Drug and Alcohol Rehab Portugal

Starting your recovery journey can be very difficult for many people as it often involves overcoming your mental blocks. Making that decision to change your life can seem scary, but you need to remember that just because you know what addiction feels like.

Just because at this point, it may feel familiar and the comforting option to continue with. It doesn’t mean that it is safe.

Addiction can do serious mental and physical damage that can impact the rest of your life and even kill you. But at this point, you may not even be sure you have an addiction. Don’t worry; denial is often simply considered the first step toward long-term recovery. You can ask yourself certain questions to see if you have an addiction that you need help with.

Please read the following questions carefully and answer them as honestly as possible.

1. Do you find yourself prioritising substance abuse overwork and leisure activities?
2. Do you regularly start and end your day with substance abuse?
3. Do you regularly binge drink?
4. Do you regularly lie to doctors or chemists to get access to prescription drugs?
5. Do you regularly use prescription drugs outside their intended purpose?
6. Do you regularly use prescription drugs longer than you need them?
7. Do you often drink alcohol with other drugs for a more intense high?
8. Do you experience cravings for drugs or alcohol?
9. Have you ever put yourself or a loved one in danger because of substance abuse?
10. Have you ever broken the law to access drugs or alcohol
11. Do you experience anxiety, depression, paranoia and mood swings if you ignore your cravings?
12. Do you have a family history of addiction?
13. Have you noticed a decline in your mental and physical health?
14. Have you experienced trauma in your past?
15. Do you think that you might have an addiction?

You know your body best, and if you think something is wrong most of the time, something is, and you need help. People without an addiction don’t wonder if they have one. You know that you need help. You just may be afraid to take the next step. There is nothing to fear. Everything will be alright.

The Detox Process

Rehab treatments tend to begin with a drug and alcohol detox. It is also one of the most important treatments, making it safe to work through your other treatments and potentially go the rest of your life without drugs or alcohol. There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding the detox process, making it famously the worst part of the rehabilitation process.

Here are the simple facts about alcohol and drug detox so that you can see that there is nothing to fear.

The detox process takes around ten days to fully complete, and during that time, a team of medical professionals will monitor you daily and nightly. This team is there to ensure that the withdrawal symptoms you experience never develop to the point of danger.

Withdrawal symptoms can include:

• Nausea
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Mood swings
• Chills
• Hot flashes
• Goosebumps
• Light sensitivity
• Muscle pain
• Muscle spasms
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Paranoia
• Delirium
• Dehydration
• Hallucinations
• Seizures

The supervising medical team can provide you with medication to relieve the withdrawal symptoms if they prove too much for your body to handle. The detox is safe as long as it is done with medical supervision. Once it is finished, you won’t need to worry about withdrawal symptoms again, meaning that you can potentially go the rest of your life without experiencing them again or needing drugs or alcohol.

The detox with you a fresh start and relieves your physical cravings so that you can concentrate on the rest of your treatments.

Therapy Treatments for Addiction

With the detox dealing with the physical addiction, there is still the mental addiction. Therapy in drug and alcohol rehab is designed to do two things.

1. The first is to help you to understand what caused your substance abuse in the first place. Then, you will work with a therapist to identify your triggers for your cravings and how to build up your mental health.
2. The second is to teach you how to manage your addiction in the long term so that you can continue to make good progress even after you leave the rehab centre. Addiction is something that will be with you for the rest of your life, so it is important that you learn how to deal with your cravings more healthily.

Depending on your needs, you could be recommended for the following therapies in alcohol and drug rehab.

• Cognitive behavioural therapy
• Motivational interviewing
• Holistic therapy
• Individual therapy
• Group therapy

Therapeutic treatment enables you to live a long and happy life by avoiding a relapse once you leave the rehab centre.

Rehab Treatment in Portugal

If you live in Portugal or the Uk and are interested in seeking help for your addiction, then you are not alone. Now more than ever, people are coming forward to seek help for their addictions through private drug and alcohol rehab centres all across the country. Since the government decriminalised drug use in 2001, help has become more accessible than ever. All you need to do is be willing to ask for it.

To access the help, all you need to do is contact a rehab centre and then your GP to ask for a referral and medical history to be sent over. Then after a pre-admissions assessment, you can book in and start your journey to long-term recovery.

Get in Touch

If you are ready to start your journey to long-term recovery, all you need to do is to give us a call at 0800 012 6088. A member of our team at Addiction Advocates will be able to help you from there.

We are here to make this difficult time as easy on you as possible. And to access our help, all you need to do is ask for it.