Of the 4,452 people who died from overdoses in Ohio in 2023, nearly 3,100 had more than one drug in their system at the time of death. When fentanyl, cocaine, meth, benzos, and alcohol mix together, the results are often deadly and unpredictable. Single-drug treatment isn't enough when your addiction spans several substances. Armada Recovery's polydrug rehab programs address every substance you're struggling with, because real recovery means getting free from all of them.
What is polydrug rehab?
Polydrug addiction means being dependent on more than one substance at the same time. Some people use one drug to bring on the effects of another, or to take the edge off the comedown. Others started with one addiction and picked up others along the way, often without realizing it was happening.
Polydrug detox gets the substances out of your system, but rehab tackles what detox can't touch. Each drug you've been using has its own grip on you, and each one has tricked you into thinking you needed it for some reason. Polydrug rehab helps you see the truth behind addiction’s lies so you can learn to live without any drugs at all.
The challenge when you are addicted to multiple drugs, however, is that one addiction bleeds into the next. Your brain has learned to expect certain combinations, so cravings can hit you without any warning. One substance might make you want another, and withdrawal from one drug can make you desperate for something else to take its place. This is why polydrug rehab has to take on all of it, rather than only one "main" drug.
Do you need polydrug rehab?
Many people don't think of themselves as polydrug users because they have one substance they consider their real problem. However, if you're using more than one drug regularly, ask yourself these questions honestly:
- Do you use one drug to help you come down from another?
- Are you drinking heavily on top of using other substances?
- Have you switched between drugs depending on what's available?
- Do you mix uppers and downers to balance out the effects?
- Have you ever blacked out or lost time because of drug combinations?
- Is your drug use unpredictable, even to yourself?
- Do you use different substances for different situations or moods?
If you see yourself in these questions, you need treatment that addresses all your substance use, not just a fraction of what's going on.
Polydrug rehab at Armada Recovery
Armada Recovery runs outpatient polydrug rehab programs at our Akron and Dayton centers. We treat the full range of your substance use because leaving any addiction unaddressed puts your entire recovery at risk. Our polydrug treatment includes:
12-step facilitation
In facilitation sessions, you learn what to expect from Narcotics Anonymous meetings and similar fellowships, and why this approach has helped so many people. We explain how groups like NA can support you, and help you find nearby meetings once you're ready.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
With polydrug use, your mind has learned complicated patterns that always lead back to using. One thought triggers another, and before you know it, you are taking whatever substance fits the moment or need. CBT teaches you to pause and notice these thought patterns so you can stop them before they drive your behavior. That skill matters even more when you're managing urges for several drugs at once.
Dialectical behavior therapy
DBT arms you with methods for surviving intense moments without using anything at all. When you're used to turning to different drugs depending on how you feel, DBT teaches you alternatives that work. Whether you're anxious, bored, angry, or crashing hard in withdrawal, you can learn to sit with the discomfort instead of medicating it away.
Motivational interviewing
MI helps you find your own reasons for quitting. You will examine what each drug has taken from you and what you actually want from life. Those personal motivations are what will pull you back when you waver.
What are the benefits of polydrug rehab?
Polydrug rehab addresses the complexity that single-substance treatment misses. Some of the biggest advantages are:
- A treatment plan that covers all of your drug use, rather than only the one that seems worst.
- Understanding of how your different addictions connect and trigger each other.
- Professional supervision for the withdrawal symptoms that polydrug use can cause.
- Support for the mental health issues that often drive people to self-medicate with more than one drug.
- Strategies for managing cravings that come in different forms at different times.
- A realistic plan for a life without any substances, instead of swapping one addiction for another.
What happens after polydrug rehab?
Recovery requires staying on your guard because you're not watching out for just one substance. You have to watch for more triggers than you can count, and the temptation to tell yourself that just one of your old drugs would be okay.
Before you finish treatment, you will work with your therapist to map out a plan for preventing relapse. You will identify the situations that pull you toward each drug and spell out your response for when those moments arrive. This is especially important with polydrug addiction because your triggers may be more varied and harder to anticipate.
Our Partial Hospitalization Program offers sober living for anyone who needs more structure before returning to their usual routines. The early weeks can be particularly fragile, and having a safe environment is often what tips the balance.
Our Alumni Program keeps you in touch with our team and everyone else from your time in treatment. We will also point you toward NA and fellowship meetings close to where you live. Recovery is possible, but it takes consistent support and honest self-awareness over the long haul.
Begin polydrug rehab today
If you've been using more than one drug, you need treatment that takes all of them seriously. Contact Armada Recovery today, and we'll walk you through what polydrug rehab involves and answer any questions you have. Together, we can build a future to look forward to, and a life that doesn't depend on any drugs.
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