Can you answer billie s’s question about Addiction?:

I’ve always thought that it was just therapy, counseling, and rehabilitation that’s used to treat addictions. But recently I found out that others are given medication as well. I was just wondering what these drugs are.

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Can you answer cherish l_l’s question about Addiction?:

I happen to have a cousin who is planning to undergo such treatment. Please help me.

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Can you answer cassandra li’s question about Addiction?:

I’m taking up psychology and I was just wondering whether there are any alcohol rehabilitation centers here that will allow me to be an intern for them. I could probably do a little counseling and help out. I want to find alcohol rehabs so that I can get information regarding their qualifications since I also plan on being an addiction counselor after I graduate.

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Can you answer cielo c’s question about Addiction?:

I would like to help out a friend of mine whose daughter really needs to get treated for her alcohol addiction, hence the search for rehabs.

Alcohol Detoxification

Drug addiction rehab works in several different ways in different parts of the world and in a country like the US, every treatment center has a different treatment program. The differences could be in the policies and theories that the program is based on, or it could be in the facilities that they provide. This makes it all the more essential for people who are scouting for a rehab center to read their programs carefully and then make the decision. Even though the programs of two different centers might appear to be the same on the face of it, there could be subtle differences that could make a program suitable for one person but unsuitable for another.

However, it is seen that throughout the US, the pattern of treatment that is followed in the drug addiction rehab centers is more or less the same. So, when you are looking for an option on drug rehab in the US, the following is the kind of pattern that you might observe.

Part I of the Treatment Program: Getting the Person to Defeat the Denial

Almost every person that checks into an addiction rehab center has some degree of denial within him or her. Denial is the phase when the patient is not convinced that he or she has a problem (about the addiction) and they would not in the least want to think about any kind of treatment for their condition. This may be out of fear for the treatment, especially the stories that they must have heard of the detox treatment, or it might be out of sheer ignorance. However, it is important that this denial is removed because as long as the patient does not agree to accept treatment, the rehab center can do nothing much.

Hence the first part of the treatment program in a drug addiction rehab is to help the person overcome the denial process. For this, the treatment center would employ a meticulous counseling program with motivational therapies included in them. If the patient does not respond to these, then their families might be involved. The families will be trained on what they must do or say to the patient so that he or she can be convinced for the treatment. They are also made to rehearse their approach with the patient and on a predetermined day, the program is set to action. After the planned family involvement, the patient is usually convinced for the treatment and the rehab program is begun.

Part II of the Treatment Program: Analyzing the Patient’s Condition

Not all patients will be able to undergo all kinds of treatment. Hence it is extremely important to check upon the patient’s condition right at the start. This is done through a careful analysis and testing procedure. The patient’s physical and mental conditions are then determined. If there is any associated condition, then the patient is led into a program that can deal with the coexisting conditions, such as the dual diagnosis treatment program. This is also the phase of the treatment program where the method of treatment for the patient is chalked out.

Part III of the Treatment Program: Detoxifying the Patient’s Body

The next phase of the treatment is the detoxification process, which is what most people think is all what the rehab treatment is about. This is the part of the program where the patient is made to abstain in a bid to allow the toxins collected due to the addiction to pass out from the body. This can take a long time depending on the condition of the patient’s body and the nature of the addiction. The simple detox programs (i.e. where the patient’s condition is not quite intensive) are completed within three days. But in people who are strongly addicted to a substance and are using strongly addictive substances, the detoxification treatment can go on for as many as three weeks.

A very important part of this program is to help the patient to overcome the difficult withdrawal process. This is done through a carefully planned medication program.

Part IV of the Treatment Program: Counseling, Medication Treatment and Aftercare

The detox program dovetails into a counseling and aftercare program. The main intention here is to provide the patient with knowledge on how to keep the temptation for the substance away. This might include teaching the patient some therapies such as relaxation and meditation methods. The patient is also educated on the repercussions of the addiction on various aspects of life, which could be a means of making their determination to abstain stronger. They are also kept on maintenance medication for as long as the treatment center thinks is right.



Thanks to Todd Lange for contributing this article to our Addiction blog:

Heroin Addiction Rehab