Relapse Prevention in Hampton, VA

It is hard to grasp the concept of addiction for most people. The idea of people relapsing after achieving sobriety, sometimes over years, tends to completely baffle onlookers. The actor Philip Seymour Hoffman's case is frequently quoted -- he relapsed after 23 sober years and died of a heroin overdose. Robert Downey Jr., Eminem, Keith Urban -- all quit, stayed sober for years, but relapsed -- they went back to drug use. If you're serious about going clean, you need to know why it happens. Then, you need to look for the best relapse prevention in Hampton.

It Occurs When the Root Causes Aren't Addressed at Rehab

Advertisements for rehabs tend to pitch 30-day programs or 90-day programs; they give patients the impression that once they enter these short detox programs and leave those withdrawal symptoms and cravings behind, they are free to go back to their lives. This isn't how addiction works, however.

The first thing that you should do is to read as much as you can to gain scientifically valid knowledge about how addiction happens and how the brain handles it. You get to know a lot about the mistakes you can make, and you get to avoid them. Mistake number one: thinking detox cures addiction.

Detox is a process that helps you get over physical dependence on drugs. In other words, it helps the brain adjust its internal chemical levels to the sudden absence of drugs. The process lasts no more than a few weeks. Withdrawal symptoms, however, are not the primary concern in escaping addiction. Instead, a persistent tendency toward an addictive behavior is the primary concern. This is a psychological problem that is not addressed in detox. It takes a completely different line of treatment to help.

Unfortunately, many rehab programs simply neglect to treat the psychological roots of addiction. The result is that before long, the cravings of addictive behavior show up, causing the patient to drift back to old behaviors.

Why Do These Cravings Keep Coming Back?

The cravings seen in addiction are the result of a form of brain damage caused by incessant drug use. Such use affects a part of the brain that deals with habit learning. Exposure to drugs can create deep and indelible psychological habit that defies all attempts at change through practice or appeals to reason.

While it isn't possible to do away with the attachment formed or the cravings that result from it, it is possible to manage these through psychological training. Such training forms the core of all programs for relapse prevention therapy. It is critical to any attempt at long-term sobriety.

Every competent rehab that follows evidence-based addiction treatment in Hampton helps patients with such therapy.

What Kinds of Approach Does Relapse Prevention in Hampton Include?

The fundamental idea with relapse prevention in Hampton has a mission, and that is to get to the root of every cause that has lead a patient to addictive behavior and to address it with scientifically valid treatment.

Psychiatric treatment: Psychiatric disorders are common among those struggling with addictive behavior. Effective psychiatric treatment is essential to preventive relapse.

Trigger management: Psychological habit tends to come with triggers -- deep psychological connections. A person who is deeply attached to a drinking habit is reminded of it, for instance, every time he experiences stress sees a drinking buddy and so on. Such reminders have a powerful ability to trigger cravings. In trigger management therapy, the patient learns to identify various possible triggers and redesign their life with the intent of avoiding them all together.

Psychological rebuilding: People who abuse drugs or alcohol often do so to escape mental disturbances -- anger problems, social inadequacies, and psychological shortcomings that make it very difficult for them to deal with life challenges. In cognitive-behavioral therapy, patients learn to identify the sources of their problems and to build skill and ability correcting them.

When You Rebuild, You Escape Addiction

Escaping addiction is not some kind of magical process -- it comes down to precisely identifying the sources of one's drift towards addictive behavior, and finding ways to address them. Drug relapse prevention is a scientific activity, not one that involves spiritual healing or other vague practices. Call Hampton Drug Rehab Centers now for help (877) 804-1531.