One of the most damaging myths about drug addiction treatment and its efficacy is the idea that one must want to go to rehab in order to be successful. The truth is that even women who would like to live a life without heroin addiction, alcoholism, painkiller addiction and addiction to other drugs, few really sign up for drug rehab with a happy, gung-ho attitude. Almost everyone is scared: scared of “failing” through relapse and scared of succeeding and living with the intimidating task of figuring out how to get through each day without drugs and alcohol.

There is no magical way to overcome these fears and the general reluctance of even the most willing, but if there were it can be summed up in a single phrase: “Act as if.”

What “Act As If” Means to Women Entering Drug Treatment

“Acting as if” means walking through the doors of a drug rehab like you want to be there, even if you don’t. Rather than beginning each day with overwhelming thoughts like “I can never get high again” or “I’m done with drinking forever,” you start the day thinking, “What do I want for breakfast?” You act as if living without drugs and alcohol were the most perfectly natural thing in the world and whenever nagging doubts start to creep in, immediately rearrange your thoughts to focus on the next thing someone without a drug and alcohol addiction would think about.

Is “Acting As If” Dishonest?

One of the primary tenets of any successful drug rehab program is honesty and some are concerned  that “acting as if” is just another form of lying. If you honestly feel like you want to get loaded, is it dishonest to ignore it and pretend that you feel anything different? It’s an interesting question, but when your goal is to strive toward stability and a solid foundation based on positive thinking that sets you up to make the next best choice in any given situation, then “acting as if” is the best way to get there on the days when this seems like the most difficult thing in the world.

When Does “Acting As If” Turn Into a Real Desire to Live Without Drugs and Alcohol?

This will vary from person to person. But desires, and feelings, come and go in early recovery, and they’re difficult to pinpoint and hold onto, much less use as a foundation for a new life. Even those who have been clean and sober for decades have days when they don’t feel like doing it anymore. But the whole point of “acting as if” is to let goal of sobriety rule your decisions as opposed to how you feel. Actions based on feelings are usually compulsive and rarely the best choice for you. Actions based on well-thought out goals and healthful positive directions for your life are always going to serve you better in the long run.

If you’d like to learn more about drug addiction treatment for women, contact The Orchid today.

Women frequently become addicted to one or more drugs to deal with intense emotional pain. Deep emotional pain may stem from a woman’s childhood or an abusive relationship in her adult years. Many times, women don’t seek or succeed at drug rehab because these underlying problems are not properly addressed. If a woman continues to live with an abusive man, why would she agree to give up her addiction, the one thing that allows her some escape from the terror and loneliness of her relationship?

Also, women often do not get the benefit of a supportive female community in most drug rehab centers. Dr Karen Dodge has studied women’s recovery a great deal. She has learned that women heal in unique ways by joining other women in a mutually supportive environment. This key understanding is at the foundation of the Orchid Recovery Center. Where other rehab centers may try to serve everyone needing treatment, the Orchid focuses just on the specific needs of women.

Drug Treatment Approach for Women

No matter what addiction you are dealing with, the Orchid Recovery Center is equipped to help you with each step of the process. For some addictive drugs, a medical drug detox is required before beginning treatment. It can be medically risky to detox off drugs without medical supervision, especially when someone is using large amounts of one or more drugs.

The holistic treatment process at the Orchid Recovery Center involves traditional 12-step philosophies, individual counseling, and group counseling methods. Research-based methods provide a solid foundation for successful drug rehab outcomes.

What makes the Orchid unique is its use of ancient healing and spiritual practices to enhance a woman’s addiction recovery experience. The mind, body, and spirit are given ample attention. The staff at the Orchid know that when a woman has balance among these three elements of her life, she will be much less susceptible to relapse.

Drug Rehab for Many Addictions

Drug Rehab is available for many kinds of drug addictions:

• Alcoholism
• Prescription painkillers (Oxycontin, Vicodin, morphine, etc)
• Prescription stimulants (amphetamines, Adderall)
• Prescription depressants (Xanax, Valium)
• Marijuana addiction
• Cocaine addiction
• Crack cocaine addiction
• Crystal Meth addiction
• Heroin addiction

This is far from a complete list of drugs that women can become addicted to, including so-called “club drugs” like PCP, LSD, and Ecstacy. The Orchid Recovery Center treats all types of drug addictions.

It’s not uncommon for women to have poly-substance addiction, meaning that a woman is addicted to more than one drug at once. Many people use more than one drug together to get different effects, so it makes sense that more than one addiction could develop.

Drug Addiction Get Help Now

If you are ready to begin your addiction recovery journey, the Orchid Recovery Center admissions staff is ready to help you. You can contact the Orchid via their toll-free number to ask questions about the admission process. You will be asked questions about your addiction and other personal information. At the end of the phone call, you will set up an appointment for an addiction assessment. The full drug rehab admission process is explained on the Orchid Recovery Center website.

If you need to get help now for drug addiction, enter your number into the contact page. Within moments, you will be called by a professional from the Orchid. If you are reaching out for yourself or on behalf of a loved one, the Orchid is ready to respond to your concerns and needs about drug rehab 24 hours a day.