You might be surprised to know that plenty of Desert Rose’s clients were shocked to find out their drinking or drug use had reached the level of addiction. One graduate told us that as an adult, she always drank.

Not always a lot, but pretty much every day. She didn’t realize she couldn’t stop drinking until she was about to have an operation and alcohol was on the list of things she couldn’t have.

That’s when it finally dawned on her that she was hooked. People define substance abuse in a lot of different ways, but we like to be pretty straightforward about it:

Addiction happens when a brain and body have become so dependent on a substance that the craving for it becomes overwhelming and use becomes compulsive and uncontrolled, even if the consequences are devastating.

We can’t say it enough – it’s not because you’re weak. The U.S. Surgeon General wrote,  “Addiction is not a character flaw – it is a chronic illness that we must approach with the same skill and compassion with which we approach heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.”

A disease. Got it?  If you’re addicted – to drugs, to alcohol, to anything – you have a disease. You’re sick, and you need treatment if you’re going to get better.

Signs of Addiction

These are just some of the common signs of addiction

The need for more

You need more and more of the substance to produce the same effect, as your brain adjusts to the constant presence of the addictive drug.

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Lack of fulfillment

The rest of your life feels less and less enjoyable.

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You hide it

You go to great lengths to hide your using.

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Dangerous Situations

You place yourself in dangerous situations to get or use your drug.

It keeps your attention

You spend more and more of your time figuring out how to get the substance, because you need an ever-increasing supply.

It affects your life

Work life and relationships suffer.

Risky behavior

You will do anything and risk anyone – even those closest to you, even your children – to get or use your drug.

If you’ve been using for a while, we’re pretty sure you know the signs. Today might be the day you’re ready to claim your addiction, to seek treatment, to step away from your everyday life and do what you need to do to get better.

Addiction can make you feel very, very alone. We get it. We understand that you may have done things you’re not proud of, and that you may feel guilt or shame. But addiction is also a lot more common than you’d imagine.

In the United States, roughly one in seven people is expected to develop a substance abuse disorder at some point in their lives.

Some will be mild, some will be moderate, and some will be severe; much depends on the length of use, the substance, your genetic makeup, and your environment.

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Does Treatment Work?

At Desert Rose, we’ve seen a lot of evidence to support these two statements:

With addiction, recurrence is likely.

With addiction, recovery is possible.

We believe treatment works, or we wouldn’t have built a staff of professionals with decades of experience helping addicted people reclaim their lives. But the science is pretty clear: Remaining in treatment for an adequate amount of time is going to be crucial to your recovery. That’s not our opinion, though we believe it to be true. That recommendation comes directly from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which says, “Research indicates that most addicted individuals need at least three months in treatment to significantly reduce or stop their drug use and that the best outcomes occur with longer duration of treatment.”

There are a lot of treatment models out there. You know that already;  how long have you spent with the online search that brought you to our site? We’d strongly encourage you to look past the 28-day programs or the 12-step programs conducted in a spa atmosphere. Once again, the National Institute on Drug Abuse makes the case: “Because addiction is a disease, most people cannot simply stop using drugs for a few days and be cured. Patients typically require long-term or repeated episodes of care to achieve the ultimate goal of sustained abstinence and recovery of their lives.”

Why do we believe so strongly in long-term treatment at Desert Rose?

  • Because the brain and the body take longer than a few weeks to heal.

  • Because most people have been using for years. It took a long time to get here, and it takes a long time to get better.

  • Because substance abuse can increase a person’s risk for other mental and physical illnesses, and those must be addressed to achieve any degree of wellness.

  • Because every person’s recovery journey is different, and can’t be fit into a one-month box.

  • Because it takes time to develop trust. The longer you spend with people who love you and care passionately that you recover, the more you will come to trust them and have faith in the process.

  • Because we’re a family. We want time with you, to love you and help you learn to love yourself.

Do I Qualify?

First, if you’re researching treatment for yourself, we want to recognize your bravery and your desire to get clean. Please, please don’t let anything get in the way of that goal. Let us help you figure out the details.

At Desert Rose, we personally talk every potential client through the payment and insurance process. We’ll determine what your options are, and we’ll help you find the right program for you, whether it’s here at Desert Rose or at another program we know and trust. You can ask all your questions – our conversations are 100% confidential.

CALL US TODAY (844) 866-1075