Phoenix Drug Rehab

Every Day Is A Fight: When to Choose Treatment

When I decided to finally get clean, I was at death’s door. Methamphetamine and alcoholism has ravaged my body and left me a shell of a person. Nothing mattered other than getting high and/or drunk.

Every day is a fight to get high. It becomes your full time job as well as your full time hobby. Anything that isn’t the drug comes second, sometimes even not at all. When you make the decision to get clean, it can be very scary from moment to moment.

When I finally decided to seek sobriety it was a moment to moment battle within myself. I went from feeling empowered and optimistic to feeling scared and hopeless within minutes. Riding these waves was emotionally taxing, but I continued to remind myself that my brain was not in a good place.

It was going to take a lot to get my mind back and submit to the process. Whenever I had doubts about getting clean, I allowed these thoughts to come in without letting them overtake me. It was normal for me to be doubtful. I was at the lowest point in my life, and didn’t have a whole lot to look forward to other than getting high. It couldn’t get much worse.

This is the rock bottom that a lot of people must get to before they decide to get help. You have to get to such a low point that you can’t imagine things getting worse. Once you’re here, there aren’t many other options other than at least giving sobriety a try. I had given sobriety multiple tries over the years. Nothing ever worked because my life hadn’t totally fallen apart yet.

When you are a functioning addict, it’s easy to be fooled. You think you can maintain it. You truly believe that you have a grip on it, and although it can get out of hand sometimes, you can still get up and go to work and lead somewhat of a regular life. Until you can’t.

Substance abuse affects everyone differently. Some people go downhill very quickly. For others, it is a slow burn. Years of drug and alcohol abuse will finally catch up to you no matter how much of a functioning addict you are. Your body can only endure the abuse for so long before it starts to give out.

The real scary thing about being a functioning addict is being unaware of the internal damage that is caused over time. If you can’t see it, you’re not going to worry about it. I had an uncle who drank upwards of twenty beers a day and you’d never assume anything was wrong with him physically.

Then he died of a heart attack. His body couldn’t take it anymore, and he paid the ultimate price when it was too late.

When you begin the journey to sobriety, you must recognize all the factors that led you to where you got. Addiction is normally spurred by a number of life events and internal issues. I had an abusive upbringing and was the perfect candidate for what they call ‘at-risk youth’.

My parents were not very loving. Drug and alcohol abuse was normalized in my family. There wasn’t anyone in my life that had their life together. I assumed I was destined to become just like them, and unfortunately I did. When I finally tried to achieve sobriety, I had years of baggage to work through. Addiction consumes everything in your life and trying to regain any sort of normal function is a huge battle.

Why Choose Phoenix Drug Rehab?

I grew up in the Phoenix area so I am very familiar with the recovery community that exists out here. I’ve known many people who have struggled mightily with substance abuse and were able to overcome it, many of them through the services of a Phoenix drug rehab.

That also gave me a lot of hope when I was in the pit of my addiction. I’ve known folks who were living on the streets and selling their bodies in order to obtain drugs. Those same people are now living normal lives and have become respectable members of society, though they still struggle with their demons.

Luckily for me, I live in an area that is very compassionate to people struggling with addiction. There are other parts of the country that aren’t so kind. It seems like the further out west you go, the less stigma there is associated with substance abuse.

There are parts of the world where they still sentence drug users to death because they view these people as detrimental to society. I am very thankful that I live in a country and in particular a state that is much more caring than others.

Much like many other places, Arizona has suffered greatly from the opioid epidemic. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2018, doctors in Arizona wrote over fifty opioid prescriptions for every 100 people. In the same year, over one thousand people died of opioid overdoses.

By 2020, the number of opioid overdose deaths was over two thousand. Luckily, there has been more information available to the general public about the dangers of opioid abuse, and there have been many efforts to make these substances harder to attain.

Whether or not these drugs are easily attainable or not, people will get their hands on them if they really want. We can make the drugs harder for people to get, but it will not stop the overall issue. People will go to great lengths to get their hands on their drug of choice.

When I was using meth, I would walk miles to get it if I needed to, and I did. I would stay up for days on end wondering where I would get my next fix. Whenever that next fix became available, there was nothing that was going to stop me from getting it.

The Phoenix Drug Rehab Community

Arizona in general is a hub for substance abuse recovery. An internet search of Arizona based treatment facilities will yield countless options. Detox, outpatient, inpatient, therapy, this state has a lot to offer for those who are seeking sobriety.

This is no truer in any other place than the Phoenix area. The greater Phoenix recovery community is vast. People from all over the country come here to fight their addictions, and many of them succeed because of the wonderful treatment options that exist here.

Why do people choose Arizona as their source of recovery? There are a multitude of things that make this state perfect for attaining sobriety. First of all, it’s hard to argue with the weather.

The Arizona sun is something that needs to be experienced in order to believe. You can tell someone about how great it is, but unless you’ve felt it yourself, it’s hard to explain. Living out here means you are going to get a consistently healthy dose of Vitamin D.

You can take Vitamin D supplements, but there’s nothing quite like getting the real thing. Getting the right amount of Vitamin D is extremely beneficial to your overall physical and mental health.

The place you live can have a lot to do with your success and/or failure. Living in a sunny climate like Arizona, along with all of the breathtaking views gives the daily boost that I need to remain clean. When you appreciate and respect nature, you are bound to have a better outlook.

We all need things to fill the void when we quit using drugs or alcohol. There are going to be times when your demons pop up and potentially entice you back into your old habits. Getting outside and enjoying nature is the perfect distraction.

If you’re someone who appreciates outdoor activities, there aren’t many better places than the Phoenix area. Whatever your outdoor vice is, this is the place. Hiking, Climbing, Bicycling, Swimming, the list of options goes on and on. Studies have proven that spending time outside can be very beneficial to your overall mental well being.

In a place like Arizona it’s hard not to spend time outside. I personally took up bicycle racing once I got clean in order to fill the void. There’s nothing I enjoy more than getting on my bike and experiencing what this great state has to offer. When I’m not racing, a good bike ride through the scenic trails near my house gives me the lift that I need.

If I’m ever feeling weak or have the urge to use, which will happen from time to time, my bike serves as the perfect replacement.

Recovery Centers in The Phoenix Area

An online search for ‘Phoenix Drug Rehab’ will give you a boatload of results. The vast amount of recovery centers around here will give comfort in realizing that there are not only a lot of options, but a lot of different approaches. Everyone’s addiction is unique, and nobody knows that better than the staff at Pathfinders.

There are approaches that work better for some, and totally different approaches that work for others. When you make the decision to get clean, it’s all about figuring out what works best for you. Luckily in a recovery community this large, you should be able to figure out your best approach without too much struggle.

Finding the right treatment facility is key. When it comes to detox facilities, there are currently over thirty detox programs within a fifteen mile radius of Phoenix, but few offer the level of care and attention to individual needs like the programs at Pathfinders.

Many alcoholics and opioid addicts must go through the detoxification process before actually entering into a recovery program. Detoxification is the process in which the drug is rid from your body. Once you quit using certain drugs or alcohol, you will experience withdrawal symptoms that can be extremely uncomfortable. Detox programs allow you to go through this process under medical supervision.

Detoxing on your own can be very dangerous and it is highly suggested that if you are going to do it, you should do it in the presence of medical professionals.

You are then going to have to decide between inpatient or outpatient services. Inpatient services require you to spend a prolonged period of time at the treatment facility, whereas outpatient services entail single, regular visits during the day. For those who are dealing with extreme, life-threatening addictions, inpatient services are recommended.

Whatever you decide works best for you, you have many options at your disposal. Pathfinders is a renowned facility that specializes in inpatient treatment. They are consistently ranked among the top recovery facilities in the Phoenix area. Pathfinders is located in Scottsdale, which is only about twenty minutes from Phoenix.

Pathfinders and Your Personal Treatment Plan

Therapy is another major component of recovery, and again, the type of therapy you choose should reflect your specific addiction. For me personally, I’ve found group therapy works best. Unlike some Phoenix drug rehabs, the team at Pathfinders will patiently work with clients to discover the method of therapy that works best for you.

That may not be the case with everyone, but I find sitting down with a group of folks who are dealing with the same issues has a very positive effect. When I hear other people tell their stories, it reminds me that I am not alone in my struggle. There is a profound loneliness that goes along with addiction.

A lot of the time you feel as if no one knows what you’re going through. Because all of our addictions are different, this isn’t entirely an irrational thought.

There have been times when I thought no one understood what I was dealing with. I felt like the only person in the world who knew the struggle. Going to group meetings has always given me the boost that I needed.

The people you meet in these groups aren’t what you expect. They are all regular people with regular lives. They could be your neighbors or family members. We all come from different backgrounds and different situations, but we all feel a kinship.

When we discuss our issues together, we are all letting each other off the hook and allowing ourselves to feel okay speaking about our daily struggles.

No matter where you are in your addiction, it helps to know there are others. I never feel worse after going to therapy. It’s the consistent reminder that I am not alone in this fight.

It also gives me a great feeling of pride to know that I may have helped someone not get high because they heard my story. I know for a fact that when I hear other people’s stories, it helps prevent me from slipping. We are all there to help each other, and that alone gives us the confidence to continue. Give us a call at Pathfinders today to find a comforting, compassionate team of professionals dedicated to helping you find meaningful, lasting sobriety.