; credentials and approval from the county and state specialization; results.
The Treatment Staff – are they actual licensed treatment professionals who specialize in addiction recovery and medical detox, medical doctors, RN’s, EMT’s or just technicians.
The Patient to Staff Ratio – the symptoms from withdrawal from drug and alcohol addiction have a serious emotional and physiological impact and thus a small ratio of patient to staff who are monitoring you every step of the way is critical.
The Treatment Plan – it begins with a proper evaluation by medical professionals based on the effects of your particular chemical dependency and any underlying mental health issues; a determination for the appropriate medication management (i.e. Suboxone) and withdrawal support; and after the first step of medical detox is complete, what types of therapy will be necessary for treatment of your actual addiction.

Too often, too many of us hear the failings of individuals in their battle against addiction, whether it be through continuous relapse or drug overdose. Like anything else in life, there are good therapists and bad as well as reputable drug rehabs and medical detox facilities and some that have improper credentials or abused their practices. There are some wonderful treatment facilities who may get a bad wrap in the industry, simply because of the shortcomings of others. Check with your local and federal authorities and get references and statistics on the effectiveness of their recovery treatment.

It takes courage and strength to take the first step and admit you have an addiction to drugs or alcohol. But this disease is too complex to fight on your own and requires the love and support of family and friends and the appropriate medical professionals who are able to evaluate, stabilize and help you to recover and beat your addiction. For more information on medical detox and drug and alcohol addiction, please contact Valley Detox Center 24/7 at (888) 544-6049.

The post The Importance of Medical Detox Within Addiction Treatment appeared first on Forward Recovery.

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My Recovery Story: From Addiction to Sober and Strong

The Importance of Medical Detox Within Addiction Treatment

With many drug rehab treatment centers utilizing drug & alcohol detox, it is important that patients be aware of its importance within the recovery process