IMPORTANCE OF CHECKUPS IN PREVENTING ADDICTION

One common mistake we make is going for checkups only when we are sick. This is a wrong move that results in endangering the health.

The best move to make is go for checkups even though there is no medical problem in sight. One reason why checkups are important is because they allow you to uncover health problems that are at the beginning stage.

Some people get addicted because they do not undergo checkups. Going for checkups does not necessarily imply that you are looking forward to the physical benefits. There are other benefits like mental health and emotional health that you will reap.

A doctor would be able to tell if you have a mental health problem from a single check-up session, and he or she would be able to proffer advice that would help you become better.

One thing you should know is, medical health issues are often connected with mental health problems and they can make an individual become addicted in the process.

Addiction negatively impacts the health and preventing it is one of the best ways to living a healthy life. There are some people who are on the verge of addiction, they abuse substances without knowing that there are adverse effects.

Such people need to be closer to the hospital than ever because they are treading on dangerous paths.

Prior to going for a health check, it is necessary that you know about your medical history. This is because, the doctor would most likely ask you as touching the history of certain diseases in your family; if they are present or not.

In preventing addiction from settling in your life and your family, it is vital to go for checkups. For families, it could be a monthly affair.

For individuals too, it could be once in a month. No matter how tight the schedule might be, giving attention to your health by going for checkups needs to be a top priority.  

CONQUERING ADDICTION WITH A PERSONAL THERAPIST

Having a personal therapist during an addiction recovery process is quintessential. These therapists play the dual role of both a therapist and a counsellor. They ensure that there is a stable support system in place which is responsible to aid individuals who are recovering from alcohol, drugs and other form of addiction. Personal therapists ensure that a strong relationship is formed between them and the client, and it is built on trust and secrecy.

Therapists in this field have a very important role to play, as they aid addicts in managing crisis which are related to addiction management problems. The will to get treatment for addiction is a herculean task, as it involves much trust between the addict and the therapist. Hence, it is essential that counsellors put much effort into ensuring that a firm bond is created, this is known as therapeutic alliance.

Basically, therapeutic alliance is defined as the trust which patients feel with their counsellors, which avails them the opportunity of saying out their problems, and working together with the counsellors cum therapists in ensuring that an effective measure is patterned. Such formidable alliances ensure that patients see their therapists as people who they can totally rely on, bearing in mind that their best interests are in the leading position.

Although, it should be known that before it gets to this level, trust has to be developed, and it usually takes time. However, it starts with the patient being able to converse in a comfortable state during sessions, and having relief after each appointment, and an urge to always return.

Forming strong alliances can be done by:

  • Making patients know that you have utmost interest in their welfare
  • Being attentive during sessions
  • Allowing patients know that you can relate with their problems
  • Getting to understand and communicate the basic issues which are present during recovery

Recovering from addiction is no easy path, as many individuals who are hooked on substance abuse are unaware of their own specific abuse pattern. Hence, it is necessary for the therapist cum counselling society to be innovative as regards different modes of motivation, which would be customized for each patient.

The Inpatient Rehab Format

inpatient rehabInpatient rehabilitation centers follow a particular format that gives them a decent success rate. The true strength of a rehab’s success rate depends on the strength of its individual conduct, but following the traditional rehabilitation format will get any rehab center started in the right direction. This format includes a detox period for those addicted to a substance, psychological treatment that lasts for at least 28-days, then either a sober living period or attentive aftercare.

The detoxification period is mandatory for anyone addicted to alcohol or drugs. The detox typically lasts for one week, though some withdrawal symptoms can persist longer. The week long period of flushing the body of toxins is critical to the person’s ability to function while in treatment. If their body chemistry is still under the effects of the substance, they will not have full control of their mind or body. It is important that clients detox under professional care because withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous and may need to be medicated.

After detox is complete, the psychological treatment portion can begin. The treatment itself lasts for a minimum of 28-days because studies have shown that is the length of time it takes the human brain to develop new habits and patterns. Treatment consists of private counseling, group counseling, support group meetings, workbook exercises, readings and discussion sessions. The treatment portion of rehab is where the core of the cognitive behavioral work takes place, and it is very important to the client’s psychological development.

When treatment is finished, rehabilitation centers highly recommend a period of sober living, or staying in a halfway house. Most rehab centers provide halfway houses for their clients. A halfway house is a private living residence within the rehab that allows clients to come and go as they please to attend work, social gatherings and the likes. They do not have total freedom, however. There can still be inspections of the living areas and conduct within a halfway house and typically the client continues to receive counseling. If the client chooses not to attend sober living, they still have other aftercare options they can take advantage of, such as counseling and support groups.

The Importance of Individual Counseling

individual counselingIndividual counseling plays a very important role in inpatient rehab. Every rehab of good repute provides its clients with individual counseling. Group counseling and support groups are also vital components, but individual counseling is a method of eradicating underlying addiction causes that cannot be dealt with in any other way. It is an atmosphere where a client can let themselves become totally vulnerable and honest in the safe presence of a professional counselor without fear of shame or judgment. Every component of inpatient rehab is important, but individual counseling is frequently an area where clients make the most progress.

The cognitive behavioral work that takes place within individual counseling is very important to a recovering addict’s mental health. The negative thought and behavior patterns that are ingrained in an addict’s psychology have been affecting the person for so long that they typically play out on a subconscious level. Most addicts cannot explain why they are addicted or what life events pushed them toward addiction. They simply know that engaging in their addiction distracts them from the negative thought and behavior patterns they play out. Only a professional counselor has the training to make sense of these thoughts and behaviors that the addict is not totally conscious of.

Many times, an addict will be struggling with a mental disorder that has not been diagnosed. When a person is battling an addiction and a mental disorder, it is called a dual diagnosis, or co-occurring disorder. The trouble is, many people do not have their mental disorder diagnosed. For this demographic, individual counseling within inpatient rehabilitation is vital to understanding their psychological profile and receiving appropriate treatment. This is why individual counseling within rehab should not be considered optional.

And lastly, individual counseling in inpatient rehab is important to the clients so that they can practice relationship skills and trust building. A person’s relationship with their private counselor is a very important human relationship. The client reveals very personal information to their counselor and experiences trust in their professional conduct.

Direct Addiction Treatment

work directly with clientsClinical addiction treatment is a very important method of treating addiction directly. Every stage of developing and applying addiction treatment is useful, but when treatment materials have been tested on multiple levels and are believed to be effective by experts, bringing them into a client treatment setting is the final and most important step in their application and evolution. This is the stage where the addiction treatment’s methods, materials, philosophies and strategies can effect the addict’s thought patterns and behaviors for the better.

New addiction treatment methods are frequently developed within the safety of studies, lab trials, focus groups and test phases. First, an addiction treatment method is determined to be sound psychological treatment by mental health professionals by seeing that it has the tenants of effective modern psychology. Then, it is developed into an addiction treatment model and practiced in mock treatment settings. Focus groups of applicable cases are organized in order to test out certain methodologies and principles within the proposed addiction treatment. Finally, the proposed treatment method is tested on several real cases of addiction and given the green light to move forward.

An effective addiction treatment method, such as the notorious “Twelve Steps,” is practiced and applied in addiction treatment centers throughout North America and the entire world. The widely circulated treatment methods to not become popular for no reason. Many qualifications and success statistics are met before addiction treatment methods are picked up on a large scale. Different addiction rehab facilities pick up different addiction treatment methods depending on what they specialize in, however, treatment centers with higher operating budgets are more likely to use materials that are current, modern and respected among mental health professionals.

Gaining Understanding of Addiction Treatment Options

understand options for addiction treatmentThere are a number of different addiction treatment methods available to a person, ranging from those you can exercise in the comfort of your own living room to those you must leave home for several months for. No two cases of addiction are identical. They are as varied and diverse as people themselves, and for that reason, many different treatment options need to be available.

The most widely recognizable of these treatment methods is a rehabilitation program. With options ranging from one month to three months, inpatient rehab programs house the addict, detox them and give them counseling and therapy to prepare them for a life of sobriety. The most important thing this treatment method does is give the addict safety and monitoring from the object of their addiction. Outpatient addiction treatment is a similar treatment method, but instead of living in a treatment center, the addict continues to live at home and regularly attend counseling sessions and meetings.

For those who attend rehab and need additional support once they complete the program, or for those who have been through addiction treatment in the past and require a safe place to revisit what they learned in treatment, halfway houses or sober living houses are available through addiction treatment programs. These facilities simply provide a living arrangement at the treatment facility, with access to counselors and therapists, where the recovering addict can still function in their day to day life but be much closer to support and assistance.

An addict may also seek the services of a private addiction counselor. There are private mental health counselors who are able to help clients through any grievous or difficult life situation, and plenty who specialize in addiction and substance abuse. And if it is support that a recovering addict needs, volunteer sponsors and local support groups are available in almost every community to foster the need for an understanding support system.

Information on Rehabilitation Treatments

learn addiction treatment optionsIn the world of addiction rehabilitation, there are two major types of treatment: inpatient and outpatient. Inpatient is residential treatment that is more aggressive in nature, and outpatient is non-residential that is less intensive. While inpatient rehabilitation has a stronger success record, both forms of rehabilitation have been proven beneficial in certain circumstances. Selecting the type of rehab that will work best for yourself or for someone you love can be complicated, but understanding the essentials of rehab will inform your decision immensely.

Inpatient rehabilitation typically follows a general model. There are 30, 60 and 90-day programs available, depending on the severity of the addiction. The client will either detox off-site at a specific detoxification medical facility before arriving at the rehab facility, or they will detox at the rehab before they jump into their treatment program. Once detoxed, the client begins counseling, reading, going through workbook exercises and doing therapeutic activities in order to restore their physical and mental health. Clients will undergo group and individual therapy sessions to get to the root cause of their addiction problems. This is supplemented by visits to the gym, sauna, massage parlor or outdoor recreation area, depending on the quality of the rehab. When the treatment period is over, clients will often spend time living in a sober living facility on site at the addiction treatment center to ease themselves back into the world.

Outpatient addiction treatment employs similar methods and ideals, but does so in a less intensive style. Instead of living on site, the client continues to live in their home and attends the outpatient rehab program on a regular schedule. There, they participate in similar types of psychological exercises, readings, counseling sessions and therapies, as well as support group meetings. This type of rehab works well for people who are struggling to end their addiction on their own but whose addiction is not severe or putting them in immediate danger.

Clinical vs Nonclinical Addiction Treatment

clinical addiction treatmentClinical addiction treatment refers to types of addiction treatment that are administered directly to patients instead of conducted in labs or developed in theoretical studies. Laboratory and experimental addiction treatment usually precedes clinical addiction treatment, which is utilized once it has been established and tested by mental health industry experts.

Most addiction treatments begin at the theoretical level and are developed through focus groups. Psychologists and mental health experts present situations, questions and conflicts to test subjects to measure their responses. Test subjects are often chosen because of their particular psychological make up and are either volunteering or receive a stipend. These test subjects or focus groups are imperative to learning how to approach and guide people of a particular mental state.

Addiction treatments are largely psychological and less chemical, therefore the term clinical refers to something quite different in the addiction sphere as it does in the medical sphere. An addiction and mental disorder treatment program is developed through focus groups and psychological experiments that give mental health experts a strong understanding of what different types of psychologies respond to. Clinical psychological addiction treatment relies on this theoretical information to develop and practice established addiction treatments that are administered on addicts. mental disorder treatment program

There is a chemical element to addiction treatment, however, and the theoretical and laboratory stages of developing these treatments is very similar to that of the medical world. Doctors prescribe medications particularly for the purpose of helping someone withdraw from substance abuse, and of course, in the case of co-occurring disorders where someone is addicted and has a mental disorder, psychiatric drugs are often prescribed. These medications are developed in laboratories and must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration before they can be circulated.