Drug Treatment - Resources and Information

Drug treatment is a way for people with drug addiction, alcoholism and dual diagnosis problems to learn valuable tools and information to help them recover.  The purpose of drug treatment is to enable an individual to make oneself free from chemical dependency and substance abuse.  Drug treatment is necessary to successfully overcome drug addiction; without this all-important step, a drug addict or alcoholic might never achieve sobriety.

The goal of drug treatment is to enable an individual to achieve lasting abstinence from addiction and alcoholism, but its most immediate goals are to reduce alcohol and drug use, improve a person’s ability to function as a productive member of society, and minimize the medical and social complications of drug abuse.  A critically important component of drug treatment is to impart life skills so that the addict or alcoholic in recovery can be productive and employable after treatment is completed.  An alcoholism and drug addiction assessment may assist in determining if alcohol rehabilitation or drug treatment is indicated, and if so, the level of care and appropriate treatment center to meet the addict’s needs.  Ultimately, the long-term goal of all drug treatment is to help the client achieve freedom from drug abuse, alcoholism or dual-diagnosis.  Drug treatment comes in many forms, but is most often found in an inpatient or outpatient setting depending on the degree of severity of drug abuse, and the addiction treatment program best suited for the individual’s needs. 

Drug Treatment Programs

Drug treatment center programs are absolutely essential to recovery from addiction, alcoholism and dual diagnosis.  There are a wide range of substance abuse treatment programs that treat alcoholism and drug addiction.  Drug treatment programs often include counseling (both one-on-one and group therapy), education, relapse prevention, medical assistance, and nutrition programs to treat the mind, body and spirit, all of which suffer from the destruction of a crippling addiction.  There are many different types of drug treatment available, some of which include counseling, psychotherapy (CBT, DBT, EMDR etc.), recovery support groups, family therapy, and inpatient or outpatient programs.  All of these programs are designed to teach the addict how to become a sober, productive, and happy member of society.  Most traditional drug treatment programs encourage addicts to attend recovery oriented meetings to help solidify the recovery process both during treatment and following completion.  Statistics suggest that the most effective drug treatment centers offer programs which are comprehensive and multidimensional.  The most effective programs are usually closely associated with a wide variety of treatment alternatives and support services.  Addicts and alcoholics weighing the merits of recovery programs — whether for a loved one or for themselves — are often unclear on what is most important in the process of choosing a treatment program: treatment methodology, organizational structure, staffing, success rate etc.  By reducing drug use, even temporarily, treatment programs diminish the economic and social costs of addiction: the cost of healthcare, failure to work, and, criminal behavior.  One of the most important factors in choosing a drug treatment center or alcohol rehab program is to determine if you require residential or outpatient treatment, as these are the two most common forms of drug rehabilitation. 

Residential Drug Treatment

Residential drug treatment is different than other treatment methods in many ways.  One of the more successful types of drug addiction treatment centers is a short-term residential facility, usually 28 or 30 days in length.  The idea behind residential treatment is that the individual suffering from drug addiction is able to live in a safe, supportive, and drug free environment while learning the skills to live a life free from substance abuse and alcoholism.  Residential drug treatment programs offer many services that less intensive treatment options are not able to provide.  Residential drug treatment programs may focus on: life skills, social skills, relapse prevention, psychiatric services, communication skills, nutrition, holistic health, and spirituality.  Clients in a residential drug treatment centers often follow the program with sober living, halfway-houses, or additional residential, outpatient and aftercare programs to ensure the continuation of sobriety and recovery.  Drug treatment, drug rehabilitation and residential drug rehab programs play an essential part in breaking the cycle of addiction.  Residential treatment is a method of rehabilitation that should be considered as the next step for anyone who has ttried outpatient drug treatment or day treatment and has failed or relapsed. 

Outpatient Drug Treatment

Outpatient drug treatment programs utilize a variety of approaches to recovery from drug addiction.  Outpatient programs are set up to facilitate rehabilitation of the addict in real-life settings.  Those who attend an outpatient drug rehab program do not live at the drug treatment facility as they would an inpatient treatment center.  The ultimate goal of any outpatient drug treatment program is to help facilitate recovery from drug addiction so that an individual may re-enter society and lead a responsible, productive life free from the chains of addiction.  Outpatient treatment programs allow addicts to continue to participate in their everyday lives while receiving treatment for alcoholism and drug addiction.  Outpatient drug rehab clinics usually offer a combination of individual counseling and group counseling.  Outpatient drug treatment does not involve living on the grounds of the center, but rather attending process groups and counselor-led sessions at the facility for a certain number of hours per day or week.  Outpatient drug treatment programs vary in intensity and level of care of services offered.  Low-intensity outpatient drug treatment programs may offer little more than drug education and counseling, whereas other outpatient treatment models, such as intensive day treatment, can be comparable to residential drug rehabilitation programs in services offered and clinical effectiveness, depending on the addict's specific characteristics and needs.  The goal of outpatient drug treatment programs is continuing support and abstinence from alcohol and other drugs. 

Detox and Detoxification

Detox is an important initial step in drug treatment.  The goal of drug and alcohol detox is to rid the body of the chemicals and toxins accumulated by drug use.  Detoxification is not meant to treat the psychological, social, and behavioral problems associated with alcoholism and addiction and therefore does not typically produce the lasting behavioral repair necessary for continuing recovery.  Detoxification is defined as the process by which individuals are withdrawn from drugs and alcohol, typically under the care of trained medical personnel.  Detoxification (detox) drug treatment programs assist individuals addicted to alcohol and/or drugs to withdrawl from substance abuse safely and effectively under the supervision of professional medical staff.  Detoxification by itself is not enough for most people to achieve and maintain a a lifestyle free from addiction - detox should always be followed up with outpatient or inpatient drug treatment programs.  Traditional medical detoxification is simply the initial stage of addiction treatment and by itself does little to diminish long-term drug use.  While detoxification alone is rarely sufficient to help addicts and alcoholics achieve continuing abstinence from substance abuse, for most addicts it is a necessary precursor to effective treatment.  There are many different methods to detox people from drugs and alcohol, which are implemented selectively depending on the specific drug of addiction and the detox center or drug treatment center chosen.  In drug and alcohol detox facilities, doctors use medication to lessen the often uncomfortable and sometimes violent side effects of drug withdrawal, while preparing the recovering addict for the counseling and addiction treatment that follows during primary drug treatment. 

Treatment-Centers.net

Drug treatment is about regaining control of an out-of-control life.   Drug treatment is unfortunately not always fully effective the first attempt.  Recovery from drug addiction can sometimes be quite a long-term process, and often requires repeat stays in a drug treatment center.  Successful treatment centers attend to multiple areas in need of rehabilitation for the addict, not just their drug consumption.  Effective drug treatment works on many areas of a person's life: self-esteem, self-worth, relationships and friendships, learning problems, criminal behavior and more.  Recovery from addiction requires dedication, and only those addicts who prepare for a life-and-death struggle for their very lives usually meet with success.  Simply put, addiction recovery requires drug treatment. Please feel free to further explore our links, fill out our confidential drug treatment assessment for guidance finding the proper center for your needs, or call us 24/7, we're here to help!