Marijuana, more often called “weed,” “grass,” “pot,” or “reefer,” is the street name for a dried mixture of the shredded leaves, plants, stems, seeds, and flowers of the Cannabis sativa plant. Pot is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States with 17.4 million past-month users according to data collected by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. In 2010, marijuana was reported to be used by 76.8% of current illegal drug users; weed was the only drug used by 60.1% of them.
THC (or Delta-9-tetrahydrocannibinoid) is the active ingredient in marijuana and responsible for many of its pleasurable effects. When smoked, marijuana quickly passes from the lungs to the bloodstream, which carries the drug throughout the body and central nervous system. In the brain, THC binds to cannabinoid receptors (CBRs) on the surfaces of nerve cells providing effects similar to endogenous cannabinoids naturally occurring in the brain. It is this artificial stimulation of CBRs that produce the high and other effects associated with marijuana usage.
While marijuana produces pleasurable and relaxing effects for the user, the drug also can cause problems with memory formation, coordination, and balance. Large doses of marijuana can produce acute psychosis. Marijuana smoke, similar to the smoke of tobacco contains a mixture of particulates and gasses that are harmful to the lungs. Additionally, marijuana smoke has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and respiratory tract as the irritants and carcinogens contained in marijuana are comprised of up to 70% more than tobacco smoke.
Marijuana can be addictive if it is used in the long-term; meaning that individuals who habitually smoke weed may become unable to control their drug use or stop even though the drug usage is interfering with their lives. It’s estimated that up to 9% of individuals who use marijuana regularly will become dependent upon it. Chronic marijuana usage is linked to a marijuana withdrawal symptoms which are similar to symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
If you’ve learned that you cannot control your marijuana usage; that it is impacting your social relationships, fulfillment of familial obligations, causing problems at home or work, you may have developed an addiction to marijuana. The trained and compassionate staff at Mount Regis Center are ready to help you overcome your addiction to marijuana.
Why You Should Consider Inpatient Rehab for Marijuana Addiction
We know that the key to living a happy and full life for someone who is struggling with an addiction to pot is to understand the disease of addiction and learn new adaptive behaviors and coping mechanisms. Many members of our fully-licensed staff have dealt with similar addictions and are ready to help you overcome your addiction to marijuana.
When you come to us, you’ll be welcomed into our family with loving arms. We’ll spend a great deal of time getting to know you personally so that we can best help you in all the struggles you face. We know how uncomfortable recovery from drug and alcohol addiction can be and we’re ready to work alongside you to make sure you have a treatment plan that works for you and that you always have a shoulder to lean on when you need it most.
When you arrive, you’ll undergo a comprehensive psychological and physical examination to determine if you’re struggling with an undiagnosed mental health condition. We’ll also determine the level of dependence your body has upon marijuana and discuss treatment and humane medical detox. You’ll work with your treatment team to determine the next steps.
Program Philosophy and Benefits
Our small addiction rehab center is located in a restored estate in Salem, Virginia to allow you to feel like you’re at home while you recover. Our intimate environment has helped many men and women much like you, overcome their addiction. We pride ourselves in providing tailor-made treatment plans that are based solely around your needs. Our addiction treatment program is based around the 12-steps of addiction recovery and abstinence, which means that most of our programs do have this as the focal point. This model for addiction recovery has been the cornerstone of continued sobriety for many individuals.
Treatment Approaches for Marijuana Addiction at Mount Regis
When you come to us at Mount Regis you will see that our addiction rehab program for marijuana is like no other. When you undergo your comprehensive medical and psychological evaluation, we’ll determine if you need humane detox and next steps for your therapeutic healing.
Medical detoxification is the process of removing marijuana and other substances from your body in the most humane manner possible. We may use certain types of medications to make sure that you undergo the safest and most effective detox program available. When you’re medically stabilized and the substances have been removed safely from your body, you’ll begin to transition into our addiction treatment program.
Some individuals do require medication management during their initial phases of the path to sobriety to manage symptoms of withdrawal and other co-occurring disorders. We use medication on a maintenance basis only at Mount Regis Center as we approach addiction recovery from an abstinence basis. We don’t want you to leave our doors addicted to another type of medication.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy we often use at Mount Regis in order to help you correct incorrect ways of thinking. These incorrect thought patterns can lead to problematic behaviors, and CBT aims to reframe your negative thoughts in an attempt to change your outlook on life.
Rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT) is a form of action-driven therapy that resolves emotional and behavioral challenges in order to allow you to live the happiest and most fulfilling life possible.
We have a strong focus on group therapy at Mount Regis as we believe that you can learn much from others who are struggling with similar issues. We’ll focus group sessions around a particular topic such as addiction, relapse prevention, and co-occurring disorders.
As we know that you’re from a larger family system, at Mount Regis Center we want your loved ones to take part in your therapeutic recovery. We offer family sessions three days each week which will allow your loved ones the opportunity to gauge your progress and see how far you’ve come in your sobriety journey. We’ll also take the time to educate your loved ones about mental illness and addiction.
We do offer individualized therapy so that you’ll have the opportunity to share your struggles in a one-on-one environment. You’ll work through the steps of the program, discuss coping strategies, and relapse prevention.
As we aim to treat the whole person – mind, body, and spirit, we offer a number of experiential treatments to complement our traditional therapeutic approaches. These include:
- Art programming
- A.A. and N.A.
- Recreational programming
- Nutrition and wellness counseling
- Spiritual counseling
Continuing Care – What Happens Next?
As your time with us draws to an end, we will work with you to create an aftercare plan that best meets your needs. Many individuals benefit from our less-structured programs such as our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) or our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP). Others may benefit from discharging to home using outpatient treatments and community resources. Whatever your journey, know that Mount Regis Center is behind you.