Mental illnesses are capable of completely consuming a person – their personality, their actions, their self-image and even their ability to function. In such circumstances it is difficult for the person affected to view themselves as someone who needs or deserves help. But they do, even if it takes them a little while or some help to see it. This is the role Solutions Treatment Centres are here to play.
Today, over 23 million people in the United States are living with addiction, but only about 10% of them have access to the help they need to overcome it. This means that there are more than 20 million people, just in the United States, who don’t have the means to deal with their addictions. Solutions Treatment Centre aims to lend a helping hand to these souls.
The danger of addictions
An addicted person’s mind will create any excuse to not seek help for themselves. They will justify and rationalise their decisions to no end until they themselves and other people who care for them are convinced that there is no need to take any action.
Denial is the biggest threat to recovery. It is not possible to get help without recognizing that you do need help, but addiction creates a smokescreen that makes it hard to detect the addiction itself as the source of your problems as opposed to your solution.
There is also a rampant stigma surrounding addiction which also makes it difficult to both access help and admit that one needs it. If the conversations around addiction were open and unjudgmental, there would be a lot less shame surrounding accepting the problem of addiction and there would be a lot more people coming forward to ask for help.
Fear of recovery is also a very real concern. It is comforting to be defined by your mental illness all your life. It is not easy and definitely not healthy but recovery is harder work. It requires lifelong commitment and a reinforcement of your choices every day.
So how and where to get help?
It can be confusing, not to mention, scary to try and get help for your addiction. This is another reason why it is important to dispel the stigma surrounding addiction. But it is important to remember that there are scores of people who want to help you and are trained to do so.
Institutions like Solutions Treatment Centres are meant to offer help and support to those undergoing mental health problems, behavioral health problems and healing from all kinds of mental trauma. It is incredibly difficult to kickstart recovery without assistance from formally trained caretakers, doctors and other people trained and equipped to help you transition into a better state of life.
Solutions Treatment Centres offer a variety of treatment options and you may decide on your own what would best suit yourself or a loved one. It is important to recognize the severity of a situation and to act accordingly. Addiction is a disease, yes. But it is treatable so long as you reach out in order to get yourself or a loved one the help that they need.
Inpatient Programs
Inpatient treatment refers to the admission of the patient into a care facility for one night or more. They have access to medical staff and support staff around the clock. Their environment is very structured which is very important for people undergoing recovery.
During early recovery when people are undergoing withdrawal symptoms, they may require medical assistance in case of any complications. Being in an in-patient program will help minimize the symptoms of withdrawal while also treating any complications that may arise.
Apart from physicians looking after the patients, inpatient programs will also have mental health and counselling staff. Being in an environment surrounded by people who want to help and other people facing similar issues may help deal with the shame and stigma surrounding addiction.
Group therapy sessions are held regularly in in-patient programs and are some of its most effective tools. Inpatient therapy also completely severs the patient’s access to the addiction allowing them to focus entirely on their recovery as opposed to resisting temptation.
Partial hospitalization programmes may also be available wherein patients spend their days recovering at the facility but choose to return home in the evening.
Outpatient Programs
Outpatient programs do not include the admission of patients into the care facility and hence, are much more flexible. This allows individuals to keep up with their work/school, family and other priorities while undergoing recovery.
This is a good option for those who are not as severely dependent on substances and do not require care that is as intensive as inpatient programs, those who are not undergoing medical detox and those with a home environment that has a healthy support system willing and capable of helping them through their recovery.
There are several levels of care within outpatient programs that can provide the patient with varying levels of structure as per their requirement. A patient can slowly work their way through these levels as a way of integrating back into everyday life.
Medication Assisted Treatments
Medication-assisted treatments are becoming increasingly common due to the increasingly easy access to substances that can be abused. For example, alcohol addiction is very hard to treat because of the casual treatment of alcohol within society as well as its easy availability which makes it hard for those with alcohol addiction to avoid it completely.
In such cases, medications like Vivitrol and Antabuse are proven to reduce cravings and minimize the risk of relapse.
It is vital that an individual suffering from addiction feel safe and trusted with you before you try and seek help for them. It is important not to criticize or shame them for their affliction. Express your concern for their safety and health and try and lead them toward help. If you are an individual suffering from addiction, please remember that there is a life outside of it. People care and people want to help, you just have to let them.
