Rehabilitation for crack cocaine addicts can be confusing. This is why most people who need help can be intimidated by it. In truth, it is not as complicated as one thinks. Rehabilitation from crack cocaine addicts simply involves activities that will help an individual be free from crack cocaine addiction like doing lessons that discuss the effects of crack cocaine on the body and continuous therapy. To understand it in a nutshell, here are ten important things that you should know about the process:
- Dual Diagnosis Assessment
It’s common for crack cocaine addicts to have underlying mental health issues. This is why they undergo thorough diagnosis for medical experts to determine the kind of therapy and treatment that they need. It’s important to create a treatment plan that not only tackles the addiction but the mental health issues. Most people suffering from substance abuse also suffer from depression and anxiety.
- Medical Detoxification
This is normally the first thing that you will go through if you’d enter rehab. This is a crucial part of rehabilitation as this is where crack cocaine and its byproducts are removed from the body. This cannot be done without the supervision of medical experts. Here, patients can undergo withdrawal symptoms. This is why it is necessary for medical experts to be around. Once this part is over though, it will become easier for an individual to push through with recovery.
- Individualized Treatment Plan
Crack cocaine addicts don’t receive the same treatment plan. As each person’s story is not the same, so is every patient’s recovery journey. It is impossible to have the same treatment plan as each individual has his or her own medical condition, addiction history, and psychological profile. This is why each individual who undergoes recovery goes through an extensive diagnosis process. This is where the stage that can cause confusion among outsiders because some patients receive a kind of treatment that some patients do not. The very reason is each individual’s unique needs.
- Behavioral Therapy
Recovering crack cocaine addicts undergo science-backed behavior therapies. This is not complicated as there will simply be talking and conversation between a recovering addict and medical experts. A patient will simply disclose everything that he has gone through and is going through in relation to substance abuse. This usually involves Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This process can also include motivational interviewing and contingency management. Through this process, patients learn to change their negative thought patterns. They are also thought coping skills to help in maintaining a substance-free lifestyle.
- Psychotherapy and Counseling
A patient will undergo one-on-one counseling sessions with expert therapists that will explore everything that has contributed to one’s addiction. During counseling, patients will talk about their traumas, emotional triggers, and underlying sabotaging psychological beliefs. Through this, a patient recovering from addiction will learn about effective coping mechanisms that will help them manage emotions and stress in ways that are uniquely theirs and catered to their needs.
- Group Therapy
Patients will also undergo group therapy. This is something that most people are familiar with as it is often depicted in films and television shows. This is an essential part of recovery as it provides support. In group therapy patients recovering from addiction will get to do the following:
- Share experiences
- Share challenges
- Share successes
A patient recovering from addiction will feel a sense of belonging during group therapies. Each person in the group will get to support each other.
- Family Involvement
Recovery from crack cocaine addiction will involve family therapy. This is crucial as it will give rise to the following: repair of strained relationships, education, and establishment of a strong support network. Most substance addictions stem from childhood wounds. This is why it’s important for family members to be hands-on during recovery. Education of family members will also take place during family therapy. Family members will learn that addiction is primarily a mental health issue.
- Life Skill Development
Patients recovering from substance abuse will also undergo skills training. This may involve the following:
- effective communication – one will be taught how to communicate in a clear and direct manner that makes it easy for people to understand their situation
- time management – this is a main organizational skill that will help the building of consistent healthy routines
- stress management – coping mechanisms for life’s daily challenges
- problem-solving skill – some people simply have no tools to apply when a problem occurs. This is why patients are taught skills that will enable them to face problems in a manner that will not overwhelm them.
The following skills are crucial for life after rehab.
- Relapse Prevention
Relapse is something that is common among recovering substance abuse addicts. As it is something that can be expected, it is something that can be duly prevented. If a person already knows that an event will possibly occur and that happening is not desired, one can easily prepare prevention techniques. For prevention to be effective, one must be fully aware of the following:
- management of cravings
- management of triggers
- development of an action plan
- Aftercare and Continuing Support
Patients recovering from substance abuse need a solid aftercare plan. They also need continuing support. This involves going to support groups, 12-step programs, outpatient therapy, and even sober living arrangements. This is an important part of recovery as this will serve as the bridge that will help an individual to return to the ups and downs of daily living.