It is no secret that substance abuse and drug and alcohol addiction are detrimental problems, affecting every aspect of an individual’s life. Addiction is considered a disease, and it affects both the brain and behavior of an individual, making it hard to make the decision to stop using drugs and alcohol altogether. Substance abuse and addiction can affect many different aspects of someone’s life and can be an incredibly challenging situation to go through, not only for the individual, but also for their family and friends.

Although an individual makes the initial choice to start using drugs in the first place, the effect of using drugs, whether they be illegal or prescribed, over time results in not being able to say no. When used, the substance floods the brain with dopamine, which provides a feeling of pleasure, or in other words, a “high.” The brain itself can react to the presence of a drug by changing the way it performs. The chemistry in the human brain shifts when an individual becomes independent on a drug, which results in that person constantly seeking out the drug in order to satisfy the craving and continue the high. This is why and how addiction starts.

Substance Abuse Treatment At Metro Rehabilitation Clinics, Inc.

Here at Metro Rehabilitation Clinics, we have seen first hand how substance abuse can damage the lives of individuals in our community. Our mission is to eliminate the drug problem in the Oak Park and Detroit area with our substance abuse treatment programs. We strive to provide only the highest level of quality care, methadone treatment, and mental health counseling for those affected by drug addiction and alcoholism.

Our method is to put the patient first, focus on their needs, and help them overcome the disease that is addiction. The substance abuse treatments that we provide at our drug rehabilitation center are as follows:

Opiate Addiction Treatment
Suboxone and Methadone Treatment
Mental Health and Drug Counseling
Urinalysis

When it comes to treating individuals struggling with substance abuse, we take our role in our patients’ lives seriously. The substance abuse treatment and care we provide in Oak Park is designed around the patient themselves. Respecting the patient, showing them dignity, and serving them with integrity is the standard, and no one should expect anything less from any healthcare professional. Our substance abuse treatment center is a safe and confidential environment for individuals to come for quality, effective care, rehabilitation, and counseling.

Helping individuals strive for healthy, drug- and alcohol-free living is our priority. Whether you or someone you know is in the midst of a drug or alcohol addiction, make a step toward sobriety through the substance abuse treatments at Metropolitan Rehabilitation Center. Contact us today to schedule a confidential consultation.

The Ways In Which Substance Abuse Affects An Individual’s Life

Like we mentioned above, an addiction to drugs and alcohol affects brain performance and can result in behavioral issues, including paranoia, hallucinations, aggression, and a lack of self-control. And from this, every aspect of an individual’s life becomes impacted.

Relationships

Relationships, whether that they platonic, romantic, or between family, are founded on trust, honesty, and open communication. Without these key aspects, the relationship becomes difficult to maintain. And that is exactly what happens when someone struggles with substance abuse and drug addiction. When an individual becomes dependent on and forms an addiction to a drug or alcohol, their ability to maintain their relationships weakens. The addiction, at its core, shifts the attention from cultivating meaningful relationships to obtaining the substance that is being craved. Keeping secrets from friends and family members, developing trust issues, and becoming uncharacteristically angry and aggressive are signs that an alcohol and/or drug addiction is coming in between a relationship.

Work

With a dependency on drugs and/or alcohol, it becomes increasingly difficult to perform well at work. A substance abuse addiction can affect the work life and career of an individual. The impact of an addiction is evident in the workplace with the following:

Loss of productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness
Increases absences
Decreased decision-making skills
Potential theft, as well as the illegal sale of drugs between coworkers

From relationships to work environments, a substance abuse problem is evident in many areas of an individual’s life. In these situations, a substance abuse treatment program is the next step toward recovery.

Signs Of Substance Abuse

Dealing with an addiction is a difficult thing to process for the individual, as well as their close friends and family members. If you know of someone who you are worried is struggling with drugs and/or alcohol, you might not know exactly what to look for. Like we mentioned earlier, you may notice that the individual puts in less effort when it comes to their relationships, and they might struggle with their job responsibilities at work. That said, if you are a close friend or family member, you might not know exactly what is going on in their life. If you have noticed some warning signs, but aren’t 100 percent sure, here are some physical signs that you can keep an eye out for.

Overall appearance — Does it look like they have stopped caring what they have looked like and how they present themselves?
Red eyes and dilated pupils — Have you noticed that their eyes are bloodshot on a fairly common basis? Not only that, but are their pupils dilated?
Weight — Have they gained or lost an abnormal, noticeable amount of weight?

These are some of the most noticeable signs you can look for in someone who is abusing drugs and/or alcohol. The effect of the substance will make them look increasingly exhausted. They might have red, dilated eyes and a runny nose. They may also look drained all the time, and you may notice that they have increasingly dry skin, lips, and hair. In addition to the outward, physical signs of substance abuse, you may also notice that they have become secretive, disinterested in quality time and group activities, depressed, anxious, aggressive, violent, confused, and unfocused.

If a close friend or family member is showing the signs of drug and/or alcohol addiction, it can be very difficult to come to terms with. You will want to help, but you may not know how, or maybe your attempts at discussing it with your loved one are shut down. So what do you in this situation?

How To Help Someone With Substance Abuse

When coming to terms with the fact that a close friend or family member is struggling with a substance abuse problem, you may feel like you have no control in the situation no matter how hard you try to help find a solution. When it comes to drug addictions, the first step to helping is understanding that the problem is out of your control. That said, your lack of control doesn’t mean that you do not play an important and influential role in the situation. Where do you go from here?

Here is what you can do when helping a friend or family member overcome a drug addiction.

Become Educated

It’s common knowledge that drug and alcohol addictions are damaging. But this fact alone won’t do much to help a situation. What you can do is become educated on the topic. Learn what you should be looking for in an individual who could be struggling with drugs and alcohol. Research substance abuse treatment and recovery options. In these situations, learning as much as you can about addiction will take you far in your support and accountability role.

Create Boundaries

In a position where the addiction of a loved one is out of your control but your responsibility is to support and be a resource, it’s essential to your well-being that you create boundaries within your relationship and take care of yourself. Like we’ve mentioned a lot, substance abuse addictions affect more than just the individual struggling with drugs and/or alcohol, but the people who are around them. Prioritizing your mental and emotional health will only benefit you and the person you are trying to help. What good will you do if you aren’t ensuring that you’re well taken care of? There are support groups for friends and family members dealing with a drug addiction within a relationship. Visiting a therapist to discuss the situation you’re going through is also greatly beneficial. Take time for yourself — you will be a better support system for your loved one.

Discuss Openly

One of the most important things to keep in mind when supporting and helping a loved one with an addiction is that chances are they will not come directly to you to speak. Individuals struggling with an addiction experience a lot of shame during this time, so the chances of them coming directly to you for help are slim. In order to start an open discussion and work toward finding a solution, it’s important to eliminate all shaming. Creating a judgment-free pattern of communication will give way to open dialogue, honest conversations, and a chance to discuss substance abuse treatment and recovery options.

Dealing with a drug and/or alcohol addiction is difficult. The mental and emotional effects of addiction make it hard to overcome on one’s own. That is why turning to the services of a substance abuse treatment center is one of the best options.

Substance Abuse Treatment

The first step in overcoming an addiction problem is substance abuse treatment. Drug rehabilitation centers are created to treat addiction problems. If you or someone you know are considering entering into a rehabilitation center for substance abuse treatment, but you don’t know if now is the right time, ask yourself the following:

Can you (or they) stop seeking and doing drugs at any time?
What do you/they have to lose?
What are you/they doing to overcome the addiction?

The Addiction Recovery Journey

Addiction is a lifelong, chronic disease characterized by the inability to control abuse of a substance. Addiction is not a casual disease that can easily be managed without aggressive intervention and positive intention by the addict. Addiction recovery is a process, that tends to follow the same pattern, but can vary with each individual addict. Typically, the process follows these steps:

Step 1: Identifying and Admitting the Problem Exists

One of the biggest barriers and most important factors to successful addiction recovery is admitting that there is a problem to begin with. Once the problem is identified and the need for intervention is admitted, an addict can successfully move on with treatment and sobriety.

Step 2: Find Support and Get Help

This step requires an addict to reach out for support and help. Whether it is a trusted friend or family member, an AA or NA group, or an inpatient rehabilitation treatment program. This step is the most important one and begins the official journey toward sobriety.
For a variety of addiction rehabilitation options, contact Metro Rehab in Oak Park!

Step 3: Detox

Detoxification is the removal of the abused substance from the body by withholding use, tapering dose, or using medication. Detox can be dangerous, depending on the chemical dependency and the substance that is abused. Successful detox should be done under the direct supervision of medical professionals and the use of medication can help ease the symptoms of withdrawal. Safety of the addict is paramount in this step and the focus should be on the physical wellbeing of the addict at this point. At Metro Rehab, medical professionals oversee the detox process and help ease the symptoms and side effects.

Step 4: Early Sobriety

The first 6 months of sobriety can be the hardest transition. This is when post-acute withdrawal symptoms can emerge, including insomnia, anxiety, and depression. Relapse potential is at its highest and aggressive treatment is critical. This can come in the form of ongoing therapy, support groups, medication support, or engagement in outpatient addiction recovery programs. During this step, it is important to identify and avoid triggers and be aware of potential relapse potential. If relapse does occur, it is not a failure, but may require beginning the steps again or modifying treatment.

Metro Rehab understands the importance of continued support and aggressive treatment after the initial phases. For this reason, we offer a wide range of ongoing and outpatient addiction recovery options.

Step 5: Finding a New “Normal.”

In this step, the addict is learning to live a sober life, which may require developing a whole new normal, depending on how much the addiction was intertwined in their daily life. This may include changes in friends, normal routines, and even family or job if it contributed to the addiction. In this step, addicts are learning to replace bad habits with healthy ones and develop their healthy coping skills.

Step 6: Recovery and Sober Living

In the final step, it is the lifelong quest for living a sober life. Sobriety will be a continued challenge and the addict will have to avoid relapse. In terms of addiction as a chronic disease, this step can be thought of as remission.

It is important to note that although these are the typical steps toward addiction recovery, an addict may have to repeat some steps and there is no specific length of time that each step will take to “complete.” Addiction is a chronic disease that will require a lifetime of managing the symptoms. If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction, contact us at Metropolitan Rehabilitation Center in Oak Park today!

To begin your journey to a sober life, contact Metro Rehab today!

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