Addiction Treatment in Haverhill, MA

Addiction Treatment in Haverhill uses a combination of treatments and therapies intended to improve likely outcomes for people recovering from drug or alcohol addiction. The structured programs offered at drug and alcohol treatment centers provide a recovering person with the resources and tools needed to remain clean and sober after graduating from rehab.

Addiction is a chronic disease of the brain characterized by occasional relapses in symptoms. A person who has developed an addiction is driven by an overwhelming compulsion to keep taking the substance, despite adverse consequences.

Just as with many other chronic health conditions, a person in remission from addiction may experience a relapse in symptoms. If the person had asthma or type 1 diabetes or hypertension and symptoms recurred, it would be considered normal to seek immediate medical assistance to amend treatment and management tactics.

The same principle is true of a recovering addict. If the person experiences a relapse and ‘falls off the wagon', it should not be considered that treatment has failed. Rather, a relapse is a sign that treatment and management processes need to be adjusted accordingly.

How Does Addiction Affect the Brain?

Taking any mind-altering substance can cause significant changes in the brain's chemistry. For example, drinking alcohol can affect the brain's GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors, causing the person to feel relaxed, calm and less inhibited. Benzodiazepine tranquilizer drugs act in much the same way on the brain as alcohol, increasing activity within the brain's GABA receptors and slowing down brain activity

By comparison, opiate drugs such as heroin, morphine or oxycodone send an artificial trigger to the brain to release a flood of dopamine and endorphins. The user experiences a temporary rush of euphoria, followed by a sense of calm that the brain interprets as a reward response. The sensation and response are stored in long-term memory as a short-cut to receiving the artificial reward.

With stimulant drugs such as cocaine or methamphetamine, the brain is artificially triggered to release an abnormally large surge of dopamine into the system. At the same time, the receptors in the brain that normally recycle excess hormones are blocked, reducing the brain's ability to reuptake dopamine effectively.

How Does Addiction Treatment Work?

Addiction Treatment in Haverhill focuses strongly on tailoring the correct combination of therapies to suit each individual person's needs. Just as the triggers and causes behind each person's addiction are different, the methods and programs needed to address them also need to be individualized.

The more successful drug addiction programs in Haverhill for addiction treatment use a combination of individual counseling sessions and cognitive-behavioral therapies, along with group support meetings and various alternative or holistic therapies. During treatment programs, individuals residing in inpatient drug and alcohol treatment centers are encouraged to participate in pre-scheduled treatment sessions, medical check-ups, and group meetings, but are also given plenty of time to focus on relaxation and social activities that play an important role in the recovery process.

Individual counseling: During counseling sessions, a recovering person is encouraged to identify their own unique addiction triggers and high-risk situations associated with substance use. Counseling also begins working to address some of the underlying psychological reasons behind self-destructive behaviors.

Cognitive behavioral therapy: The basis behind the cognitive behavioral therapy is to focus on self-directed change. Therapy works to help the recovering person identify dysfunctional or negative thoughts and then find positive ways to replace those with more healthy attitudes.

Group support meetings: Due largely to movies and TV shows, many people have a flawed image of what group support meetings are all about. The reality of group support therapy is to provide positive peer support and guidance through the recovery process. Not all group meetings are focused on 12-step programs. Some are designed as alternatives to traditional 12-step meetings and focus largely on reducing feelings of isolation through peer support.

Alternative therapies: One of the major factors for relapse is uncontrolled stress levels. Specialists within drug and alcohol treatment centers introduce recovering people to a variety of alternative therapies designed to help relieve symptoms of stress using natural methods. Some of the more common alternative therapies might include yoga, meditation, creative therapies, equine and animal therapy, exercise and fitness, or acupuncture. Aside from providing natural forms of expression and healthy ways to manage stress, alternative therapies can also help improve self-esteem.

Studies and job skills training: Some programs for addiction treatment recognize that many recovering people may have poor employment prospects when they first leave rehab. Enrolling in a study program or job skills training program can help improve job prospects and boost self-esteem, but also introduce recovering people to a new circle of non-using friends.

Not everyone responds in the same way to all types of therapy, so recovering people are encouraged to participate in several to gauge the effectiveness of each.

Who Should Enter an Addiction Treatment Center?

Anyone struggling to break free from the grip of addiction should seek specialized help for addiction treatment in Haverhill. Programs for addiction treatment can help provide medically-assisted detox programs to help make the withdrawal process easier to manage.

It's common for many people to assume that an addicted person should somehow be cured once the detox process is complete. However, detox does nothing to address the psychological reasons behind addictive behaviors.

Drug and alcohol treatment centers provide professional counseling and therapy sessions that help each recovering person develop healthy new ways of dealing with life's stresses without the need for drugs or alcohol. While the focus of most programs for addiction treatment is on addressing and correcting self-destructive patterns of behavior, it's also important that the recovering person learns to avoid the risk of relapse after leaving drug rehab in Haverhill.

Addiction treatment in Haverhill encourages each patient to develop a strong relapse prevention strategy that works for their own individual high-risk situations and addiction triggers. Even after a person leaves rehab programs for addiction treatment, ongoing management and support are required. Most drug and alcohol treatment centers provide ongoing support in the form of aftercare services that offer the level of continued support and motivation needed to stay clean and sober over the long term. Call Haverhill Drug Rehab Centers now for help (877) 804-1531.