About Drug Rehab Substance Abuse Treatment Center Facilities Programs
Chances are you know someone who has been to drug rehab. That's how extensive the problem of drug abuse has become in the U.S. Drug rehab is slang and short for drug rehabilitation. And technically the term drug rehab can mean any of the number of types of treatment programs for drug abuse and addiction. Drug rehab has become synonymous with spending some period of time in a full time, custodial care type, residential treatment center for therapy and education addressing alcohol or drug addiction. No one wants to go to drug rehab. More often than not an addict has reached the point of no return. They have suffered enough legally, physically or financially to finally say "uncle" and take this very positive step out of the nightmare. Usually, the reason an addict should go into a drug rehab is it is the best way to start the process of recovery. Addicts have become lost in the dream world of using drugs regularly and thinking there is nothing wrong with it. Most drug addicts are in some stage of denial. Denying the amount of drugs they are using and the effect it is having on themselves and others. The next goal of drug rehab is getting the client to see how they have suffered consequences as a direct result of their drug use.
Drug Rehab Treatment Centers and Substance Abuse Facilities
The vast majority of addicts cannot just stop using drugs without help. And the best way to obtain successful recovery from addiction is to check into a drug rehab center. Drug rehab has become a generic term, meaning a licensed facility to treat drug and or alcohol rehabilitation center. A drug rehab center means any of the number of treatment centers which provide treatment and rehabilitation on a full time basis, round the clock, 24 hour basis. It also can be referred to a drug treatment center, a drug rehab, a drug rehabilitation center or a residential drug treatment center.
Drug Rehab Treatment Centers are the Right Way to Start Recovery
There is no question learning about staying clean and the disease of addiction greatly improves a person's chances of long term recovery. By going into a drug rehab center, a person gains the knowledge, tools and assistance to help them stay clean. Going to a drug rehab center is the easiest surest way to stay clean and off drugs for 30 days, which is considered the toughest period of time in recovery. There are all different types of drug rehab centers. They vary in size, philosophy, services and the kind of treatment modalities they offer their clientele.
Long Term, Extended Drug Rehab Treatment Centers
Full time, 24 hr. attendance, the same as residential, the difference is in the length or term of the drug program. Long term programs can last anywhere from 90 days to a full year. One of the goals of drug rehab centers is to educate the drug abuser to the facts about addiction. Addiction is a complex brain disorder characterized by drug seeking and drug craving. The more an addict knows and understands the disease concept of addiction, the more likely he will be to succeed in long term recovery. Another is to teach the person about the changes needed to live a drug-free lifestyle. A variety of therapy is included in a given drug rehab setting. Much of what happens in drug rehab is to make the client aware of their drug using behavior and the effect it has on their lives. The ultimate objective of all drug rehab programs is to help the client see the changes they will need to make in their lives in order to be successful in abstaining from drug use entirely and to encourage them to follow the path of recovery, no matter what happens.
The 12-Step Model of Drug Rehab Treatment Centers
Approximately 90% of all drug programs use the 12-step model of recovery, as applied in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Drug rehab centers expose their clients by taking them to 12 steps meetings and discussing the basic principles with them. The other 10% are non 12-step oriented. They are available to those who have either tried the 12-steps unsuccessfully or have their own reasons for wanting an alternative. Most experts now believe the experience of using drugs changes the brain to the point of not being able to see clearly enough to stop using without considerable help and therapy.
Different types of Drug Rehab Treatment Centers
Gender Specific Drug Rehab Treatment Centers Programs
There are a limited amount of drug rehabs in the United States offering treatment to men or women only. There are also treatment centers with specific programs and therapy for men or women only. Both of these remove the presence of the opposite sex which can be a distraction or deterrent.
Adolescent Drug Rehab Programs
Most drug rehab treatment centers treat adults, 18 years of age and older. There are a limited amount of treatment centers treating adolescents, under the age of 18. And there are a few set up to treat both adolescents and adults.
Religious Drug Rehab Programs
For those who want to incorporate Christianity into their rehabilitation, there are a very limited number of treatment centers offering a program which is Christian based. There are a few others who offer a specialized track which incorporates religion as an optional track.
Non 12 Step Drug Rehab Treatment Programs
There are several good alternative alcohol rehab programs that are not 12-step based. These use a more self-help, mind over matter model. These alternative models exist for those who have tried the 12-steps, unsuccessfully. They are good for those who resist the spiritual angle of the 12-steps.
Dual Diagnosis Drug Rehab Treatment Center Programs
Dual diagnosis and co-occurring disorders are the term used for clients who have both an alcohol and or drug abuse problem and also have a psychological issue. The psychological issue can include depression, bi-polar, anxiety, ADHD and others.
Long Term Drug Rehab Treatment Center Programs
The average length of stay in an alcohol treatment center is 30 days. For those who have attempted a 30 day program one or more time before there are programs of 60 and or 90 days. For these and many others, stepping down into a sober living community for an extended period of time is desirable.
Drug Rehab and Recovery is Not Easy
You only have to watch TV to see how often people fail at recovery after rehab. Everyone knows, people go to rehab all the time and come out of it and use drugs again, sometimes the same day or after some short period of abstinence. Some celebrities have been in and out of their favorite rehab like the proverbial swinging door. The process of rehab makes the addict take a good hard look at themselves and how they have been acting inappropriately.
Although the protocol and process of working a program of recovery works and has been successful with thousands of addicts and alcoholics, going to drug rehab is no guarantee of successful recovery and long term abstinence, far from it. Drug rehab offers them the opportunity to quit using drugs and turn their life around. No easy task. The alternative to drug rehab and recovery is certain death or jail.
Dr. Mohammad is the Pioneer of Non 12 Step, Drug Rehab and Treatment
The 12 Steps are a free support group, to help people stay clean and sober. They are not drug treatment.
Almost all other drug rehab centers use the 12 steps as a form of treatment. Dr. Mohammad knows that drug addiction is a disease, as stated by the American Medical Association.
Principles of Effective Treatment
1. Addiction is a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and behavior. Drugs of abuse alter the brain structure and function, resulting in changes that persist long after drug use has ceased. This may explain why drug abusers are at risk for relapse even after long periods of abstinence and despite the potentially devastating consequences.
2. No single treatment is appropriate for everyone. Treatment varies depending on the type of drug and the characteristics of the patients. Matching treatment settings, interventions, and services to an individual's particular problems and needs is critical to his or her ultimate success in returning to productive functioning in the family, workplace, and society.
3. Treatment needs to be readily available. Because drug-addicted individuals may be uncertain about entering treatment, taking advantage of available services the moment people are ready for treatment is critical. Potential patients can be lost if treatment is not immediately available or readily accessible. As with other chronic diseases, the earlier treatment is offered in the disease process, the greater the likelihood of positive outcomes.
4. Effective treatment attends to multiple needs of the individual, not just his or her drug abuse. To be effective, treatment must address the individual's drug abuse and any associated medical, psychological, social, vocational, and legal problems. It is also important that treatment be appropriate to the individual’s age, gender, ethnicity, and culture.
5. Remaining in treatment for an adequate period of time is critical. The appropriate duration for an individual depends on the type and degree of the patient's problems and needs. Research indicates that most addicted individuals need at least 3 months in treatment to significantly reduce or stop their drug use and that the best outcomes occur with longer durations of treatment. Recovery from drug addiction is a long-term process and frequently requires multiple episodes of treatment. As with other chronic illnesses, relapses to drug abuse can occur and should signal a need for treatment to be reinstated or adjusted. Because individuals often leave treatment prematurely, programs should include strategies to engage and keep patients in treatment.
6. Behavioral therapies, including individual, family, or group counseling,are the most commonly used forms of drug abuse treatment. Behavioral therapies vary in their focus and may involve addressing a patient's motivation to change, providing incentives for abstinence, building skills to resist drug use, replacing drug-using activities with constructive and rewarding activities, improving problem-solving skills, and facilitating better interpersonal relationships. Also, participation in group therapy and other peer support programs during and following treatment can help maintain abstinence.
7. Medications are an important element of treatment for many patients, especially when combined with counseling and other behavioral therapies. For example, methadone, Buprenorphine, and naltrexone (including a new long-acting formulation) are effective in helping individuals addicted to heroin or other opioids stabilize their lives and reduce their illicit drug use. Acamprosate, disulfiram, and naltrexone are medications approved for treating alcohol dependence. For persons addicted to nicotine, a nicotine replacement product (available as patches, gum, lozenges, or nasal spray) or an oral medication (such as bupropion or varenicline) can be an effective component of treatment when part of a comprehensive behavioral treatment program.
8. An individual's treatment and services plan must be assessed continually and modified as necessary to ensure that it meets his or her changing needs. A patient may require varying combinations of services and treatment components during the course of treatment and recovery. In addition to counseling or psychotherapy, a patient may require medication, medical services, family therapy, parenting instruction, vocational rehabilitation, and/or social and legal services. For many patients, a continuing care approach provides the best results, with the treatment intensity varying according to a person's changing needs.
9. Many drug-addicted individuals also have other mental disorders. Because drug abuse and addiction, both of which are mental disorders, often co-occur with other mental illnesses, patients presenting with one condition should be assessed for the other(s). And when these problems co-occur, treatment should address both (or all), including the use of medications as appropriate.
10. Medically assisted detoxification is only the first stage of addiction treatment and by itself does little to change long-term drug abuse. Although medically assisted detoxification can safely manage the acute physical symptoms of withdrawal and can, for some, pave the way for effective long-term addiction treatment, detoxification alone is rarely sufficient to help addicted individuals achieve long-term abstinence. Thus, patients should be encouraged to continue drug treatment following detoxification. Motivational enhancement and incentive strategies, begun at initial patient intake, can improve treatment engagement.
11. Treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective. Sanctions or enticements from family, employment settings, and/or the criminal justice system can significantly increase treatment entry, retention rates, and the ultimate success of drug treatment interventions.
12. Drug use during treatment must be monitored continuously, as lapses during treatment do occur. Knowing their drug use is being monitored can be a powerful incentive for patients and can help them withstand urges to use drugs. Monitoring also provides an early indication of a return to drug use, signaling a possible need to adjust an individual's treatment plan to better meet his or her needs.
13. Treatment programs should test patients for the presence of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases as well as provide targeted risk-reduction counseling, linking patients to treatment if necessary. Typically, drug abuse treatment addresses some of the drug-related behaviors that put people at risk of infectious diseases. Targeted counseling focused on reducing infectious disease risk can help patients further reduce or avoid substance-related and other high-risk behaviors. Counseling can also help those who are already infected to manage their illness. Moreover, engaging in substance abuse treatment can facilitate adherence to other medical treatments. Substance abuse treatment facilities should provide on site, rapid HIV testing rather than referrals to off site testing. research shows that doing so increases the likelihood that patients will be tested and receive their test results. Treatment providers should also inform patients that highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has proven effective in combating HIV, including among drug-abusing populations, and help link them to HIV treatment if they test positive.
ref: principles of addiction treatment NIDA
Other Resources for Drug Rehab Treatment Center Information
National Institute on Drug Abuse
American Medical Association - Alcohol & Drug Abuse
American Society of Addiction Medicine
Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration
More NIDA Resources
White House Drug Policy
California Drug Abuse Programs
National Institute on Alcoholism
USA Prescription Drug Help
Medline Plus
Family Help - Alanon
Drug Addiction Medline Plus
Narcotics Anonymous
SMART Recovery
Alcoholics Anonymous
