There are several types of drug treatment programs. How you are treated usually depends on a number of factors. An addiction treatment program that may work for one person will not necessarily work for another. A drug treatment program needs to be matched to the individual’s problems and needs. This is critical in his or her success in re-entering society as a normal, functioning person. In order to be effective, drug addiction treatment should address the individual’s multiple needs, not just his or her drug use.
Patients may require a combination of addiction treatment services in order to be successful. Besides counseling, he or she may need medication, family therapy or social and legal services. An individual’s treatment and services shoulder be continually assessed and modified to meet his or her needs.
Different types of addiction treatment programs include:

Agonist Maintenance Treatment, Narcotic Antagonist Treatment Using Naltrexone, Outpatient Drug-Free Treatment, Long-Term Residential Addiction Treatment, Short-Term Residential Addiction Treatment Program, Medical Detox, and others.

Let’s look at the above drug treatment programs and how drug addiction is approached in each.
• Agonist Maintenance Treatment - This addiction treatment is used for opiate addiction and is often conducted in an outpatient setting. These are usually referred to as Methadone addiction treatment programs. This drug treatment program works by using a long-acting synthetic opiate medication, usually methadone or LAAM, and buprenorphine (Subutex, Suboxone). It is given orally for a period of time to prevent opiate withdrawal and decrease the person’s craving for opiates.
• Narcotic Antagonist Treatment - Using Nature for opiate addiction, this drug treatment program is usually in an outpatient setting after medical detox in a residential addiction treatment setting. It is a long-acting synthetic opiate antagonist taken orally daily or up to three times a week for a period of time. The theory is that over time it will gradually break the opiate addiction.
• Outpatient Drug Addiction Treatment - This type of drug treatment program is usually less costly than others. It may include drug education and admonition, intensive day treatment and group counseling. Some of these addiction treatment programs are also designed to treat an individual’s medical or mental health problems in addition to their addiction.
• Long-Term Residential Addiction Treatment - This type of drug addiction treatment provides 24 hours of care a day, in a non-hospital setting generally. These require lengthy stays of 6-12 months. These focus on the re socialization of the addict. This type of drug addiction treatment is highly structured and at times confrontational.
• Short-Term Residential Addiction Treatment - Providing intensive but brief drug addiction treatment, these addiction treatment programs are based on a modified 12-step approach.
• Medical Detox - This process treats a patient by systematically withdrawing him or her from the drug they have an addiction to. Medications are used, as in opiate detox from opiates and other addicting substances such as nicotine and alcohol. The medical detox program is not designed to address the issues of social, psychological and behavioral problems of the addict. It is most useful when incorporated with formal processes of assessment and subsequent drug addiction treatment.
Research has demonstrated that some of the most effective addiction treatment programs are located in the state of Florida. Florida addiction treatment programs have become creative and quite progressive in drug addiction treatment. Rather than just stay with the “old” 28 day addiction treatment model, Florida drug treatment programs provide various levels of care for their patients, in conjunction with a variety of living environments.
To locate an effective Florida addiction treatment program, simply call the Florida addiction treatment helpline at 1-800-511-9225 or go to www.recoveryconnection.org.