Rehab and Recovery
November 4, 2011
Substance abuse can be very difficult to recognize, especially for the victim. The victims just cannot see themselves as being part of that group of people = denial. Seldom does a potential client ask for admission because they recognize a problem. Clients only seek treatment because they have been given an incentive by loved ones, an employer, or the law. Even when this happens, denial makes treatment difficult and complicates recovery by fostering an unwillingness to follow suggestions. Here are some responses to my questions about how substance abuse affected their lifestyles.
- “I am not an alcoholic, I only drink beer and never more than a case a day.”
- “My wife tells my children to avoid talking to me when I am drinking.”
- “My son asked me to stop scaring the neighbors.”
- “I don’t get stoned every night.”
- “I never traded sex for drugs.”
- “I can stop using anytime I want.”
- “I did not hurt anyone but myself.”
- “I borrowed the money, I did not steal it, and I put it back.”
These responses are a demonstration of the inability of a substance abuser to see their problem. Knowing there is a problem is half of the solution. Addiction treatment at Rayville Recovery approaches denial by helping a client see the problem and the cause of it. I feel that rehab offers a needed break in a victim’s daily living to promote a return to a normal way of living = recovery.
More to come. Comments are welcome.
Rayville Recovery is a Louisiana Alcohol and Drug Treatment Center.
Let’s look at the definition of rehab.