Signs of Addiction

This is a broad general view of addiction as different substances create different symptoms and effects on the individual and often addiction is to more than one substance. Addiction generally is a condition characterized by repeated, compulsive seeking and use of drugs or alcohol despite adverse social, mental, and physical consequences. It is usually accompanied by physiological and physical dependence with the appearance of withdrawal symptoms when the drug or alcohol is rapidly decreased or terminated. When addiction exists, the drug use controls the individual rather than the individual controlling the usage.

When speaking of an inpatient drug treatment clinic we are usually referring to a medical facility geared towards or specializing in getting the addict or alcoholic weaned from the use of these substances. Alcohol and several of the prescription painkillers and mood altering drugs run a health risk if cessation occurs ‘cold turkey’. Severe Delirium Tremens for alcohol abuse as well as several of the side effects from prescription dependence can be life threatening if not medically supervised. These ‘medical detox’ facilities can and do serve a vital role in the rehabilitation process. Many of these get the individual to the point were they can cease use of the drug or alcohol safely. This is by no means a full detoxification of the human body. Inpatient drug treatment clinic services need followed up with a program such as the New Life Detoxification Program at Narconon Arrowhead to fully handle the drug and toxins lodged in the fatty tissues of the body.

Effective drug or alcohol rehab starts with really understanding exactly what rehabilitation is. Rehabilitate in its broad sense means to restore to a previous condition. Any rehab to be effective needs to address the three factors which lead up to and cause addiction to continue. These are mental and physical cravings, quilt, and depression. Drug and alcohol abuse stems from mental or physical pain an individual does not wish to confront or deal with. The drugs or alcohol only appear to alleviate these conditions and after a time contribute to them as well as creating new sources in and endless cycle and trap known as addiction. Confronting and effectively handling the conditions brought about by cravings, quilt, and depression allows the addicted individual to truly ‘rehab’ him or herself and so be restored to a previous condition or at least as close as possible. Narconon Arrowhead is much more than a detox center where the individual simply quits using for a period. Narconon Arrowhead drug rehab methodologies fully handle the above factors allowing one to truly rehabilitate a previous condition and so remove the need for further drug or alcohol use as a false solution to living the life they want.

Narconon Arrowhead is an adult drug rehab, meaning the minimum age for enrollment in our program is 18 years old. Other than that age limitation, individuals come from varied backgrounds and experiences. We range in age from 18 to 80; individuals hail from all around the world, and run the entire gamut of educational, financial, and career backgrounds. We find the melting pot to be extremely advantageous in handling the addiction problem. Addicts and alcoholic are generally very selfish and self centered at the height of their addictions. As the new person moves through our program they find addicts helping addicts, which is a very strong force, as nobody knows the condition better than someone who has been there. Gaining the ability and desire to help another is a key point in extroverting the addict once again in preparing them to re-enter home or society.

Researching and choosing the best drug rehab is a daunting task at best. There is long-term, short-term, traditional, non-traditional, inpatient, outpatient, etc... Understanding rehabilitation as restoring something or someone to a previous condition helps in sorting out the various forms of drug rehab. Narconon Arrowhead is a long-term, non-traditional drug rehab. We specialize in creating drug free productive lives, not someone who has simply stopped drug or alcohol use for the moment. Effective drug rehab should involve the full and complete handling of the three factors that lay behind continued drug use and numerous relapses. First are mental and physical cravings for drugs or alcohol. Second and third are guilt and depression resulting from the situations and circumstances of our addiction, as well as various forms of these three that led up to initial drug and alcohol use to begin with. There is more to drug rehab than simply ceasing drug or alcohol use.