If you are caught in the cycle of addiction, there is no right or wrong way to seek treatment. However, if you are interested in stopping your drug use, it can be helpful to consider a few factors when choosing a drug treatment program to improve your health. The likelihood of completing the drug abuse therapy successfully may depend on doing a little research beforehand.
Treatment Style
The approach many drug abuse treatment centers take varies widely. Some focus on personal behavioral training in an upscale environment with many doctors and counselors on staff. Others isolate patients in rural settings and focus on work, meditation or physical fitness as a means of treatment. It is vital that addicts are in an environment that fits their sensibilities and addresses their specific needs. Regardless of the setting, a supportive staff is essential to help patients thrive.
Medications
An ideal treatment program will combine various talk therapies and activities with appropriate medications. These types of drugs may help addicts handle withdrawal symptoms, nausea and anxiety, allowing them to focus on the long-term goal and avoid relapse. Prescription drugs exist for the treatment of opiate, tobacco or alcohol addiction, and many in-patient abuse centers have an on-site pharmacy that monitors the dispersion of the medications.
Duration
Some drug treatment programs last for just a week or up to a month. Others are long-term and include group housing during a transitional period. It is vital when choosing a program that it is long enough to effect real change in patients before sending them back out into society where they may be likely to relapse. Some studies have indicated that programs of at least three months of direct care are more successful at stopping abuse for the long term.
Customization
Because people respond to therapy programs in different ways, addicts seeking treatment should look for centers that offer customized plans for each participant. Some patients will benefit greatly from talk therapy, while others might need mental health counseling or family therapy. Treatment plans that encompass all the challenges the patient faces are more likely to be successful in the long run.
Holistic Approach
Often, people facing addition have other issues that complicate their ability to remain sober. These are things such as being unemployed, requiring child care, housing problem or additional health concerns. The right long-term treatment program would be able to assist patients in finding solutions to all these challenges so that they can focus on their health and sobriety. Vocational placement, transitional housing and mental health therapy might be some of the services an ideal treatment center would offer.
Follow-up
After a period of seclusion during initial treatment, patients are much more likely to remain drug free if they receive continuing services. Some programs offer post-discharge mentors and counseling for long-term support. Others set patients up with volunteer opportunities to help fill their days and distract them from thoughts of abuse. Random drug testing after leaving an in-patient program is usually another routine requirement. Although a relapse does not mean that therapy has failed, it is important to get patients back on the right track toward sobriety as quickly as possible.
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