Types of Drug Treatment
Learn about the different types of drug treatment.
Drug addiction is an illness where a person is not able to control their drug habit. At first a person will take drugs to get the high, but then as they become addicted their compulsive need for the drugs will increase making getting sober more difficult. Considering that drug addiction is so varied from the different drugs people can be addicted to how extreme the addiction can be there are many types of drug addiction treatments. In drug use it is not only the addict that is affected, but also their loved ones as such as friends and family. Picking the right type of addiction treatment is the first step on the road to recovery and it is important that a user is in the right type of drug treatment center in order to have the best chance of getting sober.
Types of Drug Addiction Treatment
There is not one type of drug addiction treatment, as there are several. There is inpatient and outpatient treatment, which are the two main kinds, as well as holistic treatment. The kind of treatment a person chooses will depend on what drug they are addicted to as well as how extreme their drug addiction is. There are many drug treatment centers that will specialize in a specific addiction such as cocaine or heroin addiction to just name a couple. There are treatment programs that are more intense and ones that are less intense meaning medication is not the main aspect of the program. For a person looking to get sober they should speak to a drug treatment counselor to find out what the best course of action to take for their specific drug abuse problem.
Holistic drug programs will help the person and use treatments such as acupuncture, yoga, and meditation. Holistic drug treatment centers will not use medication, but they can use behavioral therapy and while this type of treatment does work for people they are not as successful as inpatient drug treatment programs.
Choosing Between Inpatient Drug Treatment and Outpatient Drug Treatment
The more a person is addicted the drugs the person has a better chance of getting on the road to sobriety if they take part in an inpatient treatment center. This is especially the case if they will go through the detoxification process, which occurs when a user stops taking drugs and they will go through withdrawals. In an inpatient drug treatment center can get medication so the detox process is less painful and easier to get through. With an inpatient treatment center there is a professional staff that is there to help the user kick drugs and since the person will be at the center for a significant amount of time, various programs vary in the amount of time a patient will stay, they will not be able to go out and get the drug they are addicted to. Many times an inpatient drug addiction center will have both medication and behavioral therapy.
Inpatient drug treatment centers not only give the user a pillar of support from the professional staff, but from other users as well since they are going through the same issues.
In an outpatient drug addiction treatment center the person will have sessions in the day or evening, but will return home after the session ends. Outpatient treatments can also be used after a more intensive inpatient treatment program. Behavioral therapy, in the form of counseling, is the main aspect of outpatient treatment centers. People that have extreme addictions or do not have a support base that will them stay off drugs are better suited for an inpatient treatment. It is obvious why, as if a person is free to go home it is much easier for them to get drugs. Counselors can help users, as they can get the root of their drug problem and why they are taking drugs in the first place. In any successful drug treatment the psychological aspect is just as important as the physical one.
Importance of Long Term Drug Treatment and Follow Up Care
Continuous care is important for any individual that wants to kick their drug habit. Just because an impatient or outpatient drug treatment is complete the user is not out of the woods and continual treatment is very important so they do not suffer a relapse. After a drug treatment program is over a person should take advantage of follow up care options such as various mental health services, social services, and different types of recovery support systems. By taking advantage of these options it greatly increases the chance that the person can not only get sober, but also stay that way.
How Drug Treatment Centers Help Families
First and foremost the main way that drug treatments centers can help families is that they can be of great help in getting people off drugs. Any family member of a user knows the pain of how drug addiction has caused pain to the family. The loved ones of the user can begin to feel a sense of relief that the treatment center is doing everything they can to help the user. Even though addiction treatment is only the first step towards sobriety it is the most important step and it not only gives the user home, but the family of them as well.
Addiction treatment is not only beneficial for the user, but for their family as well. Drug addiction can rip families apart and when a person gets sober it is the first step towards mending the wounds in the family that the drug abuse has caused. In drug treatment counseling, many times, family members are brought in to take part on the counseling and they can speak their mind and show the user how their drug abuse has hurt them. This can be part of the healing process, which can help users get off drugs.
There are drug treatment centers that will specifically have drug counseling for the family. This type of counseling is can be done in a one on one session or a group session with other family members of users. If a drug treatment center does not offer this option they will likely be able to help in finding counseling for families.
