Day: August 3, 2011

Once you’ve been through a drug detox and your body is rid of the chemicals and toxins of drugs and alcohol, once you have achieved physical sobriety, it is important to lay a solid foundation in order to continue to grow in your recovery and maintain your sobriety.

How do you do that?

For many alcoholics and addicts, involvement in a 12 step program such as Alcoholics Anonymous is a crucial part not only of their foundation but their long-term sobriety. Many drug rehab centers incorporate the 12 steps as a core aspect of their program, holding 12 step meetings and workshops in the facility as well as making sure the clients experience 12 step meetings in the community are integral parts of most programs throughout the country.

The 12 steps have given many alcoholics and addicts a new “design for living” that allows them to live life happily and without drugs or alcohol. Outlined in the book “Alcoholics Anonymous.” Within its pages, alcoholics have been discovering answers for years, reading takes of others and thinking, sometimes for the first time, “that sounds like me.”

Being around other alcoholics and addicts who are getting sober and laying the foundation to stay that way is one of the things that makes a drug treatment center so beneficial and the reason why most professionals recommend a 90 day program. It makes sense, doesn’t it? When you are out there drinking and using, it works best if your companions do the same. Well, the same is true of sobriety. Surrounding yourself with others who are doing the same thing, getting sober and trying to stay that way, it makes all the difference in the world.

Once you have made the decision that enough is enough and are ready to ask for help, it will be important to find the treatment center that is right for you. It used to be that alcoholism and addiction treatment centers were few and those that were there were all relatively similar. This is not the case today. There are treatment centers specializing in a variety of treatment options and there are a number of things you will want to consider before making a choice.

• Do you have special needs that should be considered, areas of focus?
• How long will you stay?
• Where do you want to be?
• How much will treatment cost?
• Do they accept insurance?
• What type of accreditation does the center have and what credentials do its staff have?
• What type of programs do they offer and how will they benefit you?
• Is follow up care a part of the program?
• What is their treatment philosophy?
• How does the facility differ from other facilities that provide treatment for similar conditions?

You will doubtless have other questions as well but these are a good place to start. You may want to discuss them with your loved ones. While you may be comfortable staying near home, that is not always the best decision. Sometimes, it is better to be removed entirely from the environment where you have been drinking and using, away from all of the familiar triggers in order to establish a foundation for your new sobriety.