Deciding to seek treatment for yourself is a significant step to take. You may feel bombarded by how many options you have. You may hear abbreviations that can feel so overwhelming when attempting to comprehend each program level that you may end up throwing your hands in the air in frustration. You may even experience fear of the unknown, and not just with the idea of recovering from your addiction or mental illness. You may feel afraid of what each program will look like for you as an individual, if it will work for you, if you’ll get along with people, if you will be able to see your family, and so on. When your mind gets loud, you can try your best to let go of all the things that are out of your control and focus on the one thing that is; deciding to attend a program that can help you heal.
Detox is perhaps the most straightforward of the programs available. Sometimes people can stop using drugs or alcohol on their own, but there is zero shame in deciding that your addiction has become too powerful to tame through exhaustive willpower. If you’ve stopped and started over and over again, attending a detox program may be the next right step to take for yourself.
You don’t have to do this alone; you don’t have to be a martyr, carrying your pain around like it is a part of who you are. To some extent, of course, the pain you bear is yours to sort through, but that is not something that requires a high level of suffering. You can reach out and get the help you deserve without shaming yourself if you feel your inability to stop using or drinking is a sign of weakness. It is not. It takes incredible strength to have the courage to ask for support when you need it.
Perhaps this isn’t your first time considering detox, or maybe you’ve been in recovery before but unfortunately relapsed, and the idea of doing this “all over again” is a painful thought. Regardless of how you got to this point, you can feel encouraged to move forward in getting healthy support from professionals. These professionals can help you find the reasoning behind your relapse and can assist you with rebuilding your foundation so that you have a better footing for the next portion of your recovery journey.
You may have multiple layers that contribute to your substance use, from socioeconomic standing to familial influences. One thing that commonly corresponds with substance use is mental health disorders. Whether you have been formally diagnosed by a licensed professional or just have an inclination that your mental health may be a contributing factor towards your usage of drugs or alcohol, know that you have access to a program that can help. Dual diagnosis treatment can help you see yourself and your reality more clearly, which can serve as the first step towards honest self-awareness. You are beginning your healing process at the root of your pain instead of the symptoms of your pain.
It can be understood that excessive drug and alcohol usage is more or less indicative of an underlying issue, and those issues may require a closer look and a deeper dig into yourself. This can be an unnerving thought; the idea of having to look at your most painful areas. However, when you open up those darker places within, you can shed light on the truth of who you are so that you can better move away from what you have been and the old negative beliefs you carried about yourself that are most likely untrue. You can understand that help is help, and it is good and right to ask for it whenever you feel the need to do so.
Residential treatment is an excellent option for those who feel they do not have a safe space to begin their recovery journey. You may come from a family that lacks understanding of what you’re going through and can exacerbate your desire to use. You may feel uncomfortable to begin the process of healing from drug or alcohol addiction in the same places you suffered in. You may find that you need the safety and security that an inpatient treatment facility can offer you. In some cases, you may be a survivor of trauma and require an environment where you do not have to worry about harm coming to you. Instead, you are met with people who genuinely want to see you grow and succeed.
There are multiple forms of programming you can look into, from the ones listed above to Partial Hospitalization, Intensive Outpatient, and Outpatient. Whether you are struggling with a co-occurring disorder or predominately drug or alcohol abuse, there is space for you to fit in and obtain the assistance you need. Treatment can allow you to live a life of freedom from active addiction and other dangerous behaviors that cause harm to yourself and the ones that love you. We at NorthStar Transitions offer support and guidance to all who are ready to change their lives. Regardless if you are in the Boulder, CO area or not, help is available to you whenever you feel comfortable taking that first step into your healing process. Our team of licensed therapists and mental health specialists have as much compassion as they have experience, with a desire to build people up, transforming them into productive members of society. Reach out to us today at (303) 558-6400.
