Looking for answers on how to approach your recovery from drug and alcohol addiction is the first and most important step on your journey to well-being. At Help4Addiction, we provide free, independent advice on options for drug & alcohol rehab in Cardiff. With a focus on what is most effective and which options fit within your budget and personal circumstances, we aim to help you take advantage of the help that is out there.
However, treating addiction solely as a medical condition is not the approach most widely used. Often, factors like depression, anxiety, stress, abuse, neglect, and other past circumstances not only create the perfect storm necessary for a severe addiction but can hamper recovery in the long term if not addressed. Here, we’re going to look at the options and how they can help you more comprehensively manage the impact of addiction, not just the drug or alcohol dependency itself.
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How mental health and addiction are tied
The links between mental health and addiction can hard to define thoroughly.
Some may not know whether their addiction is anxiety-induced or if it caused their anxiety. In many cases, the answer is both. However, research has shown that mental health issues like stress, anxiety and depression are responsible for over a third of the consumption of addictive substances like alcohol, drugs, and even cigarettes. Furthermore, over half of all patients treated for mental illness have at some point admitted to or sought treatment for a drug or alcohol dependency.
In many cases, drug addiction may begin as a means of self-medicating. A depressed patient may use marijuana or alcohol to numb their pain. Those with social anxiety may have turned to cocaine to make themselves more sociable. Others who suffer from panic attacks may use drugs like Xanax to help calm themselves down. What begins as self-medication often and easily develop into an addiction over time. Furthermore, those who have suffered from abuse, neglect, or other traumatic events in the past are more likely to develop a chronic dependency and an emotional health disorder.
Finding out the causal link between mental health issues and addiction, if there is one, is difficult, but can be done with the help of professional drug & alcohol rehab services in Cardiff.
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How drug & alcohol rehab in Cardiff can help
Also known as a co-occurring condition, a dual diagnosis is described as a condition where someone may both suffer from mental health issues and alcohol or drug addiction at the same time. Many people with an addiction, they may not know of the layers of complex emotional factors and personal circumstances that play into their condition. By diagnosing and treating such issues, not only can you start the recovery from addiction, but also treat issues like poor physical health caused by mental issues, self-harm, suicidal ideations, and violent tendencies or thoughts.
Many rehab facilities provide an integrated program of treatment that may be hard to find elsewhere. For instance, psychotherapy aims to learn more about your personal circumstances, often including past trauma or deprivation, to better understand the factors that might lead to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and the like that can contribute to addiction.
Meanwhile, cognitive behavioural therapy aims to more closely address both the mental habits and lifestyle factors that can act as “triggers,” leading us to turn to our addiction. For instance, it may be social situations like parties, memories of abuse, certain individuals, whether they be friends, loved ones, or those who have harmed us in the past. CBT helps us learn about these triggers, acknowledge them, learn to avoid them and develop healthier mental and physical habits that can help us stay away from our addiction.
Holistic treatments like yoga, reiki, musical therapy, and others can also help treat mood disorders as well as help us find distraction and relief from our addictions. By focusing on building more positive interests and habits, and aiming to recover in body, mind, and soul, we can help address the negative mindset that often leads to addiction. By accomplishing and learning new things, we can also develop the self-esteem that helps us be more resilient in the face of temptation.
For those diagnosed with mental health issues like depression, stress, anxiety, or social anxiety, medication may also play an important role in treatment. As mentioned, addiction can often begin as a form of self-medication and finding the safer, healthier alternatives prescribed with the careful recommendation of a doctor can help us address the causes of addiction so we are less inclined to rely on it. Depending on the length of your stay, you may experience a range of these approaches combined as you go through the steps of your recovery.
Other methods of treatment available
There are other methods used to treat addiction that does not focus as much on mental health, as well. In most drug & alcohol rehab programs in Cardiff, both kinds of treatment may be combined together. For instance, severe addictions may begin with a detox. This is a process in which drugs and alcohol are flushed from the system with medical assistance. Depending on the severity of the addiction, it may take as long as two weeks. The detox process involves withdrawal symptoms that can be both physically and mentally unpleasant and potentially dangerous, so it’s best approached with the supervision of a medical professional.
Another medical treatment that may be combined with other approaches is the use of medication as a means to address ongoing addictions or to prevent severe withdrawal. For instance, this might involve a heroin addict using controlled, scheduled doses of methadone to wean themselves off their addiction without having to worry about craving street drugs instead.
Get help today
If you want to not only live an addiction-free life but also seek help for the complex layers of factors that contribute to it, get in touch with Help4Addiction on 0203 955 7700. We can help you find the alcohol & drug rehab options in Cardiff best suited to your needs and budget, all completely free.
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About Author
Nicholas Conn
Nicholas Conn is a leading industry addiction expert who runs the UK’s largest addiction advisory service and is regularly featured in the national press, radio and TV. He is the founder and CEO of a drug and alcohol rehab center called Help4addiction, which was founded in 2015. He has been clean himself since 2009 and has worked in the Addiction and Rehab Industry for over a decade. Nick is dedicated to helping others recover and get treatment for drug and alcohol abuse. In 2013, he released a book ‘The Thin White’ line that is available on Amazon.
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