Drug Addiction Treatment Blog

Selecting a Drug/Alcohol Rehabilitation Center:
There are many different addiction treatment approaches, which one is right for you or your loved one? Deciding on a addiction treatment approach is often a very confusing, difficult and an extremely important endeavor to undertake; this can be daunting, you do not want to make the wrong decision. In the following sections there will be information on a variety of treatment approaches; keep in mind that there are a lot of factors that need to be considered before you select a drug and/or alcohol rehabilitation center.
2. Out-Patient Programs: A person who is just admitting that they have substance abuse issues and who is considering enrolling in a rehab will often times start the rehab process by entering an out-patient program. Outpatient programs typically have the lowest chance of achieving long term success in recovery.

There are many different types of outpatient programs and most centers that offer out-patient care can tailor a program to fit the addict’s schedule. An Intensive Outpatient (IOP) treatment program is typically a four to five evenings a week treatment for two to four hours each evening. Partial Hospitalization and Day Treatment, require the addict to go to a treatment facility during the days and participate in the daily treatment regiment, then return home for the evening and overnight. Standard outpatient treatment is usually less frequent one to two evenings a week and one to two hours each of those evenings.

3. Residential or In-Patient Drug/Alcohol Rehabilitation Programs Residential or in-patient rehab offer a structured therapeutic environment that begins with the withdrawal/detox process and extends through aftercare planning following residential treatment. Residential or in-patient treatment centers provide a multidisciplinary approach to facilitate recovery from drug and/or alcohol addiction. Residential treatment centers offer a structured therapeutic environment that begins with the withdrawal/detox process and extends through aftercare planning following residential addiction treatment.

12-Step Programs: The Anonymous Approach Most are familiar with or at least have heard of AA or NA. Alcoholics Anonymous is the best-known and largest self-help program. It has been the model for other 12-Step programs. Alcoholics Anonymous began in 1935 in Akron, Ohio, with the meeting of two alcoholics. One was Bill W. who had a spiritual experience, that was a major precipitating event and the beginning his abstinence to alcohol.

For additional information on rehab or addiction treatment call the national addiction helpline at 1-800-99-DETOX.

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An alcohol rehab consists of three general alcoholism treatment option steps. These three steps are intervention, alcohol detox and rehab. Many persons with a drinking problem do not see or acknowledge that they have a problem with alcohol abuse. Intervention used in an alcohol rehab program used to be more confrontational since problem drinkers would be confronted about their excessive drinking and threatened with consequences if they did not begin rehab.

Today, the more effective alcohol treatment option consists of caring and understanding counseling and intervention. Studies have found that more people begin an alcohol rehab program when family members or employers are honest with them and try to help the drinker see that alcohol abuse is adversely affecting their health and lives in many ways. Family or friends may need to help start the process of drinking problem recognition by reading relevant books on the subject to become better informed, by contacting their healthcare professional or by locating the nearest Alcoholics Anonymous or similar group.

An alcohol treatment program intervention is a structured process where a group of family members, friends or co-workers get together in a caring way to communicate their concerns about a problem drinker’s behavior. Done correctly, intervention has the objective of moving the person (and those who are part of the problem drinker’s life) out of crisis mode and into addressing the addiction. Without the problem drinker recognizing and acknowledging that he or she has a drinking problem, there can be no effective and lasting alcoholism treatment option.

Here are the three main alcohol treatment program steps:

1. Intervention - this is the initial alcoholism treatment option whereby the drinking problem is recognized and acknowledged by the drinker and perhaps family members or employer as well. Once the alcohol problem is recognized, alcohol consumption is stopped for those persons that are alcohol dependent.

If the person is a problem drinker and not alcohol dependent, moderate drinking may be successful. Many alcoholics at first will not acknowledge that their drinking is out of control, and moderation can often be a successful way to deal with the drinking problem. If moderation works, the drinking problem is solved. If it doesn’t work, then the person is usually ready to try abstinence. Because alcoholism affects the people closely related to the problem drinker, education and treatment for family members through counseling is often necessary.

2. Alcohol Detox - this phase of an alcohol treatment program usually takes from 4 to 7 days. The more alcohol a person has been drinking each day, the higher the likelihood the person will develop alcohol withdrawal symptoms when they stop drinking and require alcohol detox.

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can range from annoying and uncomfortable to serious and even life-threatening. Withdrawal symptoms generally begin within 12 hours of the last alcohol consumption and will be the maximum in two or three days.

The person may need to stay at the detox for medical observation. In a medically supervised environment, withdrawal from alcohol can be done safely, and medications can be used as needed to relieve withdrawal symptoms. Other medical problems that may exist increase the likelihood of developing severe withdrawal symptoms. For example, blood clotting and liver problems are often found in heavy drinkers, and serious symptoms such as convulsions, fever or delirium tremors can develop.

3. Alcohol Rehab - recovery from alcoholism should include support for the problem drinker once the alcohol detox phase is completed to help maintain alcohol abstinence. This important recovery support will likely include counseling, nursing and medical care within these kinds of programs. Alcoholism disease education and alcohol effects on the body should be part of this alcoholism treatment option and rehab.

An alcohol rehab can be an inpatient or outpatient program. Medications are sometimes prescribed in alcoholism treatment to help prevent relapses. Naltrexone will reduce the desire for alcohol. Antabuse is another drug that is used in alcoholism treatment. It functions by producing unpleasant side effects if any alcohol is consumed within fourteen days after the drug is taken. Counseling or support groups are often needed on a long-term basis to help maintain sobriety. Alcoholism and alcohol abuse can become life-threatening if not treated. It is never too late to begin the process of intervention, detoxification and rehabilitation to help a problem drinker regain control of their health and their lives.

If you’d like to see what alcohol rehabs exist, call the national helpline at 1-800-99-DETOX.

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I am in addictions therapist at a top tier residential drug and alcohol rehab. While sitting around the lunch table this afternoon someone mentioned that they heard that the patient census in residential drug rehabs across the country is at an all-time low.

We spent a good deal of lunch speculating on why this may be true. Certainly more people than ever need drug and alcohol rehab; but what has caused the sudden down turn in attendance? A plausible speculation was suggested that drug rehabs have been getting a very bad rap lately.

With celebrities and political figures treating them like weekends at the Marriott, perhaps there is a public backlash that is starting to believe that drug addiction treatment is ineffective. If true, that public perception would be detrimental to those who are sincere in their efforts to become sober. Entering drug and alcohol rehab has become the butt of jokes by late night comics. There seems to be an even bigger yo-yo effect than being on a starvation diet.

There is no question the drug addiction treatment works. It works best for those who are actively seeking actual drug treatment. Perhaps some people are using drug rehabs as contract negotiation ploys, to mitigate or reduce legal sentencing, or just to hide out and escape responsibilities.

If these are the reasons that people entered drug rehab, it is no wonder that they are soon drinking or drugging again. I believe that every single person has the ability to never drink or drug again, but it takes time and absolute prioritizing of commitment to abstinence to do so. For additional information relating to locating a quality drug rehab, you can call the national addiction helpline at 1-800-99-DETOX.

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If you review most of the drug rehabs in the United States you will discover their focus to be on treating drug addiction and alcoholism. As logical as this sounds, a few key drug rehabs have gone a step further by enhancing the level of their clinical care. Within their rehab centers, they have decided to provide highly specialized care. One of those rehab center is a Florida drug rehab called Lakeview Health Systems.

This Florida drug rehab has developed within their clinical program a dual diagnosis treatment component and an addiction component for the gay and lesbian population. With the development of these particular treatment components, it provides the clinicians and patients with additional options. This is probably one of the main reasons people tend to come to a Florida drug rehab. Other reasons would include the variety of recovery resources after the completion of addiction treatment and of course, the beautiful weather in florida.

For information relating to Florida rehabs or Lakeview in particular you can go to www.recoveryconnection.org or call 1-800-99-DETOX.

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