Mental Health and Addiction Recovery: A Comparison

By March 16, 2020January 23rd, 2025Sober living

This finding illustrates that, from an economic perspective, it is advantageous to monitor substance use early in treatment and to tailor continuing care on the basis of whether initial abstinence is achieved. Continued substance use early in IOP could flag higher-risk individuals who are more likely to require more extensive and expensive interventions such as TMC plus incentives to achieve good outcomes over longer periods of time. The results of this study suggest that for such individuals, increased societal benefit will more than offset the added costs of the more expensive continuing care intervention. Participants in MBRP and RP had lower rates of relapse to substance use and heavy drinking than did those in TAU. Moreover, among participants with some substance use, those in MBRP and RP had fewer days of substance use and heavy drinking than did those in TAU.

Recovery Management Checkups

A person in recovery is continually making an effort to work through the issues that caused alcohol or drug use to occur in the first place. When someoneattends rehab, they quickly learn that substances are not the only problem. Understanding the difference can help people learn how to transition from sobriety to a more all-encompassing approach to lifelong recovery. Using dialectical behavioral therapy to treat addiction is very popular and successful. If you want to quit smoking cigarettes, for example, toss away ashtrays and unsmoked cigarettes. For individuals with alcohol use disorders, empty your refrigerator and pantry of any alcoholic beverages.

In contrast, recovery encompasses a broader spectrum of adjustments and improvements in a person’s life. Recovery is not just about removing substances from one’s life but also about rebuilding and sustaining a new sober house life based on healthier choices, coping strategies, and personal growth. Treatment methods always vary based on the individual and their needs. For example, if someone is young and suffering from an addiction to opioids, their  treatment methods may be completely different than someone who is older with a long-term dependence on alcohol. Treatment programs may include therapy, medications, or a combination of the two.

Recovery: A Holistic Approach to Healing

  • The reason that this definition is important is because recovering addicts relapse way before they pick up alcohol or drugs again.
  • The patient can expect to receive medical care and participate in therapy sessions.
  • Physical dependence happens when the body adapts to the presence of a drug, to the point where its absence triggers withdrawal symptoms.
  • It’s important to set and respect boundaries, which contribute to a safe environment during the recovery process.
  • Again, as two women in long-term recovery, it made all the difference for us, especially early in our own personal journeys to recovery.

Recovery is where you learn to cope with the condition and no longer let it intrude on leading a healthy life. A number of continuing care studies were not included in these reviews, primarily because they were published after 2010. When you are in the grips of an addiction, it’s hard to conceptualize what recovery could be like. In fact, most addicts won’t even try it, preferring instead to remain locked in their addiction despite its harmful effects on them. However, for addicts who have plucked up the courage to go through private rehab, the comparison between the ‘before’ and ‘after’ is so different that they can’t believe it.

addiction vs recovery

There is no one size fits all cure for addiction and treatment programs that should be seen as the main course of recovery. Addiction treatment is the core fundamental to providing the patient with the resources and education to understand their condition. Since a great portion of patients deals with co-occurring disorders, it’s important to find the root of the cause.

Mental Symptoms

She is a recovery advocate, mother of two, avid hiker, and lover of photography and the outdoors. Shannon prides herself on helping patients navigate the complex journey of recovery and is deeply committed to helping individuals, families, and communities impacted by addiction. Formal barriers to reentering treatment are discussed and addressed, and scheduling and transportation to treatment are arranged.

Each on contains a different focus depending on the particular struggles that you are facing at the moment. The focus today is on providing simple solutions to a complex problem. Once you understand the root causes of addiction, lasting recovery is possible. The length of stay in such a facility and program is not the determining factor in deciding if you become sober or not. Some people can stay in a program for a year and not receive the help that they need.

With dedication, self-care, and the right support, a healthier and happier life is achievable. So unlike those in mental health recovery, people transitioning to addiction recovery have to make a conscious decision to stop using in order to regain control over their own lives (even those who are court-mandated to treatment). While the general public might substitute “recovery” for sobriety, drug treatment professionals are more expansive in their definition. They recognize that sobriety is far from permanent, and it doesn’t embody the true spirit of recovery. For most addiction professionals, the goal is a recovery that incorporates personal values, attitudes, and behaviors that leave no room for drug or alcohol use. A person who embraces honesty and healthy problem solving, for example, is not likely to turn to substances when the going gets tough.

Simply quitting isn’t enough to maintain sobriety, so proper coping mechanisms and skills are necessary. Addiction must be seen as a serious illness to wash away the taboos of recovery and seeking help when you truly need it. So don’t expect anything, or anyone to be perfect in any perfect way. Explore the financial consequences of addiction, its impact on families, and resources for recovery in Kansas. Explore the startling social media addiction statistics & facts that reveal the global impact of our online habits.

These results suggest that continuing care based on physician health programs also may be effective for individuals who are not motivated to participate in order to regain or maintain a professional license and a high-paying job. However, randomized studies with proper control conditions are needed before any conclusions are drawn about the effectiveness of this approach. It should be noted that three of these studies also were included in the review by Blodgett et al.8 In summary, prior reviews of continuing care for adolescents with SUD generally found favorable results, particularly for ACC. The field is also starting to move toward more specific guidelines regarding the characteristics of high-quality continuing care.

Trauma-Informed Care Strategies for Addiction Recovery

While many people use these terms interchangeably, they refer to different aspects of substance use and can have very different implications for treatment and recovery. Understanding the difference is essential to guide more effective intervention and healing. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), nearly 20 million Americans struggle with substance use disorders, a number that highlights the urgent need for clarity and accessible treatment options. Finally, although the efficacy of specific continuing care interventions is certainly important, the crucial roles played by providers who deliver these interventions have not received sufficient attention. Some providers are simply better than others, but the individual characteristics and training that facilitate greater success as a continuing care provider have received little attention.

Encourage them to explore professional support, like therapy or counseling, in a caring and non-pressuring way. Offer to help them find options or attend appointments, but be patient if they aren’t ready yet. So, while dependence can be a part of addiction, it doesn’t necessarily mean someone is addicted. It’s more about how the substance affects their behavior and emotions. Your brain adapts to substances with continued use, which makes stopping hard.

Derry Rehab Center for Drugs and Alcohol

addiction vs recovery

As a result, many people needing treatment do not get the help they need. Moreover, many people describe recovery as a life-long journey — one that involves continually making the choice each day to choose life in recovery. Rehab is a term that can be used to refer to a few different types of treatment programs.

  • If you or a loved one is struggling with a drug problem, it is important to know the truth about professional treatment – that it provides a positive, safe, healthy space for people to heal.
  • Meeting people where they’re at is the foundation of being a successful Recovery Coach—at times, a draining process, and that’s why the Recovery Coach Academy also teaches the importance of self-care for coaches.
  • Recently, a new patient reached out in the support group channel, struggling in his first week of treatment, and a Recovery Coach replied via text message and voicemail to offer support.
  • A randomized study in Switzerland evaluated a continuing care intervention using text messaging to monitor self-selected drinking goals.
  • It’s important to celebrate sobriety as it signifies how far you’ve come along your road to recovery.
  • Detoxification alone without subsequent treatment generally leads to resumption of drug use.

Workplaces are offering benefits like confidential counselling, flexible leave for treatment, and even on-site support programmes. The most forward-thinking companies are flipping the script – seeing recovery as an opportunity to invest in employees rather than penalise them. Peaks Recovery is licensed to provide the highest level of inpatient and residential programming in Colorado. In addition to satisfying state criteria, we have further received the highest recognition from the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) for our 3.7 and 3.5 levels of care. Rehab is intended to help someone heal from the effects of their addiction and begin to rebuild a healthy, fulfilling, and successful future in recovery. Rehab and recovery are two terms that are sometimes used interchangeably, but they do not necessarily refer to the same things.

They range from mild to severe and include anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and PTSD. Forget the stereotypes of cold hospital rooms or overly dramatic interventions. Enter modern approaches in addiction treatment – tailored therapies, cutting-edge tech, and community-driven care.

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