Are you struggling with cannabis addiction? Maybe you’ve been smoking high THC weed and didn’t realize its addictive nature. Or perhaps you’ve seen the toll that marijuana has taken on your life and want to make real change. Either way, seeking professional help for your addiction is a step in the right direction. So what can you expect in cannabis addiction rehab, and how does it help you find lasting recovery?
The Goal of Cannabis Addiction Rehab
A marijuana addiction is more than a bad habit. On a biological level, your brain and body have developed a chemical dependency on the dopamine that weed provides. So you need to compulsively use cannabis in order to function. Consequently, you continue to use cannabis despite its negative impact on your health, relationships, and overall quality of life, shares the Cleveland Clinic.
With a cannabis addiction, you can’t simply overcome your drug abuse through willpower or self-discipline alone (you’ve probably tried that already, anyways). Your marijuana use disorder needs to be healed on a deeper level, and that’s why cannabis addiction rehab is so impactful.
In a cannabis addiction treatment program, long-term recovery is the goal, not simply behavioral change or a reduction in substance use. And getting there starts with addressing the root causes of your addiction. While overcoming addiction requires helping your body detox from marijuana’s presence, there’s often something deeper that needs to be healed. For many, that’s unresolved past trauma (even childhood trauma).
Rehab for marijuana addiction often utilizes trauma-informed care to help you overcome the effects of trauma in your life. As a result, you no longer need to self-medicate with substances to cope. Addiction treatment will also focus on empowering you to stay healthy long-term, equipping you to navigate future addiction triggers more productively.
What You’ll Experience in Cannabis Addiction Rehab
Going to rehab for cannabis addiction means participating in various levels of treatment designed to help you transition from addiction to sobriety. Each treatment phase comes with its own approach, hands-on care, and more. Often, cannabis addiction treatment programs may last at least a few months, with additional ongoing support and therapy as needed. As you begin cannabis addiction rehab, your treatment journey may include:
Detox and Withdrawal Management
The first step in overcoming marijuana addiction is to get physical presence of marijuana (or toxins) out of your body, called marijuana detox. Because you have a chemical dependency on the drug, you often experience withdrawal symptoms as your brain and body adjust to its absence.
Your cannabis rehab program will help you navigate the often uncomfortable detox phase safely and securely, which may require medication. This also includes ongoing 24/7 support from treatment staff in a comfortable and relaxed setting. Detox and withdrawal management support is especially important for helping you avoid relapse, a common outcome when you try to detox from cannabis on your own.
Residential Treatment
Once you complete detox, your next phase of cannabis rehab will likely be residential or inpatient treatment. Detox and residential treatment can be combined together at certain rehab facilities. A residential treatment program will focus on unearthing your addiction’s root causes so you can finally heal and move forward. From there, you also learn healthy strategies and techniques to avoid relapse and maintain sobriety.
Often lasting for at least a month, a residential treatment program requires you to live onsite at the treatment facility. This allows you to receive round-the-clock care and wholly focus on your recovery away from distractions.
Evidence-Based and Experiential Therapy
Each phase of your treatment for cannabis addiction includes various forms of group and individual therapy to help you learn to overcome your struggles and embrace recovery. Traditional or evidence-based therapy encompasses clinical expertise and research-backed talk therapies, including:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
- Motivational enhancement therapy
Holistic marijuana rehab will also incorporate experiential therapy and wellness into your treatment. These therapies support your healing and overall health as a whole person, often with the goal of teaching you life skills, improving your mental health, and enhancing your stress management. Holistic and experiential therapies may include:
- Yoga
- Breathwork
- Mindfulness therapy
- Fitness and nutrition
- Expressive arts
Outpatient Rehab
After you complete inpatient treatment, you then will transition into a step-down level of care called outpatient treatment. This may start with a partial hospitalization program or an intensive outpatient program, or you may begin with traditional outpatient programming.
In outpatient cannabis rehab, you can live at home and return to work. Yet you still participate in multiple hours of therapy each week at the treatment facility. Outpatient therapy empowers you to apply what you’ve learned from treatment into your everyday life. You’re also encouraged to attend a support group alongside treatment.
Comprehensive Rehab for Cannabis Addiction in Vermont
By embracing each phase of treatment in cannabis addiction rehab, you can put yourself in the best position to achieve real, lasting recovery. At Sana at Stowe in Stowe, Vermont, our holistic, comprehensive marijuana addiction treatment program offers a full continuum of care under one roof. That means you get the personalized treatment you need at every stage of your recovery—all in one place. If you’re ready to embrace sobriety and reclaim your life, call us today.
