Battling addiction on your own is isolating and exhausting. Above all, it’s usually not effective. True recovery from addiction starts with admitting to yourself that you can’t do it alone — and then, asking for help. If you’re ready to try a new path to healing and are wondering how to tell your family that you need help for addiction, these tips may help. Sometimes, the bravest decision is to give up the fight.
Signs of Addiction: How to Know You Need Rehab
Addiction is not defined by the number or type of drinks you consume, or the drugs that you take. Rather, addiction is a brain disease that causes you to continue drinking or using even when you know it is having negative effects on your life.
Has your career been impacted by your drinking or using? Have your relationships suffered? Have you experienced legal or financial issues because of your substance abuse? Do you think that your life could be better without drugs or alcohol? If the answer to any of those questions is yes, you could have a problem with drugs or alcohol.
Addiction & Mental Health
Mental health issues and/or unresolved trauma are often the underlying cause of substance abuse and addiction. Veterans in particular are susceptible to the vicious cycle: Self-medicating with drugs or alcohol calms the symptoms of PTSD or depression to start, but over time, those same symptoms get worse because of the effects of the substance. In the end, no amount of drugs or alcohol is enough to drown the pain, and even the smallest amount can make the pain worse. The only way to true healing and peace is addiction recovery.
Explaining Rehab to Your Family
Residential addiction treatment doesn’t just help you get clean and sober. It helps you heal the underlying issues causing your addiction so that you can stay that way. In rehab, you’ll receive a customized addiction treatment plan that addresses your unique needs and goals. That may include one-on-one counseling, group therapy, or even experiential treatments like equine therapy. You’ll have 24/7 support and care to make sure that you get the full benefit of the time that you’re investing in your treatment. Although your family may be worried about sending you away for residential addiction treatment, you’ll come home an entirely different person — with the tools to stay happy and healthy.
Addiction & The Family
Of course, addiction does not just harm the ones consuming drugs or alcohol. Every member of a family is affected when a loved one is struggling with addiction. Thus, as you pursue treatment for yourself, your loved ones may want to consider exploring options for their own healing. Free 12 Step programs like Al-Anon or Nar-Anon offer fellowship and resources. Or, some residential addiction treatment facilities even offer family programming as part of an individual’s stay.
Your loved one may not want to pursue treatment at all, and may continue to blame you for the problems in your family. All you can do, however, is to focus on your own healing and know that staying clean and sober is the best way to heal your family.
Paying for Addiction Treatment
Paying for addiction treatment may be easier than you think. Today, many insurance plans cover a portion or all of a client’s addiction treatment. The best way to know what addiction treatment will cost you is to call a facility and have them verify your insurance benefits. The facility will call your insurance provider for you and determine how much you’ll have to pay for a stay — all before you even commit to treatment.
Our caring admissions staff can even help you with ideas on how to tell your family — or speak to them for you. From the moment you call, we’re here to walk with you on the journey to a new life. Let’s start today.
JOEDE DUDLEY
JoeDe has been with Acqua Recovery almost from the start. He says, “Over my time with Acqua, I’ve seen a lot of people come through our doors. Some have made it; others have not; a few have come back. I like to focus on the ones that are still in recovery and the struggle continued recovery brings. I understand all too well, having been living in recovery myself for the last 10 years.” To JoeDe, the single most important aspect of staying in recovery is staying connected with people. Therefore, he facilitates three aftercare meetings a week. According to JoeDe, “The ones attending the meeting regularly seem to achieve longer recovery, have fewer relapses, struggle less and have an overall better quality of life. The people attending aftercare meetings or some form of continued care that relapse seem to come back into recovery quicker when there is a relapse.” At the end of the day, he says, “I feel like I have one of the best jobs in the world because I get to see people come in beaten and broken. Life is kicking their ass, and in a few days the color starts coming back into their faces. Their attitude changes when they start seeing some hope for their life. What an amazing feeling. Even in the face of adversity with the COVID pandemic, the clients who have stayed connected to some kind of recovery community and who have built their foundation around that community were able to stay in recovery and adapt to the changing world. I am truly blessed to work in a field I’m passionate about and have found a company that shares that passion.”
