Substance abuse can destroy your life, regardless of your age. Despite being deemed in some cultures as a rite of passage for youth, young people can find themselves embroiled in addiction as readily as older adults. Drug abuse and alcoholism do not discriminate based on age.
However, when problems are discovered early, they can spare the sufferer a huge amount of pain and agony, not to mention the consequences. Early recovery can save your life. Rehab can be a crucial first step in recovery. The length and intensity of different treatment programs vary.
How do you decide between treatment options, such as length of time, especially if you’re a young adult? Is long term drug rehab a good idea for people in their twenties? Let’s look at a few important questions you should consider when making this meaningful decision.
How Long?
This first consideration doesn’t address how long the treatment program should be, but how long you’ve had a substance abuse problem. Like every single question to determine a course of action that could save your life, you must be 100 percent honest.
Individuals, who have been abusing drugs or alcohol for more than a year, can find staying clean and sober more challenging. There is a physical withdrawal aspect to both drugs and alcohol. When you account for other factors such as frequency, there is often an important detox phase.
Be mindful, there is always the possibility that the first drink or drug ignited a full-blown addiction. An important first question to answer, when considering long term rehab, is to acknowledge truthfully how long you’ve been struggling.
How Intense?
Most drug addicts and alcoholics have little trouble honestly pinpointing when they started drinking or using drugs. However, when asked about how often or how much, they dilute the truth behind their answers. There is a level of guilt associated with drug abuse and alcoholism.
Most people do not want to admit how much they alcohol or drugs they consume. However, like we mentioned, determining the type of and length of treatment that might save your life requires rigorous honesty. Most are shocked to discover how little it takes to become entrapped by an addiction.
There’s also another aspect to this question. Many young adults don’t feel they drink or drug more than their peers. This is not a contest of party prowess. There are answers to a series of substance abuse questions you may find surprising.
The level of substance abuse is also different between substances. Certain drugs carry a series risk of death, even from one use. Drinking tolerance builds over time. The tolerance level for all drugs usually increases the more you use. Things such as age and gender also play a part.
Determining your level of intensity is something you will do with the guidance of a substance abuse specialist. No one is going to judge you for your drinking or drugging habits. However, honest answers could direct you to the right treatment program to save your life.
Other Issues?
This is another aspect that must be strongly considered when determining what type of addiction treatment program is best. In addition, it is yet another question that many will either answer incorrectly, or simply not have an accurate answer.
Too often, addicts and alcoholics think all their emotional and mental health problems are because they drink or drug too much. In truth, that is probably the exact opposite. Substance abuse is invariably but a symptom of other issues.
Treatment programs will often refer to these as co-occurring disorders. The list of mental health needs that any single addict may need to address is lengthy. The intensity of an individual treatment plan will take all these factors into account.
Again, appreciating the existence of other issues such as depression or anxiety requires the trained guidance of a professional. Many of the most debilitating issues are uncovered during treatment. Nevertheless, an initial analysis can be very revealing.
What Should You Do?
Trying to pick the right treatment option can seem overwhelming. You don’t have to do it alone, and you shouldn’t. There are addiction specialists who are trained in helping guide you towards the best treatment program, especially how long. You may feel the length of time recommended seems long.
However, when drugs and alcohol are ending lives every day, how much value do you place on yours? What amount of time would dedicate to a new life without drugs or alcohol? When you truthfully consider the next drink or drug could end your life, a long term drug rehab doesn’t seem so long after all.
It may seem redundant, but you must be honest about your answers to these important questions. The one decision you need to make is to reach out for help. If you think you may have a problem with drugs or alcohol, this is what you should do. Reach out for help today, because tomorrow may be too late. Call us at 833-610-1174.