Examining Holistic Approaches to Addiction Recovery

Addiction is a complex and multifaceted disease that affects millions of people worldwide. It impacts the individual's physical health and mental, emotional, and social well-being. Traditional approaches to addiction recovery focus on treating the physical symptoms of addiction. But they often neglect the underlying psychological and emotional factors contributing to addiction. That's why many rehab centers now integrate holistic approaches to addiction recovery.

Holistic therapy recognizes that addiction is not just a physical disease but a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. It seeks to address the underlying causes of addiction by taking a comprehensive and integrated approach to treatment. This includes managing the individual's physical, emotional, and spiritual needs and any underlying mental health issues or trauma.

This article will explore some of the most common holistic approaches to addiction recovery. We will also discuss the benefits of a holistic approach and how it can complement traditional addiction treatment methods.

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Understanding Holistic Approach to Addiction Recovery 

Holistic therapy is an approach to treating addiction that addresses the whole person, including their physical, social, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual well-being. It focuses on one's overall well-being while treating symptoms of substance use disorders, including withdrawal symptoms and health conditions that develop while using drugs or alcohol. 

Holistic addiction therapy can involve various techniques and practices, including mindfulness meditation, yoga, acupuncture, massage therapy, nutritional counseling, and other alternative therapies. These techniques aim to help the individual in recovery to heal their body, mind, and spirit.

Traditional approaches to addiction treatment typically focus on detoxification and abstinence. But holistic therapy seeks to help individuals in recovery develop a more balanced and healthy lifestyle. This may involve learning coping skills to manage stress and emotional triggers, improving nutrition and exercise habits, and building a support system for friends and family members. 

Holistic therapy can work in conjunction with traditional approaches to addiction treatment, such as medication-assisted treatment, behavioral therapy, and 12-step programs. By combining traditional techniques with holistic therapies, individuals in recovery may achieve greater success in overcoming addiction.

Holistic Approaches to Addiction Recovery

Alternative therapies such as acupuncture, yoga, Tai Chi, and mindfulness meditation have recently gained popularity as complementary treatments for addiction recovery. These holistic approaches aim to address the whole person's physical, emotional, and spiritual needs and support their long-term recovery from addiction. Here are some examples of holistic practices and their potential role in supporting long-term recovery from alcohol and drug addiction:

Massage and Acupuncture

These holistic therapies focus on using touch and pressure on specific points in the body to promote relaxation and alleviate physical and emotional tension. Massage can help reduce muscle tension, improve circulation, and promote relaxation. Acupuncture involves the insertion of needles into specific points of the body to stimulate the nervous system and release natural painkillers. Both these therapies have been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress, which are common triggers for relapse in addiction.

Nutritional Therapy

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Nutritional therapy involves using specific diets, supplements, and lifestyle changes to support the body's natural healing processes. Many individuals struggling with addiction may have poor diets, nutritional deficiencies, or imbalances that can contribute to physical and emotional instability. Nutritional therapy can help address these imbalances, improve overall health, and support long-term recovery.

Exercise and Recreational Therapy

Exercise and recreational therapy involve physical fitness and activity, such as individual and team sports, tai chi, dance, or other forms of movement that can help improve mood, relieve stress, and promote physical health. Regular exercise effectively reduces cravings, improves sleep, and reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression, which can contribute to relapse.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation is a type of meditation that involves focusing attention on the present moment without judgment. It can help individuals develop self-awareness, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve emotional regulation. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to effectively reduce substance use and cravings and improve your overall mental health.

These holistic therapies and others, like spiritual work, art, and animal-assisted therapy, can support long-term recovery from addiction to drugs and alcohol. By addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, these therapies can help individuals develop the skills and resources needed to manage cravings, cope with stress, and maintain sobriety over time. 

Traditional Vs. Holistic Methods

Traditional medical treatment methods are essential components of addiction treatment. These methods provide a scientifically proven and evidence-based approach to addressing addiction and its associated physical and mental health conditions. On the other hand, holistic approaches provide additional complementary therapies that address individuals' emotional, spiritual, and mental health needs in recovery.

Combining traditional and holistic methods offers a more comprehensive and integrated approach to addiction treatment, addressing the whole person and promoting overall health and well-being. For example, medication-assisted treatment can help manage withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings, while acupuncture and meditation can help reduce stress and promote relaxation. Other techniques paired with holistic methods include group therapy, MAT, one-on-one counseling, and support groups like AA and NA.

Therefore, the most effective approach to addiction treatment combines traditional medical treatment methods with holistic practices. 

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Benefits of Holistic Therapy

After treatment, you'll need to learn how to replace your old, dangerous coping skills with new, healthier ones. The holistic approach sets the groundwork for new behaviors to help you stay sober. Here are some other benefits of holistic therapy: 

Holistic therapy offers many benefits for individuals seeking addiction treatment, such as treating the whole person, reducing stress, promoting self-healing, and improving the overall quality of life. When used with traditional medical treatment methods, holistic therapy can provide a more comprehensive and integrated approach to addiction recovery.

At More Than Rehab, we believe in the power of a holistic approach to addiction treatment. We offer a range of evidence-based traditional medical treatment methods and complementary, holistic therapies to provide a comprehensive and individualized treatment plan that addresses all aspects of your health and well-being. 

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Does Counseling Work for Drug Addiction?

Millions of Americans struggle every day with an alcohol or drug addiction. Unfortunately, many of them never end up getting the help they so desperately need in order to get clean and sober. Battling a substance use disorder, or  addiction is extremely difficult, and many individuals require outside help in order to stop using drugs or alcohol. Professionals consider drug or alcohol addiction to be a disease of the brain. It is something that takes rigorous, and often constant, maintenance in order to manage and keep under control. Many times, it is difficult to see the warning signs. Much like how someone needs to take insulin every day for their diabetes. For drug or alcohol addiction, however, treatment comes often in the form of counseling combined with complete abstinence from the use of drugs or drinking alcohol. But, does counseling work for drug addiction?

Getting clean and sober is a huge achievement, but few will deny that the road to success is a difficult path to take and often requires help. There are many reasons why people begin using drugs or alcohol in the first place, but a large share of addicts have likely suffered many different forms of trauma in their life. This trauma and environmental factors can lead to people trying drugs or alcohol for the first time. Also, the abuse of drugs or alcohol can serve as a coping mechanism for the trauma experienced by the individual. Either way, there are many reasons why counseling and therapy are a much-needed service to treat the underlying contributors to the disease. Here are several reasons how counseling can help an individual to recover from alcohol abuse or drug addiction.

How Does Counseling Work For Drug Addiction Treatment?

Helps Develop Coping Strategies

Drugs or alcohol eventually become a coping mechanism after people begin abusing either of these substances. Struggling to cope with the hassles of their day-to-day life, an individual will often return to the drug of their choice. This builds tolerance and makes abuse more prevalent. When a person gets clean and sober, that urge to use drugs or alcohol doesn’t simply go away. The person feels an intense need to use in order to cope, sometimes even for the most common struggles in life. Counseling can teach the individual new and healthy coping strategies. This makes counseling very effective on their path to recovery. Drug and alcohol addiction counselors teach addicts how to deal with stress in a healthier way, which proves much more effective in the long term.

Creates A Strong Support System

Having a strong support system is extremely important to someone who is recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction. A lot of times, people in need of drug and alcohol treatment feel as though they have no one to talk to when times get tough--even if they are lucky enough to have a meaningful relationship left in their life. Having a drug and alcohol addiction counselor allows the individual to feel like there is someone in their life who cares about them, especially someone that isn’t going to judge them or overreact to something they might say.

Be Aware of Co-Occurring Disorders

There can be underlying reasons why someone turns to drugs or alcohol. Self-medication for dissociative disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, and other forms of mental health issues are extremely common. Drug abuse from illicit drugs can sometimes be a coping mechanism, which can prevent common forms of addiction treatment from working.

Gaining A New Perspective

Drug and alcohol addiction counseling is perfect for helping someone gain a new perspective on life. This shift in focus can be crucial to a person’s recovery from mental health disorders. Many addicts will often avoid admitting certain key facts – even to themselves. Something as simple as the fact that they are unable to stop using drugs on there is often avoided. Going to drug and alcohol counseling can help people identify behaviors that are self-destructive. Identifying behaviors that have led them to abusing drugs and alcohol in the first place ultimately teaches healthier and happier behaviors that won't be destructive in their future.

Building A Relapse Prevention Plan

Anyone who has ever gotten clean and sober after an addiction to drugs or alcohol knows that relapse is often part of the process. Many people who are new to recovery will end up using drugs or alcohol again. That’s just a fact. So, if you do relapse, just know that you are not alone. Understand that it is even more important during a relapse to reach out for help as there is always hope for recovery. If you have a drug and alcohol counselor, they will work with you in building a relapse prevention plan. This means helping to identify triggers, creating a plan to help you deal with them, and then providing the support necessary to help you get through those relapse triggers if needed.

Access to Additional Resources

Drug and alcohol addiction counselors are a great tool for helping someone to access additional resources. Aside from the emotional support, helping to learn new and effective coping strategies, and teaching how to manage triggers, a lot of people may not be aware of some of the additional resources available. Creating access to their local community services or even nationwide resources is part of the job descriptions for drug and alcohol addiction counselors. Not to mention, drug and alcohol addiction counselors often have access to resources that aren’t available to the general public.

Helping Repair Relationships

A major consequence for someone actively struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction is the major damage inflicted to many of their close, personal relationships. Sometimes even total loss of these relationships. When people fall prey to drug and alcohol addiction, they regularly alienate themselves from their loved ones and they often lie, steal, and cheat in order to continue abusing drugs or alcohol. These actions can cause a lot of damage to relationships in that person's life. Another benefit of working with a drug and alcohol addiction counselor is that they can offer advice on how to repair and maintain these relationships during recovery. And a counselor can offer advice and guidance on how to create new and healthy relationships as well!

These are just a few reasons why counseling for alcohol and drug addiction works. However, sometimes counseling alone is simply not enough. Thankfully, there are many different levels of treatment available in order to help manage drug and alcohol addiction. That is why it is important to reach out to an addiction specialist as soon as possible to get a proper assessment.

If you or a loved one are suffering from a substance use disorder, please reach out to our highly trained staff at More Than Rehab. We have a wide range of treatment levels and can provide the most specific and tailored treatment necessary, depending on the individual’s specific needs. The majority of our treatment programs offer drug and alcohol counseling so you can be sure to get the best treatment possible.

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Relapse Prevention: The Basics Everyone in Recovery Should Know

For those in recovery, focusing on maintaining sobriety is an often difficult task. Most people who go through an alcohol or drug rehabilitation program will end up relapsing. Some will go through rehab over ten different times, before sobriety sticks. While it is important to acknowledge that relapse is a normal part of most people’s recovery, it is crucial to avoid relapsing with every ounce of your strength and willpower. If relapsing wasn’t a problem, drug rehab would be easy. While quality rehabilitation centers attempt to make recovery from addiction as easy as possible, it will be difficult. You will face many challenges. The temptation to relapse and start using again will be one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome in your recovery from addiction.

Everyone has their own unique relapse triggers. Avoiding these are essential in early addiction recovery.

Understanding your own unique, personal relapse triggers are important to avoid a potentially life-threatening relapse. We say life-threatening because many people die from a drug overdose the first time they relapse. Too often an addict in recovery will use the same amount of a drug they may be familiar with, thinking they can do as much as they used to before they quit using. This is dangerous because when your body had built-up a tolerance to the drug, you gradually begin using larger and larger doses. Once you’ve had a chance to go through detox and had weeks, months or even years of sobriety, your body’s tolerance is gone. This can easily result in an overdose death so it is important to avoid relapsing with all means necessary.

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The easiest way to stop a potential relapse is to simply avoid relapse triggers. These are situations, experiences, places, even people who bring out your inner urges to use drugs or alcohol. Sometimes it’s a holiday or special day when maybe you lost someone close to you. Or it could be a club or place you used to hang out when you were using that makes you romanticize your past substance abuse. It could even be a family member or friend who you previously used with that makes you want to do it again. For others, it could be a trigger of solitude or loneliness that will give you the urge to get high or drunk again. This varies, wildly from person to person. It is important for you to identify your top relapse triggers while in recovery from addiction at a drug rehab.

Most effective addiction treatment programs will have a class or group therapy focused on relapse prevention. More Than Rehab, located just outside of Houston, Texas is no different. We see our relapse prevention group therapy session as one of the most important components of our addiction treatment program. This class helps you identify your personal relapse triggers and hear others’ that you might not have thought of as a trigger before. Simply acknowledging them and making a plan to avoid the triggers and what to do when you cannot avoid them is the key to maintaining your long-term sobriety. Heck, that’s the ultimate goal of a great drug rehabilitation program.

Focus on creating and achieving goals in sobriety.

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The main goal of drug rehab is to quit using drugs, recover from your addiction and maintain your sobriety. Most people feel great after first stopping their use of drugs or alcohol, but this feeling fades and many people report a feeling of “emptiness” once they’ve been out of rehab for a little while. Loneliness, restlessness and depression can start to sink in because the addict doesn’t know what to do anymore. This is why it is important to set goals in recovery, beyond just staying sober. Making small, achievable goals is important because each success will be a cause for you to celebrate. Goals help you move closer and closer to your dreams and will help create the foundations for positive outcomes in recovery.

Setting realistic goals is of utmost importance here, because you certainly don’t want to fail. Failure to reach your goals can be a source of depression which could become a strong trigger for relapse. Setting smaller, achievable goals is a great way to begin. Once you accomplish them you can celebrate yourself and your recovery, finding a way to really create a new life for yourself, one small step at a time.

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When is the Time For Drug Rehab?

Maybe you’ve just come to realize that things have gotten bad, but are things really bad enough to check yourself into rehab? It is important to be aware that you are not alone. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that an estimated 22.7 million Americans need treatment for a problem with drugs or alcohol. But how do you know when is the time for drug rehab for yourself, or even for a loved one? Having a substance abuse problem does not always mean the person is addicted to drugs.  Often times it will get to the point of addiction, before a person decides they want to stop.

It is important for you to know that a substance abuse disorder, or developing an addiction to drugs or alcohol does not mean that you are a bad person. Becoming dependent on alcohol or drugs is not a moral failing. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, (SAMHSA) “addiction is a health issue, not a moral issue”. Many people fear judgment they may receive because of the negative stigma that has been associated with drug and alcohol abuse. Please realize that there are millions of others just like you. You just need to know when it is the right time to ask someone for help. Addiction is a disease and much like any other disease, addiction is a treatable one.

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Addiction or dependence on substances can be both mental and physical:

You don’t have to develop a dependence, or be addicted to drugs or alcohol to attend rehab. If your substance abuse is causing any negative impacts on your life, it is never too early to ask someone for help. Sometimes it’s easier to see the changes in your life from the outside. Confiding in your close friends or family members is an important indicator to take into consideration when making the decision to attend a rehabilitation facility. If your family and friends are concerned about you, then you probably should be too.

A lot of people who struggle with an addiction to drugs or alcohol will try to quit on their own, without the help of a structured substance abuse treatment program. In most all cases, it is very difficult to break free from substance abuse on your own, especially once a physical or mental dependence on the drug has developed. Getting help from a structured drug rehabilitation program is the most likely way for someone to achieve sobriety.

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Denial can become a huge factor and coping mechanism for someone who is struggling with substance abuse. A lot of people who become addicted deny the facts surrounding them, in order to further justify using alcohol and drugs. You may have yourself convinced that you have things under control, or that you can stop at anytime. If your substance use becomes more important than other areas of your life, you likely have a problem. If you find yourself using more and more often or justifying the financial losses, turmoil in your personal relationships or if you’re facing legal troubles, it is likely a good time to consider checking yourself into a drug rehab facility.

Making the decision to seek professional help from a drug rehabilitation center:

It is usually not one earth-shattering, destructive event that may have pushed you to seek rehabilitation from drug or alcohol abuse. For most people who struggle with an addiction, it’s just the day-to-day routine of being constantly under the influence, struggling to find the money to get your next fix, all while trying to hide your problem from your friends and family.  Your routine of getting high becomes so exhausting that you finally begin to understand the fact that you need some professional help.

Many will feel trapped by their addiction.  They want to change, but don’t know how or they’re too afraid to ask for help. Perhaps they fear that they would become a burden to others, or they’re simply afraid to admit that things have gotten out of control. Most people do not want to admit their weaknesses to others. That is an essential part of our innate human nature. We constantly strive to appear strong, being able to take care of ourselves, even when, deep-down we know we can’t. It’s understandable and honestly, committing to go to a drug rehab is a huge decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Many people who are struggling with addiction fear the painful withdrawal symptoms.

If you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you stop using, this is a sign you’ve developed a dependence to alcohol or drugs. Perhaps you experience nausea, headaches, insomnia, paranoia or a multitude of other ills when you stop using. This is how addiction holds on to you with a tremendous amount of power and control. A lot of addicts who want to stop using, simply don’t because the withdrawal symptoms can be too painful. These symptoms will only get worse with continued use.

A full medical detox is the first step of the most effective alcohol and drug rehabilitation programs. This can be intimidating and even scary for someone who is a struggling addict. A variety of evidence based, medication assisted treatments are available to help people who struggle with certain types of substance abuse. These medications can assist by easing the withdrawal symptoms during the early stages of a patient’s recovery. Some withdrawal symptoms can turn deadly, especially for people who become addicted to opiates like heroin, prescription drugs like Oxycontin or other opioids. A professional, medical environment is strongly recommended for the initial detox phase.

The best time for drug rehab is right now.

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Getting help with substance abuse is never easy for someone to admit, but the problems will only get worse over time. Addiction is a progressive disease, the longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to finally quit. Addiction can lead you to some dark places in life. Countless people do things they would have never even imagined before they started using. A continued addiction can also bear deadly consequences. In 2017, more than 72,000 people died from a drug overdose in the United States. Your family members and loved ones would be devastated if you left this planet because of your addiction. Get help today, pick up the phone and call our treatment center. We are available 24/7, and we want to help you right away.

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What is Suboxone?

Suboxone® is an evidence-based, prescription treatment for opioid addiction and heroin addiction. It is a prescription medication that combines buprenorphine and naloxone and has been shown in numerous studies to ease opiate withdrawal symptoms in patients who are beginning their recovery from addiction. These studies also highlight that the medication is beneficial in helping reduce the likelihood of relapse in some patients. Suboxone is known as a medication-assisted treatment (MAT), which is used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy and other “whole-patient” approaches to treatment.

Suboxone can be an incredibly helpful part of drug rehab, as the United States faces an overwhelming drug overdose crisis.

In 2017 over 70,000 Americans died from a drug overdose according to the Centers for Disease Control. Most of these overdose deaths were fueled by an ongoing opioid epidemic that appears to only be getting worse as time goes on. Opioids were linked to 47,600 of these deaths (67.8% of all drug overdose deaths). With the United States battling this epidemic, the need for effective treatment is at an all time high.

The History of Suboxone and buprenorphine.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved Suboxone® to treat opioid dependence issues in patients in 2002. Because Suboxone is itself an opioid drug, it should only be taken with a prescription from a doctor, under close medical care and supervision at a treatment facility like we provide at More Than Rehab, a Houston, Texas area drug rehab facility.

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How does Suboxone work?

Helping to suppress cravings and often painful withdrawal symptoms, Suboxone has the potential to make the process of detox and recovery from opioid addiction much more manageable. Suboxone and buprenorphine have some distinct advantages over other medication assisted treatments like naltrexone or methadone. Suboxone contains both buprenorphine (an opioid partial-antagonist) and naloxone (an opioid antagonist). The buprenorphine will allow the brain to think it is receiving opioids, while the naloxone component blocks the euphoric “high” associated with opioids. These components, in combination will last for about 24 hours. Success rates, as measured by retention in treatment and one-year sobriety have been reported as high as 40-60% in some studies.

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At More Than Rehab, we have found this form of treatment to be successful, helping our patients in the Houston, Texas area avoid the painful process of detox and withdrawal from an opioid or heroin addiction.

Since Suboxone contains buprenorphine, a partial opioid antagonist, it will have less of an effect when it attaches to the opioid receptors in the brain. This does not produce the same high effects of full opioid antagonists like Oxycontin, hydrocodone, morphine or heroin. For patients taking Suboxone, they may experience a mildly pleasant sensation. However, for someone who had developed a dependence on opioids, most patients describe that they feel ‘normal’ after taking Suboxone. If the patient had been experiencing pain symptoms they may experience mild pain relief. When taken properly, Suboxone or buprenorphine will not get a euphoric high like they would when they took oxycodone or heroin.  

Since the effects of the buprenorphine lasts a full 24 hours, if a patient who was using this medication-assisted treatment took a problem opioid like heroin or Oxycontin they would not get their usual high. Buprenorphine sticks to opioid receptors so the other opioids could not get in. This is a major benefit of medication-assisted treatments and will ultimately help prevent relapsing while on the medication.

Since Suboxone is only a partial opioid antagonist, taking more of the drug than was prescribed will not allow the patient to get high, unlike other step-down treatments like methadone. This is called the “ceiling effect”. If Suboxone or buprenorphine was taken in the event of an opioid overdose it would help lower the effect of suppression of breathing from the full opioid.

Suboxone contains Naloxone, which helps to discourage misuse and abuse.

Naloxone is the life-saving drug that can be used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. By blocking opioid receptors in the brain, it can be used to prevent suppression of breathing, which in the event of an overdose, can be life-saving. The nasal spray version, Narcan® is available as an over-the-counter medication in 46 states.  Since the opioid receptors in the brain have a higher affinity for naloxone, they will take the place of any other opioid present in the central nervous system, which can block any further negative effects.

Suboxone is a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. The presence of naloxone prevents the Suboxone from being crushed or injected and abused like any other opioid. Suboxone is administered sublingually as a film or strip that dissolves under the tongue. If it is used any other way, the naloxone will block the effects of the buprenorphine so the user cannot get high. It was designed this way to prevent misuse or further substance abuse. Only when used as directed will the Suboxone work as intended.

How long should Suboxone treatment last?

The length of use for medication assisted treatment varies greatly and depends on the individual situation. Treatment usually lasts between 1 and 6 months, though in some cases it can be recommended for use over 12 months or longer. As the patient stabilizes, the doctor will decide to taper-off dosage, slowly over time. During this maintenance phase of recovery, you should be monitored closely by a medical addiction treatment professional, as results will vary.

Suboxone and buprenorphine treatment will work best in conjunction with other recovery techniques, like individual and group therapy sessions. To begin a lifetime of sobriety, a comprehensive treatment program is recommended. If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction to opioids or heroin, please call us today. At More Than Rehab, we want to help make the world a better place, one client at a time. We listen to you, your needs and we will formulate an individualized treatment plan to help you achieve your goal of sobriety. We are available 24/7 and can get the process started, all you have to do is call.

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What is it Like to Work in a Drug Rehab?

Many people wonder what it is like to work in a drug rehab facility. For most addiction specialists, the career path is a rewarding one. You get to help people rebuild their lives, often times from the bottom, back on up. You know the old saying: “rock bottom is a great place to build a new foundation”. But, what is it really like to work in a drug rehab or detox center? What does the typical workday entail? Many of our clients end up showing a very real, motivated interest to work as an addiction specialist once they complete our program and maintain sobriety for a period of time. We champion this type of attitude, because many people who currently work for drug rehabilitation centers are recovering addicts themselves.

People who work in the field of addiction recovery are often in high demand. With over 70,000 people dying from drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2017, the need for qualified alcohol and drug abuse counselors will likely remain high for years to come. Also, with increasing government funding and public resources being devoted to helping people who are struggling with addiction, job demand will surely continue to rise. If you choose to work in a drug rehab, the experience will be a highly rewarding one as you will be directly helping people who need your help, literally every single day you go into your workplace.

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A variety of career choices are available in the substance abuse treatment sector.

A wide variety of career options exist in the field of drug abuse treatment and relapse prevention. From administrative support to medical detox doctors there is a wide array of possibilities for someone who wants to work in the field of substance abuse treatment. Depending on your qualifications, you potentially have numerous job possibilities available to explore. Some positions in different states have different requirements, but even our rehab center has a maintenance guy. Many treatment centers have a head chef and other support staff which wouldn’t necessarily require a professional medical degree. The first step to seeking a career in addiction and drug abuse treatment is deciding exactly how you would like to help people who suffer from the disease of addiction.

Doctors, therapists and addiction counselors are among the most common careers at a drug rehab center.

A typical addiction counselor will likely be a licensed psychiatrist, or have a master’s degree in counseling. Most master’s programs offer fields of specialization, like one in substance abuse and addiction. Some facilities have medical directors who oversee the detox process and can prescribe medication-assisted treatments (MAT) to help ease the withdrawal symptoms experienced throughout detox and early recovery. Many of these doctors are psychiatrists who specialize in treating mental health disorders. This enables them to look for any underlying mental health issues that may be contributing to an addiction. This is typically referred to as a dual diagnosis. The field of psychiatry requires at least 11 years of medical training, usually more.

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Psychologists can call themselves doctors if they have a PhD, but they are not medical doctors, meaning that they cannot prescribe medications. Working in a drug rehab center, a psychologist will work to understand the underlying causes of addiction through group and individual therapy sessions. These techniques include cognitive behavioral sessions where the psychologist will teach patients how to cope with withdrawal symptoms and identify triggers associated with their abuse of drugs. The psychologist will also develop a comprehensive relapse prevention strategy for their patients. They can also lead family group therapy sessions where they attempt to heal any broken family relationships.

To become a certified addiction counselor (LCDC) in Texas, the state requires at least an Associate’s degree in Chemical Dependency Counseling, and 4,000 hours of supervised work experience. A full list of requirements can be found at this link: Texas Human Services Guide

Psychiatric nurses, addiction therapy nurses and detox specialists.

Many people will prefer careers that focus on the direct, day to day care of a facility’s patients. These positions focus on personal treatment for the patients as they go through detox, adjust to withdrawal symptoms and they can even administer medications to their patients. These nurses are instrumental in tracking the progress of the treatment, helping make recommendations for continued care. They will often consult the physician on the progress of their individual clients on a daily basis. Throughout their daily routine, nurses and detox specialists try to make the clients feel as safe and comfortable as possible. This is a great job opportunity for a person who wants to feel a direct impact on their client’s lives. Typically, these types of jobs are in the highest demand in the addiction treatment and rehabilitation sector.

Social workers, case managers and sober companions.

Like nurses, these staff members work closely with patients and their families as they transition into and out of treatment. A social worker or case manager is a professional who typically first determines the client’s initial, and individual needs for treatment. They will formulate a plan of action for each client and even work closely with the families of people who are struggling with addiction. A social worker will typically have a Master’s degree in social work.

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Sober companions typically help those in recovery transition from inpatient treatment programs, back into their daily routines. Often referred to as “sober coaches” these people can provide around the clock support for someone as they reenter society. They will even come into your home and help you identify potential relapse triggers and make sure there is no more substances or residues you could use to relapse and get high again. These positions can sometimes require certification, but most just ask for experience in managing addiction recovery. This experience can be personal experience, so this is a great position for recovering addicts who want to begin work in the field of substance abuse treatment.

Administrative and support staff.

Another great entry point for someone without the required degrees, certification or schooling is in some sort of administrative support role. This can be anything from answering phone calls at the drug rehab facility, keeping books and financial records for the facility, or doing data entry on patient files. Answering the phones and speaking to prospective clients is a very rewarding process. You get to be the face of the treatment program and you are the first to offer them support in their time of great need.

While working in the field of recovery from addiction may not be for everyone, if you’ve read this far, odds are you are considering going to work at a drug rehab center. We strongly encourage anyone that has a desire to help people to look further into the field of substance abuse treatment and addiction services. The world needs your help. Eight people die per hour, each and every day from drug overdoses in the United States. To combat this, we desperately need more help. Your help.

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What are some effective drug-addict rehabilitation centers?

Many addicts who have struggled with substance abuse have successfully got clean and sober with the help of a variety of numerous programs. In your local area, it is likely that you have access to a wide array of potential treatment options. These could include the 12 step programs like Alcoholic’s Anonymous (AA) or Narcotic’s Anonymous (NA), inpatient detox centers, residential rehabilitation centers, licensed outpatient therapy programs, sober living homes and even partial hospitalization options. Most of these treatment varieties can be chosen to be conducted in long-term care, comprising of an array of different treatment methodologies over time or in the short-term, like an initial medical detox situation. Finding the right treatment for yourself, a loved one or family member can be quite exhausting with all the different options to choose from.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) recommends that any effective drug-addict rehabilitation center provide many components in the treatment of substance abuse. These components should not only be focused on curing the addiction itself, but also offer tools and training for the patient to become productive members of society as well. Without the proper tools to help a patient cure their addiction and rebuild their lives, treatment likely won’t be as effective as it should be.

According to The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) an estimated 20.7 million people required substance abuse treatment.

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In the United States, with approximately 1 in 15 adults age 26 or older needing treatment for substance abuse and addiction, finding the best treatment can become a challenging endeavor.  Couple this with the fact that most people experiencing a substance use disorder (SUD) do not believe they need to enter a rehab program and you have the potential for a national health epidemic. Nearly 200 people die from a drug overdose every day in the US. This disturbing trend continues to increase year after year, despite efforts by federal and local governments to curb the tide of drug abuse in the US.

Addiction can be a deadly disease.

If you or someone in your family is currently experiencing the disease of addiction, you want to find the best possible care. Choosing a drug rehab facility could be one of the most important health care decisions you make in your entire life. As you look for the most effective forms of treatment, you should consider programs that offer an evidence-based approach to their care. An evidence-based treatment approach is simply defined as one that is scientifically-proven to produce the best results. These programs will regularly consider new research studies and evidence to apply to their treatment regimens. Since these programs are in line with the scientific method, they will constantly reevaluate their practice based on these scientific findings.


“People typically do more research when shopping for a new car, than when seeking treatment for addiction.”

–New York Times, 2/4/2013

The main goal of an effective rehabilitation for an alcohol or drug addiction should be a lasting, lifelong sobriety. Sometimes the initial act of getting clean can seem like a major victory by itself. While the initial detox and simply stopping use of drugs or alcohol is a success, that alone is not enough to cure the addiction. Constant cravings and painful, sometimes excruciating withdrawal symptoms are common with the first few weeks or months of sobriety. An effective drug rehabilitation will help address the continuing battles of fighting a full-blown chemical dependency.

An addiction is never cured with a quick fix. There is no short term solution to an outright addiction problem. Most serious substance use disorders will require attention and care for months and in some cases even years. At More Than Rehab, we typically recommend aftercare and follow-up with our patients, encouraging them to continue to attend group or individual therapy sessions. These can be continued through our facility or through a local community organization like a 12-step program or other group meeting. We use a social model approach to our treatment programs, focusing on not just quitting the drugs and alcohol, but on reintegration into society once the inpatient stay at our facility is complete.

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In any case, each patient we see has a unique set of needs and we try to implement the treatment options that would be the most successful for their individual situation. Multimodal treatment plans are genuinely the most effective at treating a variety of needs. These rehabilitation techniques can be applied intermittently or continuously, depending on the personal situation of the patient.

In the treatment for opioid addiction for example, relapse prevention medications such as Suboxone have a higher success rate for helping people through the early stages of their addiction recovery. Many treatment programs are afraid to use this type of medication-assisted treatment (MAT), because they view them as a replacement addiction or a crutch, replacing one substance for another. A rehab facility that uses these medication-assisted treatments are going to be administered by a board-certified medical doctor. When you are researching the most effective drug addict rehabilitation centers, find out the credentials of the staff and especially the medical director. Check to see that the therapist or physician is certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine.

In addition to your treatment for addiction, find out if the facility offers treatment for any other underlying mental health issues as well. A lot of times, people become addicted to illicit drugs because they (knowingly or unknowingly) are self-medicating to alleviate symptoms of an underlying mental illness. This dual-diagnosis approach is crucial for many people who are trying to heal as a whole-person. This approach will be the most effective at helping them achieve a lifetime of healthy living through sobriety.

As you’re looking to find the most effective drug addict rehabilitation centers in your local area, remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. No one person’s needs will be fulfilled by a single treatment solution. Look for research-validated and evidence based recovery options that will include medication-assisted treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy, community reinforcement and family group therapy sessions. These types of programs will help yourself or your loved one achieve a rewarding life that is free from the use of drugs or alcohol. Call us today!

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How many times must someone go through rehab to stay sober?

Excellent question. Trouble is, you may not like the answer. Let’s break it down.

How many times will someone relapse? These questions are a sign that you’re thinking in practical terms about drug rehab in Houston, Austin, College-Station or somewhere else. “How much? How long? What will it take?” These are the kind of questions that come from someone who is, perhaps, ready to help someone else or begin the journey to being sober. Perhaps.

In other words, many people from all walks of life wish they could answer the question, “how do I stay sober?”. They wish really hard, don’t they? They really want to. And they will tell you so. But in reality, only a small percentage actually investigate what it actually takes. Half of all people will relapse as part of their recovery, at a slightly lower rate than other chronic illnesses.

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Here’s the not so good news – how many times must someone go through drug rehab to stay sober depends on a countless number of factors. To better understand this, let’s attempt to group some of these factors into buckets.

Bucket #1 - Why do some people use drugs?

Things are not going to be easy, stumbling here and there along the way. a drug addict will be pushed to the limit and beyond. There will be times when you will have terrific reasons and justifications for not getting sober right now. Or, you’ll have an airtight case for why this kind of drug rehab is not for people like you. And, if you could just find that kind of rehab, things would be much better.  Or, you might convince yourself and everyone else, that the way to guarantee you’re going to make it is to take a little break – just for now. 

The more imaginative you are, the more reasons you’ll create. It all boils down to one question – “What’s your why?”  Why do you want to stay sober? The stronger your why, the better prepared you’ll be to stay on track. It helps if you can connect your why to something really important to you. Crazy important. So clearly important, you would sacrifice almost everything for it. If your why isn’t strong enough, you’ll be tempted to rationalize it away when the going gets tough. When things get bad and you’re looking for a way out, you’ll start to question if your why was actually all that important to begin with. This is normal. This is expected. We’re just human. Almost all of us do this when the going gets tough.

Bucket #2 - How strong is your self-control?

Self-control during drug rehab and keeping your commitments are like a muscle. The more you use them, the stronger they become. How experienced are you in keeping your commitments? When you’re tested, how do you perform? Do you stick to what you said you were going to do, or not? Many of us don’t have a lot of experience in keeping our commitments. Things that sounded like a terrific idea yesterday, don’t sound like such a good idea today. Your world collapses as a result of substance addiction. Everyone starts out with their own capacity of self-control and discipline. Then life happens and you either build up the ability to maintain discipline or you don’t. The fact that you may have a drug or alcohol problem didn’t just appear overnight.

Often, when circumstances are in our favor, it’s easier to make plans and commitments. Then the circumstances change. Think of an example when your circumstances were not so peachy and you did what you set out to do anyway. Even small examples of new routines can offer insights into what we can expect. It doesn’t matter where you are with this. Start small. Start small and build up to where you feel confident about overcoming whatever’s going to come your way as you begin the journey to being sober.

Many begin the climb of Everest with a gigantic whyand that’s great, but it’s the tiny commitment of putting one foot in front of the other no matter how exhausted you are that carries you all the way to the top.

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Bucket #3 - Why did I start using drugs?

How did you get here? What happened to you? Was it something that caused you to be where you are now? Sometimes, horrible, unspeakable things happen to us. Sometimes it’s subtle and builds momentum until it becomes a tidal wave that overwhelms us. It could have been something entirely unfair. It could have been something innocent that turns ugly. When did it happen? Is it still happening? Is there guilt? Is there blame? Is there anger? Is there shame? Dual diagnosis offers treatment options for related substance abuse problems.

Whatever it was – it happened. And the pain is very, very real. Can you begin to see that something happened and then somehow it began to define in some way, who you are? Can you begin to see that the emotions you experienced began to form how you let it create your story around it?

Bucket #4 - What factors encourage drug relapse?

Want to have some fun? Do a video search for “crabs in a bucket”. Here’s what you’ll find: All crabs have the same goal in life – to be happy. That’s it. And being happy for a crab is getting out of the bucket.  Now the funny thing is, the more crabs you have in a bucket, the harder it is for one of them to get out. You see, every single crab is using it’s claws to grab onto whatever it can. They climb over each other until one of them – the lucky one – latches onto the edge of the bucket. Just as he starts to pull himself out, one of the other crabs will latch onto the lucky crab and before you know it, Mr. Lucky Crab is back in the bottom of the bucket.

The story goes, if you listen very closely, you can hear them – “Hey, you! Mr. Lucky Crab. Who do you think you are, trying to get out? D’ya think you’re too good for us? Is that it? Come on boys, let’s show him what happens to crabs like him!”

If you’re surrounded by friends who do the very thing you want to stop doing, what will it be like when they find out? Will they feel judged by you? Will you feel sorry for them?  Will you miss them? There’s no right answer here. All you can do is be prepared to ask yourself the question. The social model of addiction treatment has been proven to be a factor in many people’s drug recovery in Texas.

Here’s some tips for staying sober during the holidays when relapse is most likely: https://morethanrehab.com/2018/11/21/tips-for-a-recovering-addict-during-the-holiday-season/

Bucket #5 - Who is supporting you during your drug recovery?

Have you done your research on the best rehab facility in your area? Have you gone and talked to the people who run it? Have you talked to anyone who has successfully completed their stay? What are you using to judge whether or not this is the right rehab facility for you? Prices, location, facilities are easy to compare and shop around. And, yes, all those things matter. It’s important to feel comfortable. On the other hand, I don’t ever remember hearing someone say, “The number one reason why I’m sober right now is because the décor in my room was amazing.”

Visit enough facilities, meet enough of the staff, enough questions to make sure you have the people you need. This is going to be one of the most difficult and yet rewarding journeys you will ever take. Go find the people who are going to have your back. How many times must you go through rehab is all up to you.

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How to Get an Affordable Drug Rehab for a Teen in the Houston, Texas Area

How do you find affordable drug rehabilitation for your teen who is struggling with addiction? Drug addiction and alcoholism are common in the Houston, Texas area. Often, there is a negative stigma associated with substance abuse, but having a teen who developed an addiction is nothing to be ashamed of. Addiction is a treatable disease, with the right individualized treatment program, we can help cure your teen from this life-threatening disease.  

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You have come to the right place.

It is likely you have gone through an emotional rollercoaster upon finding out your teen was suffering with the disease of addiction. Maybe you found out that your son or daughter was not only experimenting with drugs and alcohol, but they had developed a full-blown chemical dependency that seems to have taken over every aspect of their life. The lying and secrecy you have experienced from your teenager lately makes you feel like this is no longer the child you once raised. Perhaps you don’t recognize the person they have become. The actions of someone suffering with a substance abuse disorder can have a ripple effect that will impact the entire family. Addiction often comes with self-destructive behaviors that only get worse over time, so now you have decided to take action and do research on how to help your child, whom you care so deeply for.

At More Than Rehab, we offer the best, evidence-based addiction treatment in the Houston area. Hopefully we can help answer some of your questions and get your teen the help they need right now.

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Typically, an adolescent who is struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction will require different strategies and treatment plans than our older patients. A teenager who is using drugs or alcohol before the brain is fully developed can develop a chemical dependency much faster than a typical adult. The human brain does not fully develop until the age of 25. As such, teens experience stronger emotional reactions in their thinking patterns. While an adult brain processes their decision making in the prefrontal cortex, a developing teen processes information with the amygdala, which is the emotional center of the brain.

Not only do teens have different cognitive abilities than adults, most who use drugs are attempting to compensate for their inward feelings of depression, low self-esteem, family or school troubles and possibly another mental illness. Many teens will need a dual-diagnosis approach to substance abuse treatment. This will address not only the addiction, but also any other underlying mental health issues they may be experiencing.

Because experimentation with drugs and alcohol is sadly a common occurrence for many American teenagers, most kids will not think they need rehabilitation. As you are looking for an affordable care option to treat your child’s addiction, consider staging an intervention to help them understand the need for professional help. When you do confront your teen about their substance abuse, use your words wisely and approach the situation with compassion, understanding and care. Let them know how much you love them. Use compassion as the basis for your discussions about their behavior. Once you have completed the intervention, make sure you have a location picked out so you can begin their recovery right away.

The negative stigma that is commonly associated with addiction is the reason many people do not seek help. It can be a struggle for them to admit they need help. Denial can be a symptom of your child’s own shame and guilt associated with their alcohol and drug abuse. Many teens will try to hide their substance abuse out of the fear of being judged. Let them know they are not “in trouble” but that their continued drug use could cause them a lot of problems later in life. Help them understand that drug and alcohol abuse can lead them two places: in jail, or dead from an overdose. As we see the staggering numbers of people who die in the United States every single year, (72,000 overdose deaths in 2017 alone) the time to get serious about helping people with addiction is now.

Find Affordable Drug Rehabilitation Centers in the Houston, Texas Area.

For parents or legal guardians of a teen who is battling addiction or another mental illness, the benefits of rehabilitation and treatment far outweigh the costs. While there are numerous treatment centers out there, you will want to choose the one that is best suited to meet your loved one’s individual needs. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the nation’s addiction problem. Your teen, just like everybody else has a unique set of circumstances that each play a part in their overall problem with addiction. Many rehabilitation centers have different treatment plans for different substances. The best rehab for your teen should be flexible and offer a wide-range of treatment options that can be formulated to best suit their needs.

With the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), your health insurance can help you pay for addiction treatment.

The ACA, commonly referred to as “Obamacare” mandates that mental health and substance abuse treatment be covered as one of the essential health benefits. If you have insurance in Texas, these benefits are mandated under the state’s medical insurance exchange. (To learn more, visit the Texas Health Options website). The ACA also expanded funding for treatment to Americans covered under Medicare and Medicaid. As a benefit for your child who may be struggling with addiction, the ACA allows individuals under the age of 26 to remain on their parents’ health insurance plan. If you have any questions about your coverage, please fill out our secure, online insurance verification form on our website.

At More Than Rehab, we strive to provide the best possible care, at little to no cost for you out of pocket. With the help of your insurance plan, rehab doesn’t have to cost a fortune. We believe that cost should never prevent someone from receiving the help they need to overcome their addiction. If you feel that treatment is not affordable, or you do not currently have insurance, there may be state and private assistance options available to help you.

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Public Assistance Options for Alcohol & Drug Rehabilitation That Are Available to You.

Various state and private assistance resources are available to help those in need. The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA is a good place to start. They have a state-by-state list of agencies available to help you find treatment in your local area. Contacting these agencies will help you find out what services and programs may be available to treat your teen’s substance abuse. Your state agency may also help you find a variety of private and public faith-based treatment programs. These agencies are great resources to help you find available treatment options for your teen in your local area.

If you need help with substance abuse, or even a recent relapse into drug use, please call us. We are available 24/7:

(888) 241-2191

The Social Model of Addiction Recovery:

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The social model of recovery from addiction has become one of the most prevalent forms of treatment used in a modern rehab center today. The social model focuses heavily on people helping people through their recovery and rehabilitation from some form of substance abuse. These social principles were rooted in the foundations of Alcoholic’s Anonymous (AA) and other social programs focused on curing alcoholism or drug abuse.  The social model to recovery is beneficial, because it can help build self-esteem, confidence and other key skills for a person trying to live a life of sobriety. People learn from others, so why should addiction treatment be any different?

 

Neuroscience has added a great depth of understanding about addiction and its effect on neuro pathways in the brain.

New health care technology has allowed us to examine the patterns in the brain in real-time. Neurochemistry has helped us examine principles related to various treatment techniques for substance abuse. These recent advancements have helped us understand the innate nature of addiction and its effects on the biology of the human brain. Science can now help us understand a complex combination of biological and psychosocial reinforcement mechanisms that all contribute to a substance abuse problem. With this depth of knowledge, we can find statistically effective techniques to treat addiction and other mental health issues.

Humans have evolved as a social creature. Starting at a very young age, we are inherently tied to our social atmosphere. Our social structure has an inherent system of rewards and punishments.  A complex substance abuse problem can rewire these reward signals in the brain, thus throwing our evolutionary instincts out of balance. The information we have gathered in the scientific and medical community compels us to dig deeper into the understanding of addiction treatment programs and their potential effectiveness.  

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Considering addiction from a biological and social perspective allows more flexibility and individuality in our treatment regimens.

When we look at the reward circuits in the brain, we are able to see rehab from beyond the medical model of “it is a disease” or the psychological model of “it is a bad habit”. Having our patients understand the biological causes of addiction can relieve a lot of guilt for the addict, while it also allows the patient to train their rational mind to think beyond their addiction. Performing this exercise in a social setting can help foster permanent behavioral modification that will make sobriety last a lifetime.

Using this mental technique in a social setting is a great tool for many recovering addicts. Having a support network of peers, coupled with trained professionals can help guide the treatment for alcoholism or drug abuse towards a successful goal of sobriety. Having a community based treatment program helps people view their progress as a lifelong learning process based on permanent changes in various aspects of life.

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Changing only the substance abuse is not enough to guarantee successful treatment that will last in the long term.

Drug and alcohol treatment programs that use a social model will teach the patient how to change their attitudes, beliefs, values, habits, routines and behaviors in conjunction with the principles of sober living. These skills are essential to provide confidence as the patient prepares to reintegrate into the outside world after their time at an inpatient rehab facility. A social model to recovery is best suited to prepare patients on what to expect once they begin to encounter the triggers and stresses of day to day life, without relying on drugs or alcohol to cope.

Long term success is greatly increased through spending time with other individuals who are also recovering. Since we are social animals, group therapy sessions are quite beneficial as they offer a therapeutic, homelike community setting as opposed to a cold, institutionalized hospital setting. Healing as a community helps us rewire our brains in a way that one on one treatment cannot quite accomplish on its own.

Cognitive behavioral therapy and relapse prevention are enhanced within a social model of recovery.

When a chemical dependency has shaped a portion of an addict’s life, it is important for them to seek ongoing outpatient treatment services. Regular attendance to group therapy sessions or meetings within a 12-step program are strongly encouraged. These sessions serve not only to hold the individual accountable for their recovery, but will also instill much needed confidence and self-esteem as they see others who can succeed. These social activities will help them grow into their newfound sobriety by reinforcing a drug-free lifestyle. Attending social gatherings with other addicts who are in recovery can enhance the patient’s ongoing efforts to maintain their recovery.

At More Than Rehab, we employ a combination of treatment tools that are integrated into your life as we focus on healing the whole person. We all help empower each other as you experience one of the greatest struggles in your life. As a community we stand stronger, together.

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