Drug addiction treatment
From Drug Rehab Wiki
In an effort to normalize the discussion about, and research into, drug addiction and its treatment, the medical community has classified drug addiction treatment into several general models. Individual programs approach the treatment of drug addiction differently and continue to evolve; as researchers gain knowledge about how chemical substances affect the human body, many programs no longer fit within traditional drug treatment categories and become outdated.
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Detoxification and Medically Managed Withdrawal
Detoxification is the term used to describe the process that the body undergoes to rid itself of toxic substances (including drugs); detoxification (or “detox”) is often accompanied by uncomfortable, painful or even fatal symptoms of withdrawal. Although detox is sometimes necessary before a patient can begin recovering from drug addiction, it generally does not change behavior in a lasting way and is not meant to treat psychological, social or behavioral problems associated with substance abuse. Instead, it allows the patient to participate in meaningful substance abuse treatment without being under the influence of drugs or suffering from painful withdrawal. People who detox without following up with some kind of drug addiction treatment may relapse the very next time they consider using.
Detox, or medically managed withdrawal, is often controlled with medications that are given by a doctor in a hospital or outpatient setting. It is usually considered the pre-treatment or first stage of drug treatment and manages the serious and dangerous risks of cessation of drug use. There are different medicines meant to help withdrawal from opioids, benzodiazepines, alcohol, and tobacco.
Long-Term Residential Drug Addiction Treatment
Once the human body has been detoxified of drugs or alcohol, a person participating in drug addiction treatment rarely requires the services of a traditional hospital. Not only are these institutions expensive, but they also lack the qualities of effective therapeutic environments.
Long-term residential treatment is an alternative to hospitalization that still provides round-the-clock care. One of the most popular residential treatment models, the therapeutic community, requires the patient to stay for six to twelve months and focuses on resocialization, using staff, community members and other patients as an active part of an individual’s treatment. In treatment communities, substance abuse is examined by way of the patient’s social and psychological issues and treatment plans reflect the need to develop personal accountability and social productivity in daily life. Daily life in a treatment community tends to be rigidly structured and highly charged. Activities are planned out in advance and tend to aid patients in examining their erroneous beliefs, self-concepts and destructive behavior with a view toward developing more constructive ways to interact with others. Many treatment communities also offer employment training and other occupational rehabilitation on location; this treatment model can be adapted to treat addicts with special needs, including teens, women, criminals, and the mentally ill.
Short-Term Residential Drug Addiction Treatment
Typically based on the 12-step treatment model, short-term residential facilities offer intensive drug addiction treatment in a relatively short time. Although short-term treatment facilities were originally developed for the treatment of alcoholism, the rise of cocaine addiction in the 1980’s influenced many operators to modify their programs to address substance abuse as well.
The first short-term residential treatment programs provided for up to six weeks of inpatient treatment in a hospital, followed by long-term outpatient therapy and attendance at 12-step meetings. This initial model has expanded over the years to include up to three months of residential treatment in a non-hospital setting, followed by structured participation in community self-help programs. Many early addiction professionals realized the benefits of keeping patients engaged in ongoing recovery and aftercare programs, long after the initial intensive treatment has ended. Studies show that 12-step programs are often essential in keeping people clean and sober after rehab.
Outpatient Drug Addiction Treatment
There are so many variations on the outpatient drug addiction treatment model that one of the only common characteristics is that the patient does not sleep at the facility. Some patients will reside at home; others will be in a sober living or a halfway house and commute to the facility daily. Outpatient treatment is vastly less expensive than residential treatment and, thus, is favored by insurance companies. In fact, many insurance companies require a patient to attend outpatient therapy and fail before they will pay for residential treatment. Outpatient drug addiction treatment is attractive to people who have to continue to work or participate in family-related tasks (such as childcare) during treatment.
Unfortunately, studies show that anything less than the most intensive types of outpatient, group-based treatment (typically up to 8 hours a day), will not prevent relapse. At most, these programs educate participants about the dangers of drug use.
Drug Addiction Treatment Counseling
Patients who attend a typical residential treatment program will participate in both individual and group counseling sessions. Personal history, co-occuring disorders, and personality will often determine which of the two modes of counseling will be most effective for an individual patient. Although many people are too private to be comfortable sharing intimate details with strangers, there are an equal number of addicts who need the attention and peer feedback that group therapy provides. No matter what type of treatment a patient prefers, by and large, most addictive treatment professionals agree that patients who do not participate in both types of counseling during their stay will likely miss out on the most effective addiction treatment available. As a result, many programs require both.
Individual counseling sessions are aimed at reducing or eliminating illicit drug or alcohol abuse. They also address the individualized problems patients face at work, home or in court. During individual sessions, the patient and therapist will collaborate on developing a treatment plan, with the content and structure optimized to ensure the best possible outcome. Although typically focused on short-term behavior modification, one-on-one counseling can produce coping mechanisms and other aids that will help the patient stay clean and sober. Many counselors use the individual sessions to explore the benefits of self-help and 12-step groups or offer recommendations for post-discharge doctors, psychiatrists, counselors or employers.
Group counseling, on the other hand, utilizes positive peer reinforcement to promote sobriety. Studies reveal that group therapy is most successful when combined with individual counseling or when based on cognitive-behavioral therapy or contingency management.
