Can Rehab Cure Substance Use Disorders?
While rehab is an incredible addiction resource to have in your back pocket, it is not a cure to a substance use disorder.
If you have suffered at the hand of addiction like hundreds of thousands of others, including myself then you most likely have wished there was a magical cure for your addiction at some point. You probably wished for anything to make that pain go away. It is understandable because addiction is not an easy thing to deal with.
I know that I would prefer to know how to cure addiction altogether and have a foolproof way to achieve long-term success in sobriety. To not worry about being tempted to take a drink or use a drug. While rehab is an incredible resource to have in your back pocket, it is not a cure to a substance use disorder.
Is there a Cure for Substance Abuse?
To better understand why there isn’t a cure for this, we need to better understand what exactly substance use disorder is. Substance use disorder, also known as addiction, is a disease and a chronic one. While most cases do begin with voluntarily taking the drug, it quickly can lead to physical and mental dependency.
For me, I became completely consumed with finding and taking the drugs because it was no longer a choice for me, much like many others out there suffering from the same thing. Substance use disorder rewires your brain into not being able to function properly without it. Once this happens, it impacts the brain’s circuits in a way that changes the regions responsible for motivation, reward, learning, memory, and behavior control. All of these things become centered on substance use.
Can You Overcome Addiction With Treatment?
No pill can be taken or brain zapping can be done that can eliminate drug addiction. It will always be a part of you once it has a hold of you. If it were that easy, we would see a lot fewer people dying or struggling to put their lives back together. That is not to say that we are hopeless drug users with no way out though. Rehab and substance use treatment is the only way to help someone overcome the overwhelming hold that drugs have on you. Not all treatments will be the same for every person, after all, substance use disorder is an individual disease that is specific to each person. Rehabilitation requires vigilance and dedication within treatment to be successful. The real cure for substance use disorder is how hard you are willing to work in your time in rehab and beyond.
Letting Go of Drugs from Your System
Rehab facilities are designed to expel the drug from your system, provide therapeutic relief for the mental side of addiction, and then give you the tools you need to be successful at sobriety and recovery. During my time in rehab, they did everything in their power to ensure that I would have a successful and sober life. I went to therapy to better understand my substance abuse disorder. I was taught how to deal with my cravings and triggers and I was given resources to utilize after I left rehab. The real cure to substance abuse disorder is when you finally make the step to make changes in your life.
It’s Time to Get on the Path to Sobriety
Getting sober in rehab wasn’t easy for me, but it was more than worth it. I had to dig deep and relearn how to live life without the help of substances that were killing me. Use the tools that rehab provides to you to understand the underlying causes and take preventative measures. Getting getting help only increases the hope that sobriety and recovery from drug addiction is a lifelong achievement. A lifetime of sobriety starts with you. We at Evoke Waltham are here for you and want to help you succeed.
