Drug rehab can be said to be the beginning of any meaningful and long-lasting recovery from addiction to substances. The abuse of various drugs or substances is a common occurrence these days. Drug abuse is a complex disorder that affects the body, the mind, and even the individual’s social life. Consequently, treating such a disorder that affects all aspects must also be all-encompassing. Simply treating one aspect is not enough and often leads to relapse. Rehabilitation treatment involves addressing all the affected parts of the individual’s life to ensure that all the underlying causes and effects of the addiction are properly corrected.
Many drug abusers don’t want to go to rehab because they don’t understand what goes on there, or they feel they can get over it themselves, but over time they realize how much of a hold the substance has on them and then decide to seek assistance. You or someone around you might be suffering from drug addiction, and you want to get help or offer advice to the person. Here are some things that you can expect in drug rehab.
What Is Drug Addiction Treatment?
Recovery from drug addiction is a conscious commitment for any individual. The word ‘treatment’ might imply that people with addiction will be better after receiving some form of treatment. Still, all-round recovery from addiction requires attention and care with a lot of commitment. Even people with many years of successful rehabilitation have to be careful of any potential relapse. So what exactly is drug rehab? Drug rehab can be defined as how drug addicts flush their bodies of the substance and remove the body’s dependency on the drug. The process involves washing out the drugs and toxic substances from their bodies, physical recovery from the damage done by the addiction, adjusting the mental state of mind from a state of addiction to that of recovery, and learning how to handle life and its difficulties without having to use drugs, and then gradual adaptation into society.
The Rehabilitation Process
The drug rehabilitation process doesn’t just occur once but in different phases. Transitioning from a person with an addiction to a healthy normal person is a big step and has to be taken gradually. There are four stages to drug recovery; assessment, detox, rehab, and aftercare. Any individual going through rehab must pass through these four stages before being said to have had a successful rehabilitation. These four stages all combine to ensure the individual’s full recovery.
Assessment
Assessment is the first stage of the drug rehabilitation process. This stage in the rehab process is very important as people with addiction are often highly secretive about their drug use. They tend to lie about their intake level and try to make it seem like not a big deal. This is part of the underlying psychologies of addiction, and it is further boosted by fear of judgment from family and friends or arrest. The assessment process involves gaining the trust of the person and getting through the secretive nature of the individual. Information like what substances were used and the extent to which the substance was used are needed for the professionals to come up with a suitable rehabilitation plan for the person. Often, substance use and mental health disorders are closely tied together, and each can cause or lead to the other. As such, it is necessary to identify if there is any co-occurring mental health disorder and also treat it along with the addiction. If there is an underlying mental health disorder related to the addiction, and it is not discovered and treated, it can greatly reduce the chances of successful recovery from that addiction.
Detox
Detoxification is the process of removal of toxic substances from the body. All individuals with a drug addiction must go through this process of cleansing, in which all the toxicities carried by the drugs into the body will be flushed out of the system. During the process, as the body clears off the substances, the unpleasant experience known as withdrawal occurs. Withdrawal can be very nasty, and fear of this keeps some addicts from rehabilitation. The experience can come in different ways. It might be loss of appetite, loss of sleep, nausea and vomiting, etc. Many drug addicts do not want to experience the withdrawal process where they won’t feel like themselves and experience nasty things. Fortunately, drug detox and withdrawal do not have to be a terrible experience because by joining a medical detox program, you can get through the whole detoxification process comfortably. If you’re looking for a way to quit drugs but are afraid of having a terrible withdrawal experience, participating in a detox program is a good option for you to get through it.
Rehab
Rehab is the largest part of an addiction treatment program. Most of the work occurs in this stage, as this is where all the underlying causes of the addiction are addressed. In the case of most substance addicts, it becomes a repetitive thing and is no longer just an occasional occurrence. The rehab stage is where the serious issues around this repetitive action are identified and addressed. There are different ways through which this can be accomplished, such as; group and individual counseling to help build insight into the addiction and its triggers, recreational therapy which is also known as therapeutic recreation and utilizes recreation and activity-based interventions to address the assessed needs of the drug addict, medical management which could include opioid replacement therapy if necessary, management of co-occurring mental health disorders, family therapy so people know addiction is a biological thing not one of morality, discharge planning, etc. This stage alone encompasses addressing the problem till the finishing stages and is the majority of the whole drug rehabilitation process
Aftercare
Irrespective of how long or the intensity of the rehab program, people don’t actually leave the rehab center ‘cured’ of addiction. Instead, it can be said that what happens after rehab is the main recovery. An addicted mind, especially after a period of abstinence, often starts to believe it is okay to start using drugs again. Most of the time, this ends up in relapse, and they find themselves back right where they started again. Relapses can especially be dangerous as most people have a high risk of overdose during relapse. Participation in recovery programs like Smart Recovery or a 12-step program is crucial for people with ongoing recovery. This helps the newly rehabilitated individual adapt comfortably to society without the person reverting to his former addiction. At this stage, the person’s family also provides the necessary support for the individual’s recovery by providing mental encouragement and an environment where the individual can avoid relapse.
Types Of Drug Treatment Programs
There are various types of treatment for addiction, based on the level of care provided for the person. When choosing a level of treatment, the choice of treatment should be based on what will grant the best chance of a successful recovery to the individual. Addiction brings characteristics like a need for control, a tendency to rationalize wrong decisions, and a lack of insight. This makes addicts feel like they can stop drug use on their own. Consequently, they might be reluctant to admit that they require a higher level of care when picking a treatment choice. Some types of treatment types are:
Inpatient Rehab
This involves staying at a rehab facility or hospital during the entire duration of the treatment, with supervision at all times. Inpatient therapy is more intense than residential rehab and might be needed due to an emergency. It allows people access to recreational therapy and recovery-centered social activities.
Residential
Residential addiction treatment is the main preferred treatment for most people. Like in the inpatient therapy system, residential treatment involves removing people from their dysfunctional lifestyle and environment and creating a safe one. This has therapeutic functions and helps reorient their lives and thought process to help their recovery.
Outpatient Rehab
This treatment involves living at home and attending various treatment activities at an outpatient rehab facility during the day. The intensity of the treatment will depend on the needs of the individual. Outpatient rehab is appropriate for individuals already detoxed and free from withdrawal, who have no co-occurring mental health disorder or are strongly motivated to stop using drugs.
Long-Term Drug Rehab
Long-Term drug rehab is an inpatient treatment program that spans around 3 to 12 months. This program is especially fitting for individuals who have struggled with addiction for a long period despite completing other drug rehabilitation programs. It is also suitable for people with cases of dual diagnoses that are difficult to treat, such as people suffering from addiction and bipolar disorder.
Conclusion
Many people do not have prior experience with the care offered to addicts by various rehab centers. Drug rehabilitation is divided into different phases designed to help people dealing with drug addiction overcome their dependency and avoid possible relapse in the future. Drug rehab facilities are there to help individuals get through their withdrawal stages comfortably and recover from their addictions. There are different types of drug treatment programs to pick from, and choices can be made based on the level of intensity required for the full recovery of the individual involved in the treatment program. If you are looking for a way to quit drug addiction, look for a drug rehab facility around you and find a suitable treatment plan for yourself.
