If you suffer from addiction there are a lot of questions that can be overwhelming. The most important one is how to pay for treatment. Luckily, most insurances cover the costs, or at least partially cover the costs. The first step to starting this journey is to accept that you need to make a change. Make sure you are ready to commit for the long haul.
The next step is finding a rehab center that is within your insurance network, or one you can afford to pay out of pocket. Recovery is a life-long process to help you remain sober. Recovery requires a great support system in place, and a new way of handling life’s problems.
Let’s dive into some of the questions you might be facing as you start the road to recovery.
What is Addiction?
Addiction is, simply put, the inability to control your substance use with no regard to harmful consequences. Addiction changes the brain’s reward system. It can manifest in three ways: cravings for the substance, losing control of use of the substance, and continued use despite negative effects. Substance abuse is a mental illness that affects around 35 million people worldwide. Whether it is opioids, alcohol, or hard drugs, people suffering from this illness are not alone. I found some statistics on drug usage throughout the world here. It isn’t an isolated disease, and it isn’t the same for everyone.
There isn’t one known cause of substance abuse. It can be caused by stress, trauma, or an underlying mental health issue. Some people are predisposed to becoming addicted due to genetics. Other causes can be environmental, such as peer pressure, an unstable home environment, parental substance use, or community attitudes.
How Can Rehab Centers Help?
The most effective way to manage addiction is through a rehab center. There are two types of rehab centers, inpatient and outpatient. Depending on what you are looking for, one might be better than the other. Rehab centers can only work when the participant has chosen to participate and wants to change. Most Rehab centers provide an individual plan for overcoming addiction. Not everyone’s recovery is the same so an individual plan is important.
Most rehabs will focus on detoxing first to rid the substance, but that doesn’t treat the addiction. The participant needs to focus on therapy to help them work through their issues. Therapy provides people with the ability to replace their negative behavior with a positive one. It is an important step in the recovery process to focus on tackling the issues that trigger substance abuse, along with any underlying mental health issues that could make it worse.
Most programs focus on individual and group therapies. Providing a sense of community can be a huge benefit to anyone trying to make big changes in their life and lifestyles. It is important for the participants to keep choosing to make changes every day. Some people will relapse, so having the community to lean on is a benefit throughout the rehab program, and the rest of their lives.
Does Insurance Cover the Cost?
Due to the Affordable Health Care Act, insurances will cover or partially cover addiction rehabs. Whether or not your insurance will cover all or some, depends on the individual coverage. Here are some rehab centers that accept Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance. If your insurance covers all the costs, it will most likely have to be a rehab center in their network. You can find out by asking your insurance, or reaching out to the rehab center directly.
If your insurance is only covering partial, or you need help securing finances for loss of work, or other expenses, private loans can help offset these costs. Another alternative is finding state funded rehab centers. These centers can help provide some or all the cost of rehab facilities. There are plenty of grants to help provide treatment.
If payment is what is holding you back from getting the help you need, don’t let it. There are so many viable options for securing funds to attend a treatment facility. Don’t let lack of money keep you from getting the help you need. Paying for rehab is an investment in your future. Treatment is as necessary for substance abuse as it is for any other disease, and should be handled with the same respect.
What is Recovery?
There is no clear definition of recovery. Recovery is unique for every person and cannot be defined as one particular thing. In general, recovery is having the tools in place to help each person overcome their addiction. It is, in essence, a maintained lifestyle that promotes non-habit forming decisions. Recovery is making the choices every day that contribute to each persons’ prolonged sobriety.
Recovery is based on the work put in at the rehab facility or other treatment option, and continues every day. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Commission defined four things that support an individual’s recovery. The basis of recovery stems from a sense of health, purpose, community, and home. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-exactly-is-recovery-67303 provides more information on what recovery is, and some helpful principles for remaining clean.
An important aspect of recovery is understanding the risk of relapse is high. If you relapse, it isn’t a failure, it is a part of the process. Relapses cannot be taken personally, and shouldn’t be dwelt upon. That is why it is important to have the support system to help you get back to a healthy place. Throughout recovery, remaining humble by your abilities, and asking for help when you need it, is vital.
Recovery is a step-by-step, day-by-day process that requires the knowledge learned at the rehab centers, a great sense of community, and individual commitment. Staying diligent about the process is the best way to transform your life for the better.