Drug addiction rehab is a general term used for drug and alcohol addiction treatment. It is a word used for the rehabilitation and recovery of drug addiction whether it is cocaine, crack, alcohol, heroin, marijuana, meth, ecstasy, prescription drugs, and the list goes on and on. With so many addictive drugs in the world there are a variety of different drug addiction rehab programs available. This is because not all drug addictions and addicts respond to the same type of treatment. Drug addiction rehab varies depending on the characteristics of the patient and their specific recovery needs.
Every year, drug addiction affects more than twenty million Americans, their families, friends, and co-workers. Without the right drug addiction rehab and help, the future of these individuals does not look very promising. If they continue their self-destructive behavior their bodies will deteriorate, their minds will become damaged, and their spirits will be crushed.
Problems associated with an individual's drug addiction can vary significantly. People who are addicted to drugs come from all walks of life. Many suffer from mental health, occupational, health, or social problems that make their addictive disorders much more difficult to treat. Even if there are few associated problems, the severity of addiction itself ranges widely among people.
When an individual enters drug addiction rehab, they are attending a program that will help them on the road to recovery. Ideally, a drug rehab not only helps the individual with their problems pertaining to drugs or alcohol, but also addresses the psychological issues that lead to their drug addiction.
Nearly all addicted individuals believe they can stop using drugs on their own in the beginning, and most try to stop without help. However, most of these attempts result in failure to achieve long-term abstinence. Research has shown that long-term drug addiction causes significant changes in brain function that persist long after the individual stops using drugs. These drug-induced changes in brain function may have many behavioral consequences. These consequences include the compulsion to use drugs despite adverse effects, which is a defining characteristic of addiction.
A variety of scientifically based approaches to drug addiction rehab exists. Drug addiction rehab can include behavioral therapy (such as counseling, cognitive therapy, or psychotherapy), medications, or their combination. Behavioral therapies offer people strategies for coping with their drug cravings, teach them ways to avoid drugs and prevent relapse, and help them deal with relapse if it occurs. When a person's drug-related behavior places him or her at higher risk for AIDS or other infectious diseases, behavioral therapies can help to reduce the risk of disease transmission. Case management and referral to other medical, psychological, and social services are crucial components of treatment for many patients.
The best drug addiction rehab programs provide a combination of therapies and other services to meet the needs of the individual patient, which are shaped by such issues as age, race, culture, sexual orientation, gender, pregnancy, parenting, housing, and employment, as well as physical and sexual abuse. Treatment medications, such as methadone, LAAM, and naltrexone, are available for individuals addicted to opiates. However, it has been found that the best recovery from opiates is conducted in a drug-free rehab setting where the addict is not simply switching one drug of addiction for another.
One of the first steps of recovery from drug addiction is detoxification. This is also known as drug detox. It is where the drug user discontinues abusing drugs and allows their body to rid itself of the drugs and toxins it has accumulated. The user’s body “re-adjusts” to living without drugs and often goes through a period of withdrawal. For the recovering drug user, detox can range from mild to very intense, and at time life threatening. For this reason drug detox should be monitored by a trained professional.
Drug addiction rehab can occur in a variety of settings, in many different forms, and for different lengths of time. Because drug addiction is typically a chronic disorder characterized by occasional relapses, a short-term, one-time treatment often is not sufficient. For many, treatment is a long-term process that involves multiple interventions and attempts at abstinence. Millions have successfully recovered from drug addiction because they received the right help and information. Generally speaking, the more help an individual is given to conquer their drug addiction, the more successful their results will be. Also, those who stay in drug addiction rehab longer than 3 months usually have better outcomes than those who stay a shorter amount of time.