A person can either have a substance or behavioral addiction. However, our focus in this article is substance addiction.
You can read this article to learn more about the broader meaning of addiction. Substance addiction typically involves compulsive alcohol or drug use in people suffering from it. People with substance addiction cannot stop themselves from using drugs or drinking alcohol even when the use of the substance is causing a lot of life issues for them.
Being addicted to any substance can have a serious negative impact on every aspect of the person’s life, their mental health, physical health, employment, finances, family, and even their relationships.
Once a person gets addicted, quitting substance use can be quite challenging. Sometimes, it can even be dangerous when the person stops or even reduces some substance use when there is no medical supervision. This is why addiction treatment is important when helping people to recover from substance abuse since it’s effectively helped several people recover.
If you or someone close to you has been suffering from substance abuse, we suggest finding a rehab center in places like Colorado, Denver, or anywhere nearby. Once you have finally found one, we suggest that you read this article until the end. Here, we will be discussing everything that we believe would help you on your first visit to the rehab, including what addiction treatment is and what to expect.
Addiction Treatment – What Exactly Is it?
Addiction treatment refers to interventions that are made to help those that are struggling with substance addiction stop substance use. It also helps to improve their lives, work, family, and general well-being.
Sometimes, some persons may take the initiative to seek out this treatment themselves once they realize that they cannot help themselves to quit, whereas some do it because they have been mandated to. Whichever the case, addiction treatment is a good call, and most times, the outcome is always positive.
A holistic approach typically involves several therapeutic therapies and treatments combined including:
- Behavioral therapies
- Medications
- Medical detox
- Support groups
- Individual and group counseling
- Family therapy
- Social services like financial, legal, and housing services
How these services will be combined, and the treatment’s duration is often based on the patient’s particular needs. Often, the needs will change with time, and when it does, the approach being used would also be evaluated and adjusted or changed to fit the changing needs.
Addiction happens to be a chronic condition and like other chronic conditions, the patient can relapse even after the rehab program is complete. A release does not mean the program didn’t work. However, sometimes, it means that the approaches used may need adjustment with time so the recovery pace can be maintained.
What To Expect
When you start a drug rehab, the treatment’s intensity would be based on your needs. Below is the level of treatment care according to The American Society for Addiction Medicine:
- Outpatient services
- Partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient
- Inpatient services or residential
- Intensive inpatient
The professional typically will recommend an ideal plan for the patient with these levels in mind. This would be based on several assessments including support, individual risks, as well as other needs.
Throughout the process, several approaches would be taken, and they may include individual or/and group therapies, medications, and sometimes, a mix of both.
Addiction Treatment – Types
Typically, rehab programs combine approaches based on the individual’s specific needs. Most times, the treatment starts with medical detox, so the patient can comfortably and safely overcome withdrawal.
Below are some of the most common types of addiction treatment:
Inpatient Rehabs
For this treatment, the person has to stay in the rehab center 24/7 so that they can receive services when there’s medical supervision. Someone who has been taking a substance that is known to cause several symptoms during withdrawal is often recommended for inpatient rehab. Furthermore, those with ongoing cognitive, behavioral, or emotional issues may also be required to take this type of treatment.
A medical expert may consider this treatment in the following situations:
- The person’s substance abuse has been an issue for a long time
- The person has some underlying mental health illnesses
- The person stays in the same house as people who are using substances at the time of the treatment
Outpatient Rehabs
Here, the person stays in their home but visits the rehab center for scheduled sessions during which time they would receive the treatment services. The treatment approaches used here are usually similar to those given to inpatient rehabs.
This approach is suitable for those who:
- Recently finished an inpatient program
- Have strong family and/or social support
- Have and need to maintain their employment
The hours needed for outpatient rehabs differ from one center to another; however, generally, the hours are often accommodated for those with jobs or attending school.
There are also levels in outpatient rehabs:
- Standard Outpatient Rehabs: about 9 hours every week
- Intensive Outpatient Rehabs: provides a minimum of 9 hours every week for those whose needs are more complex for their addiction and co-occurring mental or health issues.
- Partial Hospitalization: provides a minimum of 20 hours every week. However, round-the-clock care is not needed.
Medical Detox
Detox refers to substance withdrawal in a supervised environment with a management period that allows the patient’s body to stabilize in the early stages of the treatment. The person typically would be kept as safe and comfortable as possible so that their body can remove the substances it.
The detoxification process often varies based on several factors including the substance that was being used and how dependent the person has gotten on said substance. Sometimes, medication may be used for detoxification so that withdrawal symptoms can be minimized while reducing the chances of complications from withdrawal. Visit https://dualdiagnosis.org/guide-drug-detox/ to find out more about medical detox.
Medical detox is important because sometimes when detox is done by an individual the withdrawal symptoms may be dangerous enough to lead to death.
Conclusion
Addiction treatment uses several approaches to help people with substance abuse issues. There are several approaches and levels for this treatment. The approach and level used for an individual are often based on their needs. Most times, several approaches are combined based to get the best results.
