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Ways to Get Sober

Ridding yourself of an addiction can be the most difficult process a person can undertake, and few can do it alone. For those suffering from addiction, there are a variety of treatment options suited for people of all needs to help get rid of addiction and start living a sober life.

  1. Inpatient Treatment

    • For people suffering from severe drug or alcohol addiction, an inpatient recovery program may be necessary. The length of treatment can vary from a few days to a month, but will allow patients to be observed during the initial period of detoxification, when withdrawal symptoms are at their worst and most dangerous. During this initial stage, patients will usually receive medication to manage their symptoms of withdrawal. If the recovery center offers patients a stay longer than the initial detoxification period, patients will be allowed to participate in addiction management therapies ranging from drug and alcohol education, support groups, individual therapy or behavior management therapy for the remainder of their stay.

    Support Groups

    • No matter how a person gets sober, support groups can play an important role in long-term recovery and relapse prevention. The most popular among drug and alcohol support groups are 12-step recovery programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Through the course of these programs, recovering addicts go through steps that allow them to confront their addiction to find out the root causes, and allow people to share their experiences and hear the experiences of others. These types of groups are available in most U.S. cities.

    Sober Living Homes

    • For those transitioning back into normal life after undergoing detoxification, residences called sober living homes offer a drug and alcohol free environment where recovering addicts can provide each other with support while they participate in recovery programs. Residents choosing to live in sober living homes can have jobs or go to school and are mostly free to come and go as they wish, though they must abide by certain house rules. The rules of sober living homes vary but will always include a ban on any drugs or alcohol.

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