For example, someone may find ways to consume porn that aren’t always obvious to others. Shafiq Abdul is in recovery and spent years on the streets homeless, addicted to drugs. After a personal effort to get clean and one call with Patti, he was able to receive a sponsor to support his journey to recovery.
Ongoing treatment
This episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, featuring multi-platinum award-winning singer Bryan Abrams, shares his sobriety journey and how he found a treatment that actually worked. Yes, pets are a responsibility, but caring for an animal makes you feel loved and needed. Read, see friends, go to a movie, immerse yourself in a hobby, hike, or exercise. Once you’re interested in something else, you’ll find the urges go away. Your therapist or licensed counselor can help you locate a self-help support group. You may also find support groups in your community or on the internet.
Stages of Change in the Addiction Recovery Process
For some people, committing to complete abstinence is not desirable or is too daunting a prospect before beginning treatment. Many people desire only to moderate use and bring it under control. In fact, there is growing support for what is called harm reduction, which values any moves toward reducing the destructive consequences of substance abuse. Researchers find that taking incremental steps to change behavior often motivates people to eventually choose abstinence.
Meeting People Where They Are
Today, there are hundreds of such organizations throughout the United States. That includes offering interactive, online seminars; pilot grant funding; research mentoring programs; help with designing and testing new measures; as well as collecting and sharing existing drug addiction recovery measurement resources. Research shows that when treating addictions to opioids (prescription pain relievers or drugs like heroin or fentanyl), medication should be the first line of treatment, usually combined with some form of behavioral therapy or counseling.
NA and Other Peer Support Groups for Drug Addiction
- Actively seeking input from peers on the path to recovery, a clinician, or both can be invaluable early on.
- You can support your drug treatment and protect yourself from relapse by having activities and interests that provide meaning to your life.
- Addiction leads to changes in the brain that make quitting more difficult.
- We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand.
- Helping a person recovering from an addiction can come down to helping them connect to treatment—if they’re not already doing so—and encouraging support groups like AA.
- The same dynamic operates in the process of recovery—sometimes things are unclear and confused and confusing.