Alright, so you just went through an intervention process orchestrated by your close friends and family members. Chances are, it wasn’t easy for any of you.
This intervention may have been a personal discussion between you and one loved one. Or, perhaps it involved a professional interventionist with many people. He or she may have orchestrated the meeting and kept everyone on track.
Everyone likely communicated how much they care for you, love you, and only want what is best for you. During the intervention, you may have had loved ones read letters to you, explaining how your substance use disorder has hurt them.
There are multiple ways that people can express their hurt during an intervention, whether through letters or explanations of lost trust. You might be scared because they want you to do something about your drug use. And either you don’t want to do this, don’t think you have a problem, or might be scared you’ll fail. We get it.
Hotel California by the Sea has seen many clients enter our programs after receiving intervention from their families. Many of these clients know their loved ones simply care for you and want you to get help. Of course, it’s your choice, but they say they will no longer enable you by letting you slide and you just feel trapped.
We specialize in helping clients who enter our program through intervention. We know that too many pieces that you’re trying to hold together are falling apart right in front of you.
It is now time to take the next singular step – the one towards getting help. Yes, there are many obstacles – some could be real, while others may be imagined. But luckily, you aren’t alone. Here’s what to do.
Step One: Accept Your Condition
If you are struggling with addiction, it’s sometimes challenging to step back and see the bigger picture. During your intervention by your family and friends, you were told that identifying your issue and realizing what you need to do about it is the first part of the recovery process.
But what you do first–that first singular step–is something that only you can do. The first step is obvious and cliche, but you must indeed realize that you have an addiction.
If you need someone to talk to about this who does not have any biases, you can trust Hotel California By the Sea. HCBTS has recovery program specialists 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, who can talk to you and assist you.
Admitting you have a substance use disorder is the first part of getting better. You may have heard this a thousand times, but it’s true! There is power in acceptance, but acceptance is sometimes one of the hardest parts of a recovery journey.
After an intervention, you must admit to your problem: you are struggling to stop using an addictive substance, or that a substance use disorder has control over you and you can’t break free. Maybe you feel you can’t live without your drug of choice and beliefs that it makes you a better person or a more confident person. Remember, though, that all of these thoughts are all merely the personal stories you tell yourself. They keep you trapped in the cycle of addiction.
So how can you admit you have a problem? Well, that is part of the problem, too.
You don’t want to admit to a problem because it means committing to solving that problem. And considering going to treatment and living a sober life from here on out is much like looking up at a mountain you must cross. You have to strain your neck so hard to look up to the top that it probably hurts. It seems beyond impossible and not even worth considering – might as well just turn around, right?
Not so fast.
Hotel California By the Sea understands this internal dilemma that happens when taking a hard look at yourself and your life. Here, we encourage you to put one foot in front of the other and take it one day at a time. If you are addicted to drugs or alcohol, HCBTS can help you develop this perception and sort out your priorities. This will lead to your next step.
Step Two: Get Professional Help Immediately
So, you are probably considering attending a treatment center for your addiction after accepting you have a substance abuse problem or simply need some help.
Once you choose a reputable treatment center for drug addiction, you will arrive at this rehab and professionals will take through an admissions process. You may reflect on those you love, and what they told you before you left to get help.
“We will not leave you. We are a part of your recovery. We are with you through this.” They have pledged to you their long term support. It is going to be hard and tough work, but they will be waiting for you when you finish your initial work in a recovery center!
These next steps are all extremely critical. If you are entering a treatment center, like Hotel California By the Sea, you will most likely meet with your counselor and a board-certified physician within the first twenty-four hours of your stay. Together, you will set up a recovery plan that fits your needs. It may include individual therapy sessions, group therapy, family therapy, motivational enhancement therapy, contingency management, cognitive behavioral therapy, and twelve-step facilitation. There are many activities and treatment options that you will develop with your recovery counselor in your ongoing treatment process.
Your family and loved ones will be a part of this recovery plan! They will be following up with you, either while you are in treatment or afterward. They will also be there for you after you finish your initial treatment phase. Your support people will be part of your recovery plan, along with your treatment counselor.
Once you have reached this stage of recovery when you are released from a treatment center, you will need assistance and accountability. You will need help with avoiding the behaviors that led to your substance use disorder and may want to consider continuing counseling. You will want to have a plan to help you prevent relapse. You also may want to stay accountable to someone or to a group of some sorts.
Hotel California By the Sea can help you with all of these “next steps.” Their programs always consider and help you plan for the long term and for post-facility treatment. They also will encourage you to use your support systems, such as the involvement of your family and loved ones. At Hotel California By the Sea, we help you through the first phases of recovery treatment. We also give you the tools, support, and treatment plans necessary after leaving.
Treating Substance Abuse: A Conclusion
Use of illicit substances and nonmedical Use of prescription medication worldwide has increased dramatically in the past several years. Approximately 10% of people who use illicit substances will develop a substance use disorder (SUD).
Source: Recovery in Substance Use Disorders: What to Know to Inform Practice
Drugs and alcohol can hold us like nothing else we will ever experience in our lives. Its grips can grab hold of us so profoundly that we cannot see any way out of it. That is where our loved ones may be able to step in. Their plan may be an intervention for you. If this is where you are, then try and let go. Try and understand the love they have for you and the support they will give throughout your recovery.
While you’re going through an intervention, you may feel like this is the worst day you’ve known yet. But remember that it means that you have people who love you and care so much for you that they put themselves out there and have promised to help you through this. The future may seem daunting, and you may feel like you’re trudging through the worst days of your life, but try and remember how lucky you are!
You get the opportunity to change your life. You have friends and family members that care enough about you, to be honest with you about your self-destruction. Hold that close to your mind and to your heart at all times. Believing in this truth might save you, just as your loved ones are trying to do.