Addiction Treatment in Allentown, PA

Programs for addiction treatment in Allentown use a combination of therapies and treatments designed to teach recovering addicts healthy and productive ways to live a sober lifestyle without the need for drugs or alcohol. Just as the triggers behind each person's addiction are different, the correct combination of therapies and programs for addiction treatment that will help provide the motivation to stay sober also need to be tailored to suit each person's needs.

Addiction is a chronic relapsing disease of the brain characterized by compulsive drug or alcohol use. It's common for many people to assume that people struggling with a drug or alcohol problem can simply exert a bit of willpower and choose to stop using. This is why it's imperative to seek addiction treatment in Allentown, or any other top-notch rehab facility in the country.

What those people don't recognize is that taking drugs or alcohol causes significant changes in the brain's chemistry and interferes with normal communication pathways within the brain. Even if an addicted person tries to stop taking drugs or drinking alcohol, the brain can't adapt quickly. This is why it's imperative to seek help from the advisors at Allentown Drug and Alcohol Rehab Centers.

The person experiences the maladaptation in the brain as a range of unpleasant physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. In an effort to avoid the onset of such nasty and potentially dangerous symptoms, many people will continue a cycle of addictive substance use, sinking deeper into the grip of addiction.

How Does Addiction Affect the Brain?

Taking drugs or drinking alcohol on a recreational basis is voluntary at first. People start taking substances in an effort to achieve a desired result. For most people, the aim is to get ‘high' or ‘stoned'.

However, there are some people who may have improperly managed symptoms of mental health disorders that they seek to self-medicate. They may turn to drugs or alcohol in an effort to numb painful emotions or escape from distressing symptoms.

Regardless of the reasons that triggered the use, taking drugs or drinking alcohol triggers artificial responses in the brain's reward circuits and interferes with normal communication pathways.

Different substances may have varying effects on the brain and the body. For example, drinking alcohol acts as a depressant on the central nervous system. In an effort to counteract the effects of alcohol, the brain produces higher-than-normal amounts of certain hormones.

If the person continues to drink heavily, the brain adapts to the consistent presence so that the person may need to drink larger volumes to achieve the same effects. This is known as tolerance. Over time, the brain comes to expect more alcohol in the system and begins over-producing hormones in anticipation. If the person stops drinking, the brain can't adapt to the lack of the substance and goes into a hyper-excitable state that causes withdrawal symptoms.

Likewise, taking sedative drugs such as Xanax (alprazolam) or Valium (diazepam) acts directly on the central nervous system. Tolerance to sedative drugs develops relatively quickly, so the person may feel the need to take larger doses than were prescribed by the doctor just to achieve the same effects. Trying to stop taking sedative drugs suddenly can cause dangerous withdrawal symptoms that could require emergency medical assistance.

By comparison, taking opiate drugs, such as heroin, OxyContin, Percocet or Vicodin affects the brain's opioid receptors. Most opiate drugs were designed to treat chronic or acute pain by artificially triggering the brain to release a flood of dopamine and endorphins into the body. Tolerance to opiate drugs develops quickly, so the person may begin taking larger doses to achieve the same effect, which increases the risk of accidental overdose.

How Does Addiction Treatment Work?

Treating addiction to drugs or alcohol requires a specialized program of therapies and treatments in a drug and alcohol rehab facility. Most people assume that recovering from addiction simply means helping them get through the worst of the detox process safely and then they'll be somehow cured.

What those people don't realize is that detox only rids the body of the effects of the substance. Drug detox in Allentown does nothing to address the psychological triggers behind self-destructive behaviors. Effective drug addiction treatment needs to address both the physical and psychological side of dysfunctional behaviors in order to be successful.

Programs for addiction treatment in Allentown incorporate a range of traditional and holistic therapies to help each person develop their own path to recovery. Cognitive behavioral therapies and one-on-one individual counseling sessions are used to identify underlying triggers and begin developing healthy new coping skills for dealing with stressful situations and distressing symptoms without the need for drugs or alcohol.

Drug and alcohol rehab centers also introduce a range of alternative or holistic programs for addiction treatment. The basis behind alternative therapies is to provide healthy, natural ways to manage urges and reduce symptoms of stress.

Inpatient drug rehab programs also introduce recovering people to the importance of attending group support meetings on a regular basis. Group meetings provide a level of peer support that can reduce feelings of isolation through the recovery process.

Even after the person leaves their drug and alcohol rehab in Allentown, ongoing attendance at group meetings and continued participation in alternative therapies can help maintain motivation to stay sober over the long term.

Who Needs to Enter an Addiction Treatment Center?

Anyone struggling in the grip of addiction should seek professional help from rehab centers for addiction treatment in Allentown. Programs for addiction treatment are tailored to suit each person's individual needs, so no ‘cookie cutter' approaches to treatment are used.

Instead, specialists assess each person to determine the type of drug being taken, the severity of the addiction, the length of use, and whether there are symptoms of a co-occurring mental health disorder that also need to be treated simultaneously. From there, it's much easier to form the right program for addiction treatment.

In Allentown, rehab facilities teach recovering people strong recovery skills and strategies and provide all the tools and resources needed to improve the likelihood of remaining clean and sober over the long term. Call Allentown Drug and Alcohol Rehab Centers now for help at (877) 804-1531.