When people come to drug rehab, many need to detox for a week or more to get the drugs out of their system and to clear their heads. Once that happens, the real work of recovery begins.
Problem is, patients are often scared stiff at that point. Many are sober for the first time in years. They see clearly where they are with their lives, and it dawns on them what they need to do to get to a better place. This can be daunting, to say the least.
That’s when I sit down with patients and talk about the science of addiction. Below are the key points I like to cover.
I’ve found this information can be very comforting, and yes, it can even lead to that “aha, I know what I need to do” epiphany for patients.
Point #1: Your brain was held hostage. The brain has a reward center that controls your incentive to eat, sleep, fall in love, escape danger, and so on. When you use drugs or alcohol over a period of time, those substances take that reward center hostage. That’s when you think your survival depends on getting drugs or alcohol rather than food, sleep, and those other essentials.
Point #2: Hostage negotiation starts now. Now that you’re in rehab and have stopped using, your brain is starting to free itself from its captors (drugs and alcohol). It’s regaining control. It’s getting its freedom back. But this process takes time. Why? Because the drugs and alcohol actually changed the structure and chemistry of your brain.
The time it takes for your brain to return to normal functioning varies from person to person and depends on things like your overall mental and physical health, living situation, past trauma, age, and gender. But the point is, your brain will get back to normal. When that happens, many good things happen, including a decrease in your cravings for drugs or alcohol.
Point #3: As your brain is busy recovering, it’s vital to start building your recovery framework. This may mean going to meetings (AA, NA, SMART, etc.), seeing a therapist each week, and regularly meeting with your sponsor or peer specialist. It also means doing your best to eat healthfully, get adequate sleep, keep daily stress levels down, and do all the other key things that boost your mental and physical health.
Maybe most important, it means getting help with any co-occurring (also known as dual diagnosis) conditions you may be dealing with such as anxiety, depression, trauma, eating or emotional disorders, and so on.
Point #4: Regular exercise will help you get healthier faster. It can take your brain many months, sometimes even a year or more, to fully resume normal programming. The great news: Recent research has found that regular vigorous exercise such as fast walking, swimming, running, or cycling can significantly shorten that brain-recovery timeframe. And guess what? You’ll feel better along the way. Regular physical activity three to five times a week is one of the best mood boosters out there for everyone, not just people in recovery.
Point #5: Don’t fall into the “woe is me” passivity trap. I don’t want you to misinterpret what I said about addiction changing your brain chemistry. That doesn’t mean you’re helpless against addiction, have no responsibility for your actions, or have no control over your destiny because your addicted brain is calling the shots. Not true!
In fact, early in your recovery may be the most important time for you to be proactive about getting healthy again. Do your best to take on board what you’re hearing from your doctor, the therapists, and your peers at rehab. Gather all that input and create a recovery plan that works for you.
Point #6: Take comfort that addiction, also known as substance use disorder (SUD), is a brain disease, Again, my point here is not to absolve you of your responsibility for your actions or sobriety. I’m saying SUD is a brain disease because that’s a proven scientific fact.
In other words, your SUD is not a personality defect. You’re not in treatment because you’re a bad person or have a character flaw. You’re not here because you are morally weak. None of that. Rather, you have a brain disease that you can recover from to live happily and productively for the rest of your life.
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Point #7: Alongside the therapy you’ll be getting in rehab and outpatient, be open to medications that can also help you stay sober. This final point is so key. Because SUD affects brain chemistry and other systems in the body, it makes sense that certain medications can help as part of your overall treatment plan. This super-successful, therapy-plus-medication strategy is known as medication-assisted treatment or MAT.
Again, MAT includes behavioral or “talk” therapy as well as medication. A mountain of research has shown that MAT may give you the best chance for long-term recovery. For example, the medication suboxone (along with therapy) is often prescribed for people with opioid addiction. Suboxone can both block a person’s craving for an opioid, and blunt its effect on the brain. Campral and naltrexone can both work well for people with alcohol addiction. There are other medications as well.
The bottom line is these prescribed medications work. They’re safe if taken as directed, health insurance companies are getting better about covering them, and they can help you stay sober for years.
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