For those about to return home from addiction treatment, it’s perfectly fine to feel overwhelmed and uncertain about what’s ahead. You don’t have to have it all figured out immediately. For both you and your loved ones, the best approach is to be patient with one another and focus on the present. Life after addiction treatment is undoubtedly challenging, but with the right mindset and realistic expectations, you’ll begin your transition to a new positive chapter in your life. 

Pink Cloud Experience

Many returning from addiction treatment are at their highest point in confidence, having just made significant progress in their recovery. There’s no longer a feeling of dependency on a substance, and it seems as though nothing can go wrong. 

While we’re all for you celebrating your milestones, we also urge you to be diligent and to continue working hard to maintain the progress that you’ve made.

Returning from addiction treatment can have many thoughts come and go, resulting in overconfidence and complacency. A person’s mind can become occupied elsewhere, causing them to forget how difficult it is to stay sober, leading to a setback and relapse. 

Balancing Relationships and Recovery

You may feel like you want to make up for lost time with your friends and family by spending every moment with them. Maintaining a proper balance in devoting time to loved ones and recovery is essential.

Find time to socialize with friends and family between attending therapy and meetings as they are an important part of your recovery. 

Don’t ever feel pressured to skip your recovery obligations because you feel like you have to hang out with a friend or loved one. It’s okay to tell them that you’re busy with your recovery. If they have questions about it, feel free to educate them on what recovery entails and how much time needs to be committed to it. 

Staying On Top of Everything

The period after coming back from addiction treatment is undoubtedly a hectic time. From rekindling relationships with loved ones to juggling work responsibilities and finding time for recovery, there’s a lot on your plate that you’ll have to deal with.

Those who struggle to manage their time will find it challenging to keep up with everything. This can lead to several things being neglected and tossed aside.

Staying organized and on schedule can help you avoid getting overwhelmed by your many responsibilities. Start planning out your days and sticking to your plans, so you’re able to fulfill all of your commitments. 

Addiction is always present, even after treatment. Recovering from addiction requires the right kind of support and guidance. Get the proper help by reaching out to Twin Town Treatment Centers and our five drug rehab treatment centers throughout the Los Angeles and Orange County area. Our individualized outpatient programs and drug addiction treatments have been personalized to account for our patients’ unique needs and circumstances. Get in touch today by calling us at (866) 594-8844 or filling out our online form to get started. Our team of drug and alcohol treatment professionals will provide you with a no-cost interview and assessment for alcohol and drug issues.

Friends and family members are instrumental in the recovery of a loved one with an addiction. A strong support circle can keep a person with an addiction on track and focused on their recovery. However, missteps from friends and family can also cause unintended harm to their loved one’s recovery, especially during their return from drug addiction treatment. While it is entirely understandable that you want to support and help your loved one during their time of need in any way possible, you must also be considerate of what to do — and don’t do — when a loved one comes home from their drug addiction treatment. 

Do:

• Get Informed About Recovery: Inform yourself about recovery and what it entails. Learn more about addiction and common recovery pitfalls so you and the person you’re supporting can try to avoid them. Doing all of this will allow you to know what to expect and to have realistic expectations. Having a greater understanding of recovery will also help you better support your loved one.
• Ensure a Sober Environment: One of the best things that you can do for a loved one returning from drug addiction treatment is have them come home to an environment free of alcohol and addictive substances. This includes medications, which should be secured and kept away from the person in recovery. In place of drugs and alcohol, you should also look to fill your home with items that give off positive energy. This can be plants or even motivational books. Establishing an environment that encourages sober behavior reduces the chances of a relapse. 
• Find New Interests: To prevent your loved one from reverting to old habits and behaviors, you want to help them find new interests. Occupying their mind with unique attractions and activities will divert their attention from cravings and pessimistic thoughts. Hobbies are a great way to keep your loved one busy and focused on achieving a goal. You may even want to join them and have a shared experience in learning something new together. 

Don’t:

• Drink or Use Substances around Your Loved One: It is imperative that you and those around the person in recovery do not drink or use any substances when in their presence; it sets a bad example and can even tempt them into relapse. Instead, focus on finding new activities and hobbies that will keep your loved one’s mind away from substance use.  
• Enable Bad Behavior: The desire to accommodate your loved one, especially upon their return from drug rehab, is entirely understandable. However, you cannot allow yourself to enable bad behavior. You must hold your loved one accountable for their mistakes and help them realize the error of their ways. This is the only way a person in recovery will learn from their mistakes and not repeat them in the future. 
• Make Them Feel Left Out: Feeling left out and excluded can make it more difficult for someone returning from drug addiction treatment to stay on the right path. Make your loved one feel supported and include them in as many social activities as possible. This helps ease their transition to their new, healthier lifestyle and helps keep them on track toward recovery. The last thing that your loved one needs is to feel alienated and different because of their past behaviors. 

Recovering from addiction is no easy task, and it requires support and guidance to happen. Ensure that your loved one gets proper help by reaching out to Twin Town Treatment Centers and our five drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers throughout the Los Angeles and Orange County area. Our individualized outpatient programs and drug addiction treatments have been personalized to account for our patients’ unique needs and circumstances. Get in touch today by calling us at (866) 594-8844 or filling out our online form to get started. Our team of drug and alcohol treatment professionals will provide you with a no-cost interview and assessment for alcohol and drug issues.

Drug addiction can be difficult to manage, not only because of the physical and mental strain that it puts on a person but also due to the withdrawal symptoms that come with it. Withdrawal occurs when a person stops using a drug after a long period of addiction and their body now has to adapt to be without it. The longer a person uses a drug, the more intense their withdrawal symptoms will likely be. The withdrawal process can be challenging and uncomfortable, which is why many those recovering from drug addiction revert to their old habits. While withdrawal is undoubtedly a tough experience, learning about its several phases and knowing what to expect can ease the recovery process. 

First Phase

The first phase of withdrawal tends to occur within the first 12 hours. The initial phase of withdrawal generally lasts up to 10 days and is described as the most difficult stage to deal with. However, the duration of this phase is dependent on the drug that the person in recovery has previously taken. Symptoms like depression, diarrhea, and vomiting will arise and peak after around three days. After the fifth day, the symptoms should subside and become easier to handle. Getting past the first phase of withdrawal is a good sign and signals that long-term recovery is achievable. 

Second Phase

While the second phase of withdrawal may not match the intensity of the first, the symptoms that arise during this stage will last longer. Some of the symptoms that those in recovery will experience during this phase include leg cramps, chills, and goosebumps. It is important to remember this phase, as this is when your brain will try to normalize endorphin levels and return them to their initial state. 

Third Phase

The third phase is the most tedious and will typically last between a week to two months. During this phase, you will go through symptoms like restlessness, anxiety, and insomnia. Because of the prolonged length of this phase, many patients seek out long-term addiction treatment to help them overcome their addiction. While there tends to be a sense of relief after completing this phase, drug addiction treatment is needed to help sustain healthy practices and behavior. 

How Addiction Treatment Centers Can Help

Withdrawal can be a difficult and drawn-out process for a person to experience alone. Being in a welcoming environment like a drug rehab treatment center can help the person in recovery easily work past their withdrawal symptoms, while also facilitating their healing and development. At a drug rehab treatment center, a patient will get the attention and support that they need, whether it’s addiction detox services or a drug addiction treatment program relating to their specific substance. 

At Twin Town Treatment Centers, we support those seeking addiction treatment and going through withdrawal. We know that withdrawal symptoms can be difficult, which is why our six drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers throughout the Los Angeles and Orange County area, including one in Laguna Hills, work to help those recovering from their addiction by providing many effective outpatient programs and drug addiction treatments that have been individualized to best fit our patients and their unique needs and circumstances. Get in touch today by calling us at (866) 594-8844 or filling out our online form to get started. Our team of drug and alcohol treatment professionals will provide you with a no-cost interview and assessment for alcohol and drug issues.

Fentanyl in a Fake Prescription Pill

The DEA has issued a Public Safety Alert warning the public of fake “prescription” pills which contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

The DEA’s Public Safety Alert, the first in six years, seeks to raise public awareness of a significant nationwide surge in counterfeit pills that are mass-produced by criminal drug networks in labs, deceptively marketed as legitimate prescription pills, and are killing unsuspecting Americans at an unprecedented rate.

Overdose Spike

In 2020, drug overdose deaths rose by 29.4%. 93,331 people died from overdose and 69,710 of those deaths were related to opioids, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. African American and Hispanic populations were hit harder than White and Asian communities.

Approximately 21 million Americans have substance use disorders but only 10% of them access drug or alcohol addiction treatment or rehab. 50% of those with substance use disorders also have a co-occuring mental health condition such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, schizophrenia, etc.

15 million Americans have alcohol addiction but only 7% receive treatment.

Starting or increasing alcohol and/or drug use to attept to cope with stress or other emotions related to COVID-19 was reported by 13% of Americans. The pandemic disrupted accessibility to addiction treatment and recovery support.

Treatment and recovery from alcohol or drug addiction was also complicated by increased anxiety and social isolation.

Stimulants Kill More Californians than Does Fentanyl or Other Opioids

No-Cost Pilot Treatment for Stimulant Addiction

Twin Town Treatment Center, West Hollywood provides a no-cost UCLA, SAMHSA supported demonstration treatment of stimulant use disorder referred to as “TRUST”. The goal of the stimulant addiction treatment program is to create drug addiction treatment best-practices. Information may be accessed at http://www.uclaisap.org/oasis-tta/html/projects/stimulant-use-disorder-project.html

Call (866) 594-8844– Twin Town can help find the right resources.

Alcoholism is a complex addiction that can be difficult to diagnose. Its complexity comes from the fact that it encompasses more than just frequent drinking and extends to a person’s behavior as well. Not all forms of alcoholism are obvious. In fact, in many cases, a person may not even be aware that they suffer from an addiction. If you suspect that you may suffer from alcohol addiction but are unsure about it, ask yourself these three questions. 

Has Your Alcohol Tolerance Increased?

Increased tolerance of alcohol is a sign that a person may be suffering from addiction. The more a person drinks, the more their body becomes used to it and adjusts accordingly. This means that more drinks are required to produce effects that normally would come much earlier to a less-tolerant individual. Increased alcohol tolerance is an issue because it is usually accompanied by a rise in consumption as well. Both serve as indicators that a person is experiencing alcohol addiction.

Have You Had Any Negative Consequences Because of Alcohol?

A person is likely to be suffering from an alcohol addiction if their excessive drinking is leading to negative consequences for themselves and those around them. These consequences can include: 

• Worsening mental health 
• Increased anger issues 
• Deterioration of close relationships
• Frequent accidents behind the wheel

If a person’s response to these consequences is to continue drinking, this signals that alcohol has become the most important part of their life and that they prioritize it over everything else.  

Are You Having Trouble Quitting or Reducing Your Alcohol Consumption on Your Own?

A person who hasn’t yet developed a dependency on alcohol will have a much easier time decreasing their alcohol consumption. On the other hand, those who have trouble cutting back on how much they drink are likely to have become dependent on alcohol. Alcohol-dependent individuals will go through withdrawal symptoms when they attempt to stop drinking. Symptoms like anxiety, stomach pain, and fevers are all things a person can experience during a period of alcohol withdrawal. The severity of the symptoms is why attempting to quit alcohol consumption without proper alcohol addiction treatment is considered dangerous.

Alcoholism is a difficult addiction that shouldn’t be overcome alone. At Twin Town Treatment Centers, we provide support and guidance for those suffering from alcohol and substance abuse. We operate six drug and alcohol treatment centers throughout the Los Angeles and Orange County area, including one in Laguna Hills, where our licensed staff works daily to establish a safe and welcoming setting for anyone committed to recovering from their addiction. Get in touch with us by calling us at (866) 594-8844 or filling out our online form to get started today. Our team of drug and alcohol treatment professionals will provide you with a no-cost interview and assessment for alcohol and drug issues.