Addiction
For many people with addiction issues, solutions are available. The question is what am I willing to do about it? What can I do about it?
Addiction is life threatening, can mean death, and loss of everything we love, family, work, community, our self - esteem, our worthiness, meaning to life. There is hope.
Understanding that we have been living for our addiction and that our addiction has been in control of every aspect of our lives, our relationships, our values, our thinking, our actions and has created chaos in every area of our lives.
When we seek treatment or an end to the addictive lifestyle, it begins with honesty with ourselves and with the helpers/healers/family. It is difficult to be honest, because of shame, guilt, low self esteem and a myriad of other thoughts and feelings that plague us in early recovery. It is possible to attain recovery, honesty and willingness are the key to the beginning steps of recovery and an important part of our maintenance of sobriety.
There are many forms of treatment, and all have to do with making life changing changes, from stopping using, staying away from using people, places and things and most importantly letting go of our selfishness spurned by our addiction.
Inpatient Treatment
If you are ready to make that first step, one of the possibilities is inpatient treatment. A word of caution here is that our addiction will minimize, deny, and find many excuses for not seeking help. Things like being picky of where we will go and with whom you will seek for support, can be detrimental to getting the help we need. Keeping an open mind is vital to our recovery and initiating trust with service providers, sober supports from family, friends and community.
In seeking inpatient treatment it is important to understand it is a process and can include, (depending on withdrawal) detox from the mood altering chemical to ensure your safety physically, mentally and emotionally and spiritually. This can take several days depending on the types of mood altering chemicals you have been using and/or how long you have been using, and the amount of use. After detoxification, the process of inpatient treatment begins. A service provider will do an intake, assessment if needed, and begin the referral process, the process may require a physical and TB test. It can take up to 2 weeks to do this process, so accessing support whether it is sponsorship in a 12 step program, spiritual advisor, sober family and friends to help you while you wait for treatment. Discussing this support with your provider is essential to making it to treatment and to have the needed support and making a plan of action.
Once you have received a treatment date and are ready to go, it is important to understand, that this is a beginning of finding your path and your purpose and it requires surrender, willingness and hanging onto the belief you deserve to live a life filled with good things, family, healthy friendships, skills to deal with anything that comes your way in life without returning to drugs and alcohol.
My hope is that you will seek the path of recovery and know there are resources here for you. We are just a phone call away.
Linda Dunbar, Prevention Specialist IT/AODA Services Coordinator
