From the outside looking in, drug recovery doesn’t seem that complicated. You go into rehab, kick the habit, come out and go on with life, now without substance abuse hanging over your head. Those who have actually had to navigate addiction and its pitfalls, however, know firsthand it’s not nearly that simple.
Recovery is a process with multiple stages and for a recovering addict to remain in recovery, it’s important they know the four stages of drug recovery and how to navigate them.
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, there are four stages of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction — treatment initiation, early abstinence, maintaining abstinence and advanced recovery. While each and every addict’s pace and progress through these stages will differ as their personal pathway through recovery will be unique, these four stages are milestones that each and every patient will reach through the ongoing process.
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The first stage is the simplest to identify, if not the easiest to navigate. Treatment initiation is just what it sounds like — the point where the addict recognizes their addiction as a problem and chooses to seek help through a rehab program or other treatment option. This stage is one where the addict must actively make choices on what they want, how to reach that point and what steps they will take to navigate the recovery process ahead.
The next stage is early abstinence. This will generally start with detox, if necessary, and go through the entirety of in-patient rehab. It’s one of the most difficult parts of the recovery process, when cravings are at their peak and the patient can struggle to avoid relapse, which is why this stage is generally done in a controlled environment with medical professionals around to help you through this stage
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In the third stage, maintaining abstinence, the recovering addict has reached a certain level of equilibrium with their substance abuse, no longer plagued by withdrawal symptoms and the worst of the cravings but now at a point where they must learn coping mechanisms to avoid relapse for when they return to daily life and must keep their sobriety intact without as much help from a clinical setting. Even after resuming normal routines, they will continue to need structured support in the way of continuing therapy, group meetings or other aid to keep their recovery going.
Finally, there is advanced recovery, which usually takes a few years to reach. At this point, the recovering addict should be more comfortable with their routines in avoiding relapse, controlling cravings and maintaining their sobriety on a long-term basis.
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At Good Landing Recovery, addicts are taught how to make their way through the four stages of drug recovery and what it takes to navigate this path successfully. It’s a long process with a lot to learn and endure, with its own ups and downs, but with help from their trained staff, reaching the final stage is more than possible.