A Guide to Drug Rehab in Mississippi
About 6.95% of Mississippi residents admitted having used illicit substances in the past month. Some commonly abused drugs include marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin. Prescription drug abuse is also another fast-growing problem in this state.
Drug and alcohol addiction hurts you physically, mentally, and financially. The longer you are on drugs, the more tolerant your body becomes, which can lengthen the treatment process. But luckily, three out of four people who seek addiction treatment eventually recover.
If you feel reluctant to seek help, take treatment as an opportunity to experience how productive your life would be without drugs. Here is a detailed guide to help you understand your condition better, so you can choose the right treatment option.
Causes of Drug Abuse
A large number of people take drugs to derive temporary feelings of pleasure. Most teens start taking drugs due to peer pressure. An adolescent with four friends who take alcohol or other substances will likely use drugs to fit in. Others start taking drugs due to their easy accessibility.
Children living with a parent who abuses drugs may have the urge to experiment. People with untreated mental health illnesses take drugs to cope with their issues. Others take substances to improve their performance in sports, school, or work. Anytime you take an illegal substance or a legal drug in ways rather than what’s prescribed, you are abusing it.
How Do Drug Addictions Occur?
Taking high doses of drugs for an extended period affects your brain’s reward system. These substances increase the production of dopamine, a hormone that gives you a feeling of pleasure. With time, the brain adapts and reduces its ability to produce dopamine naturally. You now become dependent on drugs to experience pleasurable effects.
After some time, you lose control over the drug intake. You start to feel stressed and anxious when you fail to take the drug. It becomes difficult to stop taking the drug without professional assistance. At this point, you have developed an addiction. Some of the common signs of substance use disorder include:
• Sudden change in mood
• Loss of interest in family activities
• Decreased appetite
• Poor skin tone
• Changed sleeping patterns
• Irritability
• Missing work or school
• Getting into legal problems
• Slurred speech
• Reduced personal hygiene
• Unusual financial problems
• Missing work or job
• Watery eyes
• Loss of physical coordination
Dangers of Drug Abuse
After using a drug for some time, your body develops tolerance. You will need to take higher doses of the substance than you used to in order to derive similar effects. This increases the risk of a deadly overdose. Death cases due to drug overdose in Mississippi increased by 49% between 2019 and 2020.
Taking more than one drug simultaneously increases your risk of an overdose. The drugs intensify each other’s effects, causing slow breathing and impaired motor control. Seek emergency help if you suspect that your loved one took an overdose. Some signs of drug overdose include:
• Drowsiness
• Convulsions
• Delusions
• Nausea and vomiting
• Mental confusion
• Loss of consciousness
• Unresponsiveness
• Irregular breathing
• Slowed heart rate
• Low body temperature
Why Most People Are Reluctant to Seek Treatment
The majority of people struggling with drugs and alcohol abuse don’t seek treatment. Some of them aren’t ready to stop using the substances. Although they might be aware of the negative consequences of drugs, they feel like they still derive something from them. They choose to dwell on the short-term benefits of the drugs rather than the lifelong implications.
Full-time professionals, parents, and students may fear seeking treatment since they don’t want to take time away from their responsibilities. But, different treatment programs accommodate people with tight schedules. Besides, seeking treatment will improve your overall well-being and make you more productive at work or school. People struggling with addiction also experience social stigma. So, they fear seeking treatment to avoid other people’s judgment and blame.
Staging an Intervention
If you realize that your loved one struggles with drug addiction, convince them they have a problem that needs assistance. Start by gathering as much information as possible about addiction and the available treatment options. Set the right place and time to speak to them and tell them how concerned you feel about their behavior. Mentioning how drug abuse has affected them and their family can be a powerful tool to convince users to get help.
Control your emotions as you confront users about their addiction and avoid judgmental statements. Let them know you care for them, but there could be consequences if they fail to seek help. Be very prepared for any outcome. If the person becomes excessively rebellious, you can stage an intervention with an addiction professional. Follow up and reassure your loved ones that you will walk with them throughout the treatment journey.
The Drug Addiction Treatment Process
Enrolling in a rehab facility is your first step towards freedom. Although the road towards sobriety may seem challenging, working with a professional makes the process manageable. An effective addiction treatment plan should combine medication and counseling. There are about 110 addiction treatment facilities in Mississippi. These include 54 private non-profits, 30 private for-profits, four states, four federal governments, one tribal, and 17 local community facilities. Each facility has different treatment procedures but, generally, expects the following processes.
Admission
The rehab facilities strive to make the admission process as easy as possible for everyone. You can easily enroll in a program online or by calling them. Once you get to the treatment facility, a professional receives you and inspects your items to ensure that you don’t bring forbidden substances that can inhibit your recovery.
Assessment
After admission, you undergo a medical and psychological evaluation to guide your doctor in creating a personalized treatment plan. Your doctor will ask you questions like the type of substances you use, your dosage, how long you have used the drugs, and the nature of your home environment. Honesty and trust are essential in addiction treatment. Be honest when answering the question since withholding information or lying can hinder the treatment program’s success.
Detox
Detox is the first step of addiction treatment and involves flushing out toxins to remove the addictive substances from your body. Your body is already used to having these substances; once you remove them or gradually reduce the amount, your brain will have to adjust to these changes. This results in unpleasant withdrawal symptoms like:
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Abdominal cramps
• Difficulty concentrating
• Insomnia
• Runny nose
• Anxiety
• Confusion
• Intense cravings
In extreme cases, people may experience delirium, hallucinations, and seizures, depending on the type of drugs taken. This is why you should only detox with the help of qualified doctors and specialists. They provide controlled medication to minimize the withdrawal symptoms. Doctors also offer 24/7 monitoring and care to make the experience as safe and bearable as possible.
The detox period lasts between seven and 10 days, but it might take longer depending on the duration of addiction, method of abuse, and type of substance taken. Your doctor will recommend the right treatment plan based on the severity of your addiction. Here are some of the addiction treatment programs offered in Mississippi.
Inpatient Treatment
An inpatient program requires the client to live within the rehab center throughout treatment. Consider this option if you have a severe addiction case or you previously relapsed. You will live in a drug-free environment where you will receive constant care, medical attention, guidance, and emotional support.
Outpatient Treatment Program
Consider the outpatient program if you have a mild addiction and need a less restrictive treatment plan. You will attend treatment sessions throughout the week at a specific time of the day, but you will live at home. This option allows you to work, study, and continue with responsibilities such as caring for your family while working on recovery.
Partial Hospitalization
Partial hospitalization allows you to receive intense care, but you still have the freedom to stay at home. You attend treatment sessions four to six hours daily, at least five days a week.
Therapy
After a successful detox, you need to undergo extensive counseling to rectify the drug use behaviors and instill a strong coping mechanism that helps prevent relapse. Half the peoplestruggling with addiction have an underlying mental health issue. Therapy’s main purpose is to address past-life traumas that create the grounds for addiction. Expect the following therapy approaches.
Individual Counseling
You will hold an individual session with your therapist to discuss your life, relationships, and other life stressors. This is the time to discuss issues you wouldn’t want to share publicly. The therapist will help you reform your thinking patterns to promote sober living. You also set goals during this session and discuss progress with your counselor.
Group Therapy
Group therapy allows you to interact with other people struggling with similar issues. You can share your struggles with others and learn better coping skills. This improves your interpersonal skills and reduces the sense of isolation. Group therapy enables people to witness others’ recovery, which gives them hope that they can also maintain sobriety.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an effective treatment for substance use disorder especially when combined with other approaches. It helps clients learn how their thoughts and feelings can cause unhealthy behaviors like drug abuse. They also learn how to manage triggers and cope with negative thoughts.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy works for people struggling with multiple psychological disorders alongside addiction. It trains a person to accept situations, regulate emotions, and increase distress tolerance.
Contingency Management
For this treatment approach, clients receive a reward after they achieve some set goals like submitting a negative drug test, which evidently reduces drug use.
Motivational Enhancement
Motivational enhancement helps clients become more willing, confident, and ready to change their behaviors. It has been successful in treating alcohol and marijuana dependence.
Family Therapy
You will attend therapy sessions with your family to address issues like marital strain, traumas, conflicts, and domestic violence that can contribute to drug abuse. Your family members can share how your addiction affects them in free space. This helps improve communication, rebuild trust, and develop a supportive environment that promotes sobriety.
Aftercare
Once you leave the rehab facility, you need an effective aftercare plan to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle. Most rehab facilities organize alumni meetings for people who completed treatment. Attend such activities to connect with people who understand your condition, share your experiences, and receive advice.
You can also join a 12-step program in your community like Alcoholics Anonymous in Mississippi. The group promotes accountability and offers participants the support and encouragement required to stay clean.
If you live alone or with someone who uses drugs, it’s very easy to revert to your old habits. In such a case, you may want to move into a sober home to help you safely transition into normal living. These are controlled residential facilities with rigid rules. You will live among other people working towards recovery so you can build meaningful relationships. The residents undergo random drug tests, and some houses have curfews. You will receive constant guidance and support during your stay to help fight cravings. Sober living homes restore life skills since you can go back to cleaning up after yourself, making healthy meals, and exercising. You even have the freedom to look for a job and reestablish your responsibilities.
Recovery Is Possible Start Your Journey Today
Although substance use disorder is a complex condition requiring intensive treatment, recovery is possible. Treatment doesn’t solely depend on clearing the drugs out of your system. You also need to adopt a healthy lifestyle that gives you satisfaction and a sense of purpose. The sooner you seek help, the better.
