Drug rehab is a committing and continuous journey made easier through support, motivation and willpower. Recovery from substance abuse is not just about abstinence from drugs in fact it is a lifelong process of developing a healthier approach towards life. The aim is to achieve long term recovery by preventing relapse and encouraging maintenance of personal, social and work relationships.
The process of treatment is unique to each individual and movement through different phases can vary as they overlap or repeat. However, it can be better understood through the four phase model proposed by The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). This model provides an outline of the four distinct stages an individual must move through in order to achieve progress.
The four phases of drug rehab are: Treatment Initiation, Early Abstinence, Maintaining Abstinence and Advanced Recovery. Details of each stage are continued below.
PHASE 1: TREATMENT INITIATION
The first step towards a recovery program is seeking help itself. A person might be referred to rehab due to an emergency situation or voluntarily sign up for it; nonetheless treatment is initiated as soon as a professional is approached.
The initial phase can be daunting as it is clouded by doubts surrounding the path of recovery. A person becomes wary of treatment because it entails a promise of giving up on an addictive substance they often rely on to cope with various stressors.
This phase focuses solely on preparing the individual for treatment and getting rid of all ambivalence surrounding it. The current goal is to psycho-educate a person, to inculcate motivation within them to seek help; this can be done by outlining the positive outcomes of rehab or identifying the negative consequences of drug abuse.
Before continuing to the next phase, the therapist deliberately involves the individual in the process of devising a recovery plan to actively engage them in the treatment process.
PHASE 2: EARLY ABSTINENCE
Once treatment has been initiated the individual advances to the second phase of recovery that is early abstinence. At this stage outcomes of the treatment program start to show, which can be extremely difficult and troubling for the recoveree.
Since it is still a relatively early phase of treatment there are bound to be withdrawal symptoms, overwhelming feelings, and difficulties dealing with triggers at this stage which make it harder to cope.
Therefore, during the second phase the therapist mainly emphasizes on establishing healthier coping strategies and focuses on immediate action plans, such as avoiding triggers to prevent relapse. The root causes are identified and dealt with in the next phase.
PHASE 3: MAINTAINING ABSTINENCE
The third phase of drug rehab focuses on maintenance of acquired coping skills to guarantee long-term abstinence. Two major goals are focused upon at this stage: identifying and dealing with underlying causes of drug abuse and relapse prevention.
This phase starts approximately after 3 months of early abstinence and lasts the longest of all other phases. Those seeking inpatient residential treatment might be shifted to outpatient setting at this point since emergency intervention is now completed.
During this phase, the therapist helps a person realize how drug abuse has impacted their life and what negative consequences have come out of their addiction.
They might also address the factors that led up to and perpetuated the drug abuse. Eventually strategies are developed to avoid giving in to these factors and improve upon the quality of life in the long term. Previously learnt coping strategies are also continually maintained to prevent relapse.
PHASE 4: ADVANCED RECOVERY
After a few years of maintenance the individual is set towards the final stage of drug rehab that is advanced recovery. Final stage however does not mean letting go of treatment in fact recovery is an ongoing process continued throughout life.
At this stage the individual may gradually rely less on therapy as the focus shifts towards long term goals. It is now important for the recoveree to be integrated back into society and advanced recovery is all about it.
Strategies achieved throughout treatment are utilized by the individual at this stage and applied to other aspects of life in order to build a healthier lifestyle. Positive social relationships may be sought, healthier alternative activities can be incorporated and guilt associated with drug abuse is let go off to continue towards reintegration.
There is no clear end to the phase of advanced recovery, it continues as the individual progresses through their long term goals successfully preventing relapse.
Even though treatment progress varies from person to person, these four distinct phases of drug rehab present a simpler understanding of the recovery process. Each individual on the journey towards a drug free life passes through these stages at one point or another; acquiring skills and applying them to change their way of life.
Leave a Reply