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Wondering how to get sober and stay sober after struggling with addiction may be a daunting, challenging task, but can still be done regardless of the severity of your substance use disorder. Getting sober requires you to fully understand your situation so you can seek the help and treatment needed to become healthier and improve your livelihood. After you grasp the severity of your addiction and acknowledge you need help, your next steps are to find support and an addiction treatment center ready to guide you safely toward sobriety.
How Do I Plan for My Sobriety?
Making plans to get sober is essential to experiencing a successful recovery. It begins by talking to your loved ones and family about your decision to become sober and get help and starting your search for the best possible treatment. It’s also important to know what to expect from treatment, and what happens at an addiction treatment center.
Treatment begins with detox, which helps you overcome physical dependence on drugs and alcohol. Detox can be conducted at an inpatient detox center or as an outpatient detox and may involve the use of medications or other therapies that treat withdrawal symptoms. Detox is then followed by behavioral therapies that help you identify and change harmful thoughts and behaviors contributing to your addiction. Therapy also helps you identify and manage common triggers that may lead to relapse, and teaches you valuable skills that support long-term sobriety.
Who Can Help Me Get Sober?
Doctors or Treatment Specialists
Speaking to a doctor or addiction treatment center is the best way to find out the exact steps you must take to achieve and maintain sobriety. These professionals can recommend and develop a customized treatment plan for you or your loved one based on factors such as the addiction type, the severity of the addiction, and whether there are any co-occurring mental health disorders. The doctors you work with can help you make the best decision surrounding how and where detox and therapy should take place and will facilitate your treatment as needed, so you’re not feeling alone or unsure of your next steps.
Sometimes, as in the case of alcohol, you can gradually minimize the amount you drink each day. In the case of opioid addiction, a doctor can also help you taper your dosage in a safe way that will allow you to avoid severe withdrawal symptoms.
Some withdrawal syndromes must be treated in an inpatient detox facility because they are dangerous to your health. Severe versions of alcohol withdrawal, as well as withdrawal from CNS depressants, often require residential detox so the patient can be monitored 24-7 for any dangerous symptoms.
Planning for your sobriety isn’t only about understanding and preparing for withdrawal. You must also make a conscious decision to quit and stick to that decision. Without a strong conviction, it can be tough to avoid relapse in the future, even if you do attend treatment.
Friends or Family
Addiction continues to carry a stigma even though this health condition is officially defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease. Many who suffer from addiction may feel scared, nervous, or guilty about asking for help from loved ones. But those who genuinely care about you will have your best interests at heart, and understand that you may need serious help if you’re approaching them about your substance use disorder.
Your friends and family may even want to play an active role in your recovery by driving you to treatment sessions, paying for inpatient rehab, and being your support team when you’re feeling the urge to drink or use. Be as honest and upfront as possible when discussing your personal needs so your loved ones can help you get started with your recovery as quickly as possible.
You
The decision to get sober is primarily up to you. No one can force you to stay sober, and treatment does not work when the patient is reluctant to get better. It needs to be your decision to get clean, as nobody can complete the treatment process for you. Long-term recovery is achievable if you are ready to live a clean, substance-free life.
How Can I Find the Best Rehab Facility?
There are many different types of rehab facilities and treatment centers available to treat your substance use disorder. The type of rehab facility you should choose largely depends on your recovery needs, and details surrounding your addiction. For instance, if you need help recovering from a years-long opioid use disorder, your ideal treatment center may be an inpatient rehab center that offers a medical detox to help you get safely and comfortably through withdrawal, along with several behavioral therapies proven effective at treating opioid addiction.
Tips that can help you find the right rehab center:
- Look for a rehab center experienced with treating your specific type of substance use disorder or addiction.
- Look for a facility that offers dual diagnosis treatment if you also suffer a co-occurring mental health disorder.
- Decide whether you would benefit more from inpatient or outpatient treatment.
- Involve your friends and family members in your search for the best facility.
- Find out whether the cost of rehab and its treatments are covered by your health insurer.
- Look for a rehab center that customizes treatments and therapies just for you or your loved one based on factors surrounding the addiction.
- Find a facility that uses safe, evidence-based detox treatments that can minimize and treat withdrawal symptoms.
- Look for a facility that offers aftercare programs you can transition to after rehab so you can stay on track with your sobriety and recovery.
Talk to Your Insurance Provider
Most health insurance packages cover addiction detox and treatment, making getting sober more affordable in the United States. Plans can even cover travel to out of state facilities if there are specific programs you want to attend.
An addiction specialist can help you find and choose a nearby treatment center based on your unique recovery needs. If you need help getting sober, talk to your loved ones or doctor immediately so you can find treatments designed to help you safely and successfully overcome your substance use disorder.