Drug Addiction Rehab Blog

Substance abuse has ruined more lives than all the other dreaded diseases combined. It affects the body and eats away the mind, until a person is little more than a shell that responds only to a noxious poison. Addiction is a disease and must be treated as such; the few places that are authorized to offer respite from this plague are drug treatment centers.

Substance abuse, unfortunately, is still viewed as a social and moral stigma. The psychological aspect of abuse is hardly considered; people do not easily sympathize with addicts. Moreover, when legally banned substances such as cocaine, opium, and LSD are concerned, addicts are treated like criminals when they really should be treated as patients. This mode of action does nothing to reduce the incidence of drug abuse nor does it provide rehabilitation for drug users. The problem of substance abuse can only be solved when the addicts themselves recognize their plight and seek help. This however, is a very improbable scenario since their ability to see the truth is as wasted as they are. Thus, it is family and friends who really need to recognize the symptoms and intervene to stop their loved ones from slowly killing themselves. The only solution for individuals, therefore, is to take the plunge and either end the addiction or let it end them.

There are many drug treatment centers in the United States. Most of them are dedicated to the treatment of high-profile drug abusers and are highly snooty, not to mention expensive. Their facilities and prices make hardly any sense for addicts that come from the general public. A large percentage of the drug treatment centers are managed and supported by government agencies. Usually these are meant for convicted drug abusers who need to sober up before they commence their sentence. Both types of places may rank amongst the top ten drug treatment centers, although they are of hardly any practical use to most people. The best places to recover from substance abuse are the secluded government or private facilities that actually treat addicts with care and show them that they matter. The top drug treatment centers provide support and medical attention, and actually help individuals to turn their lives around.

A drug addiction treatment center usually has different programs for individuals who have been addicted to drugs for a long time. These programs are usually structured in such a way as to give maxim comfort and convenience of the patients to make them better acquainted with their inner self so as to help in the quick recovery of addicts.

Outpatient Treatment Program

The focus of outpatient treatment program in a drug addiction treatment center is on drug addicts. This program can go up to nine or ten hours in a week. The patients come to the centers and go back home at night. The length of these programs may vary depending on the treatment centers, but in general they last for some weeks. The patient is expected to be available at the center for a minimum of four therapy sessions. Each session varies from three to four hours.

The basic purpose of this program is to counsel addicts about the consequences of substance abuse. It also includes therapy to increase their social activities and focuses on establishing a positive approach towards life. An outpatient treatment program is the most mild of all other forms of treatment. Physical therapies also form part of these programs. The overall focus of these programs is to get the person to engage into social groups; which will motivate him/her to stay away from the addiction.

Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program

This next program is a more intense version of the outpatient treatment program in a drug addiction treatment center. The approach is the same as the first, with focus on stability in short term and solving the problem areas immediately. The patient is treated by professionals who would ensure that the patient is enrolled in the center and goes through the same procedures like other patients. The time for this program is more because of the procedures involved and it may go up to twenty hours in a week.

This program focuses more on group activity. The meetings involve people with similar addiction backgrounds and are trained and counseled together to make them aware of the truths of addictions and help them achieve targets. The program being optimistic brings group formats as the solid base of productivity. The training and approach is similar to the outpatient program but is more intense and strict.

Day Treatment Program

The strictest of all the treatment programs in a drug addiction treatment center is the day treatment program. Although the patient stays at home, he/she is asked to come more often to the center to attend counseling and training programs. The programs under this are divided into detoxification program, education about substance and counseling. The detoxification program involves helping the patient stay away from the drug to which he is addicted. The next part of the program deals with making him/her aware of the consequences of the drug abuse and its effects in the body. The third part focuses on counseling; this part focuses on returning the person back to his/her normal social life.

Are you finding some information about the treatment methods which are used in drug rehabilitation centers? Drug addiction can be treated effectively. A drug addict can return to normal social life. A patient has to go under couple of therapies. The treatment not only contains medications but also behavioral therapy.

Almost every patient experiences withdrawal symptoms during the treatment. Withdrawal symptoms can be suppressed with the help of special medications. Some patients should stay in the treatment for a long time. The duration can vary from three to six months. Significant results are reported after a six months intensive treatment.

The goal of all the treatment programs is same. The programs are designed to help the patient to get rid of addiction. There are two main types of treatment programs which are practiced worldwide. The first one is short term and second one is long term. The three main components of a short term therapy are residential therapy, medication therapy and outpatient therapy. On the other hand long term therapy may include methadone maintenance outpatient treatment for opiate addicts and residential therapeutic community treatment.

Long term therapy is most commonly used in treating the heroin addicts. The patient is given an oral dose of a synthetic opiate. In many cases it is methadone. The dose is adjusted according to the severity of the addiction. Sufficient dose can block the effects of heroin. After appropriate treatment a stable state can be maintained.

After successful medicinal treatment the patient should go under various programs. Nowadays you can easily find specialized therapeutic communities. These are highly structured programs in which the addicts have to stay at a residence according to some strict guidelines.

A lot of efforts are being made to get rid of addiction problems. Drug abuse is having a bad effect on every sphere of the society. A big amount of money is spent every year. A lot of money can be saved if the patients will be diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. According to latest reports the number of addicts seeking help is increasing every year. Specially designed rehabilitation centers can help a lot in solving this problem.

PROMETA Clinics chemical dependence treatment differs from traditional drug and alcohol addiction treatment centers by focusing on the biology of drug and alcohol addiction, through a proprietary course of treatment.

The Clinics will treat the following dependencies:

Treatments for Alcohol for alcohol dependence

Treatments for Methamphetamine and Cocaine

Medical substance abuse research has shown that alcoholism and drug addiction are both biology based sicknesses associated with specific chemical changes which take place within the brain. These chemical changes which occur in the brain may quite possibly play a significant part in the physiological symptoms of drug and alcohol addiction, such as cravings and withdrawal.

How are Treatments administered?

Prometa treatments, which must take place at authorized Prometa Clinics, are totally comprehensive, patient focused treatments which have been fine tuned to reduce the exact chemical changes within the brain that occur as a result of methamphetamine, alcohol, or cocaine dependence.

The Prometa Clinics can generally treat patients in a comfortable outpatient setting requiring as little as two to four visits. The patients shall then follow these clinic treatments up with a specific period of medical counseling by a licensed physician along with a specific course of prescribed medication.

Prometa Addiction Treatment – 3 Phases

* CLINICAL PHASE- Medically supervised prescription treatment combined with nutritional supplements as needed

* FOLLOW UP PHASE – patient specific treatment with nutritional supplements prescribed medications

* COUNSELING PHASE – physician supervised counseling in an individual or group setting.

PROMETA CLINIC LOCATIONS

PROMETA Clinics are located in several states, including the following, Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Utah, Washington

The goal of the Prometa treatment is to eliminate substance and chemical dependency from our patients lives.

Finding the right drug addiction treatment center or drug rehabilitation facility can be quite a challenge. Many drug addicts are scared to go to drug and alcohol treatment. They’ve heard the horror stories of withdrawals and are afraid of what they will be forced to deal with once they have gotten into a drug rehab and begun to get sober. Make no mistake, getting sober is not an easy thing to do. So how do you choose the right drug addiction treatment center?

For some, choosing a drug addiction treatment center depends on finding a place that will work well for their current situations. People with strong family and work obligations are more likely to opt for out-patient drug addiction rehabilitation program. Someone who is trying to overcome a drug addiction to a drug with dangerous withdrawal symptoms like heroin will be better served with an in-patient drug addiction treatment center. For others, finding an acceptable drug addiction treatment center will depend on the scientific approach taken by the drug rehab themselves.

Relapse Prevention

Relapse prevention is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation approach that was originally developed for alcoholics but has proven successful for cocaine addicts as well. In this type of drug rehabilitation program the substance abuse treatment emphasizes the learning of new and better behaviors instead of simply learning to ignore older worse habits. This approach utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy alongside a drug-abstinence only approach to help the drug addict learn how to tap into his self control and resist the temptations he might find in the regular world.

Matrix Model

The Matrix Model works best with drug addicts who abuse stimulants more than any other type of drug. The drug addict will learn how to deal with addiction symptoms and learn what the signs of an impending relapse feel like. An addictions therapist will work with the drug addict and introduce the addict to a variety of self help type programs and will test the addict’s blood and/or urine on a regular basis to make sure that he or she is staying drug free. The emphasis of this model is on raising the drug addict’s self esteem and rebuilding his sense of self worth. There are a number of drug addiction treatment centers that use this model with great expertise.

Supportive-Expressive Therapy

This type of drug addiction treatment therapy works best with drug addicts who abuse cocaine and heroin. A therapist will work with the drug addict to create an environment in which the addict will feel comfortable talking about the experiences he had before entering drug rehab and before getting addicted to drugs-the behaviors and circumstances that helped create and feed his addiction. The addictions therapist will also work with the drug addict to develop techniques to help them deal with the situations that make them want to use the most.

It is important that you choose a drug addiction treatment center that works well with both who you are and what you are trying to recover from. Each of these techniques can be employed in in-patient and out-patient drug treatment centers. Make sure that you consider all of your drug addiction rehabilitation options. The better a match your program is for you the more likely you will be to stay sober.

As you do your research and learn about the different types of drug rehabs that are available to you, do not forget about exploring the Christian drug treatment. Many people, especially those who have relapsed, insist that a faith based treatment program is the best way to get sober.

Obviously there are plenty of people who say that faith does not and should not play into a person’s recovery from a drug addiction. By now, professional addictions counselors know that there are quite a few components that are required for a addict to get sober:

1. A safe, sober and structured environment.2. A steady support system.3. Drug and Alcohol Counseling and/or personal therapy(And sometimes) 4. An abstinent environment away from the “real world.”

It is well known that an addict has a better chance of getting and staying sober if he or she has a support system that he or she can fall back on and that nobody can get sober until they work with an addictions counselor to identify the different triggers that make them reach for their drug of choice.

A Christian drug treatment center meets all of these criteria. Unlike the other types of treatment centers, faith based treatment recovery programs offer addicts something more. According to those who swear by faith based treatment, it wasn’t just their faith that helped them get sober. They cite the positive atmosphere offered by the church, the welcoming feeling of joining the church community and the supportive pressure given to them by the members of their congregation.

Christian drug treatment center offers drug addicts a sense of belonging that they do not usually find in other types of drug and alcohol rehabilitation. One of the reasons addicts and alcoholics do not seek drug and alcohol treatment is the fear of judgment by others. With Christian rehabilitation, the atmosphere is one of acceptance. The addict is welcomed into a supportive community of other people who are also working toward sobriety. This community works together to find strength in their common beliefs and use those beliefs to give them the support they need to stay sober. A Christian drug rehab will also use faith-based writings to teach community members how to overcome their addiction and alcoholism and abstain from their drugs of choice.

Another reason that a Christian drug treatment works when other types of treatment centers fail is the comfort program participants get in the knowledge that they are not alone. In addition to the other drug addicts involved in the program, people seeking Christian drug treatment are taught to find inspiration and comfort in a divine being. The idea that there is always someone watching out for them and hoping that they stay sober is often what keeps a recovering drug addict/alcoholic from giving into temptation when he leaves the drug treatment center and goes back to his “regular” life.

Drug abuse treatment recognizes that addiction is a disease like any other. As such, it requires expert help from a licensed counselor and assistance from a medical doctor. Any treatment plan must involve modifying behaviors so that the patient can live a healthy, productive life.

Drug Abuse Treatment Options

Depending on the types of drugs abused, other drugs may be required required in the treatment process. Certain narcotics have been developed and are prescribed by doctors to allow the detoxification from an abused drug. Methodone and Buprenorphine are examples of drugs used for opioid addiction. Without these drugs, patients would undergo severe withdrawal symptoms that might pose a health risk or force them to take illegal drugs to ease their suffering.

No particular drug treatment option will suit every addict. Each drug abuse case must be assessed independently so a program can be tailor-made for each patient. Treatment options need to address other existing issues that may have contributed to the dependency. For example, someone who has experienced grief may resort to alcohol or prescription drugs to numb their emotional pain. Social ties may need to broken, if friends are encouraging or facilitating the addiction.

In some cases, a pre-existing mental disorder needs to be treated as well as the drug abuse problem itself. Occasionally, mental disorders are undiagnosed, misunderstood or drugs meant to treat the disorder have been misused, resulting in chronic dependency.

Easing the withdrawal crisis that occurs when a person stops using drugs is not always possible. No amount of reassurance that things will get better is an effective drug treatment option. Drug abuse treatment programs that use substitute drugs have some drawbacks, because the abuser will eentually need to quit the substitute. An integrated treatment comprising behavior modification therapy as well as the ultimate withdrawal of all medications can produce lasting abstinence.

Types of Programs

Some drug abuse programs are inpatient programs; others rely on regular attendance of an outpatient care facility. Some patients also attend Multidimensional Family Therapy. Entire families participate in these programs, which seek to minimize myriad environmental factors that contribute to drug abuse.

Outpatient care consists of regular, scheduled visits with a doctor or a treatment counselor. Most programs also include support groups, and some have 24-hour hotlines that patients can call for emergency counseling. These programs work best for patients who are abusing drugs that don’t cause physical addiction and who genuinely want to recover.

In chronic drug abuse cases, or cases where the drugs cause a physical addiction, residential treatment programs are often necessary. The patient may be in care for a lengthy period, learning how to interact with others, while at the same time withdrawing from drug dependency and receiving treatment for any drug-related illnesses. Hepatitis or HIV/AIDS are often contracted as a direct result of drug abuse. Other diseases can be contracted, too; some are contagious without sharing drug paraphernalia.

Many people often have a relapse and need to seek help on more than one occasion. Over the course of many years, recovering addicts still report the process as being a day-to-day challenge.

Drug treatment centers in South Africa are becoming more widespread as the continuing battle with significant drug abuse continues. For many addicts, admission into a drug rehabilitation centre is the foundation they need to enable them to break through their first few months of abstinence in a safe and supportive environment, away from the regular routine of their using.

However, rehabilitation is not an escape from life and the problems associated with it, although in the first few months of recovery it can be immensely beneficial for an addict in treatment to focus only on themselves and not face distractions caused by problems in their everyday life.

Addiction is a disease which is incurable and progressive; over time it will get worse and can be fatal. The disease can be arrested with abstinence, proper counselling and a programme of recovery. Daily vigilance and working a programme of recovery will allow a sufferer to rebuild a life for themselves and become a functioning member of society. However, for an addict to evolve from a state of hardened drug use and absolute self destruction to being an abstinent, reliable and happy individual is not a change which occurs in a few days. The abstinence will need to be immediate, but the real problems which require attention are the deeply rooted psychological problems all addicts have.

Giving up is hard to do

There is a common saying, “an addict without drugs is like a fish out of water,” and in many aspects this statement is true. An addict is reliant on drugs, hence addiction has earned the nickname “habit”.

An addict will find drugs enmeshed in all aspects of their life and giving up something that has been the focus of their life for a long time is a shock. After years of numbing and avoiding feelings, they will suddenly have to cope with their problems without drugs and feel the emotions they have spent years avoiding.

The lifestyle associated with drug use is engrained into the addict. Associations, hang outs, dealers, image; all of these are part of an addict’s using and when drugs are removed from the life of an addict, they will still find themselves entwined in evidence of addiction, except they will not be high.

Why a treatment centre can help

In a treatment centre, addicts will still have to face life head on, but will be able to do so in a clean environment with trained professionals helping them to deal with the difficulties of beginning on road to recovery.

As mentioned previously, the problem is not the drugs, the addict’s associations, the places they frequented or the music they listened to: the problem is within the addict themselves. Being in a safe and supportive environment will make the transition into a clean life a little easier to manage.

After an addict has become abstinent, it is completely normal for them to crave drugs. Just as drug use is a symptom that something within the addict is wrong, cravings are a symptom too. Many addicts with years of recovery behind them find that when something such as feeling an uncomfortable emotion occurs, they may crave, but they are aware that it is merely a symptom that something is uncomfortable within themselves. When an addict is in the clutches of an addiction, they may want to stop but just cannot get through a day without using, similar to an addict who has just become abstinent and craves.

What to expect from a treatment centre

Every addiction treatment centre is different, depending on the psychological model of addiction treatment they follow.

Many centers provide only counselling and therapy without placing too much emphasis on the patient managing life on the ‘outside’ of their centre. Others use religion or labour as a treatment method. The most successful rate of recovery is definitely seen in addicts attending treatment centers which provide therapeutic counselling, a Twelve Step recovery programme and endorse a healthy lifestyle.

Counselling coupled with a Twelve Step programme is so successful because the counselling helps the addict deal with the past and present issues they face. A Twelve Step programme provides a way for them to remain abstinent once they have left their treatment centre as the members of a Twelve Step fellowship apply themselves daily to the principles and suggestions of the programme, keeping them motivated and able to cope with life as it happens.

The length of a patient’s stay can also help prepare them for life outside their treatment centre. Many addicts only complete a short term in a primary care facility. Such a facility usually treats patients for three to four weeks using an intensive therapy programme where the addicts are required to be in-patients and abide by strict rules. Once many leave the centre, the shock of returning to normal life can often be so great that they return to using straight away.

Addicts who attend a programme at a secondary and tertiary care facility after their primary treatment seem to have a higher rate of recovery than those who simply attend a month long course. Secondary and tertiary care facilities allow patients a little more freedom and are able to help addicts become accustomed to living life without drugs and become immersed into society once more, but in a safe and controlled environment.

Drug treatment facilities can be an incredible help for an addict beginning the process of turning their lives into a happy existence that is not dependent on drug use. Attending a treatment centre offering therapy and counselling from trained professionals on a one-to-one and group basis coupled with a Twelve Step programme and a healthy lifestyle is the best chance for an addict to create a firm foundation of recovery.

Drug addiction treatment typically involves several steps to help an addict to successfully withdraw from using the drug. The treatment must be followed by counseling and attending self-help groups to help the recovering addict to resist any crave for using the addictive drug again.

The first step of drug addiction treatment is the withdrawal therapy. Withdrawal therapy is a step by

step detoxification plan which helps the recovering addict to stop taking the addicting drug as quickly and safely as possible. The detoxification is a gradual process that involve reduction of the dose of the drug or temporarily substituting the drug with other substances that have less severe side effects.

The second step begins after a successful detoxification. The goal of the second step is to help the ex-addict stay sober and keep resisting drugs. The second step involves therapies such as counseling, addiction treatment programs and self-help group meetings.

Counseling – Individual or family counseling with a psychiatrist, psychologist or addiction counselor may help an ex-addict resist the temptation to return to using the addicting drugs. Behavior therapies can help the ex-addict to develop ways to cope with his drug cravings, suggest strategies to avoid drugs and prevent relapse, and offer suggestions on how to deal with a relapse if it occurs.

Counseling also can involve talking about the ex-addict job, legal problems and relationships with family and friends. Counseling with family members can help them to develop better communication skills and to be more supportive.

Treatment programs – Treatment programs generally include educational and therapy sessions focused on establishing sobriety and preventing relapse. This may be accomplished in individual, group or family sessions.

Self-help groups – Self-help groups call upon the individual addict to take responsibility for his or her life and lifestyle, at the same time fostering self-acceptance and self-esteem. While most experts in the field of drug addiction view addiction as a medical problem, because of its effects on both brain and body, some see it as a behavioral problem to be solved through the development of self-knowledge, behavioral changes, and coping techniques. There are self-help groups that embrace both views and others that lean toward the behavioral model. Each type of program encourages the individual to understand not only the reasons to refrain from using drugs but the underlying emotional causes of his or her addiction

The road to recovery is far from being easy and it can sometimes feel overwhelming. From a medical standpoint drug use affects your brain chemistry. Once the drugs have been cleansed from the system, it takes time for the body to readjust. Feelings that were masked by the drugs will resurface, and when they do, they will have to be faced because the drug which helped in ignoring them, is gone. Relapse prevention includes identifying triggers to using drugs, learning more adaptive coping skills, and making better decisions when dealing with life’s challenges.

The chances of staying clean improve if the ex-addict participates in a social support group like Narcotics Anonymous, have a sponsor, and is involved in an Intensive Outpatient Program or individual therapy. If he chooses not to seek help from a treatment support group, chances are he will revert back to his old habits and relapse becomes more likely. An important thing to think about during the treatment process is how the ex-addict perceives a relapse. If relapse occurs, it is more helpful to look at it as a normal part of the process, rather than a personal failure.

Additional changes in social routine will probably become necessary as well. There are people, places and things that represent a slippery slope for the ex-addict and it’s in his best interest to stay away from them. Surrounding him with people who can support his recovery makes things easier.

Up to $50,000 dollars per month of treatment and a recommended 90 day (3 months) stay has become a commonplace.

A little pricey?

More like ABSURD if you ask me.

However, if I am honest with myself I must admit that I have seen some miraculous results produced by these places.

In fact, I would have to concede that if every person that enrolled in one of these drug treatment centers were to follow precise instructions, these programs would probably be 100% effective.

Now, I would like to say that I have never been to a drug treatment center, nor do I work for one; however, I do know people on both sides of the argument. I know folks who are avidly anti-treatment center and I know people that are pro-treatment center. I think that I would stand somewhere in the middle.

In my view, both sides have valid arguments.

On one end of the spectrum you have the voices that scream “All these treatment centers are interested in is money!” On the opposite side you hear “Our programs are designed to help the addict or alcoholic. We treat them and give them coping skills to be reintroduced to life”.

Both sides hold a certain amount of truth.

It is true that the treatment centers would have no motive for being created if there was no monetary profit involved. This would validate the “anti” theory that they are all about money.

However, these drug treatment centers offer a very broad range of services. What this means is that their overhead alone is very high. It takes a lot of work to keep these treatment centers open and the people who do the work deserve to be paid for their services.

In the end I think that there will always be debate on this topic. There will always be people arguing for one extreme or the other and, in my opinion, it is probably best to stay out of the firing range. It is always healthy to stand in the middle and see the good in things rather than the negative.

The bottom line is that there are a large number of drug treatment centers that truly help people.