The Importance of Detox Treatment Programs

The first part of addiction treatment is often detoxification, or as it is simply called, “detox”. This is the process of actually allowing your body to process and clear out any drugs and alcohol in your system. The goal is to get completely sober and not allow any new toxic substances to enter your system. Your body’s cravings for drugs and/or alcohol will subside, and you will be able to move forward into a healthy, refreshed life without drug abuse. In a nutshell, detox is the first key step towards long-term sobriety. 

How Does Detox Work?

Upon checking into an addiction treatment program, the time of the detoxification process starting will depend both on the substance being abused and the severity of addiction. For heavy users of heroin or crystal meth, for example, detox may begin within just a few hours of the last use. For lighter abusers of prescription pills or alcohol, it may take longer for the body to start entering the detoxification process. The amount of time detox takes depends on the person and their addiction.

During detox, your body will go through withdrawal. The symptoms of withdrawal can be difficult to deal with, but it is important to remember that they are temporary. The exact withdrawal symptoms you may experience will vary for everyone, but they can include:

  • Sweating
  • Fever-like symptoms
  • Physical discomfort and sometimes pain
  • Nausea
  • Mood swings (violent outbursts may occur)
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Feelings of anxiety and/or depression

Detox can feel unpleasant, but you will be put in a comfortable place to rest and try to stay as relaxed as possible. It is also important to stay hydrated during this time. When you do eat, it will be simple, healthy foods that will not interfere with the body’s ability to flush out toxins. Occasionally, medication is used to help ease physical symptoms of withdrawal and make the process smoother. 

The detox process is considered complete once you are no longer experiencing symptoms of withdrawal. But that doesn’t mean that treatment is complete. Instead, it means that actual addiction recovery can begin. 

Why You Should Never Detox Alone

Very few people are able to successfully detox alone (much less manage to overcome addiction all on their own), and there’s a reason for that. Not only is the road to sobriety full of challenges, but detox itself can actually be dangerous without professional supervision. This is especially true for those with benzodiazepine or alcohol addictions, as the associated withdrawal symptoms can be more severe. If left unattended, some of these symptoms may result in permanent damage or, in extreme cases, death. 

At a rehab center, your withdrawal symptoms will be addressed and handled in the order of their severity. Experienced medical staff members can intervene when needed and make sure that your detox is going safely. 

Even if you do not consider your addiction to be that intense, the truth is that you are far more likely to make it through detox with professional supervision than on your own at home. On your own, it is often all too tempting to quickly ease your discomfort by using again. This is prevented at a rehab facility or, at the very least, with professionals checking in on you regularly. 

What Comes After Detox?

Once you successfully complete detoxification, you are ready for the real change to begin. Your addiction treatment will be tailored to meet your specific needs, and it may include a combination of counseling, classes, exercise, re-building relationships with loved ones, etc. 

Many people view addiction recovery as a life-long practice of making healthy choices and finding happiness in things not tied to drug abuse. You will make your own decisions about your future, but it’s wise to wait until after you get through detox to think more clearly about what you want out of life. 

Where Can I Go Through Detox?

Depending on your type of substance abuse, its severity, and your location may have quite a few addiction treatment options available to you. For those in Southern California, our team at Lake Arrowhead Recovery Resource is here to help you navigate this sometimes confusing world. We will examine your situation and your specific needs in a detox program, and we will use that information to pair you up with appropriate treatment options. We provide comprehensive treatment matching services that encompass everything from admissions and insurance verification to transportation assistance. And because we also provide care management, you can rest assured that you will not be alone throughout the detox process and your stay in treatment.

Why Emphasizing Mental Health is Important

The field of addiction is just as wide and varied as any other field of medicine. One of the areas of addiction that often gets overlooked is the importance of mental health. During the recovery process, it is important for everyone to take steps to live a well-balanced life, physically and emotionally. If someone is not in the right frame of mind, they are more likely to relapse. On the other hand, if an individual is present and grounded emotionally, they will have the tools necessary to resist the urge of cravings to use alcohol and drugs. For those who are trying to break free from the devastating cycle of drug, substance abuse, alcoholism, and addiction, focusing on your mental health will play a crucial role. 

Why Should I Care About My Mental Health? 

If you’re struggling with addiction, mental health is important because it’s a cornerstone of rebuilding your life. Your mental health impacts productivity, effectiveness, thoughtfulness, behaviors, and emotions. It also affects your ability to show up for others. During recovery, you’ll probably have to mend a few broken relationships. If you take the steps to be happy, positive, and comfortable in your own skin (these are characteristics of mental health), you’ll be able to be the good friend and family member you once were. 

If you focus on your mental health, you’ll also be able to build/rebuild professional relationships. Working full time can be quite stressful from time to time. If you’re depressed or feel like you’re in a bad place, you’ll have a much harder time waking up in the morning and going to work. If you aren’t feeling your best, it will be difficult for your coworkers to rely on you in the workplace. 

When you take the time to work on your mental health, you’ll be able to cope with adversity and deal with stress that is going to develop in their lives. Beating addiction is not easy but if you make an effort to improve your mental health, you’ll be more successful at finding the path to recovery. 

What Are Some Ways to Improve Mental and Emotional Health?

If you’re looking to improve your mental and emotional health, there are a few ways you can do this. First, it is important to open up to others. It can be difficult to share your experiences as you go through treatment, but a crucial part of the healing process is not bottling up your emotions. The stress and shame associated with feelings you feel like you can’t share will hinder your ability to get or remain sober. 

Another way to improve both your mental and emotional health is by exercising. Physical activity is a great way to manage stress and release endorphins. Exercising can be done in various ways, you can run, go to the gym, swim, take a boxing class, dance, or go hiking. Even walking around the block in your neighborhood for thirty minutes per day can be helpful. Many people find that they are able to focus more easily after exercising. This is why a lot of people exercise before work in the morning!

How to Reach out for Help

It is important to know that there are always people who are willing to provide assistance to those in need. Start by talking about the importance of emotional health to friends and family members. These are supportive people who are always going to be there. Then, try to learn more about mental health from credible resources such as the National Institute of Mental Health. Finally, take the time to talk to a trained professional about mental health issues. This is where people should look for extra support and proven treatment options.

Help Is Out There! 

Lake Arrowhead Recovery Center is here every hour of every day to help you. We can help you find a place that fits your needs and will work with you in regards to admission and even insurance procedures. Our support is available throughout your healing process and we want to answer your questions. Reaching out to us is free so you don’t have to worry about money just yet. Don’t spend another day feeling that your need is bothersome. In reality, your reaching out for help is a great gift to those who love you. Contact us today.

How To Have Fun In Sobriety

Addiction has a tendency to infiltrate one’s life. If you’re going through addiction recovery, you’ve probably noticed that a lot of your activities in the past have revolved around drug and/or alcohol use. Now that you’re sober, it’s time to change your habits and learn to have fun and enjoy life without substance abuse. Fortunately, there are plenty of activities you can enjoy that are healthy and drug and alcohol-free.

Importance of Changing Your Habits

A common side effect of addiction is developing bad habits. These habits are often encouraged by the people around you who are also addicted to drugs or alcohol. Changing your old habits is a fundamental component to getting and staying sober. When you ditch the people who used to do drugs with you and shake loose of your bad habits, you can start focusing on how to have fun in sobriety. 

Reevaluate Your Friendships

Consider the people you’ve been hanging out with. Are they people you would buy drugs from? Are they people who would try to outdrink you? Are they still calling you now that you’re sober? Most people who use drugs or alcohol surround themselves with like-minded individuals. Now that you’re sober you’ll probably want to think twice before hanging out with your old friends.

Support from others makes a world of difference in sobriety. If you have people in your life who you don’t think will support your decision to pursue recovery, you have every right to reevaluate the relationship and ultimately, end it. 

Design Your Schedule to Avoid Temptation

In the early days of going sober, it’s important to create a schedule. If you’re busy, you’re less likely to think about drugs or alcohol. Routine will also give you a sense of purpose. By establishing a daily schedule, you will also help remove chaos from your life. Knowing what’s ahead of you for the day will give you a reason to get out of bed in the morning and something to look forward to. 

Brainstorm Healthy New Activities 

Look at the activities you’ve been taking part in regularly up until now. You might have many activities on your schedule – like after-work happy hours. Social situations like this can be triggering, especially in early sobriety. It’s totally OK to sit out of the company happy hour. Risking your sobriety isn’t worth getting 10 minutes of facetime in with the boss. 

Ideas for Sober Fun

There are so many possibilities for having fun without drugs or alcohol. Going sober doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun anymore. Below are four different ideas for having fun: 

Exercise 

Exercising is one of the best things you can start doing in recovery. Exercising helps you to relieve stress in a healthy way. Find an option for exercising that you enjoy. You don’t necessarily have to run on a treadmill or lift weights, you can take a weekly yoga class with a friend.

You can also consider playing a sport you used to play. Join a local sports league like a soccer or tennis club to make your healthy exercise activities social.

Volunteer

Another great idea is to volunteer in your community. This will allow you to meet new people with similar interests. Animal shelters, local gardens, and hospitals are just a few examples of places that always need volunteers. You’ll have fun and also get to help people or animals. 

Take up a Creative Hobby

If you’re interested in the arts, you can get creative with a new activity like writing or drawing classes. Taking lessons in art or creative writing can provide you with an outlet to express yourself. This can help relieve stress and provide you with a healthy and productive way to overcome problems in your life.

Read

Reading is an easy way to pass the time when you are readjusting your schedule to sober living. Head to your local library and browse the shelves. You’re likely to find some great reading ideas that will keep you occupied while expanding your knowledge. The best part about the library: it’s more cost-effective than purchasing books on Amazon. 

We Can Help You! 

Are you ready to overcome addiction and live a happy, sober life? Lake Arrowhead Recovery Center is here to help. We’re a free resource for anyone struggling with addiction. Our staff is available 24/7 and can help you find the right addiction treatment for you. Reach out to us today to get your life back from addiction. 

How To Reach Out For Help With Addiction

Are you suffering from addiction? If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you realize your drug or alcohol use has become a problem. You may know that you can’t break your substance abuse behavior by yourself, but reaching out for help seems to be too difficult. Maybe you’ve always been the strong one that others looked to for help and you feel you can’t show anything you perceive as weakness. Maybe you feel you’ll be judged negatively by others or that you’ll be considered a burden. We completely understand your concern and want to let you know you aren’t alone. We also want to let you know the worst of your fears are not going to happen. You’re only human and have nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone needs to be helped at some point in their lives. It just happens to be your time now. 

Don’t Be Embarrassed

Addiction is a disease and seeking treatment shouldn’t be any more embarrassing than seeking help from a heart doctor or eye specialist. Even though you feel vulnerable, it’s likely that your friends and family have been concerned about your drug abuse for a long time. They will be over the moon that you want help and will be happy to help you in any way possible. There’s absolutely no reason to be afraid of people finding out something they may already know. They’re still in your life so it’s probably obvious that they care about you. The emotion you’ll receive from those you reach out to will most likely be compassion, love, and relief that you are finally seeking help.

You Aren’t a Burden

If you’re used to people depending on you, which is often the case of many addicts, you may feel that expressing the need for help will make you a burden to others. They won’t feel that way. In many cases, your loved ones will welcome the chance to take care of you as you’ve taken care of them. The fact that they are still standing by you through this addiction says they love you and believe there is hope that you will get help. Your substance abuse has most likely put more of a burden on those you love than asking for help ever will. By asking for help to get clean of your drug abuse, you’re actually taking away the burdens of pain, fear, and concern they’ve been feeling throughout your substance abuse.

Reach Out to Family

Those who care the most about you are often family members; they’re stuck with us for better or for worse. Family could be a parent, aunt, or grandfather. It can also be a cousin or someone you feel comfortable around. Family doesn’t always have to be blood. Maybe you feel comfortable with your sister’s husband. The idea isn’t to take time over-thinking who to ask but go with what feels right. The you inside knows who will grab hold of that hand reaching out for help.

Reach Out to a Friend

If you don’t feel comfortable reaching out to a family member, another option is to find a friend or colleague you can count on. It can be someone you’ve been friends with for a while or a new friend. Chances are the person you reach out to has either helped someone in the past or has battled their own addiction issues. Never underestimate the power of empathy. There are people out there who want to help you.

Reach Out to Us

Lake Arrowhead Recovery Resource is here every hour of every day to help you. We can help you find a place that fits your needs and will work with you in regards to admission and even insurance procedures. Our support is available throughout your healing process and we want to answer your questions. Reaching out to us is free so you don’t have to worry about the money just yet. Don’t spend another day feeling that your need is bothersome. In reality, your reaching out for help is a great gift to those who love you.

 

Signs Your Loved One May Be Addicted

Addiction is a complex condition, a brain disease that is manifested by compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences. The term is most often used with regard to drug abuse or alcohol use, but it can be any activity that is carried to an extreme and can’t be stopped without causing great distress, even though the activity may itself be causing great harm. Someone who is addicted needs professional help and usually doesn’t know it. There are also a variety of treatment programs available in the United States so it can seem daunting trying to find the right program. Lake Arrowhead Recovery Center is here to help you identify if your loved one is suffering from addiction and how they can get help. 

Signs Your Loved One May Be Suffering From Addiction

The signs of addiction may be subtle at first. The two most common reasons for this are that in the early stages, the physical damage of drug or alcohol abuse hasn’t taken place yet and the addicted individual can still keep their usage a secret. However, over time, the addiction becomes more powerful and their life becomes unmanageable. 

Work or School

A student who has previously made good grades may suddenly start failing or coming close to failing. They lose interest in sports or other school activities. Truancy and an overall decrease in academic performance is an issue. They stop hanging out with their friends and socializing. 

A working professional may start calling in sick at work or just now showing up at all. Someone addicted to drugs can also become confrontational with coworkers or clients. Their quality of work will decrease and they probably don’t care about their appearance anymore. 

Secrets and Lies

Your loved one may disappear for long periods of time and refuse to say where they have been, or even lie about it. They may deny using drugs or alcohol when confronted and start hiding their use so you don’t see it. They may make promises to stop using drugs or alcohol and you find that they haven’t kept the promise. Money from your wallet may randomly disappear or your loved one will frequently ask to borrow money even though they have a job.

Volatile Moods

Your loved one who has previously been easy-going may suddenly exhibit bursts of rage. They may be happy one minute and suddenly seem depressed the next. Things that once brought them enjoyment may no longer interest them and they become irritable if questioned about why. You’ll try to force them to attend an event that takes time away from their substance abuse, so they refuse to go. You feel like you no longer know who your loved one is and they know nothing about you anymore.

How to Get Them Help

Help is out there for suffering drug or alcohol addicts. If you think someone is struggling, you can confront them and tell them you’re worried about them. You can let them know they’re hurting themselves and need to stop using. You can also use the help of a trained interventionist to do this.

Whether you are confronting your loved one alone or in an intervention, it’s important to remain calm and non-judgmental. You don’t want your loved one to feel attacked, you just want them to know you’re here to help. Reassure them that they aren’t alone and you will stand by them as they undergo treatment.

Let us Help

We know how scary watching someone battle addiction can be. Lake Arrowhead Recovery Center is here to answer all your questions on what to do and help guide you in figuring out the first steps.

We’re an addiction treatment matching service that will work with you to find the best possible help for your loved one. Our help is available 24/7 and most importantly, free. Today could be the start of a wonderful future. Contact us now!

How long does it take to medically detox?

Are you or a loved one engaged in regular, heavy drinking or drug use? Have you recently tried to quit drinking or using but found that you could not stop without getting sick or experiencing discomfort? If so, you are probably a good candidate to consider medical detox from drug or alcohol dependence. 

 

What is Detox?

Detox is not rehab. Although detox is often pursued as an option for people intending to then go to rehab or another type of treatment facility, detox is also available to those who are unable to attend a drug or alcohol rehab program. 

Known to the medical community as “alcohol and drug detoxification,” detox is a safe and clinically-managed method of treatment used to help heavy drinkers and alcoholics safely quit using over a period of days. It is often achieved with the assistance of prescription drugs such as benzodiazepines.

 

Do I Need to Go to Detox?

The question of whether or not you need to enter a detox facility depends on several factors. The most important question, however, is whether or not you have become physically dependent on drugs or alcohol.

When someone is engaged in repeated heavy drinking or drug use, their brain chemistry can become changed. Common evidence of this change in brain chemistry is an increased “tolerance,” which is to say that the individual can use a greater quantity of alcohol or drugs before appearing drunk or blacking out. 

Eventually, the brain develops a physical dependence on drugs or alcohol so that, when the individual abruptly stops, withdrawal symptoms occur. These symptoms can be dangerous or even deadly, and they often require that the individual enter detox in order to quit safely.

If you are an addict or alcoholic or are otherwise physically dependent substances, is important to understand that quitting on your own is dangerous and potentially deadly. Studies indicate that quitting is fatal for as many as 5% of addicts and alcoholics who try quitting without the help of medical detox or rehab. 

 

How Long Does an Individual Stay in a Detox Facility?

In general, medical detox from drugs like opiates and benzodiazepines may take several days, and detox from alcohol may take up to two or more weeks. Each case is different, however, depending on factors such as the quantity of drugs used and the individual’s broader history of addiction or alcoholism. 

If you believe you may be physically dependent on alcohol or drugs or have experienced withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking or using, it is important that you seek medical help as soon as possible. Contact us to discuss your situation as well as options for detox and/or enrollment in a rehab program. We look forward to speaking with you.

Signs and Symptoms of Opioid Overdose

Opiates and opioids are drugs and medications used, primarily, in the treatment of pain. There are many types of opiates and opioids, from pharmaceuticals to recreational drugs. They include oxycodone, morphine, fentanyl, heroin, and others. 

All individuals taking opiates or opioids, both prescription and nonprescription, are at risk for overdose and for becoming addicted. This is why rehab for opioid and opiate use is so often a life-saving resource for individuals caught up in the disease of addiction.

 

What Causes Overdose?

Causes of opioid overdose include substance use disorder (i.e. drug addiction), unintentional overdose, intentional overdose, and therapeutic drug error. If you or a loved one are engaged in using opiates, either recreationally or as-prescribed, it is important for you to know and recognize the signs and symptoms of opioid overdose as well as what to do should such a situation occur.

Individuals suffering from opioid overdose may exhibit a variety of symptoms. If you believe a loved one or acquaintance has overdosed, it is incredibly important that they receive medical attention as soon as possible. Overdose from opiates and opioids like oxycodone, heroin and fentanyl can be deadly for addicts and non-addicts alike. 

 

Signs and Symptoms

People overdosing on opiates and opioids often appear tired, and their breathing and nervous system response may be depressed. Other symptoms of overdose to look out for include anxiety, nausea and vomiting, dilated pupils, and itchy and flushed skin due to a histamine response to the drugs. 

If you observe these symptoms in someone you believe is at risk for opioid overdose, it is important that you seek medical help immediately. This is especially true if the individual has a history of addiction or opiate overuse.

 

What to Do If You Witness an Opioid Overdose

Opioid overdose is incredibly dangerous and can be deadly. In the event that you witness someone overdosing, it is important that you are knowledgeable and prepared and act quickly. 

Naloxone is a drug that reverses opioid overdose, oftentimes saving the life of the overdosed individual when administered in time. It is sold as a nasal spray under the brand name Narcan. Narcan easy to administer, in most cases, obtainable from a pharmacy with or without a doctor’s prescription. 

 

Outside Help is Available

If you are struggling with heroin use or believe you may be addicted to prescription opioids like oxycodone, morphine, fentanyl, or codeine, there is outside help available. Quitting opioids can be incredibly difficult, and rehab is an often necessary resource for individuals seeking to overcome their opiate addiction. Contact us today to discuss your options for inpatient rehab, outpatient rehab, and other recovery resources.

What is Alcohol Detox?

alcohol detox

Alcohol detoxification (or “detox”) is a safe and clinically-managed method of treatment used to help heavy drinkers and alcoholics safely stop drinking. It is achieved by slowly weaning the individual off alcohol or, more commonly, with the assistance of prescription drugs such as benzodiazepines.

If you or someone you know is engaged in regular heavy drinking or has recently tried to quit drinking alcohol and suffered symptoms of withdraw, medical detox and rehab or rehabilitation can be a necessary and life-saving resource. This is true even for individuals who have not been diagnosed or do not otherwise identify as alcoholic or drug addict.

 

What Is Physical Dependence on Alcohol?

Alcohol dependence is increasingly common and is one of the most often diagnosed psychiatric conditions in the world. When someone is engaged in repeated, heavy drinking or suffers  from alcoholism, their brain chemistry can become changed. Common evidence of this change in brain chemistry is an increased “tolerance”  to alcohol, i.e. the individual can drink a higher quantity of alcohol before appearing drunk or blacking out. 

Eventually, the brain develops a physical dependence on alcohol in order to keep its chemical functions balanced and active. Then, when the individual abruptly stops consuming alcohol, withdrawal symptoms occur. These symptoms are often unpleasant and dangerous, and they can be deadly.

Chemical dependence is also possible in cases of drug addiction. Depending on the substances involved, quitting may require detox and/or drug rehab in these cases as well.

 

Withdrawal: The Dangers of Quitting Drinking on Your Own

If you are physically dependent on alcohol, quitting on your own is dangerous and potentially deadly. Symptoms due to alcohol withdrawal syndrome include:

  • Sweating
  • Anxiety
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Headaches
  • Insomnia and fatigue
  • Mood swings
  • Depression
  • Loss of appetite
  • Shakiness or “delirium tremens”
  • Death

Studies indicate that quitting is fatal for as many as 5% of alcohol-dependent drinkers who try to stop drinking without the help of detox or rehab. Death is most commonly the result of severe shakiness or seizures, otherwise known as “delirium tremens.” Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome, including delirium tremens, may begin anywhere from 6 to 24 hours after alcohol consumption has been abruptly stopped. 

 

Help is Available

If you believe you may be physically dependent on alcohol or have experienced withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking, it is important that you seek medical help as soon as possible. The same is true  if you believe you may suffer from drug addiction and are physically dependent on other drugs. Contact us to discuss your options for stopping alcohol or drug use without the risks of withdrawal, including detox, hospitalization, and enrollment in a rehab/rehabilitation program.

Dangers of Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

What are benzodiazepines, and how widespread is the problem?

Benzodiazepines (aka “benzos”) are among the most widely prescribed and the most widely misused medications in the United States. Routinely prescribed to treat conditions such as anxiety and insomnia, pharmaceutical drugs like Xanax, Niravam, Valium, Klonopin, Ativan and other drugs and their generic forms are increasingly popular.

 

Addiction to and rehabilitation from benzos are on the rise. Research indicates that 1 in every 8 Americans used a benzodiazepine in 2018, and benzos alone accounted for nearly ⅕ of all prescription drug intake last year. 

 

A large number of people today suffer from addiction to benzos and are pursuing rehab and recovery from their addiction. Without meaning to, individuals taking benzodiazepines as prescribed often slip into patterns of misuse that quickly become addictive and dangerous. Those engaged in recreational use and misuse of these drugs report taking more of the drug in order to decrease levels of physical and mental stress as well as to sleep. Over time, this leads to addiction: chemical dependency on benzodiazepines, which can require medical intervention in order to safely stop or reduce usage. 

 

What are the symptoms of benzos withdrawal?

If you are over-using or addicted to drugs like Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, Ativan or other benzos, there is little certainty as to what your withdrawal symptoms will be. Each case is different. Complications from withdrawal are unpredictable and can be deadly. That is why rehab can be a lifesaving resource for addicts in recovery.

Several (although certainly not all) of the possible symptoms of withdrawal from benzos are listed as follows:

  • Headaches
  • Sweating
  • Muscle tremors
  • Dizziness and light-headedness
  • Shooting paint in the neck, spine, and other nerves
  • Impaired vision
  • Fainting
  • Delirium and hallucinations
  • Grand mal seizures
  • Diarrhoea
  • Irritability, anxiety, panic and depression
  • Death

 

Can I quit benzos on my own?

If you are addicted to benzos or taking these drugs in amounts greater than prescribed or without a prescription, it is very important that you consult with a medical professional before stopping. Withdrawal from benzos is dangerous and can be deadly for addicts trying to quit on their own or without medical rehab.

There is no specific timeline for when withdrawal symptoms begin and end for benzos. You may start experiencing symptoms within 24 hours of discontinuing the drug, and symptoms may last for months. 

Your timeframe for withdrawal, rehabilitation and recovery from benzos depends on several factors: 

  • How long have you been taking benzos?
  • How much do you take at one time?
  • When type(s) of benzos are you taking?
  • How are you administering your benzos (i.e. swallowing, snorting, etc.)?
  • Do you have pre-existing medical or mental health issues?
  • Are you using other drugs or alcohol concurrently with benzos?

If you suffer from benzos addiction, it is incredibly important that you seek help from a recovery facility, rehab, or medical professional today. During rehabilitation, withdrawal symptoms and their associated risks vary greatly depending on the case. 

To discuss life-saving treatment options or to ask questions about your situation, please contact us today and begin your journey toward rehabilitation. We will be happy to hear from you.

How My Addiction Story Helped Me

Your Addiction Story has a Purpose

Your story, your addiction and your recovery can be purposeful. Tell it and let it be what it is. What you’ve been through happened for a reason.

Imagine all the pain that you’ve been through. All the heartache. All the times you hit rock bottom. All the times you picked yourself back up just to fall down again. The times when you thought, “This is going to be the last time”, then you picked the needle, the pipe, the bottle back up. Think about the people you once thought were friends and how they just didn’t understand why you were on drugs. Maybe you had family who stopped talking to you because of the things you were doing. Picture the nights you spent in the streets. The nights you didn’t care if you lived or if this would be your last hit – you just wanted to feel that high again. All the times you’ve cried, all the times you’ve wished you were dead, all the times you wanted to change, but for some reason you just couldn’t. The times you felt like the pain would never end. Or maybe the look in your mom’s eyes when you tell her you relapsed again, or the sound of your sister’s voice through the jail phone. The beep saying that you’re almost out of time then empty silence on the other end when the call ends. You lost your job, your house, your car, your kids, your freedom. You lost everything.

Now think about your recovery. Think about what it took to climb up from that dark, misty trench of drug and alcohol detoxification and reach for the little sliver of light that seemed so far away. All the work you put in. All the times you wanted to give up. All the times you didn’t give up. Think about the new friends you’ve made, the connections you’ve rekindled. Maybe some things didn’t come back. You probably still cry sometimes and you probably still imagine the hit, the high, the buzz.

Picture Where You Have Been and Where You Are Now.

The isolation I experienced in my addiction ended some relationships, but brought new life to others.

I don’t do well with change, but then again, who does? I learned really fast that I had to start changing myself if I wanted things to be different. All I knew anymore was how to numb the pain by whatever means possible, but what I knew more than anything was how desperately that had to change. I had to learn to feel things that I didn’t want to feel. I began to learn how to cope with the vast spectrum of emotions that had always led me to using and I began to replace using with talking and other coping techniques to deal with any issues as they arose. I learned how to be okay with my past and most importantly, I learned that I am deserving of a future. I learned how to sit with myself in the most uncomfortable of times and be okay with it. As uncomfortable as it was at first and above all healing techniques, I learned how to share my addiction story, and what recovery is for me.

Every time I share my experiences of my life on drugs, I come more and more out of the darkness of addiction into the light of recovery and hope.

There are so many people who are like me and have been through the same things I’ve been through. They’re in that darkness, and they want to be out in the light. I can help them and through helping them I help myself. There’s a strength that comes from being vulnerable. It gives others hope and it reminds me of my purpose. When I share my story it helps others feel like they can share their story, too. It connects us in a way that shows me that I did the right thing by getting clean. My scars became my story. I started growing from the experiences I had and I started teaching others how to do the same.

Recovery Can Be Hard

But its even harder if you don’t have people who understand what you’re going through. I can be that person for someone else. I can cry with them and laugh and tell them I understand how hard it is to want to give up but not want to start over again. Somehow, I remember everything – the detox program, the treatment, the work I put in to live a drug-free life again, and the steps that led up to the worst days of my past – before I ever got to this life. I know what it’s like to feel alone and in pain. I’ve lost everything, I’ve been in their shoes.

Now this is not saying that it wasn’t difficult to start sharing my story. I was ashamed of the things I had done and the place I had put myself in. I started sharing in a place I knew would be safe, a place with other people who had shared their story with me. From there I started sharing with other people who I knew had been in the same place and were in the recovery process. Then I began sharing with people who were just thinking about recovery. The hardest people to share with were the people I loved who had not been in the same place as me. It was difficult to acknowledge the pain that I had put them through in the depth of what ultimately led to my heroin addiction. But telling them my story brought me closer to them. There were people who still didn’t understand, but in my mind that just means they weren’t ready yet.

Recovery is like a blank canvas to paint, to write on – your story is waiting to be told and heard.