This is a question a lot of people ask themselves once they realize that they have a problem. They say that the biggest battle in addiction is understanding that you have a problem. Addiction can sneak up on a person and though it may be painfully obvious to everybody else, the addicted person doesn’t realize how bad it is.
Once this realization comes, then there is a decision to make. Which is how to treat the problem. Some people think going cold turkey and dealing with it on their own is the answer. Others want to make sure they are getting plenty of professional help.
In this article, we will go over what the differences are between going cold turkey and entering rehab.
Withdrawal can be dangerous
Whether you are addicted to drugs or to alcohol, physical withdrawal can be quite dangerous. Some people get violently ill once the body starts going through this process. In fact, it can even be deadly.
This is one of the biggest reasons to go to a rehabilitation facility like Landmark Rehab Center to make sure that you are monitored during the withdrawal period. It’s during this period when a person feels like the only way to get relief is to use the drug of choice that they are withdrawing from.
Often, these centers have people medically trained to administer pharmaceuticals to treat the withdrawal symptoms. And they have different prescriptions for the different types of drug that you are addicted to. Going cold turkey is not going to give you this same level of safety and the process will be much more difficult to deal with without that treatment.
You need the skills to keep going
The road ahead is only just beginning once the withdrawal period is over. Now that you feel physically better you may think that you are in the clear. It’s at this time that you have to learn the skills that you will need to be able to stay sober going forward.
While you can certainly go it alone at this point, you are far more likely to succeed in beating the addiction when you learn certain things about the process. The triggers that get you to want to use again will be relentless and skills will be required to understand what to do when you do encounter one of them.
There are things like having a bad day at work that can trigger the temptation to use again. Or, it could be more serious and come from PTSD from a previous trauma that makes it difficult to stay sober.
Inpatient gives you a break
If you try to go it alone, then you will be trying to juggle your recovery with your job, studies and family responsibilities. When you are in an inpatient facility, your focus is overcoming the addiction. It will feel less stressful than you thought to simply just be there to take care of yourself with people that are trained to help you.