Effective Drug Rehab Program
Drug addiction is a complex illness characterized by intense and, at times, uncontrollable drug craving, along with compulsive drug seeking and use that persist even in the face of devastating consequences. Because drug abuse and addiction have so many dimensions and disrupt so many aspects of an individual's life, treatment is not simple.
Medication and behavioral therapy, when combined, are important elements of an overall therapeutic process that often begins with detoxification, followed by treatment and relapse prevention. A continuum of care that includes a customized treatment regimen addressing all aspects of an individual's life can be crucial to a person's success in achieving and maintaining a drug free lifestyle.
Medications offer help in suppressing withdrawal symptoms during detoxification. However, medically assisted detoxification is only the first step in the treatment process. Medications can be used to help reestablish normal brain function and to prevent relapse and diminish cravings.
Behavioral treatments help patients engage in the treatment process, modify their attitudes and behaviors related to drug abuse, and increase healthy life skills. These treatments can also enhance the effectiveness of medications and help people stay in treatment longer.
Outpatient behavioral treatment encompasses a wide variety of programs for patients who visit a clinic at regular intervals like Cognitive behavioral therapy, which seeks to help patients recognize, avoid, and cope with the situations in which they are most likely to abuse drugs, motivational incentives, which uses positive reinforcement to encourage abstinence from drugs.
Residential treatment programs can also be very effective, especially for those with more severe problems. Under this treatment, patients remain at a residence, typically for 6 to 12 months. The focus of the TC is on the socialization of the patient to a drug-free, crime free lifestyle.
Addiction treatment must help the individual stop using drugs, maintain a drug-free lifestyle, and achieve productive functioning in the family, at work, and in society. Most patients require long-term or repeated episodes of care to achieve the ultimate goal of sustained abstinence and recovery of their lives.