There are a number of methods to recover from substance abuse, and finding the right drug rehab in Denver can be an individual process. While recovery is a personal process, nearly everybody goes through three stages of recovery while overcoming drug use. While there is no set timetable for recovery, the amount of time spent on these stages is unique to each individual, as well. Those stages are abstinence, repair, and growth – and we’ll take a closer look at each of them here.
Abstinence
This stage begins when the person abusing the substance quits taking that substance. Some of the most important aspects of navigating this phase come down to the individual changing their outlook toward themselves. Doing things like cutting off relationships from other users, developing a regimen of self-care, developing alternatives to the abused substances, and learning how to cope with the cravings.
The most difficult aspect of this particular stage is coping with the heavy craving to return to using a particular substance. This presents a number of threats to the individual’s recovery. Depending on the substance being abused, these cravings can last for an extended period of time. This stage is focused on improving the individual’s self-care to set them up for success in the later stages.
Repair
This is the second stage of recovery, and it’s focused on repairing the damage from the addiction. This is a long-term step, because it deals with everything from repairing self-esteem to relationships to other aspects of the individual’s life. A major hurdle in this stage is dealing with the guilt as some of these relationships are repaired.
One of the biggest things that can help during this stage is meeting with self-help groups. They can help provide support when repairing relationships that were damaged during the addiction, as well as helping to develop a healthy lifestyle. Building a support system is a main goal of this stage, because it can be a struggle understanding that addiction doesn’t define who they are.
Growth
This stage is built upon developing the skills to move forward in recovery. Getting on a path that will last a lifetime means dealing with the things that set an individual down the path to addiction. This means dealing with past traumas and identifying the thought patterns that led to the self-destructive behavior. It’s important to wait until this stage to do those things because coping skills need to be established.
It’s important to develop goals and boundaries during this stage to diminish the risks of relapse. Developing the skills to live a healthy life day in and day out is crucial in this stage. That can come from regularly re-evaluating where an individual is on the track to recovery. Understanding addiction to these substances is an important part of recovery, and learning how it affects all aspects of one’s life can set them up for success.
There’s no exact timetable to overcoming substance abuse, and it can be a lifelong struggle for many. But there are options for help to cope with these issues. For more information on addiction and recovery, reach out to the experts at the Stout Street Foundation today.