Drug Recovery

People do recover from drugs, every single day. Men and women recover from alcoholism and drug addiction, dual diagnosis, abuse and trauma, overeating, gambling, codependency and more, people do get better. They rarely recover from drugs alone though. If you to recover from drugs or any other substance, we hope you'll find it here at Teen Challenge. FREE help is available with us.

Recovery from drug addiction can be a long process, starting with physical detoxification. This is coming off and staying off the drug, and learning to cope with withdrawal symptoms.

Recovery usually combines a range of treatments including psychological and behavioral therapy, as well as medication if required. Treatment will vary depending on the specific addiction, particularly as some drugs are highly physically addictive, while others tend to lead more to psychological dependency.

If you are recovering from a drug addiction or if you stop taking drugs, you will not be free from side effects, it is common to experience withdrawal symptoms. These could include:

    * Nausea or sickness,
    * Aching muscles,
    * Fever,
    * Mood swings,
    * Irritability,
    * Anger or guilt,
    * Depression, and
    * Anxiety.

If you stop taking drugs, it is important to take one day at a time. Take advantage of the support open to you from medical professionals and friends and family. Make sure you stay away from situations where drugs will be available, by avoiding friends that take drugs, or places where you know you can get them.

If someone you know has recently stopped taking drugs make sure you give them your full support. Help them find the right treatment options, and take some time to learn a about drug misuse so you can appreciate what they are going through.

If you're struggling with a drug problem, but you don't want to see someone face-to-face at the moment, then we can help by having a one to one telephone chat before you commit yourself. Remember Teen Challenge offer a free recovery service.

Glossary of some of the symptoms during recovery

Be free of Anxiety
Anxiety is an unpleasant feeling when you feel worried, uneasy or distressed about something that may or may not be about to happen.

Be free of Fever
A high temperature, also known as a fever, is when someone's body temperature goes above the normal 37°C (98.6°F).

Be free of Sickness
Vomiting is when you bring up the contents of your stomach through your mouth.

Be free of Nausea
Nausea is when you feel like you are going to be sick.

Be free of Aching
An ache is a constant dull pain in a part of the body.

Be free of Depression
Depression is when you have feelings of extreme sadness, despair or inadequacy that last for a long time.

Recovery Treatment

Treatments for drug addiction vary widely according to the types of drugs involved, amount of drugs used, duration of the drug addiction, medical complications and the social needs of the individual.

Many different ideas circulate regarding what is considered a "successful" outcome in the recovery from addiction. It has widely been established that abstinence from addictive substances is generally accepted as a "successful" outcome.

Teen Challenge’s rehabilitation programmes for drug recovery is open to everyone both men and women who need addiction help. Wilkerson House Center in London is open to men only and Hope House Center in Wales is for women. Both are residential and the programme term is 12 months. The programme is FREE to enter, for more information you will need to complete an online application form.