Chronic relapsing is what lies at the core of an addiction to drugs. An addict will continue to seek out the drug of choice, even after they have been in recovery for a long time. An addict can easily become trapped in a veritable cycle of prolonged alcohol or drug abuse. An addict might even be quite knowledgeable about the processes and vocabulary of recovery and still find that they relapse, even sometimes after only a few hours of being out of a treatment program. Let’s take a quick look at some of the things that might help a chronic relapser.
Ibogaine
Ibogaine is a psychoactive substance that is naturally occurring in plants that are part of the Apocynaceae family. It is a psychedelic substance that has dissociative properties. This substance is being used as an alternative medicine that is used to deal with things like drug addiction. Clinical studies regarding Ibogaine treatment for drug addiction have been going on since the early 1990s. This might be an option that can prevent chronic relapsers from relapsing again. For example, see this recent study.
Treatment for Temptations that Lead to Drug Abuse
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, individuals who are suffering from mental illness can be as much as twice as likely to become addicted to drugs if they choose to experiment with them as a way to cope with their illness. That being said, it must also be remembered that just because someone suffers from a mental illness, that doesn’t mean that they will automatically become addicted to drugs.
If someone who does suffer from mental illness and tries to deal with those issues by using drugs, it is important that if they want to recover, they get the proper treatment for the mental issues so that they will not be tempted to go back to using their drug of choice as a way of coping.
Treatment for Chronic Relapsers
There are quite a few questions that need to be answered when it comes to determining where a residential treatment program should take place for a chronic relapser. There are specific protocols that have been established by the National Institute on Drug Abuse that can be used to find the ideal treatment facility. These include things such as:
• Any facility used for residential treatment should have the commitment and skill that are necessary to create a treatment plan that is personalized and will include treatment that deals with chronic relapsing.
• The treatment plan that is designed needs to be flexible enough so that it can be altered as the addict’s needs change during the time of the treatment and even beyond that time.
• This program for treatment needs to be available as soon as the addict is ready, available, and willing to take part without hesitating.
• The plan for treatment should include group or individual therapy, or even both types, as they are required by the addict.
• The treatment should take enough time to meet the individual’s needs based on the circumstances of the person in need of rehabilitation.
• The treatment facility needs to have a good understanding that treatment can be an endeavor that can and frequently will take a lot of time, including multiple or extended treatments. Each of the current and past residents should take part in continued care and self–help recovery groups after the treatment at the facility has ended.
Keep Fighting
If you or someone you know and love has gone through treatment for an addiction to drugs, and has relapsed, it is important that you not lose hope. You should understand that addiction is a condition that is chronic. There are a wide range of treatment options that include therapies that are complementary and even alternative therapies, as well as medicine replacement in some instances. These things can help when it comes to fighting against the stress and issues that can lead to relapse. If you have the tools to succeed, and the determination, there can be recovery.
This is a blog post by Nancy Evans.
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