Recovery for Substance Use Disorders
Substance use disorders can affect many aspects of a person’s life. With this in mind, our addiction medicine and recovery experts aim to treat the individual as a whole. By providing behavioral therapies, medication management (when appropriate), experiential therapies, family therapy, and aftercare support we can help participants gain skills to handle and balance family, community and work life situations, and to help prevent relapse.
What Is a Substance Use Disorder?
A substance use disorder (also called addiction, chemical dependency, alcoholism, or drug addiction) is a disease that affects a person's brain and behavior, which leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug, medication, or alcohol. Once the brain becomes “dependent” on a substance, it will prioritize substance use over things that were previously important to the individual. As a result, the person may continue to use the substance despite negative consequences. A substance use disorder can lead to health issues, as well as problems at work, school, and home.
With appropriate support—medication, therapy, accountability, motivation, and community—individuals can resist the thoughts of use and can once again learn to act in accordance with their values and in the interest of themselves and their families.
Why Choose HMHI?
Our Addiction Recovery Specialists
Chemical Dependency (Detoxification Treatment)
Frequent use of drugs and/or alcohol can result in physical dependence. When an individual stops using drugs and/or alcohol abruptly, they often experience severe withdrawal symptoms. Our inpatient detoxification program ensures safe withdrawal while beginning the recovery process.
Patients are detoxified under the care of a psychiatrist, nurses, social workers, and psychologists who provide medication, monitoring, and support during the withdrawal period. Additional treatment includes group therapies and activities throughout the day to address the disease of addiction.
To ensure continued success when the patient leaves the hospital, we create customized discharge plans with the patient and family for appropriate follow-up care.
Warning Signs of Relapse
Relapse is a process not an event. In order to understand relapse prevention, you have to understand the following stages of relapse:
- emotional relapse,
- mental relapse, and
- physical relapse.
Emotional and mental relapse will start weeks or even months before the event of physical relapse. While in treatment, you will learn the early warning signs of relapse and specific prevention techniques for each stage of relapse.
How Nutrition Helps in Your Recovery
Nutrition plays an important role in recovery from substance abuse. Drugs and alcohol can affect your metabolism, organ function, and mental well-being, and can prevent the body from properly absorbing, digesting, and using nutrients. This leads to vitamin deficiencies and poor nutrition overall. Making the right food and nutrition choices will help aid you in the healing process.
Food Cravings
There is scientific evidence of changes in our brain chemistry that is linked to cravings, which is similar to addictive substances. This plays a partial role in why so many people complain of struggling with food cravings during treatment.
Below are some tips to help you deal with cravings while you're a patient and after your treatment:
- Eat regular meals and snacks.
- Don’t wait until you are starving to eat.
- Eat until you feel full, not stuffed.
- Get plenty of exercise.
- Use moderation.
- Keep a food journal.
- Track the emotions that cause you to crave certain foods and work to handle those emotions in other ways.
- Practice mindful eating.
- Find your motivation.
- Practice “done-ness”.
- Find something else to do to distract yourself from the craving.
Weight Gain
If you're struggling with weight gain while detoxing, try the following tips and tricks.
- Listen to your body. Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full.
- Honor your craving with consideration to your health.
- Moving and thinking will engage your mind and body more than taking a nap.
- Make exercise part of your routine. A good place to start would be a walk outside.
- Load up on fruits and veggies. These low-calorie, high-fiber options will help you feel full without contributing to your weight gain.
- Limit your soda intake. Your body needs fluids right now more than ever. Soda will dehydrate you more. Aim for no more than eight ounces of soda per day.
Family Support in Recovery
Relationships impact your loved one's substance use, just as your loved one's substance use impacts their relationships. A circle of caring individuals and a supportive environment can assist the individual with a substance use disorder to attain a sense of belonging and motivation for recovery. You can help them gain resilience to weather their changing moods, thoughts, and feelings and to make decisions that support their goal of sobriety.
Here are some things families can do to support their loved one.
- Education: Learn about substance use disorders and the treatment process to better empathize with your loved one during their journey.
- Support: Ask questions about their treatment, therapy sessions, medications, etc. Offer gentle reminders about scheduled appointments and the importance of attending them all.
- Stay optimistic: Keep in mind that the recovery process is a journey. Recovery takes time and there may be challenges to face along the way. Remind loved ones of this at times when they are feeling discouraged.
- Celebrate successes: Celebrate achievements -- no matter how big or small -- to boost your loved one's confidence.
- Practice self-care: Supporting a loved one through recovery can also take a toll on your mental health. Make sure you don't neglect to take some time out for yourself at this time too.
Family Resources
Addiction Recovery Resources
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- Salt Lake Alcoholics Anonymous
- Utah Alcoholics Anonymous
- United Wasatch Area of Narcotics Anonymous
- Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA)
- Crystal Meth Anonymous
- SMART Recovery
- Recovery Dharma
- LifeRing
- Fit 2 Recover
- OpiCure Foundation
- Rehab
- Start Your Recovery
