What are My Options for Getting Help?

Your options depend on many different factors: Where you live; what support you have;  whether or not you have resources in terms of money for services; whether you have health insurance for substance abuse treatment; whether you know what kind of services will help. There may be services in your area, but are these available? Do you need a reduced cost, or a sliding scale?

You may believe your drug use is a spiritual issue and perhaps there is a spiritual adviser, a church or a close group of people who are willing to support you as you make some life changes. Perhaps you want to visit a local healer, spiritual advisor, clinical psychologist or psychiatrist. Maybe you are considering diet and exercise changes. This may help however, in addition, the first step is to recognize you have a problem.

What Treatment Options are Available?

With so many treatments centers, methods and models available for recovery, it isn’t easy to find the right path. Certainly there are Twelve Step models available. These are based on what is called an “abstinence only” method. These models of recovery do not work for everybody.  The Twelve Step model is based in part on the addict being “spiritually sick”. The cure is “getting right with God” and this opens the door for recovery to happen. Many people have recovered using this model. Some researchers find this approach in effective. For the Twelve Step Model there aren’t many positive research based outcomes.

Other methods do exist, less so in the South,  than in Cambridge, MA or Berkeley, CA. There is a method called Breaking Addiction, authored by Dodes who is a psychiatrist in Massachusetts. Dodes’ program uses a theory which models “addiction being a displacement for powerlessness in the face of helplessness.”  Dodes, writes in Breaking Addiction, “the behavior is not the issue”. By behavior, Dodes means gambling, compulsive eating, drinking or IV drug use. Dodes’ claims that people with addiction have a certain emotional sensitivity that becomes overwhelming under relevant circumstances.  Dodes claims “if you know and understand the roots of your helplessness trap, you can eliminate feelings of helplessness and powerlessness where they begin. Without an overwhelmingly sense of helplessness when you face triggering situations, you can break your addictions.

Basically Dodes noted, “Addiction works as a symptom to reverse this helplessness.” Dodes writes in his book, “When an individual can see how knowing the roots of your helplessness allows you to predict when you will be at high risk for your addition very, very very far in advance, way before any hurts happen. Dodes writes “Patients don’t seek a drink or a bet but a sense of empowerment in the face of old and persistent feelings of helplessness.” He says people have emotional vulnerability specific to the individual that surfaces again and again and results in feelings of helplessness and powerlessness. Dodes’ claims people begin to track a common theme behind the moment.  Individuals  come to see they may be terrified to be left out. Or the person may feel humiliated or discouraged by others or feel they have been trivialized as being weak, made anxious by success or certain situations remind you of past traumas or some other issue that is individual to you. umas or something else that is individual to you.

With so many treatment options, it is not easy to figure out what a specific individual needs. There are many recovery based treatment options.  It is not easy to figure out what you need and what you are willing to do for yourself or for a loved one. Many are interested in getting help for themselves or for a family member or close friend.

Many experts encourage individuals to explore a variety of options.  Sometimes it helps to sit down with an expert in the field and consider recommendations with personal resources and go from there. Some individuals want a treatment diagnosis. Others want to explore alcohol and detoxification units, look into rehab, and contemplate recovery. Many treatment centers offer lots of different services and may specialize in several different areas of addiction or just one area. In your search check out many different kinds of services.  Look into everything that is available. Ask a lot of questions. Focus on what you are looking for and match services with personal goals.

Different treatments take different amounts of time. Some are short term, medium term or longer term.  Some are quick and intense and others are slow and mild and some, although rare are quick and mild. Some longer termed slower paced treatments allow you some flexibility giving you more freedom to access different kinds of recovery processes. Some places lock you away and prevent you from accessing the drugs you desire. Other programs insist that you be completely motivated to begin. Finding the right treatment is essential. Getting the best help means matching the need with the services provided according to  the available resources. Sometimes when services are needed the most, when the person is in crisis, many crucial things are overlooked. This is can lead negative outcomes. Getting the right service for the right person at the right time takes a coordinated effort. This takes time and often an experienced professional to help sort out the details to improve rates of success and recovery survival.

Individuals who abuse or are dependent on drugs and alcohol are more likely to seek help after some sort of issue, or crisis. Professional help is often needed to help the person reduce or stop using drugs. Perhaps the person who is using drugs is looking for a kind of time-out or seeking a way to not use as much.  There are many well known ways to reduce or stop using drugs.  There are numerous theories, methods and approaches to getting help for life problems especially when it comes to different levels of substance use and addiction. If you use drugs for recreational purposes and don’t see that you have any problems, then you are probably not interested in addressing your recreational use. Ok, you can stop reading right now. However, If you are a family member of someone who uses drugs recreationally then you may see the recreational drug using as an issue for you. Perhaps you are worried, anxious, and afraid for your loved one. Perhaps you see the writing on the wall, so to speak. To get help in sorting out your particular situation reach out now, before it is too late. Our office can help you sort it out. Call for confidential help and screening. To access help now, click here.

What is Out There?

There are  many health care professionals, health care centers and other places to go for help. You might consider consulting your primary care doctor, nurse or other health care service providers. There are in most places local centers, places to seek help and to construct a course of action. There are outpatient centers, self-help groups, counselors, therapist, religious individuals to consult with and explore options.

What About Costs?

Seeking help and options for addiction issues relate to a variety of costs: Treatment services costing thousands of dollars on one hand to reduced cost or free services at local clinics. There are usually many different paths to getting help–there is no need to feel pressured into getting help. Take it easy. Check your wallet, check your local resources and health care centers and consider asking for professional help. Then follow when the time is right for you.  Help often comes from unexpected places.

What is the next step?

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If you are ready to make changes in your life, request an appointment now.

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