The overuse of recreational drugs starts to affect every aspect of your life and livelihood. What was once a good time with friends is now an issue that needs to be resolved to save your relationships, job, and reputation. Does Your Brain Ever Fully Recover From Drug Abuse?
But don’t worry, even if these thighs are gone and you find yourself in despair – there is still hope for you. Contrary to popular belief, when you stop taking drugs and enter into recovery, your brain recovers too.
Those lost and damaged brain cells don’t stay lost forever; they come back and light up your brain in the correct way again. So if you need another reason to enter into recovery, this is it – make an effort and reclaim your life.
Addiction treatment
Treatment is one of the first steps to repairing your brain after long-term drug abuse. Those with a drug issue will be aware that treatment can help them, but they might not know how. Addiction treatment is broad and tailored to individual needs.
Treatment options include detoxification, cognitive behavioral therapy, meditations, and in and outpatient treatments. These treatment options eliminate drugs from your system and allow your brain’s neuroplasticity to operate effectively again.
Treatment detoxification
The best place to start to recover from drug abuse is detoxification. While the substances occupy your body, you will continue to crave the drug physically and psychologically. As you can probably tell, drug detoxification is a long-term concern, and in some cases, it will last a lifetime.
Detoxification doesn’t happen all at once. It’s not as if you are deprived of your drug immediately and left to suffer. Instead, the substance is reduced gradually in your system until your brain’s neuroplasticity changes. Then, brain cells will also regenerate, and brain function will return.
Intensive outpatient treatment
Some people can’t be trusted to come off substances on their own, but luckily, there are plenty of recovery options. In the early days of treatment, it might be advisable to recover in a clinic, but outpatient treatment is an option depending on the intensity of the drug use.
The advantage of outpatient treatment is the additional resources for addiction recovery. Instead of staying in a clinic for an extended period, your brain can recover in its ordinary environment. It takes more discipline, but it reduces the chances of relapsing.
Intensive inpatient treatment
Conversely, intensive inpatient treatment works through a combination of detoxification and additional support options to reduce and then eliminate cravings. Following this initial stage, the inpatient will undergo rehabilitation through therapy and social services.
Intensive inpatient treatment is very effective for heavy drug users who might feel some life confusion and have strong addictions to contend with. Then, slowly, the patient’s brain will start to light up in the correct way, and better future recovery decisions can be made.
Final thoughts
When you are in the throws of drug abuse, it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel; you also might be concerned about your ability to recover if the drug use is significant and long-term. There’s good news. With some time and effort, you can save the things in life that are important to you and mend your brain to return to normal brain function.
