Drug addiction causes sufferers to experience physical and psychological dependency on illicit, mind-altering substances. Habitual drug use causes changes in the structure and operation of the brain that deepen and reinforce drug addiction, to the point where a desire to stop using drugs is not enough to make it happen. Drug addiction is a destroyer of hopes, dreams, and lives, but with quality drug rehab and treatment plus a comprehensive aftercare program drug addicts can find lasting relief from the ravages of chemical dependency, regardless of how long they’ve been addicted.
Drug addiction is a chronic brain disease that causes powerful physical and psychological cravings for mind-altering substances, including illegal intoxicants like cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and PCP. Many people also become addicted to misused prescription drugs, or to chemical substances not manufactured for human consumption (inhalants), to party drugs (ecstasy), hallucinogens like LSD, or to marijuana, which despite its benign reputation is the most widely abused illicit drug.
As it gradually unfolds, drug addiction causes structural changes in the brain that distort thinking and perception, specifically in areas related to behavioral control, judgment, decision-making, learning, and memory. Drug addicts can suffer enormously negative life consequences as a result of their compulsive and uncontrolled drug use, but that doesn’t prevent them from returning to drugs again and again.
Our unique therapeutic approach and expert clinical staff ensure you or your loved one receives treatment and support needed for lasting change. Our evidence-based drug treatment center, including medically-supervised detox, residential care, and evidence-based therapies, offer the intensity and duration necessary to go beyond immediate detox and stabilization to help our clients attain long-term recovery.
For someone in the depths of drug addiction, recovery can feel like an unattainable goal. After living under the influence of substances, it can be hard to imagine functioning without them. But it’s important to know that addiction can be overcome and a clean and sober life can be attained. No matter how many times an addict has tried and failed, or how long they’ve been struggling with the disease, recovery is possible. It’s never too late to get treatment.
Drug addiction can cause significant distress and impairment in a person’s life and the lives of their loved ones. Clients who begin their recovery process at an evidence-based drug rehab center have an excellent opportunity to reclaim their lives.
Alta Mira Recovery Programs is a world-class residential drug treatment center for drug addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders. By learning what effective treatment looks like and understanding the value of drug addiction treatment at Alta Mira, you can make the right choice to ensure a successful recovery from drug addiction for you or your loved one.
Your inpatient drug addiction treatment program starts with our medically-supervised detox. Next, our neuropsychologist engages you in comprehensive diagnostic testing and assessment, the results of which help us to design the best treatment plan for your needs and goals.
Equipped with your treatment plan, you begin participating in our full clinical program that includes psychotherapy (individual, group, and family), medication management, life skills training, holistic healing practices, and experiential activities.
We are committed to a collaborative care approach to drug treatment, inclusive of all outside treatment professionals who are already working with our clients. We recognize the role of each doctor, psychiatrist, therapist, hospital, or treatment center is vital to the client’s well-being and successful recovery. Therefore, we engage all outside professionals before admissions, throughout drug rehab and treatment, and post-discharge to ensure the most help and support, and therefore the best possible results for the client.
We care about our client’s outcomes and work with an independent third-party research group, Vista Research Group, to evaluate our clients’ progress both during and following their residential drug treatment experience at Alta Mira.
Signs that someone is abusing drugs may vary depending on the substances used, but there are also some characteristic clues that are common with all types of drug abuse:
Drug abuse also causes signs of intoxication depending on the drug. A person may seem euphoric or moody, for instance. They may have poor coordination and slurred speech. Their speech patterns may change or seem confusing, and they may carry unusual odors on clothing or in hair from the drugs used.
Changes in the brain that support physical and psychological dependency on mind-altering substances are the direct cause of addiction, but those changes do not occur at random. Addiction experts believe drug addiction emerges from an interplay of genetic and environmental factors, although one factor or the other may be strong enough to make a person vulnerable to addiction in some instances.
Helping a loved one who is struggling with drug addiction can be a long and heartbreaking journey. It can be hard to help someone, particularly if they don’t want help or if they live far away. Many families wait years beyond the time that they first thought about intervening.
If you have a loved one who is suffering from drug addiction, one of the first things you can do is take care of yourself by attending peer support meetings like Al-Anon or Nar-Anon.
The longer you wait for someone to “hit bottom,” the further their disease advances. You can actually increase the chance of a successful outcome by intervening on your loved one before their disease progresses to a more dangerous level. However, organizing your family to set limits and boundaries to get a loved one into rehab can be challenging.
Hiring a professional interventionist can help the family get organized as a team, prepare to speak to the addict in a coordinated way, to give your loved one the best possible chance of successfully arriving in treatment. Interventionists can also be helpful during and after the drug rehab experience, providing support and coaching to the family to ensure that the patient completes treatment. If you are considering an intervention, please contact one of our admissions advisors.
At Alta Mira, we provide world-class clinical care and an exclusive addiction treatment experience. When you select Alta Mira as the location for some of the most important work of your life, we promise you the best treatment experience we can possibly create. Every member of our team will go above and beyond, providing you with every comfort and convenience to complement our high-quality treatment programs.
Our team members are not only chosen for their excellent credentials and experience, but they must also be committed to providing you with compassionate care in a kind and nurturing environment. We understand that in order for drug treatment to be successful, we must listen closely and truly understand your needs, aspirations, personal history, and treatment goals. All members of our care team align closely with you so that you feel safe, respected, and ready to do your work. We’re here to help.
In a gorgeous setting overlooking the San Francisco Bay, we have cultivated a serene environment where you feel supported in your journey to fulfill your highest potential. With extraordinary gardens and comfortably elegant living spaces, you will experience a peaceful, luxury drug treatment setting that facilitates personal healing and transformation.
Our exceptional holistic practitioners–including massage therapists, yoga instructors, art and music therapists, and acupuncturists—provide nurturing services that reinvigorate you, allowing you to get the most out of your time with us.
We believe individuals are best able to focus on their recovery when immersed in a secure, serene, healing setting. That’s why we provide beautiful surroundings while maintaining the most advanced and innovative San Francisco Bay luxury drug rehab program. Clients can expect compassionate care from our best-in-class drug addiction treatment specialists.
Seeking a helping hand to guide you through these difficult times is not an easy decision. Our caring and experienced team at Alta Mira can help guide you through the next steps toward achieving lasting recovery.
Don’t let drug addiction control your life. To begin your life-changing transformation, contact us today.
Addicts develop a strong physical and emotional reliance on their drugs of choice. Consequently, any attempt to stop using drugs will leave drug abusers vulnerable to powerful symptoms of withdrawal, which can put their recovery and their health in jeopardy.
Withdrawal can begin soon after the cessation of drug use and will likely peak in intensity in the first 24 to 48 hours. If severe withdrawal is left unchecked, in some instances it can be fatal. Anyone experiencing the symptoms of withdrawal should be under a doctor’s care, and for drug addicts entering treatment medical detox is often required before therapy for addiction can begin.
Medical detox in a drug addiction treatment center takes place in a fully-staffed medical facility where patients are monitored around the clock, and treatment for the side effects of withdrawal is provided as needed. Medications to reduce the intensity of withdrawal symptoms may be administered, and patients will not be released from detox until they are symptom-free and physically and mentally well enough to handle the daily routine of an addiction treatment regimen.
Simply using drugs does not mean that a person is addicted, but any misuse of illicit drugs or abuse of prescription drugs is considered problematic and is often referred to as drug abuse.
Abusing drugs can cause serious consequences and put a person at risk for developing an addiction. Signs that someone is abusing drugs vary by individual, but may include:
The term drug addiction generally refers to a state in which someone is fully dependent on a drug and cannot stop using without help. This can include psychological dependence as well as a physical need for the drug due to the changes it has caused in the brain. Drug abuse refers to problematic substance use that has not necessarily progressed to addiction.
Today, professionals in addiction call these behavioral health conditions substance use disorders rather than abuse and addiction. A substance use disorder may be mild, moderate, or severe. When mild or moderate, it may mean that a person is abusing drugs but is not yet dependent or fully addicted. When classified as severe, it means a person is dependent and has an addiction. Substance use disorders are diagnosed according to eleven criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
