Risks of Trying to Treat Substance Abuse On Your OwnYou may be wondering why your loved one doesn’t just stop with the substance abuse. The problem with this type of conversation is that the speaker lacks an understanding of the very nature of the situation. Drug addicts need professional help to successfully defeat their substance abuse problem; they can’t just stop.

If you’ve never suffered from addiction, you may not understand what it is like to experience real withdrawal and how to cope with physical addiction. This is why most people try to treat their substance abuse problem without professional help.

However, an attempt to undertake the task of rehabilitation alone means starting out with the deck stacked against you. For you to successfully recover, you need the help of trusted professionals to manage the process and provide the right guidance and treatment program.

Here are some risks you may encounter while trying to treat your substance abuse problem without the help of a professional.

Failing to Identify Possible Underlying Issues

Addressing your own addiction problems could help you save time, and in some cases, money. However, you may not be able to address possible underlying issues such as co-addictions, anxiety, depression, health problems, and even family dysfunction. Professional therapy also evaluates anything else that may not have been considered during active use.

Lack of Self-Awareness

A lot of people fear to go to rehabilitative care because of all the positive talk and reinforcement. Nevertheless, this becomes a motivator to abstain from substance abuse. Although you may find it uncomfortable at first, with time, all the effort from skilled professionals will pay off.

Lack of Knowledge About Stress Management

In some cases, you may experience stress. Lack of effective stress management could resort to substance use. When working with a professional, you can learn how to manage stressful conditions. Show examples of stressful situations

You Are Not Your Own Best Counsel

If you have an addiction, whether your substance is illicit drugs, alcohol, or prescription drugs or a compulsive behavior such as shopping or gambling, you are not equipped to give yourself advice. You don’t have the right training or enough information on how to overcome these hurdles. Moreover, you aren’t able to teach yourself how to cope, analyze your thoughts, or adhere to appropriate schedules. This is the reason why many people who want to get clean go into treatment. Professional help is the best chance to get your life back in order.

Time is Not Always on Your Side

Recovery and treatment takes time and dedication. The more time and dedication you devote to getting better, the higher your chances of not going into a relapse. You may think trying to solve a substance abuse problem by yourself could help you save time. Nonetheless, you may soon realize that with the pressures of everyday life, you do not have the time to allocate to recovery.

With professional help, you’re given a certain time frame for treatment and therapy, which aids in recovery. Furthermore, your chances of relapsing are minimal.

The Treatment Is Not Thorough Enough

Although self-help treatment could help with overcoming your substance abuse problem, in the vast majority of cases, you’ll be heading down a dangerous path. This treatment could further worsen your addiction. Some treatments are not effective at detoxification, which could leave traces of drugs in your system, thus resulting in withdrawal symptoms.

Broken Relationships

As an addict, you’ve likely negatively impacted personal relationships with your family and friends. Rebuilding trust takes time, and you may not be able to do this if you’re on your own treatment. An experienced therapist can help act as a mediator with either your family or friends if necessary.

Getting Into Depression

Staying in the same environment could prove lonely as you may be trying to hide your addiction from friends and family. Lack of people to talk to and interact with can lead to depression. The right environment helps to replace negative socialization that surrounds substance abuse.

Risk of Losing a Job

Most people with substance use disorders are of the idea that they can quit on their own or they are simply okay and do not have a problem. If an employer finds out that you’re an addict and you’re not seeking professional help, they are likely to suspend you from duties. Getting counseling and treatment from experienced rehabilitation therapists gives you a better chance of going back to work once you’re fully recovered. Some employers fully support employees with addiction problems.

Peer Pressure

Self-help treatments sometimes work, but you run the risk of getting back to your addiction if you don’t get counseling. Also, if you spend most of your time with friends who continue to use drugs, you’re likely to relapse.

Treatment Plans May Have Changed

Unless you’re working with a qualified therapist, it’s difficult to know when treatment plans have been altered. Sticking to the same treatment could prove ineffective after a while. Working with a professional ensures that you get the right treatment during the rehab process.

Exposure to an Unsafe Environment

For treatment to work, there’s need to ensure that the environment is secure. Being a delicate process, treatment is susceptible to various influences, which can jeopardize its success. In a safe environment, prohibited substances are kept away as well as other emotional or social influences to ensure the success of the treatment.

The effects of substance abuse on your life and treat of your friends and family can be huge. Freedom from substance abuse is possible with the right sound plan for treatment; Addiction of any kind is serious and should be treated as such.

The good news is that you can counter these effects with professional help. Self-treatment may only work for a while but getting help from experienced therapists quickens your recovery process and leaves you empowered to abstain from substance use. Beachside Rehab can help you find the help you need, call us today at 866-349-1770.