Addiction Treatment in Gaithersburg, MD
Contrary to popular misconceptions, a person cannot simply stop abusing drugs or alcohol out of sheer willpower. Instead, a person must often seek addiction treatment in Gaithersburg as a means to finally break the cycle of drug abuse.
Drug and alcohol addiction is a type of brain disease where a person loses control over how much of a particular substance a person takes or uses. Drug use turns into a compulsion, where the person can no longer control how much they use.
Addiction affects a person in many ways. For example, it interferes with a person's thinking process, such as learning, making decisions, memory, and behavior. A person will build up a tolerance to the drug, and as a result, try to use more and more to experience the same high they once did.
Without reputable drug rehabs in Gaithersburg, they continue on their path of drug abuse, and they will experience a greater incidence where only the drug will allow them to feel pleasure. A person will start to abandon the activities they once enjoyed in favor of drug use, recovering from drug use, and then starting to use drugs again.
A person will start to abandon the activities they once enjoyed in favor of drug use, recovering from drug use, and then starting to use drugs again.
Substance abuse recovery experts have identified some risk factors that could indicate a person is more likely to become addicted to drugs. Examples of these risk factors include:
- Family history: Those with a family history of substance abuse and addiction are unfortunately at greater risk for experiencing addiction themselves.
- Environment: A person's peers can influence a person's drug abuse. If a person is around those who abuse drugs and/or alcohol regularly, they are more likely to try those drugs themselves.
- Age at first use: The earlier a person started using drugs, the more likely they are to experience drug and alcohol addiction. This is especially true for the teenage years, when a teenager's brains are especially vulnerable to risky behaviors and addiction, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Types of Therapy Programs for Addiction
Addiction treatment in Gaithersburg offers a variety of programs to help a person overcome their addiction to drugs and/or alcohol. A person in recovery may choose to utilize these or other therapy programs for addiction to help them in their recovery.
A person in recovery may choose to utilize these or other therapy programs for addiction to help them in their recovery.
12-step programs include Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, or Cocaine Anonymous. These programs have been in existence for nearly 100 years, helping those struggling with substance abuse overcome their addictions.
These groups operate around the concepts of peer-to-peer mentorship in helping with recovery. Participants will attend regular group meetings and will often find a person known as a "sponsor" that can act as a source of encouragement for sobriety.
In addition to participation in group meetings, these types of substance abuse treatments also involve working through the "12 steps," which are a series of steps a person can follow to promote sobriety.
Examples of these steps is admitting that a person is powerless over addiction and repairing and acknowledging past wrongs that a person committed while they were struggling with substance abuse.
Self-management and recovery training or SMART Recovery is a substance abuse recovery program type that helps those struggling with drug and alcohol abuse. The program specifically revolves around four points:
- Building and maintaining motivation
- Coping with urges.
- Managing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
- Living a balanced life
Through this program, a person can participate in group therapies led by a facilitator.
The program for addiction treatment in Gaithersburg is considered an alternative to traditional 12-step programs in that it emphasizes empowerment over the helplessness that a 12-step program emphasizes.
Individual counseling is a therapy approach that involves working one-on-one with a therapist. There are a variety of different addiction treatment approaches that a person can utilize. One example is cognitive-behavioral therapy.
This involves helping a person identify behaviors that are contributing to their addiction and behaviors that can help a person overcome their addiction.
Motivational interviewing and motivational enhancement is another individual counseling approach that involves helping a person discover their own personal motivations for becoming sober. Through one-on-one attention, a person can have their questions answered whenever possible.
Addiction treatment in Gaithersburg may also include restorative therapies that emphasize the whole person, such as restorative yoga, art therapy, and spirituality.
These can help a person learn to live with their stress instead of turning to drugs and/or alcohol as a means of coping.
By accessing a substance abuse therapy program, a person can utilize these and other addiction treatment therapies to help a person overcome their drug and alcohol abuse. Call Gaithersburg Drug and Alcohol Rehab Centers now for help (877) 804-1531.