Recovering from addiction takes a lot of time, willpower and effort. It’s often a lifelong process during which an individual may relapse several times. If you’re considering going into treatment for an addiction, it’s better to think of the rehab process in phases.
The several phases of an addiction rehab program can be considered steps on the road to recovery. You have to move from one phase to another and in some cases, repeat a phase e.g. in case of relapse.
The 4 phases include:
Treatment Initiation
This starts as soon as you reach out for help. This can happen voluntarily or if you’re forced by circumstances e.g. a court-ordered rehab. Often those battling addiction can be referred to an addiction treatment program by a medical doctor or a mental health practitioner. Before admission to a treatment program, most rehabs prefer to take your drug use history prior to introducing the program.
At this stage, you may be ambivalent about giving up drug or alcohol use and may be in denial about the addiction’s effect on your life. The focus of treatment at this stage is to get you to explore your ambivalence and denial while getting motivated for recovery.
Early Abstinence
This is the next stage after you’ve agreed and committed to treatment. It’s a challenging one because you’ll probably be dealing with withdrawal symptoms, cravings, psychological dependence and triggers that tempt you into relapse. You are likely to feel confused, overwhelmed and fragile. Due to this, treatment will focus on helping you learn coping skills to manage cravings, prevent relapse and deal with high-risk situations.
Maintaining Abstinence
After about 90 days of lasting abstinence, you’ll have moved to the maintaining abstinence stage of rehab. This phase of drug or alcohol treatment involves examining the root cause of your addiction through therapy. It also includes undergoing behavioral therapy and other treatment methods to help you replace negative habits with positive ones, avoid relapse and build healthy relationships. During this stage, you learn how to turn your life around for the better.
Advanced Recovery
Finally, after years of living a sober life, you’ll enter the advanced recovery phase. Instead of being admitted to a rehab program, you’re likely to be enrolled in an aftercare program. In this phase, the focus is more on helping you set and achieve long-term goals while reintegrating back into society using the skills learned in rehab.
Get the Help You Need
At the Findlay Recovery Center in Ohio, we understand that recovery takes time and we’re dedicated to being with you every step of the way. Our addiction treatment programs are designed to help you move from one phase of rehab to another building confidence along the way. To learn more about our programs, get in touch with us today and we’ll be glad to discuss your recovery options.
