Drug addiction is a painful thing for many families. It’s hard to watch your loved one suffer and feel helpless and those with substance abuse problems often realize how much they’re hurting their families — but can’t stop. Sadly, almost 50,000 Canadian deaths are connected to substance abuse every year and it costs the health care system around $8 billion annually. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Quitting drugs entirely can be a long, hard road, but with drug rehab and the support and care of their families, it is possible and many who go through drug rehab can proudly claim to have been drug-free for years.

Who’s at Risk?
To be honest — anyone can be at risk for substance abuse. However, there has been a link between mental illness and substance abuse — people with substance abuse issues are three times more likely to have a mental illness and over 15% of people with substance abuse issues have a co-occurring mental illness. Men tend to have a higher rate of addiction than women, but female addicts are over 50% more likely to die earlier because of drug use.

Children, teens, and young adults can be particularly susceptible, especially if drug use occurs within their peer groups, thanks to peer pressure and wanting to conform. These are habits that may stay with them into adulthood and worsen as they chase the high or whatever feeling the drug brings them.

Why Should I Go to Rehab?
Drug rehab centres are one of the best ways to help an addict become substance-free. There’s a support system and a regimented drug rehab process put in place to keep addicts clean and cultivating the mental, physical, and emotional strength to stay away from drugs once they’re out of rehab.

Rehab can also quite literally save lives. If your addiction is bad enough, you may find yourself in a life-threatening situation because of the lifestyle you’re leading or the amount of drugs you’re taking.

Conventional wisdom claims that it takes 30 days to form a habit — and so rehab offers you a span of time to form a new habit, that of not taking drugs. There’s no opportunity to do so and you’re surrounded by a different group of people who may end up being incredibly positive and supportive forces in your life. You may also find that those around you going through rehab become an inspiration or support system of their own — they understand what you’re going through and are doing it themselves.

Whether you’re in private rehab or a larger rehab centre, you may find rehab gives you back parts of your life that you didn’t even realize were missing. Simple pleasures, human connection, and getting more in-touch with yourself can all be benefits of going through the rehab process. You may be able to use this time to reconnect with family members or old friends that you pushed away and better understand yourself and what you’ve been going through.

What Should I Be Looking For In Rehab Centres?
You may not be making the choice to admit yourself to a rehab centre, but you or your loved ones should do the appropriate research in order to get the best results. What kind of outcome does the rehab program hope for? Is success measured by someone getting through a 28 day program or how long they stay clean afterwards? What’s their success rate like? Is it a more short-term or long-term program? In some cases, a short-term program may not have much of an impact; for others, it can be extremely beneficial.

Find a rehab centre that seems to address the current issues of your addiction — be they physical, spiritual, or mental, or all of the above. You want to find a place that will take care of your body, mind, and spirit, in order to get you back on the right path.