What is the Best Way to Detox From Alcohol?
If you are struggling with alcoholism, it might be time you get help. But what’s the best way to detox from alcohol? Too often, people try to go cold turkey, getting through their withdrawal symptoms without help, but this regularly leads to relapse. Next Wind Recovery is a New Jersey outpatient rehab center. If you are interested in learning more about outpatient alcohol detox, contact us today. What Are Common Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms? Alcoholism brings with it a wide range of withdrawal symptoms, some of which society lightly brushes off as the quintessential “hangover” feelings, but others that can be much more severe. 6 Hours Within the first six hours following your last drink, you will experience mild to severe symptoms that include: Insomnia Anxiety Headaches Nausea Sweating Shaking 12-48 Hours After that, all of these same symptoms can get much more severe. But you can also experience hallucinations and seizures. 48-72 Hours The final phase is the most dangerous. You will experience a fever, heavy sweating, confusion, and high blood pressure here. In about 5% of cases, alcohol withdrawal symptoms can result in delirium tremens, including delusions and hallucinations. What Does an Alcohol Detox Program Entail? An alcohol rehab in New Jersey begins with an assessment, after which you start your detox from alcohol under supervision to manage your alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Assessment During your initial assessment, the professionals at an alcohol detox center will ask basic questions about your alcoholism, how much you normally consume, how often, and what other substances you take. Understanding your history of substance abuse, mental health, and physical health will prepare the staff for the most effective alcohol detox program. Alcohol Detox Program Once you are ready, you check in at a North Jersey alcohol rehab center and start your detox from alcohol. This is the most dangerous time because it brings with it a serious risk of health complications like delirium tremens. With an alcohol detox center, you get 24-hour supervision from medical professionals who can provide you with over-the-counter and prescription medications as necessary to alleviate the severity of your withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms, as mentioned, can be incredibly painful, uncomfortable, and potentially harmful to your overall health. Professionals at a Northern Jersey alcohol detox center can, for example: Give you an IV to help regulate your fluids and prevent you from getting dehydrated Provide over-the-counter anti-nausea or pain medications to control things like muscle spasms, headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting Monitor your symptoms and adjust your medications as needed Aftercare After completing your alcohol detox program, you can start the long-term aspect of your rehab with inpatient or outpatient care programs at the same North Jersey alcohol rehab center. What is the Best Way to Detox From Alcohol? The best way to manage your alcohol withdrawal symptoms is to work with a New Jersey alcohol rehab center for your detox. Medication-Assisted Treatment Medication-assisted treatment is the best way to detox from alcohol. This type of alcohol detox program involves not just supervision and medication management during your initial withdrawal symptoms but to help you manage ongoing cravings. Contact Next Wind Recovery to learn more about our medication-assisted treatment in New Jersey. For example, many FDA-approved medications to manage ongoing cravings change how your body responds to alcohol, so you no longer get the same happy drunk feeling, or alcohol consumption might make you violently ill. These changes can help you modify the way your brain might otherwise positively view alcohol consumption. Ongoing Rehab Getting through your withdrawal symptoms is only the first step. The best way to detox from alcohol is to transition from your detox program into ongoing rehabs, like inpatient or outpatient programs which include group therapy, individual therapy, and 12-step programs. How to Find Alcohol Detox Programs in North Jersey If you are ready to get help, turn to Next Wind. Our North Jersey alcohol rehab center offers a comprehensive alcohol detox program complete with medication-assisted treatment to manage your alcohol withdrawal symptoms and ongoing cravings, group therapy, individual therapy, and 12-step programs. Contact us today to learn more about our addiction treatment programs in New Jersey.
Is Medication Assisted Treatment Effective?
If you or someone you love is struggling with opioid addiction or alcoholism, it might feel like some form of rehab isn’t enough. Those who have an opioid or alcohol addiction and don’t get MAT have the highest relapse rates and relapse within the first year of treatment. But with MAT, you can treat not only the symptoms of withdrawal, but ongoing cravings, mood swings, and other mental health struggles that lead to a relapse. This blog will explore the question, is medication-assisted treatment effective and how to find programs near you. What is the Purpose of Medically Assisted Treatment? Medication-assisted treatment is a form of rehab that combines FDA-approved medications with traditional therapy. With medically assisted rehab, you get ongoing medications that either block the effects of drugs or relieve the withdrawal symptoms. This type of medically assisted treatment is best for addictive substances like opioids and alcohol. Alcohol and opioids are the most addictive substances today, posing a serious health risk to society. Both have a significant biopsychosocial impact. Opioids, for example, have the highest levels of cravings and are related to the lowest levels of self-efficacy and perceived criticism among users. Alcoholism without MAT leads to higher levels of being unemployed, single, and with a criminal record. In both groups, the most common reason people relapse within the first year is just to put themselves in a better mood. Is Medication Assisted Treatment Effective? With that in mind, medically-assisted treatment is more effective because it targets the biopsychosocial effects, controls the cravings with medications, and boosts things like self-efficacy and mood thanks to ongoing therapy. According to the PEW research center, medically assisted rehab is significantly more effective than medication or therapy alone. The combination of FDA-approved medications and therapy increases your chances of full recovery. These medications can reverse changes to the brain’s reward system, while therapy can help provide more effective coping skills. Moreover, those struggling with opioid addiction are more likely to overdose and experience a fatal overdose without access to medically assisted treatment. Why is it Necessary to Receive MAT at a Professional Rehab Center? It would help if you used a MAT rehab center for your medication-assisted treatment because the medications used are FDA-approved prescription medications. You cannot get these medications at your local grocery store or order them online. Only medical professionals can administer them, monitor your recovery, and modify your dosage as necessary. The medications administered as part of MAT are also provided during your initial detox and as part of your ongoing therapy. The use of the FDA-approved medications legally requires you to complete ongoing therapy at the same time. You cannot get the prescriptions for MAT without attending individual and group therapy sessions, something that your therapist and counselor have to report back to your doctors and the government. Finding Comprehensive MAT in North Jersey If you are to get help at a MAT rehab center in North Jersey, come to Next Wind. Our medically assisted rehab program helps you manage your pain and cravings. Getting through the first few days of your withdrawal can sometimes be the most difficult part. With our medication-assisted treatment, we can help you manage mood fluctuations. Instead of living with a perpetually bad mood and reverting to drugs or alcohol to feel good, we can help you reduce the euphoria you get from opioids or alcohol so that a relapse is a less attractive option. We also help avoid substituting one type of drug with another by integrating medications like Naltrexone into our medically assisted treatment. We know how hard it can be to function without drugs and alcohol after an addiction, but our caring team is here to help increase your chances of success with MAT and ongoing therapy. Contact Next Wind Recovery today to learn more about our New Jersey outpatient rehab.
How to Find a Job After Rehab
Recovering from substance abuse is a lifelong challenge, and many people find obstacles along their path to sobriety. One of the most common obstacles is how to find a job after rehab. There are many obstacles to finding employment, but there are just as many tips for getting a good job after rehab. If wondering how to find a job after rehab ends, Next Wind Recovery can help. Next Wind Recovery is a drug rehab in New Jersey. Contact us today to learn more about our New Jersey addiction treatment programs. Why Can it be Challenging to Find Work After Rehab? Finding a job after rehab can be challenging for many reasons: Sometimes people have a criminal history, the result of substance abuse, and that criminal history can limit the number of jobs that are available. Sometimes the barriers include gaps in employment history because of multiple stints in jail or rehab facilities, which can make finding employment after rehab impossible for companies who want to see stable employment histories. Sometimes people have financial complications, so finding employment after rehab can be difficult if any job requires things like background checks, criminal history checks, or credit checks. Other times there are technology or skills gaps, limited education, or just the stigma of working in recovery. Another way in which it’s a challenge is that some people are working in recovery. They are still attending meetings or going to therapy, so they need job opportunities that facilitate flexible work schedules while still offering full-time employment. Tips for Getting a Job After Rehab When you start looking for a job, know that you might face setbacks, which might not happen immediately, and you might very well face many “no’s” before you find the right “yes.” But with time and dedication, it can happen. Use available employment services. Many facilities and rehab programs help you transition back to daily life by obtaining higher education, child care, transportation, and employment. Good rehab facilities will be happy to help you with connections to local job opportunities or even help you with things like writing a resume. Don’t be afraid to ask around. Too often, people try to handle problems like finding a job after rehab on their own, but you shouldn’t be afraid to ask anyone and everyone in your personal network about any employment opportunities they might know of. Ask your doctor, your therapist, your counselor, people in your support group, your friends, or your family. Even if they can’t offer you an immediate, long-term job, they might be able to offer something short-term to get you back on your feet or point you in the right direction. Use online resources. Websites like America in Recovery are online job search resources specifically for people in recovery. Jobs posted on these websites are done so by employers who are already aware of the fact that their candidates are working in recovery, so you don’t have to struggle with disclosing your substance disorder or not. Are There Employment Services For People in Recovery? Yes! The government offers employee assistance programs to help in finding employment after rehab. Other prominent services include Recovery Through Entrepreneurship. Finding a job after rehab usually only means low-level or entry-level positions. That is why this organization specializes in multi-week programs that give you the financial, business, networking, and digital skills you need to start your own business. People who have overcome addiction or mental health disorders might need more flexible work schedules or a chance to work independently without some of the confinement of traditional employment. What’s more, people who have struggled in this way might have unique insight into an area of business that is in demand but not yet being fulfilled by other companies. Organizations like Jobs, Friends & Houses give people actionable skills by renovating properties and flipping them. Working with this organization gives you a chance to start an apprenticeship and obtain skills that you can use for a legitimate, long-term career. How Does Next Wind Recovery Help People Find Jobs After Treatment? Next Wind helps people in recovery with comprehensive aftercare programs. We understand that aftercare services shouldn’t be limited to ongoing group therapy. That is why we offer help finding employment after rehab, increasing your viable skills, getting help with ongoing education, and much more. Contact Next Wind Recovery today to learn more about our programs and aftercare services in New Jersey.