What Are the First Steps of Drug Treatment?

Acknowledging you have a drug problem and seeking treatment for your addiction can be both exciting and overwhelming. Not only are you likely unsure of what to expect, but you may not even know what are the first steps of drug treatment so you can work toward achieving sobriety. In this article, you’ll learn more about the first steps of drug treatment so you can know what to expect.

Tikvah Lake is a luxury rehab in Florida that offers tailored addiction and mental health treatment to help patients lead healthier, happier lives. We understand no two patients’ recovery journeys are ever the same. This is why our drug rehab provides a range of treatment options and programs to support your unique recovery needs. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your recovery needs. 

First Steps of Drug Treatment: Explained

Recognizing you have a drug problem and asking for help for your drug addiction are the first steps every addict must take on the road to recovery. Below are more first steps of drug treatment you can expect when you enter rehab. 

Recognizing You Have a Drug Problem

As mentioned above, acknowledging you have a drug problem and seeking help for your addiction is the first step of recovery. It’s crucial to understand that you don’t have to fight your addiction all on your own. Seeking professional drug treatment at an addiction treatment center will help you safely and effectively detox and progress along your road to recovery.

Initial Health Assessment

Millions of people struggle with drug addiction each year. And, each recovering addict’s journey is uniquely different. Therefore, one of the first steps you can expect when you enter an addiction treatment center is an initial health assessment. This step is for the addiction specialists and medical professionals to better understand your drug problem so they can create a tailored treatment plan. For example, you may be asked background questions like “what substances are you addicted to”, “how long have you been struggling with your drug addiction”, “does addiction run in your family”, etc.

The initial health assessment and background questions are for the team to better understand your medical history and recovery needs. 

Detoxification

The next step is detoxification. Every recovering addict must detox and get sober in order to continue on their road to recovery. Detoxification is one of the necessary first steps of drug treatment that can be uncomfortable and even painful for some. This is because when you quit abusing drugs or alcohol, your body must adapt to no longer consuming that addictive substance. Therefore, you’ll likely experience short-term withdrawal symptoms like irritability, vomiting, and headaches that typically last anywhere from 1-2 weeks depending on the severity of your addiction.  

Overcoming Withdrawal Symptoms

Overcoming withdrawal symptoms can be difficult; however, it is important to understand that withdrawal symptoms are only temporary and a necessary part of your recovery journey. Depending on the severity of your withdrawal symptoms, medication-assisted treatment may be recommended to help reduce the severity of symptoms as you detox. 

Progressing Along Your Road to Recovery 

Once you’ve successfully overcome withdrawal symptoms and detoxed, you can then start focusing on learning healthy coping strategies to maintain long-term sobriety. There is so much more to addiction recovery than detoxing. This is because addiction recovery is a life-long journey, and receiving addiction treatment doesn’t guarantee life-long recovery. You’ll inevitably face triggers, urges, and cravings to abuse drugs or alcohol. This is why it’s critical after you’ve detoxed to learn healthy coping strategies to help you maintain your sobriety.

Help Is Available

Now you know more about what are the first steps of drug treatment, and what you can expect when you first enter drug treatment. The road to recovery is a life-long journey filled with many ups and downs. Detoxing and overcoming withdrawal symptoms are essential first steps every recovering addict must take on their road to recovery. 
At Tikvah Lake, we are a leading drug rehab in Florida that helps patients safely and effectively overcome addiction. Addiction is an isolating disease that hurts virtually all areas of your life for the worse. However, you don’t have to fight your addiction all on your own- help is available! Our compassionate team is here to help you effectively break free of addiction for good. Contact us today to learn more about how we support your recovery journey.