anxiety | Detox Recovery

Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome

After I went to detox and rehab I was ready for a greeting card life full of rainbows.Â Of course that is not how it worked out, I still had to deal with life on lifeâ€™s terms.Â When I was using drugs I was in a constant state of euphoria and rarely, if ever thought about reality.Â When I got clean and sober I was forced to see and feel everything set before me and it wasnâ€™t always easy.Â The first few days out of rehab were especially difficult because I was so fragile and used to living in a controlled environment.Â In the treatment center mealtime was set by a schedule as was wakeup time and bedtime but in the real world I was responsible for setting these limits for myself.Â When I was using drugs I would just do whatever I wanted when I felt like it and I certainly didnâ€™t adhere to any type of schedule.Â There were many things I had to relearn about life when I got off drugs.Â One of the hardest lessons I had to learn in recovery was that I was not in control of anything or anyone else besides myself- and half of the time I didnâ€™t even feel in control of that either.Â

Being newly detoxed from drugs my body was still going through PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome).Â PAWS tends to create in individuals an excess of emotion including hyper activity. Even small events of little consequence may loom large in someoneâ€™s mind and create strong (not being able to bond thoughts together) reactions. This may lead others to suspect a relapse or create social withdrawal. Shame emotions may be noted. Conversely, they may notice a numbing of emotions. The inability to feel impairs proper emotional bonding with friends and family during the early recovery process. It also impairs the recovery process itself as the individual struggles with trying to feel the resentments, anger, guilt, shame and other emotions common in recovery.Â A great resourse to find out more information about addiction and to fill out your own information if you need help is www.painmedaddiction.com.Â Go to their website and they can help to guide you in the right direction and answer any questions you may have about addiction.

Effective Addiction Recovery

Recent research indicates that as many as 50 million Americans suffer from drug addiction and/or alcoholism. Many of these people seek help in rehab programs and addiction recovery centers, but the rate of success is unfortunately quite low. The reasons behind this unfortunate truth are vast and varied, but typically it comes down to two fundamental factors: the level of commitment to healing from the patients, and the totality of the treatment they receive.

There isn’t much that can be done to alter the attitude of addicts; they cannot truly be helped until they decide they are ready. But once they adopt this mindset (usually after they have hit rock bottom), they must receive comprehensive care that treats all of their issues, from the core cause through to the symptom. Quick fixes simply do not work.

Medical detox is an important first step in addiction recovery. When a person has been habitually exposing his body to certain substances over a long period of time he can become chemically dependent on them. When he is denied his fix he will get extremely sick; vomiting, excessive sweating, seizures, muscle pain, anxiety and insomnia are common symptoms of this withdrawal. This process is so unbearable that addicts who try to quit on their own almost always relapse. That is why it is crucial for patients to enter a medical detox facility where they can be helped through this ordeal under the supervision of trained health professionals.

Once the drugs have been cleansed from the addict’s system, he must undergo psychological analysis to determine the cause of his addiction. 75% of people who become dependent on drugs or alcohol do so because they have an accompanying mental disorder of some type. This is known as a dual diagnosis. Dual diagnosis treatment is critical because without proper identification of the root of the problem, recovery is impossible. For instance, a patient may discover he has subconsciously turned to marijuana as a way of self-medicating his anxiety disorder. When he learns how to deal with his fears and emotions in a healthy way, the chances are good he will no longer need to rely on the drug.

Dual diagnosis treatment is critical because without proper identification of the root of the problem, recovery is impossible. For instance, a patient may discover he has subconsciously turned to marijuana as a way of self-medicating his anxiety disorder. When he learns how to deal with his fears and emotions in a healthy way, the chances are good he will no longer need to rely on the drug.

When a comprehensive approach to treatment, one that considers all scientific, medical and mental variables is followed, effective addiction recovery can be possible.

by Allison Savage