What is the Best Way to Get Sober?

Last Updated on October 4, 2023

If you’re open to it, you may want to explore other treatment options outside of your immediate location. Some people find that getting a fresh start someplace new can be highly motivating.

If you’re ready to start treatment now, Nova Recovery Center offers individualized, comprehensive programs for drug and alcohol addiction. Call (512) 605-2955 to learn more about your treatment options today.

Types of Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Programs

There are many different types of addiction treatment programs that may be helpful for you. People in recovery often combine several or all of these types of programs for a long-term, comprehensive treatment program.

• Medical detox programs: Medical detox programs provide individualized medical and clinical treatment during drug and alcohol detox to manage withdrawal symptoms. During treatment, clients may also attend H&I meetings, group counseling sessions, and individual counseling sessions if they are physically able.
• Residential drug and alcohol rehab programs: Residential rehab programs provide structured inpatient addiction treatment for clients with varying degrees of addiction. Clients live onsite while they complete their treatment and adhere to a highly regimented daily schedule of group counseling, individual counseling, family counseling, educational lectures, and 12-Step Program participation, among other treatment modalities.
• Intensive outpatient programs (IOP): IOP is an outpatient program comprised of a series of group meetings that occur several times weekly over eight weeks. Clients attend sessions alongside their peers in recovery and work through a structured treatment program with licensed addiction treatment counselors and recovery specialists.
• Sober living programs: Sober living homes are safe, gender-specific, alcohol and drug-free residences for men and women in recovery. Sober living programs also offer additional recovery services, such as employment assistance, volunteer placement, drug and alcohol testing, and personalized recovery programming.
• Peer recovery support programs: Throughout a peer recovery support program, clients work one-on-one with a certified Recovery Support Specialist who has personal experience with addiction, treatment, and recovery. Clients meet with their support specialist regularly and have 24/7 access to crisis management help. Family members and loved ones are also highly involved in the process.
• Aftercare programs: Aftercare programs are designed for alumni of rehab programs who are seeking peer support in sobriety. Aftercare consists of a series of group meetings where clients can feel safe, understood, and accepted, regardless of their past behaviors or current circumstances. Thought-provoking discussions are centered around recovery-related issues and are intended to help clients by providing advice, support, and encouragement.

Alternative Forms of Addiction Treatment

In addition to the addiction treatment programs listed above, there are other alternative ways to get sober, although the efficacy of some are not backed by conclusive research.

• DIY/self-help: DIY rehab and self-help methods consist of creating your own “program” with various self-help methods. This type of recovery can work for some individuals, but for many who are severely addicted, it’s simply not enough. Unfortunately, this form of treatment lacks the much-needed structure, peer support, medical and clinical care, and accountability that are provided with professional addiction treatment programs.
• Online support groups: Online support groups offer an alternative form of support for people who don’t want to seek face-to-face help for their addiction(s). These support groups link addicted individuals to others with similar issues. Although there are benefits to this type of treatment, such as using it in conjunction with behavioral therapy, increasing access to treatment and providing more privacy for clients, it also has limitations. Downfalls may include a lack of crisis management and quality control, limited feedback, and fluctuations in stages of group development.⁴
• Community support group meetings: People often attend community support groups on their own or in conjunction with a professional addiction treatment program. Examples of support groups include 12-Step fellowships like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Women for Sobriety, Smart Recovery, Refuge Recovery, LifeRing, and others. These support groups are highly beneficial for people in all stages of recovery and can provide essential peer support, mentorship, and valuable opportunities to connect with other sober people.
• Medication/herbal supplements: Certain medications and herbal supplements are reported to help with various aspects of the detox and treatment process by reducing withdrawal symptoms, cravings, and blocking the “high” caused by certain substances. Examples include Ibogaine, Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), Topamax, Methadone, Buprenorphine, Naltrexone, and Buprenorphine/naloxone combination medications like Suboxone. Many of these medications are not legally available outside of a doctor’s office, clinic, or without a valid prescription, and any herbal supplements like Kratom that are used for addiction treatment purposes should be used with extreme caution.

Although many of these alternative treatments have helped people get sober, some of the positive claims about them are unfounded. On the other hand, credible medical detox and drug rehab programs use evidence-based treatment methods, which have been thoroughly researched, studied, and standardized.

Scientific evidence has shown that such methods like cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), contingency management, twelve-step facilitation therapy, and others have been effective in treating substance use disorders. These are the types of treatment methods you’ll find in high-quality rehab programs.

Tips for Staying Sober After Rehab

Completing a rehab program doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in the clear or that you’re ready to live a sober life on your own. Staying sober after rehab required ongoing treatment and recovery support. Here are some helpful tips for staying sober after rehab:

• Enroll in sober living, aftercare, or a peer support program.
• Create strategies to fight off cravings.
• Attend weekly community support group meetings.
• Work closely with a sober sponsor.
• Attend individual and family therapy sessions.
• Practice healthy habits like journaling, meditation, and regular exercising.
• Stay social with sober peers.
• Find a way to volunteer and give back to your community.
• Find new hobbies.

Just like any other chronic disease, your addiction needs to be monitored and managed on an ongoing basis. Sometimes, relapse is a part of this process, and for many people, sobriety only becomes second nature after years of living a substance-free life. Regardless of where you fall on this spectrum, there is always hope for recovery.

Although all roads to recovery are different, you can live a happy, healthy, and fulfilling sober life.

Start Your Recovery Journey Today

If you’re addicted to alcohol or drugs and you need help, there’s no better time to start treatment than right now. Call (512) 605-2955 to speak with a Nova representative today.

References:

1. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321103.php#best-ways-to-avoid-intoxication
2. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/principles-effective-treatment
3. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/principles-effective-treatment
4. https://www.counseling.org/resources/library/Selected%20Topics/Cybercounseling/Gary-Digest-2000-07.htm