Located in southeastern Virginia – a southeastern American state – Virginia Beach is popular for its 3-mile ocean boardwalk, drawing tourists from all over the world to partake in local activities such as water sports, festivals, and oceanside dining.
In addition to all this, it is also a location that draws many individuals for its rehabilitative qualities. This is because, in many cases, it is popular for individuals to attend rehabilitation (either from substances or behavioral addictions) in a different location from the one that they normally reside in.
A beachside location is often preferred for rehabilitation as it offers all the activities of being by the ocean, as well as often offering a unique and relaxing environment in which a rehabilitation programm can be carried out in.
This is true for the area of Virginia Beach, and this webpage will cover this in more detail.
The different types of addiction
Before specifically focusing on Virginia Beach as a site for rehabilitation, it is first important to understand the differing needs of individuals attending rehabilitation. The first distinction that must first be made is whether an individual is struggling with a substance use disorder or a behavioral addiction.
Substance use disorders are another name for drug addiction and can include addictions to substances such as heroin, cocaine, cannabis, and many other substances.
Behavioral addictions refer to addictions to behaviors, the most common of which include shopping, sex, the internet, and gambling (1).
Virginia Beach has a long history with gambling and gambling addiction issues due to its presence as a tourist town, but there is support available for many different addictions and addiction-related issues.
Addition recovery in Virginia Beach
Specifically in Virginia Beach, there are many different providers of health services – many of which can provide support for addiction and its associated effects.
However, before an individual chooses to visit Virginia Beach with the intention of attending rehabilitation, it is first important to research what may be suitable for an individual depending on their individual and personal circumstances.
Factors to consider include whether an individual is seeking inpatient or outpatient treatment, as well as the inclusion of any additional holistic treatments that they may be seeking.
The process of addiction recovery in Virginia Beach
For all rehabilitation processes, it is important that individuals ensure that they seek a service that follows the three main stages of recovery.
These are:
- Detoxification
- Therapy/treatment
- Aftercare
These three stages cover vital aspects of an individual’s recovery process, from their physical wellbeing and stability to their mental health and capacity for independent learning and coping mechanisms.
Without the structure of these three stages, an individual will not have a full and effective recovery process, often extending the amount of time that they spend in rehabilitation, as well as reducing the impact of their rehabilitative treatments in general.
Confusion and lack of direction during these stages should be avoided at all cases to ensure a more effective and suitable recovery program in each individual case that is specific to their needs.
1. Detoxification from substances
The first stage of all rehabilitation programmes is to withdraw from the substance or behavior that the individual is addicted to.
Depending on what the individual is addicted to depends on how quickly an individual may be able to withdraw and also the impacts that this may have on their general wellbeing.
For example, physically addictive substances such as opioids can have life-threatening consequences if an individual does not withdraw slowly and over time. In some cases, additional tapering substances may also be prescribed to reduce the uncomfortable effects of withdrawal, though this should always be approached with full medical support and approval.
Most behavioral addictions, on the other hand, can be withdrawn from in a sudden change as, although comparable to substance addictions (2), these are highly unlikely to incur the same effects on the body as physically addictive recreational substances.
2. Substance abuse therapy/treatment
After a successful self-detox from alcohol via home remedies, individuals can then progress to follow-up treatments and therapies to assist the individual with their mental health.
This often includes the participation in various different therapies and treatments to find the root cause of an individual’s addiction and the ways in which this has influenced other areas of an individual’s cognition.
During this stage, it is recommended that individuals partake in a range of different treatment options in order to gain the benefits from multiple forms of care. In some cases, it may be found that an individual reacts more positively to one form of treatment over another, leading to the ability to further tailor and alter a treatment programme in the long-term.
3. Aftercare for substance abuse
In all cases of addiction recovery and rehabilitation – in Virginia Beach or elsewhere – individuals should continue their rehabilitative practices in the long-term.
This is the process of which aftercare; individuals continue to learn about addition in regard to their experiences and unique coping strategies.
It is possible for individuals in this stage to regularly meet with a therapist or aftercare officer to provide regular checkups and suggest constant changes and alterations to their care programme, but it is also possible for individuals to continue this process independently and on their own terms.
A change of scenery for addiction recovery – can it help?
Attending addiction recovery in an environment is something that should be carefully considered. In some cases, attending addiction recovery in an environment other than one that an individual is familiar with can greatly benefit an individual’s recovery process, but this is not always the case.
In some cases, a new environment causes positive changes in the individual’s mind and therefore can make them more likely to apply themselves fully to their specialized recovery programme.
However, in other instances it may cause them to become distracted and not fully focused on their recovery, perhaps with the inclusion of extra-curricular activities that may be more appealing to an individual and their interests.
Attending addiction recovery abroad/away from home
If an individual is considering addiction recovery in Virginia Beach and this is not the place which an individual usually resides in, then there are some factors that an individual should consider.
Some of these factors are outlined below:
- Travel to and from the addiction recovery provider – this includes both before and after an individual has attended their dedicated rehab programme.
- Visitation options for close friends and/or family – the individual should consider whether or not they would be able to receive visitors while attending addiction recovery from a logistics point of view.
- Additional costs – this could include additional visas or costs of living that an individual may encounter when attending rehab and residing in Virginia Beach.
Starting your addiction recovery journey in Virginia Beach today
If you or someone you know is seeking addiction recovery in Virginia Beach or elsewhere, then contacting local health services or addiction referral services is the best way to start.
Every individual is different and therefore will have different requirements of care. Speak to a professional today to start your addiction rehabilitation journey.
References
[1] James, R.J. and Tunney, R.J., 2017. The need for a behavioural analysis of behavioural addictions. Clinical Psychology Review, 52, pp.69-76.
[2] Marks, I., 1990. Behavioural (non‐chemical) addictions. British journal of addiction, 85(11), pp.1389-1394.
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