More Information
Hopefully, this article will spur you to take action and make that next step of enrolling in care just a little bit easier.
If you have an addiction to drugs and you’ve landed on this page in a search for Virginia drug rehab programs that could help you, take a moment to congratulate yourself. Just thinking about entering a program for addiction is a step in the right direction, as it means you’re almost ready to leave your addiction behind and start getting help that could allow you to build a sober life.
How Safe Are Street Drugs?
Dealers in Virginia may tell their clients that they don’t need to recover from their addictions, as the drugs sold within the state are considered pure. These dealers may site a story from the Daily Press that states that heroin in the state is traditionally of a higher purity than drugs sold in surrounding states. Don’t be fooled.
Heroin you buy one day may be safe, but a dose you buy the next day may include:
- Quinine
- Mannitol
- Acetaminophen
- Caffeine
- Dextromethorphan
Any of these ingredients could cause serious physical side effects. It’s best to get help and stop using drugs altogether, rather than believing the lies told by dealers.
Getting Ready
Very few Virginia drug rehab programs will ask you to prepare for your treatment. You won’t be asked to bring a letter of recommendation from a friend, for example, and you might not be required to provide your medical records. There’s no special diet you need to follow in the days prior to your admission, and you won’t need to buy special clothes or equipment. All you’ll need to do is take the time to mentally prepare for the work that’s ahead of you.
Some people find it helpful to make a list of all of the reasons they’d like to get sober, and they bring that list with them to treatment. Taking a step like this might help you to stay motivated, even when the work seems difficult.
If you’re accustomed to taking an opiate like heroin or prescription painkillers, there are some medications that could help ease the symptoms of withdrawal you might feel as you wean your body away from drugs. You might be asked to stop taking opiates in the hours before your treatment begins, so you’ll be in a mild state of withdrawal when you arrive. The medications can interact with the drugs you take, plunging you into withdrawal if you take the medications when drugs are still active within your body.
Moving Forward
When you begin treatment at your Virginia drug rehab program, the staff will monitor you closely to ensure that you feel comfortable and calm throughout the withdrawal process.
According to an article in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, medical professionals often use an 11-point scale in order to monitor people going through opiate withdrawal, ensuring that they provide the right dosage of medications at the right time to help their clients. When withdrawal is complete, you’ll move on to therapy and support group participation, learning more about the nature of addiction and how you can keep your urges under control.
