If you or someone you know is suffering from an addiction, it is important to seek professional help. Depending upon the specific type of addiction, there are a variety of treatment options available, including both inpatient and outpatient care. Because addiction is so prevalent across society, those battling addiction are not alone. The following guide will help direct you by providing information on how to get addiction treatment.

• Are you consumed by thoughts involving drugs or alcohol, constantly wondering where you will get your next fix or when you can sneak off for a beer? When you are going about your day, does your mind continue to wander to the afternoon trip to the mall you have planned? During work hours, are you always staring at the clock in anticipation of your next cigarette break? If you answered yes to any of these questions, there is a chance you may be suffering from some form of addiction. The following guide will provide you with all the necessary information on how to seek treatment for your addiction.

Need to stomp out addiction? (Creative Commons photo by colros)

• Addiction treatment begins with acceptance. Until you are willing to accept that you are an addict, you cannot begin the process of healing. Addiction is an ongoing battle for the entire human race, one that can take on many forms. Some of the more well known addictions include:

1. Drug addictions, including caffeine and cigarettes
2. Alcohol
3. Gambling
4. Sex
5. Shopping
6. Food
7. People addicted to working
8. People addicted to adrenaline rushes

• The above list could go on indefinitely, so prolific are the behaviors that govern addictions. Therefore, it is vital that you continually assess your own behaviors in an attempt to prevent yourself from becoming an addict. If you or people that are close to you suspect you are already suffering from an addiction, however, there are ways to determine whether such concerns are valid. Some warning signs include:

1. Obsessive thoughts. Are you constantly thinking about whatever you are addictied to, whether it be taking your next drink or engaging in your next sexual romp?
2. Fatigue. This includes both physical and mental fatigue. The more your addiction escalates, the more prone your body may become to exhaustion. This especially applies to those who are constantly worried someone will discover they are an addict.
3. Shifts in mood or other behavioral changes
4. Experiencing cravings you cannot control

• One of the more popular ways to treat addiction is to check into a facility that caters to your specific addiction. These facilities, however, are geared more towards drug and alcoholism than they are other addictions. Clinics like Betty Ford and Promises offer drug addicts long-term care and counseling with others that are suffering from some of the same addictions. A strong support system is built during the early stages of treatment in order to encourage you as you reenter the world. In order to learn more about these types of facilities, and to find the one closest to where you live, you can:

1. Research online
2. Contact your family doctor or a local hospital for referrals
3. If you are not too embarrassed to discuss your situation with others, you can ask friends, family or coworkers if they know of a good place you can contact

• Other than these long-term facilities, there are also retreats, workshops and camps that last for an entire weekend, a week, or even longer. These include weight loss related programs and retreats, as well as others. You can find information on them by following the above methods.

• There are many forms of treatment available to people that do not involve overnight stays. These treatment options include:

1. Support groups. Search online, in the newspaper or on local community boards for a list of these meetings.
2. Online support. Many people opt to speak to others suffering from their same addictions by posting to message forums online or going into chat rooms or social networking sites.
3. Psychologists or psychiatrists. Therapy is a popular means of treating addiction. Behavior therapy is one of the more popular methods.
4. Acupuncture. This stimulates endorphins and is believed to reduce cravings.

• If you are suffering from an addiction, why not seek treatment and regain control of your life? Sometimes the hardest part about being an addict is accepting you have a problem, so chances are you are already ahead of the rest if you are reading this. By following the above steps, you can begin to rebuild your life without being weighed down by your addictive behaviors.

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