In an effort to combat the rising number of people suffering from the abuse of or addiction to drugs or alcohol, federal and private organizations have implemented a number of facilities offering drug treatment programs; some of these programs are depicted in the chart above.
Drug addiction can affect anyone. No one is immune. This is partly what makes drug use so risky. Users will not find out until it is too late whether or not they are one of the unlucky individuals that get hooked. Many people think that they are invincible and that drug addiction will never happen to them. This is completely untrue.
| Residential treatment |
The patient resides at the treatment facility and receives consistent monitoring and treatment throughout the day; the length of stay is usually 30 to 90 days. |
| Partial hospitalization |
TGeared toward relapse prevention treatment; individuals who are participating in the outpatient program and need medical monitoring are required to visit the facility 3 to 5 days per week for 4 to 6 hours per day. |
| Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) |
Designed to accommodate clients who work or are attending school; they are required to meet thrice per week for 2 to 4 hours per day. |
| Counseling (Individual, Group, Couple or Family Therapy) |
Counseling is more effective when used with other treatment approaches or as a support tool. Counseling can also help you to recognize why you are using drugs and provide you with the encouragement you need to make better decisions. |
| Sober living |
Sober living is beneficial to patients who stand a strong chance of relapsing if they are sent home too soon or if they are homeless. Sober living provides an atmosphere that is drug and alcohol free and is inclusive of supportive recovering addicts. |
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Some people don’t live long enough to even develop a drug addiction. There are some people that die after only using one time. These people never get a chance to redeem themselves or get their lives back in order. This is part of the inherent risk of drug use.
Overcoming a drug addiction is a life long struggle for most people. They have to constantly be vigilant about a possible relapse. This might involve staying away from certain people or situations that make drug use tempting. Most will have to write off using drugs completely because even one hit can force them back into the throes of drug addiction.
Some drug addicts will be able to quit using on their own. However, many people will not be able to. They will instead require some type of rehab for their drug addiction. Fortunately, there are many good ones available that are quite affordable as well. Thanks to the government subsidizes that many drug rehab centers receive, many people who would not ordinarily be able to afford treatment, can.
There are different types of rehab. The most common are outpatient and residential care. Outpatient centers do not require drug addicts to live in the rehab facility. They will instead visit the rehab facility for scheduled visits.
Residential rehabilitation, on the other hand, for drug addiction is pretty intensive and requires that people live onsite until they have either beat their addiction or voluntarily leave.
There are many great drug rehab facilities with really effective treatment philosophies. It is important for addicts to find a rehab center that fits them, their addiction and their personality. Finding such a program will greatly increase one’s chance of getting clean.
Without drug treatment programs, addicts striving to get clean would have to go through the withdrawal process by themselves–this can be very life-threatening. These programs provide the physical, mental, and emotional support addicts need to win their battle against addiction. Hence, individuals suffering from any type of drug dependency are urged to seek immediate treatment. By contacting SAMHSA’s website, you can find one near you.
