Do you need a doctor recommendation to go to residential drug treatment programs?

The line between recreational drug and alcohol use and addictive behavior can be worrisome. If you are concerned about your use and the quality of your life, a talk with your doctor may be helpful. Your physician can help you better understand your options and the benefits of detox and treatment. Do you need a doctor recommendation to go to residential drug treatment programs?

You can get into rehab without a doctor’s recommendation or referral. If you want to use insurance to cover the costs of rehab, working with your doctor can help to reduce your out of pocket expenses. At the end of the day, the question you really need to worry about is how much will it cost your life if you don’t go to rehab.

Be Ready to Travel

Quality residential drug treatment may require you to head out of state for the detox and treatment phase. Depending on your home situation, this may mean months away from your family and your job. While such a move will be hard on your career and your family relationships, undergoing monitored detox and getting the treatment needed to let your body, mind and spirit heal. Modern technology will allow you to connect in with your family for family counseling over time. It should be noted that, if you’ve been undergoing regular checkups, you’re not hiding your addiction from your physician.

Even if you believe that you’ve been hiding your addiction from friends, family and co-workers, your physical degradation will be quite visible. For those struggling to control or reduce alcohol consumption, your blood tests will tell any story you’ve been trying to hide. To that end, it is important that you share your concerns with your physician as soon as they arise. If your physician has had to bring them up with you, you may have avoided getting a physical for a while. Your physician can help you find a residential drug treatment program to help you undergo a safe, monitored detox.

It is critical that you not attempt this process alone. It’s also not a good idea to undergo this experience with a friend or a loved one. Detox is both dangerous and incredibly uncomfortable.

Symptoms can include

  • nausea and vomiting
  • elevated heart rate and blood pressure
  • shakiness and sweating

If you can’t sleep, you will be edgy and cruel. If you can sleep, the risk of vomiting and aspiration is high. Extreme dehydration can put you at risk of heart arrhythmia. Feeling sweaty and clammy will add to your misery and may lead to verbal abuse of the people trying to help you. Finally, you may lose touch with reality and become dangerous. Your friends and loved ones may not be able to deal with you and you do not want to come back around and realize you’ve injured someone or destroyed a relationship. For those trying to detox from other drugs, symptoms can include cramping, severe stomach upset and extreme nerve pain.

Depending on the length of time you’ve been using, you may need medications to help you survive the detox and withdrawal process. No matter what you are trying to get out of your system, you will need monitoring to make sure that you don’t become dangerously dehydrated. The shame mindset forces many who are concerned about their drug use to hide their usage. Understanding that addiction is a disease may not be possible, especially if you have a family history of addiction and grew up hiding it from the world. Be ready to honestly discuss your concerns with your physician. They will be able to help you understand the physical damage you are facing.

They can also help you find a counselor to uncover the damage done by shame over the course of your life Quality detox and residential drug treatment can keep your body alive long enough to do the challenging emotional and psychological work necessary to understand the disease that is addiction. You may have tried to stop using many times. On your own, detox is dangerous and risky. Monitored treatment is critical to treating underlying conditions and training you to manage your life drug-free. Discuss your concerns with your physician to get access to the best residential drug treatment for your concerns. Ready to get started? Call us today at 833-846-5669.