Drug rehab undoes the learned process of addiction

Drug rehabilitation depends upon the severity and nature of the drug addiction, motivation, and the availability of services. Some users may come into drug rehabilitation voluntarily and have the support of family, friends, and workplace. Others may be sent to rehabilitation against their will by the courts and have virtually no support system. Rehabilitation from drug addiction is possible for both scenarios if the individual applies the knowledge they learn in rehab to their life once they have left drug rehabilitation.

Each person is responsible for their own actions. This fact may be harder to see as time goes by and the individual becomes more enslaved in drug use. The fine line of personal choice and necessity for the drug becomes blurred and unrecognizable. Often times, once the individual has discontinued using drugs or alcohol, they are able to accept that it was their actions that warranted drug rehabilitation. This fact becomes reality and makes more sense than accepting that they have a "disease". Knowing that their problems can be permanently resolved provides the hope that is necessary for recovery.

Drug addiction is a learned behavior for an individual. Drug rehabilitation undoes the learned process of addiction so that being clean becomes habitual. Drug rehabilitation is getting stable as well as staying stable in ones life, long after treatment is complete. Individuals who are recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction first need to realize that they have a problem and are willing to work towards a solution. Drug rehabilitation usually requires long term treatment, but varies on the individual and their drug addiction history. Individuals on the road to drug addiction recovery conquer many obstacles, the first being withdrawal from drugs or alcohol. This process may be painful and the hardest to achieve depending on the drugs the individual must withdraw from.

Drug addiction intervention is a process that helps an addict recognize the extent of their problem. A drug addict usually does not know they are out of control. They look at their drug-using peers and their own use appears normal in comparison. They need objective feedback on their behavior. Through a non-judgmental, non-critical, systematic process, the drug addict is confronted with the impact of their alcohol or drug abuse on others. The goal of drug addiction intervention is for them to accept the reality of their drug addiction and to seek help. It was once thought that an alcoholic or other drug abuser had to "hit bottom" before help could be offered treatment and accept it. It was thought that a drug addict could only get better if he was self-motivated to change. It is now known that a professional counselor can motivate an addict toward treatment.

Drug addiction interventions are difficult and delicate matters. It is important that these interventions be done properly. No drug addiction intervention should be undertaken without advice and counsel of a professional, whom is experienced in the drug intervention process. Since people embarking on a drug intervention often feel ambivalent and apprehensive, it is important that they trust the interventionist. Should you ever feel uneasy with your interventionist or that you are being asked to do something you do not understand or agree with, you would be wise to stop the process and go elsewhere.

Drug addiction recovery involves understanding what caused an individual to begin using drugs or alcohol, as well as finding solutions to prevent further abuse. Individuals must also learn communication skills, personal ethics, social and antisocial personality traits, and repair past damage they may have caused others. This is in addition to planing a strategy for their futures.

The next step of drug addiction treatment stems from the idea that the individual is better able to learn new information and acquire knowledge once the drugs are completely out of their system . This step is called detoxification. This is only part of the initial steps of treatment. Many individuals misinterpret this vital step as the "only" step and feel that they have accomplished their goal of drug rehabilitation.

Drug detox is paramount to a successful recovery. If residue from drugs or alcohol continues to exist in the addict’s body, cravings will arise and withdrawal symptoms persist. The goal of drug detox is to ultimately eliminate the drugs, and all its metabolites from the body to increase the chance of a successful recovery. Many drug rehabilitation centers provide drug detoxification as its only method of treatment for individuals with drug addiction problems.

The different types of drug rehabilitation can be broken down into certain categories depending on: the characteristics of the approach to squelch the addiction, the length, and effort put forth. The initial step of choosing a treatment program should ensure that the most effective treatment method is selected that best fits the individual's specific treatment needs. If an incorrect evaluation is made when selecting a treatment modality, the individual's chances for failure increase significantly.

Drug rehabilitation should address the specific needs of each individual. There are varying degrees of drug abuse. Some individuals may have a history of many prior attempts to end their abuse patterns that failed. For those who fall into this category, in patient residential treatment may prove fruitful. Research studies show that inpatient treatment is the most successful modality for individuals with a history of multiple unsuccessful attempts at sobriety.

Residential treatment for drug abuse and addiction has existed for 40 years. Residential treatment, also known as therapeutic communities, are located in residential settings. They use a hierarchical model with treatment stages that reflect increased levels of personal and social responsibility. Peer influence, mediated through a variety of group processes, is used to help individuals learn and assimilate social norms and develop more effective social skills.

Residential treatment is different than other treatment methods in many ways. Individuals are able to leave their destructive environment and enter into a clean and sober atmosphere. Their reminders of drugs such as the cabinet where they kept their alcohol or the drawer where they kept their stash are no longer a temptation reminding them of their drug addiction. Additionally, individuals are able to associate with others who share their same goal of addiction recovery 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This availability of individuals and staff at any hour is invaluable when a person is going through residential drug treatment.

The idea behind residential treatment is that the individual suffering from drug addiction is able to live in a drug free environment. They begin to see how to live life without drugs and alcohol through their time spent away from their previous environment. As time progresses, they are able to handle more and more responsibility within the residential treatment facility and are expected to be part of the community in which they live. This means helping those who are just beginning as well as those around them.

The Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study (DATOS), the most recent long-term study of drug treatment outcomes, showed that those who successfully completed residential treatment had lower levels of drug use, criminal behavior, unemployment, and indicators of depression than they had before residential treatment.

Long term treatment involves individuals spending a substantial amount of time on their drug rehabilitation program. Generally, long term treatment is conducted in residential treatment facilities. When an individual enters a long term treatment program they know that they have truly dedicated themselves to recovering from their drug addiction. Long-Term Residential Treatment provides care 24 hours per day, generally in a non-hospital settings. The best-known long term treatment model is the therapeutic community (TC), but residential treatment may also employ other models such as cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Long term treatment generally lasts anywhere from 3 to 12 months and is focused on the "re-socialization" of the individual. Long term treatment uses the program's entire "community," including other residents, staff, and the social context, as active components of treatment. Long term treatment focuses on developing personal accountability, responsibility, and socially productive lives. Long term treatment is highly structured with activities designed to help residents examine damaging beliefs, self-concepts, and patterns of behavior. They also help residents to adopt new, more harmonious and constructive ways to interact with others.

Through long term treatment, individuals are able to live life for a substantial amount of time off drugs while knowing what sobriety truly feels like. With shorter treatment programs, the drug addict does not get to experience a significant amount of time off drugs. They have just enough time to withdrawal, detox, and take in a few lessons before they are back in society dealing with the same social pressures that drove them to treatment in the first place.

When using the 12 Step drug treatment method, individuals continue to attend meetings after leaving drug treatment and believe that they will never "recover" from their drug addiction. This drug treatment program may leave many feeling powerless and hopeless of ever ending their battle with drug addiction. Although the 12 step programs may work for some, its success rate leaves many individuals still struggling with drug addiction.

Source: RefillPill.com Editors' Choice