Why is Using Self-Recovery Techniques a Bad Idea?
Substance abuse can decline your health in many ways. Once you are addicted and things are out of control, you need professional help and the right guidance to come out of it stronger. Instead, many addicts try to overcome their addiction using self-help techniques. But exercise and yoga can only take you so far without the supervision of healthcare professionals. Since recurring relapses can significantly affect you, below are a few reasons why self-recovery is a bad idea.
4 Reasons Self-Recovery Is A Bad Idea
- It can be life-threatening
Usually, addicts suffer from several signs of withdrawal, and acting on it can result in irrevocable damage such as high blood pressure, seizures, panic attacks, and hallucinations.
Since the most common recovery technique people use is suddenly quitting substance, self-help techniques can be fatal. It can be harmful that in the worst-case scenario, quitting can actually lead to a stroke and other severe side-effects. Therefore, you need a healthcare expert to constantly monitor your condition throughout the 12-step program.
- You can’t detox in a toxic environment
If you’re addicted to substances, it’s safe to assume that you may be surrounded by bad influences. You can’t stay around your enablers or toxic environments and recover successfully. It’s nearly impossible to follow your daily routine and not relapse.
Therefore, the primary objective of going to rehab is to cut off your ties from everything that’s kicking you into the pool of drugs. When you’re away from the toxicity and things that compel you to abuse drugs or alcohol, both your brain and body get a chance to comfortably detox.
- You don’t have a support group
All mental health professionals agree that the basic principle of any successful recovery is finding your tribe – a group that cares for you. Every recovering addict needs a community. Normally, you want to have a support group that can not only empathize with you but also help you get past your triggers.
More often than not, self-recovery is about working on yourself independently. But no matter how much of a lone wolf you are, great motivation to quit can come from people who share similar problems or are experts at recovery.
- You may not be aware of all your triggers
This one is really important because this is exactly why so many people enlist help from mental health experts. Addiction isn’t an independent problem that happens out of nowhere. From childhood trauma to genetics, there are endless reasons that can lead to addiction.
Because you neither have the skill nor the neutral perspective of a mental health psychologist, it’s difficult to recover on your own without failing.
So, when push comes to shove, going to a recovery center is always wiser than using self-help techniques for recovery.
3 Signs You’re Ready For Rehab
Prolonged addiction can cause hopelessness and self-dissatisfaction. If you’re going through this phase, these few signs might help you decide for yourself.
- You need too much to feel too little
Drugs help you release dopamine – a pleasure-inducing hormone. But dopamine has a very complex function in the body.
The more dopamine you release, the more difficult it is for you to release it the next time. So, to feel at least a little kick, addicts have to gradually increase the quantity of their substance.
After some time, you end up going over the limit to feel even the slightest amount of pleasure. If that’s the case with you, you need to check yourself into a recovery center.
- You are suffering from a mental illness
If anything, self-recovering has a small chance of working with people with a healthy mind. But mental illnesses like depression and anxiety can weaken the brain’s ability to control impulses. Since recovery is all about controlling urges, you should enroll in a rehab facility if you’re suffering from mental disorders.
- You don’t trust yourself
When you’re an addict, your brain teaches you to lie to yourself and other people. But when you fail at recovering on your own, you stop running away from the ultimate truth that your brain isn’t reliable enough to get you through life without relapsing. If the trust is gone, you’re ready to get external professional help.
What Can Rehab Do For You?
Recovery centers follow tried and tested strategies to treat addiction. They have resources and tools to help you recover, so you never have to look for happiness in substances.
Most addicts find it extremely difficult to stay consistent when they quit using substances. According to research, at least 50% of addicts relapse and find it impossible to live without substance when they are unsupervised.
Resorting to self-care and isolation from external help may increase your chances of relapse. Thus, a rehab facility will closely monitor your lifestyle and keep you from giving in to your urges until you learn to live without them.
Studies show that 85% of people take drugs “to enjoy the effect.” But the underlying reason is that they use substances to cope with stress and numb the emotional pain.
Since happiness is at the core of any recovery, rehab centers help you find meaning and purpose in your life. They encourage you to find new interests, hobbies, and past times that are healthier than any kind of abuse.
With the help of mental health professionals, they not only make you mentally healthier but also equip you emotionally to deal with life’s problems head-on.
It’s no secret that addiction can derail your life. You end up splurging on substances and paying high prices to keep up with your habits (figuratively and literally). And it’s not uncommon for addicts to lose touch with their loved ones, disturb their professional life, and lead an unfulfilling life.
Recovery centers use group therapy and activities to boost your social life and bring you back on track. They help you make better life choices that will prove beneficial to you in the long haul. Through self-improvement, they equip you with the right means to start a new life without dependency.
