Treatment for Addiction

Drug addiction is a disorder that can take over almost every aspect of a person’s life. This includes family, friends, work, school, health and community. Because of the complexity and consequences of addiction, treatment must encompass many components.

Long-term residential treatment typically provides 24-hour per day care. It is typically in a non-hospital setting. The therapeutic community is used to help “resocialize” people with addiction.

Addiction should always be addressed with attention to a person’s social and psychological deficits in mind. This treatment focuses on developing accountability, responsibility and social productivity.

The therapeutic community treatment process is very structured. Activities each person examine their own beliefs and how they can be damaging, their self-concepts and their destructive patterns. After identifying these concepts, they can develop more constructive and peaceful methods of interacting with others.

Some TC programs offer employment training and similar supportive services.

Short – term residential programs are set up to provide intense treatment on a short-term basis. Typically the treatment involves a modified version of the 12-step program.

Originally, these programs were created to treat alcohol addictions, but amid the 1980s, when drugs became prevalent, these programs were proven useful for those who had a drug addiction.

The residential treatment model involves a 3 to 6 week hospital inpatient program that is followed by outpatient therapy. The outpatient therapy is typically reinforced by self-help groups.

After the initial residential phase of treatment, individuals should stay in outpatient treatment or aftercare programs. This is the next step in continuing the programs and reduces the risk of relapse.

There are a lot of options that vary in intensity and services of outpatient treatment centers. These are typically less costly than residential or inpatient treatment facilities.

This type of program is suitable for those who have jobs and extensive support systems that help them build strength. The major problem with this type of treatment program is that they do not involve more than drug education.

Most outpatient models involve intense day treatment have services and effectiveness that can be compared to the results of residential programs. They are customized to each individual’s needs and characteristics.

A major factor in the success of outpatient treatment is group counseling. Some outpatient programs are also designed to treat patients with medical, or mental health problems, as well as drug addiction.

Drug abuse treatment is offered in a wide array of ways. The settings can change dramatically from one to the next. Some use a wide variety of behavioral and pharmacological methods. In the United States alone, there are over 13,000 specialized drug treatment facilities whose goal is to assist substance abusers in obtaining the counseling, behavioral therapy, medication, case management and other services that they desperately need.