Addictions often come in more than one form. Your cravings for drugs and alcohol begin in the brain, and they may also include physical symptoms such as nausea and headaches that make it hard to quit everything at once on your own. Alcohol rehab centers in Florida have programs available that are designed to target the underlying causes for your addiction. The strategies that you will learn in an alcohol rehab program can help you overcome other types of addictions as well such as a dependency upon painkillers or cocaine.
When you enter the rehab center, it is important to be honest about all of your habits. The professional counselors are not there to judge you. Instead, they use the information that you provide to begin creating a plan that helps you be successful in the program. They also need to know if you have been using other types of drugs since this could affect your withdrawal and detox symptoms. Knowing about everything allows your care team to address all of the issues that surround your addictions.
Why Alcohol and Drug Addictions Often Occur Together
The simple explanation for multiple addictions is that they all stem from the same sources in your brain. Your mind becomes dependent upon alcohol and other substances to help make you feel good. For instance, you may have started drinking to alleviate your social anxiety, and you then tried using drugs to generate the same effects when you couldn’t have a drink. There are also sometimes genetic factors that influence addiction. People with a family history of addiction may also be at greater risk of developing simultaneous dependencies upon drugs and alcohol.
Your lifestyle may also have led you to try multiple substances. Alcohol and certain drugs are commonly used together at parties such as raves or concerts. You may have even used these substances in a professional atmosphere when you were networking with coworkers. While it may seem overwhelming to try to escape from this type of lifestyle, it is possible. With help from your addiction treatment center counselors, you can learn how to find new activities that support sobriety.
Dangers Associated With Combining Substances
Alcohol is a depressant for your nervous system, and its effects can be made stronger by the use of other depressants. This is why you have likely read medication labels that warn you no two use alcohol with certain pills such as painkillers. Using alcohol with other drugs can cause you to fall asleep when you need to pay attention to what you are doing such as when you are driving. Combining substances could also cause your nervous system to become so depressed that you fall into a coma.
Dealing with multiple addictions is also emotionally challenging. You may have experienced financial problems from trying to purchase alcohol and drugs. Supporting multiple addictions gets expensive, and you may also have trouble maintaining a job when you are under the influence of mind-altering substances for the majority of the day. Your relationships may also be suffering, and dealing with all of the extra stress just makes your cravings worse. As your ability to hide your addictions declines, you may have people expressing their concerns about your behavior. If so, this is a sure sign that you need help dealign with all of your addictions.
How Alcohol Rehab Centers Treat Co-Occurring Addictions
An alcohol rehab center may focus on helping people to end their drinking habits, but it is also set up to help you deal with all of the problems that cause you to want to drink and do drugs. Your program may include several different types of counseling that can all be applied to any type of addiction.
•intensive individual therapy
•expressive therapies such as art and music
•cognitive behavioral therapy
•family counseling
Depending upon your needs, you may go to an inpatient or an outpatient program. While your alcohol rehab will help you stop using drugs, you should be aware that ending several addictions may require more intensive therapy and a longer stay compared to if you were just dealing with a mild drinking problem. Make sure to stay focused during your treatment, and remember that you are doing the best thing that you can for your health and future. If possible, have your family be involved with your treatment so that you benefit from having multiple sources of support.
Are you afraid that you have developed more than one addiction? Give our alcohol rehab center a call to talk about how we can help you overcome all of your struggles today at 844-903-2111.