Author: New Day Recovery

Making the decision to enroll in a treatment program for drug or alcohol addiction isn’t an easy one. When drug use is out of control and it’s affecting your physical or mental health, it’s time to seek help at an inpatient or outpatient program. New Day Recovery is a treatment facility that offers detox treatment, residential drug treatment, and outpatient rehab programs.

In most cases, people who abuse substances surround themselves with others who either abuse drugs and alcoholor downplay the severity of the situation. However, addiction can lead to serious health issues if left untreated. Read on to discover the five key signs you need to go to rehab.

1. You Meet More Than Three Criteria for a Substance Use Disorder on the DSM-5 

The National Institute on Drug Abuse defines addiction as a “chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite adverse consequences.” When a doctor assesses an individual to diagnose whether they have a substance use disorder, they use the DSM-5 manual.

If you meet less than three of the criteria, we’d recommend going to see your primary care physician so they can advise you about the best course of action.

Three or more suggests that you have a moderate substance use disorder, while six or more denotes a severe disorder. In these instances, many people need a medical detox, and all require addiction treatment at drug or alcohol rehab. The 11 signs of addiction are:

1. Insatiable cravings
2. Giving up hobbies
3. Health issues
4. Significant portion of time spent using
5. Repeated failed attempts to stop
6. Using more over longer periods
7. Increased tolerance
8. Withdrawal symptoms upon cessation
9. Neglecting responsibilities
10. Interpersonal and social problems
11. Endangering yourself and others

There’s no need to panic or feel bad if you do meet several criteria on this list. An addiction treatment program can help you build up the necessary defenses and learn skills and tools to overcome addiction. Knowing when to go to rehab could be the difference between realizing your future dreams and getting sucked into a lifetime of substance abuse.

2. Your Main Priority Is Alcohol or Drug Abuse

When you’re in the throes of addiction, it can be incredibly difficult to truly understand your own motivations and intentions. Lots of addicted people feel like they’re in control and can’t understand what the fuss is about. However, the very first step towards sobriety is learning to take a step back and view yourself.

Think carefully about what your main priority is — are you spending most of your time obtaining, using and recovering from drug or alcohol abuse? If the answer is yes, there’s a serious health care problem at play. If you’re willing to neglect social, work or school responsibilities in favor of harmful substance use, your brain is no longer putting your well-being first.

Drugs and alcohol hijack the reward centers in your mind, which is why using seems as urgent and necessary as drinking water or eating food.

3. Health Problems Arise Frequently

The main thing people forget when they’re living a lifestyle that includes frequent substance abuse is how damaging it is to the mind and body. Not only do these substances have a serious impact on physical health, they also lead to chemical imbalances of neurotransmitters — which can make any existing mental health conditions worse and even cause conditions such as anxiety and depression.

There are some day-to-day health issues that often arise when people struggle with substance use disorders. Weight loss due to decreased appetite, digestive problems, insomnia, sweating, shaking, nosebleeds, headaches and memory problems are clear signs that drugs or alcohol are taking a serious toll on your well-being.

4. You Never Have Any Money

A clear sign that you’ve lost control over your habit is if you never have money and can’t make your paycheck last for the week or month. Addiction leads to the compulsive use of a person’s substance of choice. As such, you’ll never have any spare money because your brain is prioritizing getting drunk or high.

Ifyou’re taking care of basics such as rent and food, but you’re not keeping any money set aside for hobbies, the future or emergencies, it is likely you need rehab.. If you’re able to regulate your finances, your addiction might not yet be severe — but it’s a chronic disease that gets progressively worse, so don’t fall into the trap of thinking it won’t reach that stage.

5. Friends and Family Members Express Concern

If the people who know you the best are expressing concern about your health or recommending you spend time at a treatment center, it’s a clear sign you need rehab. It’s important to listen to those who love you because they wouldn’t comment on your substance use or suggest rehab unless they were seriously concerned.

Bear in mind that people aren’t trying to attack you or judge you; they’re trying to help you help yourself. Your behavior might have changed significantly over time, and it can be shocking and scary to see loved ones continually make decisions that are harmful to them in the long term. Try not to argue with your friends and family, but listen to them and explain how you feel. Together, you can come to a solution.

Get Help for You or a Loved One at Drug Rehab

Don’t wait until you hit rock bottom before you seek help. Alcohol and drug addiction have the potential to cause serious damage, but substance abuse treatment can help you turn your life around. Call New Day Recovery today at 330-953-3300 to speak to one of our addiction experts about taking the first step on your recovery journey.

While there are more than 10 million individuals in the United States who are struggling with a substance abuse problem, only a tiny fraction of them receive the help they need. Addiction is an all-consuming disease that rewires the brain to prioritize your substance of choice above everything else.

Unfortunately, it becomes incredibly easy to make excuses and find countless reasons to not seek treatment. Opting to attend an out-of-state drug rehab removes many of the reasons why someone might be inclined to avoid seeking help at a treatment facility.

Should I Travel for Rehab?

For many people, even the remotest chance of coming across someone they know in their own hometown is enough to put them off joining a drug or alcohol treatment program. Staying closer to home also puts a significant amount of pressure on you to stay strong in moments of weakness and avoid the temptation of calling a loved one and asking them to bring you home.

Unless you have severe mental health issues that hold you back from spending time far from family, traveling to rehab is character-building and healthy.

Many people who struggle with addiction end up stuck in a rut where they don’t do much outside of finding, taking and recovering from alcohol or drug abuse. Taking a trip out of town to work on your wellness is exactly the shake-up most people need.

Read on to discover the top seven reasons why traveling for rehab can be an excellent idea.

1. You and Your Loved Ones Get a Fresh Start

If you continue to live the way you lived before starting treatment and don’t make the necessary lifestyle adaptations, you’re at an increased risk of relapse. Seeking substance abuse treatment near  you  makes it much harder to hit the reset button. Going to an out-of-state facility gives you a realistic shot at a fresh start.

By actively removing yourself from the setting you’ve been living and using in, you remove yourself from its memories, triggers and temptations. With all those negative influences out of the way, you’re giving yourself a chance to reframe your outlook while getting specialized care and support.

2. Out-of-Town Drug Rehab Means No Distractions from Friends and Family Members

When you spend time in a rehab facility, your only priority should be yourself, your recovery journey and how you relate to the support system within your treatment program. Recovering from a substance use disorder takes an enormous amount of effort and energy, and all of your focus should be directed inwards. You might experience a certain level of emotional fatigue as a result of uncovering truths and making tough decisions, so you mustn’t overexert yourself in any way.

When you’re out of state in unfamiliar surroundings, all the places, people and things you’re connected to are at a healthy distance. This gives you a better overall chance of getting sober and developing the tools necessary to maintain it.

3. There’s Additional Privacy in a Nonlocal Addiction Treatment Center

Of course, all medical treatment is confidential. However, when it comes to drug and alcohol addiction, there’s additional motivation to make sure no one you know sees you. Even though substance use disorders are clinical mental disorders, there’s a stigma that means people who don’t understand the condition are prone to judge.

Even though you have nothing to be ashamed of, it’s completely understandable you’d want your personal life to remain private. Thinking people you know might start talking could lead to anxiety, which will only hinder your addiction recovery efforts. Going out of town for rehab provides a level of autonomy that’s simply not attainable in a local addiction treatment program.

4. It’s Harder to Leave Than a Local Rehab Center

Another major reason to travel away from your hometown for rehab is the challenge you’d be faced with if you tried to leave. In an unfamiliar area with different sights and sounds, you’re less likely to feel like it’s easy to make a quick escape. When you’re in the acute stages of withdrawal, it’s best to put as many barriers as possible between you and the temptation to use substances.

Opting to seek drug or alcohol treatment in an out-of-state rehabilitation facility puts distance between you and the temptation to use drugs and makes getting home harder.

5. Travel Encourages Reflection

Anyone who has traveled a significant distance knows that it’s always a learning experience. Getting out of our comfort zone is one of the best methods for self-development. Plus, the journey on the way to and from the drug rehab center prepares you mentally for the transition from the outside world to drug detox and then onto your treatment plan.

6. Your Focus Is on Yourself in an Out-of-State Treatment Center

Lots of people who abuse drugs and alcohol have difficulty looking inwards and expressing or dealing with emotions. While it’s often believed that only negative emotions lead to addiction, some people even have difficulty regulating positive emotions. When an individual has trouble switching between states in this manner, one of the best ways to move forwards is by learning to focus intensely on the self.

Away from your local area, you’re less likely to concern yourself with external factors that are beyond your control anyway.

7. It Demonstrates a Clear Commitment to Recovery

Taking the decision to pack your belongings and make a journey across the country to get help is symbolic as well as practical. The first step towards recovery is always the hardest, and by committing to travel the distance, you’re signaling to yourself that you’re prepared to “go the distance” to get sober.

Get Help for Drug Addiction Today

If you or someone you love has fallen victim to a substance use disorder, our drug rehab center in Ohio has the tools to help them recover. Call New Day Recovery today at 330-953-3300 to get medical advice from a friendly expert.

Cross addiction is a very real risk for people who have successfully completed a drug or alcohol treatment program at rehab. As chronic diseases, substance use disorders are so pervasive because of the way the brain processes pleasure and reward. This means that you can’t make addiction go away entirely, but you can gain control over your symptoms.

In some cases, you might inadvertently transfer addiction from one substance to another — or even to a behavior. Read on to find out what cross addiction is, plus some useful facts about the condition. We’ll also discuss which substances pose the highest risk for cross addiction and offer tips on how to avoid it.

What Is Cross Addiction?

When you’ve been to rehab as a result of a substance or alcohol use disorder, it’s crucial that you understand the additional risk you face for cross addiction. This term describes the process of replacing an initial addiction with a different one.

For example, someone who has struggled with alcoholism should avoid benzodiazepines or opiate painkillers wherever possible. Likewise, someone who’s been diagnosed with an opioid use disorder should avoid drinking alcohol.

6 Cross Addiction Facts

Here are six facts about cross addiction you may not have known:

1. Your Reward System Is Trying to Trick You

All addictive substances stimulate the same pleasure and reward system in your brain. It’s the same system that drives the pleasure you get from eating, sexual activity, sports and leisure activities.

Put simply, when you enjoy something a lot, your brain releases neurotransmitters to remind you to do it again. This system doesn’t differentiate between harmful and helpful activities, so the onus is on you to resist the temptation to repeat harmful behaviors.

For someone who’s diagnosed with a substance use disorder, exercising this control is much easier said than done. The best way to avoid cross addiction is to avoid psychoactive substances and carefully regulate your behavior using a variety of strategies.

2. People Are More Susceptible at the Beginning of Recovery

Cross addiction can occur at any point in the recovery process, but it’s more likely to happen when you first leave rehab. During this time, it’s essential that you stay ultra-vigilant, monitor your own behavior and actively regulate your well-being to give yourself the best chance of long-term recovery. It’s crucial that you attend meetings and one-on-one therapy if required.

Tools such as journaling, reaching out to friends, exercising, practicing hobbies and goal setting can help you to overcome this acute stage of the healing process. It’s important that you think in the long term when it comes to addiction.

This extra-high level of vigilance is necessary for at least a year after rehab. Over time, your coping strategies will become second nature, but it’s important to maintain them indefinitely. If you don’t actively do this, you could slip back into old habits.

3. Cross Addiction Can Seem Harmless

At first, cross addiction can seem like a harmless coping mechanism — even to a professional. It’s crucial that your day-to-day life remains balanced and you don’t let your field of interests gradually narrow down to just one thing. It’s not just substances that pose a risk, either; gambling, shopping, sex and other addictive behaviors are also a concern you should be conscious of.

4. Recovery Is an Ongoing Process

We can’t stress highly enough how important maintenance is. Rehab is the beginning of the recovery journey; you’ll soon get a deeper understanding of your condition and start building healthy defense mechanisms against relapse. It’s not the fix-all solution that magically cures you, though. You’ll need to work hard on an ongoing basis to make sure you don’t fall back into the substance abuse trap.

Addiction occurs for a complex mixture of genetic, environmental and social reasons. If you’re diagnosed, you just have to work that little bit harder to maintain your overall well-being and take all the necessary steps to manage your emotions.

5. Cross Addiction Is a Route Back to the Original Addiction

If you’ve just been through rehab, you probably remember the stage before you realized you had a problem. It’s striking how adept the addicted mind is at convincing you that addictive behavior is acceptable. Bear in mind that the same thing happens as cross addiction creeps in — you must be honest with yourself, your therapist and your loved ones about any habits that start to spin out of control.

6. It Is Avoidable

It takes ongoing effort and a variety of skills and strategies to avoid cross addiction, but it can be done. Something else that’s absolutely vital is that you mention your condition to any doctor who treats you in the future.

Prescription medication poses one of the biggest risks because it’s prescribed by a medical professional and fully legal. This makes it much easier to convince yourself that you’ll be fine. Just like with alcohol, total abstinence from psychoactive substances is recommended unless they’re absolutely necessary.

Tips for Avoiding Cross Addiction

• Take part in a variety of hobbies.
• Speak to friends and family openly about your feelings.
• Set healthy boundaries in all your relationships.
• Aim to work in a career you’re passionate about.
• Seek therapy on an ongoing basis.
• Keep a journal and focus on gratitude and goal setting.

Examples of Cross Addiction Risks

When it comes to addiction, pretty much any substance or behavior that causes pleasure is a potential risk. However, the most common cross addictions include:

• Alcohol to benzos
• Heroin to prescription painkillers
• Diet pills to cocaine
• Sleep aids to tranquilizers
• Ecstacy to meth
• Alcohol to gambling

Find Out More About Cross Addiction Today

If you’re concerned and would like to learn more about the risks of cross addiction, get in touch with one of the addiction specialists here at New Day Recovery today at 330-953-3300.

Even though returning to work after rehab can feel scary, try to focus on the extraordinary achievement you’ve made instead of homing in on worries. Recovery is a time of intense change, and it’s not an overnight process. Be patient with yourself, take it slowly and ease yourself back into a job. Working hard is one of the best ways to build self-esteem and distract yourself from unhelpful thoughts and feelings that might lead to drug or alcohol abuse.

Returning to Work After Rehab

Workplace stressors can be challenging — but it’s these exact types of obstacles that the therapy you’ve done helps you to cope with. As with any life-changing moment, anticipation is usually more stressful than the act itself. Once you’re back to work, you’ll be smashing goals, interacting with colleagues and showing the world how strong you are to have overcome addiction.

The harder you try, the better results you’ll get. So as you build up your work ethic, showing your friends, family and employer how hard you’re trying, your efforts will pay off. Setting achievable goals and hitting them is probably the most effective way of building confidence. When you see how much you can do when you’re in full control of your substance use disorder, you’ll never want to go back to old habits.

Find the Balance Between Hard Work and Self-Care

Even though working toward your future goals is one of the best ways to prevent relapse, you need to focus on looking after yourself, too. It’s equally as important that you push yourself and that you give yourself a break. Instead of starting off by trying to achieve a difficult goal in a challenging workplace, start with a job you find easy. Stick with that for a while to prove to yourself that you can maintain it.

Once you’ve mastered being back at work, look for your next challenge. Eventually, you might start your own YouTube channel, create a podcast, run a business or do anything you set your mind to. Just make sure you don’t try to run before you can walk, and take baby steps towards your big dreams.

5 Tips to Help You Get Back to Work After Rehab

If you’re thinking about going back to work after time in outpatient or residential rehab, well done! Here are our top five tips to help you navigate this time of change.

1. Don’t Rush

We can’t stress enough how crucial it is for you to not place too much pressure on yourself too soon. You might be a highly qualified doctor or lawyer, or you might be a highly skilled worker like a tradesman or artist. Whatever you do, ease your way back up to the top of your game. If you place unrealistic expectations on yourself too soon, you might set yourself up to fail.

Start off by working part time or on a voluntary basis to give yourself time and space to adjust. When you feel yourself craving more responsibility and a bigger challenge, gradually step up. It’s too easy to fool yourself that everything is fine, jumping headfirst into a difficult role and quickly burning out. There’s no shame in taking your time so you can manage your health and give yourself the best chance of long-term recovery.

2. Actively Take Care of Your Physical and Mental Health

There’s a direct correlation between how much stress you’re able to deal with and your physical and mental health. If you regularly push your body with exercise, wake up and go to sleep at the same time each day and eat a healthy, balanced diet with minimal sugar and junk food, you’ll find resisting temptation and maintaining control much easier.

The body is happy when you follow a daily routine and it knows what to expect. Plus, people underestimate the harm a bad diet and lack of movement can do to your overall well-being. Exercise doesn’t have to be boring — you can run, walk, cycle, dance, box, swim, hit the gym or do anything that involves moving your body.

3. Ask for Help From Loved Ones When You Need It

So many people who struggle with addiction to drugs and alcohol feel like a burden or as if they need to mask when they’re going through hardship. Often, all it takes to diffuse negative thoughts and feelings is to express them to someone else and get reassurance. If you’re open and honest about how you feel and what you’re going through, you can get the help you need when you need it.

People who are particularly anxious about returning to work after rehab might consider asking a loved one if they can start off by working with them. It’s usually less stressful and more comfortable to work with someone you know as opposed to going back into a roomful of strangers. However, in most cases, those strangers will soon become friends.

4. Make Sure You Unwind From Work

It’s crucial that you don’t take work home with you once the day is done. If you relive the workday when you get home or fret over what’s happened, your brain will soon burn out. You need to switch off entirely from work each day and dedicate your time and attention to something else.

Whether that’s a hobby, TV, YouTube, reading books, writing, listening to podcasts, exercising, visiting beauty spots, joining a club, going to meet-ups or gaming — find ways of spending your time that bring you joy.

5. Communicate With Your Employer

It’s not easy to speak about something as personal as your health, but it’s better to be open with your employer so they can help you if necessary. If you struggle with face-to-face communication, use email or the phone to express what’s going on with you. The better they understand where you’re at, the more sense your behavior will make.

Get Support With Going Back to Work After Rehab Today

At New Day Recovery, we’ve helped thousands of people return to work after rehab. For advice or to book an appointment, call us today at 330-953-3300.