Manchester

From job changes to family disputes, unforeseen health struggles and care for elderly parents, the stress of life can impact all of us. Sometimes, these stressors can be a lot to handle and can bring about the desire to escape or feel better if even just for a short period of time.

Some people look forward to a drink or a drug at the end of a long day, but that drink or drug can become an obsession. It is perfectly understandable to want to find a pleasurable experience to enjoy. After all, you work hard and deserve a break. The problem begins when the substance begins to impact your daily life.

Do you wake up hungover for work, wondering how you will make it through the day? Do your cravings for your drug of choice overwhelm your rational mind, telling you that it’s important to spend your money on getting a fix rather than paying your bills? If you struggle with these issues in Manchester, New Hampshire, these might be the signs of an addiction.

Addiction Is a Disease That Impacts Many People

If this sounds like your experience, there is no reason to feel shame or fear. After all, addiction is a disease just like diabetes or hypertension. In many cases, this disease can be fatal if not treated. It is a serious and life-altering condition that requires professional care.

New Hampshire has not been immune to the opioid crisis with 412 overdose deaths in the state in 2018 alone. Additionally, alcohol sales are up in the state during the coronavirus pandemic, and New Hampshire consumes more alcohol per capita than any other state.

In short, if you find yourself in the midst of a substance use disorder, you are not alone: Many others struggle with these issues as well.

Signs of a Substance Use Disorder

Worries about the negative impact of drugs and alcohol can be concerning, but there are ways to determine if these worries are a sign of a serious issue.

Here are some things to consider if you think you may have a problem:

• Have you started fighting with your loved ones more often?
• Are you giving up hobbies you used to enjoy a lot?
• Do you eat or sleep differently than you used to?

If your particular issue centers around alcohol, ask yourself:

• Have you tried to stop drinking or cut back, only to find that you drink too much once again?
• Do you make time for drinking or hangovers but cut back on time with friends and family or at work?
• Did you forget events that happened while you were drinking?
• Are there withdrawal symptoms that occur when you stop drinking?

If your primary substance is a drug or drugs, consider:

• Do you experience a mental obsession for the drug?
• Do you mix the drug with other drugs or alcohol?
• Are you easily agitated, depressed or moody?

Take the time to ask yourself these questions without judgment or fear. After all, this is your life, and you have an important opportunity to honestly assess whether you think you are encountering a problem with drugs or alcohol.

Next Steps to Address a Substance Use Disorder

If you’ve recognized that you have an issue with alcohol or drugs, you may want to think about getting help for the problem you’ve identified. What happens next?

Addiction is a serious issue, and it can literally take your life away. Every year, 2.8 million people die from alcohol-related causes. In the United States, alcohol-related deaths have doubled since 1999, and drug-related deaths have tripled. Substance use disorders are extremely serious and sometimes deadly.

What these statistics do not illuminate, though, is the pain and suffering that addicted people encounter on a daily basis, struggling with the financial, emotional and physical consequences of putting an addictive substance into the body. Serious issues like this require treatment that is equally as serious in order to make a difference.

The first consideration you may want to make is to participate in a 12-step meeting, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. Meetings for both of these programs occur in your local area. You can find a list of New Hampshire AA meetings or NA meetings that will welcome you as you search for a solution to treating your disease.

It can be intimidating to attend a meeting for the first time, but attendees will not judge you and will welcome you to come and see what this is all about. You will not be required to use the word “alcoholic” or “addict” to describe yourself if you don’t want to. If you want to simply say, “I am here to listen,” you will be accepted.

Although attending a meeting is a good first step, many people find that these meetings, while helpful, are not enough to make the transition to stop the use of drugs and alcohol. For a lot of New Hampshire residents, treatment in a rehab facility is needed to remove the substance entirely and begin to rebuild their lives.

Rehabilitation and Treatment

What is a rehabilitation center? A rehabilitation center provides comprehensive treatment for an individual who suffers from a substance use disorder. Treatment is typically offered on a residential basis and includes therapy, addresses withdrawal and removes the patient from their day-to-day environment. These rehab centers provide a chance for the person suffering to focus their energy entirely on addressing their addiction without attending to the stresses they normally encounter.

New Hampshire residents are fortunate to have a fantastic example of such a place in Green Mountain Treatment Center. Our location provides the most important features for any treatment facility: a peaceful and therapeutic environment, a compassionate treatment philosophy and a chance to build a new, post-addiction life.

At Green Mountain Treatment Center, individuals can breathe in the mountain air and relax as they attend therapy and support meetings. Professionals provide comprehensive, individualized treatment options to help residents take recovery into their own hands.

We believe that there is more to substance use disorder than addiction. Simply put, emotional healing is a necessary part of the process, and Green Mountain Treatment Center will help you lay the foundations for this process.

How does this healing occur? We offer several approaches to facilitate this process. We provide CBT as well as EMDR and Gestalt therapies among many other treatment options. Clinicians connect with patients to learn their histories and then determine the best approach for their unique needs.

We also find that many individuals suffering from substance use disorder receive tremendous benefit from participating in a 12-step program.

12 Steps and Therapy Together

At Green Mountain Treatment Center, we believe that walking through the door is the first step to healing and recovery. In effect, patients who want to get help are recognizing they have a problem, which is the first of the 12 steps of recovery.

Therapeutic approaches are also a vital component of resolving emotional pain and healing. Many patients find the combined approach between the 12 steps and psychotherapy to be optimally helpful. After all, getting free from drugs or alcohol is the initial stage of recovery, but it does not resolve the underlying sources of pain and disordered thinking that led to the addictive behavior in the first place.

Drug or alcohol use can move from a fun, enjoyable pastime to a physical and mental prison. The mind can play tricks on us, telling us that there is no problem or that we have solved the issues and can resume consumption of our substance of choice. In short, denial prevents us from seeing the bars on our cage.

The 12 steps take us on a journey of recognition and truth-finding. This process can be illuminating as many of us have not had the opportunity to prioritize self-reflection and discovery before.

Furthermore, therapy, both group and individual, provides a tremendous benefit to the seeker as he or she addresses issues with honesty and courage.

The combination of these two approaches provides the gift of recovery to our clients. We take recovery seriously, and we trust that you will learn and grow from our multidisciplinary approach.

Why Green Mountain Treatment Center?

Perhaps you’ve thought about the negative impact that addictive substances are having on your life, and you’re considering treatment. You may be wondering why you should select Green Mountain Treatment Center as the place to get this help.

This residential center is located in an exceptionally beautiful remote area and provides yoga, meditation and spiritual development. Getting on top of an addiction can be a daunting prospect, but if it needs to be done, our center offers a peaceful, relaxing and contemplative environment for addressing alcohol or drug addiction in New Hampshire.

The clinical and therapeutic offerings here address how a person’s illness affects body, mind and spirit. This means that professional counselors and therapists provide a variety of psychological interventions as well as facilitating the 12-step process.

Through Green Mountain Treatment Center’s gender-separate facilities, you will find a safe space to discuss the deep issues that may have led to your substance use disorder. Many clients find themselves able to speak freely about personal issues because they are apart from members of the opposite sex.

Finally, Green Mountain Treatment Center offers a client-to-client program. This approach pairs new entrants to the rehab center with those who have made progress in the program. Essentially, this provides hope of successful recovery to the new client as well as motivation for the more seasoned participant to continue along their journey. We are able to help one another through the recovery process and thereby prevent isolation and hopefully make relapse an unappealing prospect.

Counting Days of Sobriety and a New Life

Some substance users in Manchester, New Hampshire, have not been able to get more than a day or two of sobriety under their belts. Others are able to cobble a few weeks together but crumble at the first real hurdle.

Green Mountain Treatment Center will take your hand and lead you through the challenges of early sobriety. We care about your journey and want recovery for you so that you can go on to achieve great things in life.

Many of those who consider the prospect of making a big change are afraid of what this decision may mean. At Green Mountain Treatment Center, we know that getting sober can be scary. Part of the recovery process means letting go of expectations and trusting the small voice inside that still hasn’t given up hope.

Call us today to see what treatment looks like for you. Trust yourself, make the change and begin to believe in yourself again.