According to the guidelines of National institute of Drug Abuse, there is a basic four stage journey that every addict needs to cross to lead a drug free life and sober lifestyle. As per NIDA’s principles, drug and alcohol recovery is a lifelong process that needs to be followed every single day with the same grim determination and will as on the first day. This article discusses four stages of addiction recovery.
Treatment initiation: Whether voluntarily or by forced circumstances, the day one reaches out for professional help, it is called treatment initiation, the first step towards recovery. This is the stage when you do not realize the exact gravity of your problem and may think it can be easily coped with on your own. Such feelings coupled with denial about being addict can interfere with recovery process. Therefore, drug and alcohol rehab counselors try to break that wall of denial and make you see the truth. He will confront and challenge, so that you can get motivation and will to fight. Most often you are hesitant to take a decision about leaving the substance for ever as it may be giving you some level of comfort. Counselors are expert in this area and can see all your dilemmas; this is the time when they will persuade you to give it a try, make a resolve, become determined to give it up once and for all and they give you their support and encouragement to lead a normal life.
Early abstinence: As you successfully cross the first stage and make a commitment to continue with treatment, you will encounter the second stage of early abstinence. This is believed to be the most important as well as most difficult stage to cope with due to physical cravings, painful withdrawal symptoms, mental dependence and many other factors that can lead to relapse. Every drug and alcohol rehab center at this stage will give training and introduce methods enabling the addict to lead a drug and alcohol-free life style. A person dependent on drug or alcohol is given medical as well as psychological therapies to deal with his dependence. Maximum care is taken to avoid any chances of relapse by scheduling daily work routine and learning to cope with cravings.
Maintaining abstinence: It takes approximately 90 days of continuous abstinence to reach third stage of drug and alcohol rehab recovery. If you have taken the help of any residential rehab programs then this is the time to proceed towards follow- up counseling stage as an outpatient. You are set free to face the challenges of outside world and put in use what you have learnt in the rehab center. You are encouraged to live a drug and alcohol-free life, maintain healthy relationships, deal with the past and engage in some productive work as a substitute for addictions.
Advance recovery: After successful completion of approximately five years of abstinence, you will reach the final stage of advanced recovery. This stage, many believe, stays life long as every day is an effort to live a clean drug and alcohol free life. All that has been learnt in the treatment programs is used to lead a normal meaningful and healthy life.
Knowing the importance of success of each stage these centers monitor and offer such supportive therapy as is needed. Family and friends also chip in with their emotional support and society too now has become much more tolerant and forgiving and believes in giving the person a second chance to succeed.