NOTE: This fact sheet discusses research findings on effective treatment approaches for drug abuse and addiction. If you’re seeking treatment, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357) or go to www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov for information on hotlines, counseling services, or treatment options in your state.
Many people might be hesitant to get help. Entering a drug rehab program is a critical step on the road to recovery. First and foremost, drug rehab is beneficial because it can break a user’s addictive cycle. That’s because rehab places addicted individuals in a healthy environment that is free of substances. There are also trained staff in place that can hold addicts accountable to their goal of quitting drugs.
There are two routes typically applied to a cognitive approach to substance abuse: tracking the thoughts that pull patients to addiction and tracking the thoughts that prevent them from relapsing. Behavioral techniques have the widest application in treating substance related disorders. Behavioral psychologists can use the techniques of “aversion therapy,” based on the findings of Pavlov's classical conditioning. It uses the principle of pairing abused substances with unpleasant stimuli or conditions; for example, pairing pain, electrical shock, or nausea with alcohol consumption. The use of medications may also be used in this approach, such as using disulfiram to pair unpleasant effects with the thought of alcohol use. Psychologists tend to use an integration of all these approaches to produce reliable and effective treatment. With the advanced clinical use of medications, biological treatment is now considered to be one of the most efficient interventions that psychologists may use as treatment for those with substance dependence.
Substance abuse has plagued the nation for decades. This has prompted the need for rehab centers, but these facilities must first consider the dynamics of drug and alcohol abuse to effectively treat it. For example, a man who’s been struggling with severe alcoholism for five years will likely need a different form of treatment than a woman who’s been abusing alcohol for only a few months. This is why drug rehab centers like The Recovery Village offer individualized inpatient and outpatient rehab programs — including inpatient detox — to allow them to accommodate the varying needs of patients.
In the precontemplation phase, the individual does not express any interest in the need for change. Many individuals with substance use problems are firmly entrenched in this stage. The options in dealing with patients in this stage are limited and include pointing out the discrepancy between patient action and patient goals, suggesting that the patient bring a family member to the next appointment, and suggesting a 2-week abstinence trial.
Dependence is defined as an adaptive state that develops in response to repeated drug administration, and is unmasked during withdrawal, which occurs when drug taking stops. Dependence from long-term drug use may have both a somatic component, manifested by physical symptoms, and an emotional–motivation component, manifested by dysphoria. While physical dependence and withdrawal occur with some drugs of abuse (opiates, ethanol), these phenomena are not useful in the diagnosis of addiction because they do not occur with other drugs of abuse (cocaine, amphetamine) and can occur with many drugs that are not abused (propranolol, clonidine).
Drug addiction is a problem whose effects are felt in every corner of the country; however, this means that there are also treatment facilities right across the UK, and wherever you are you will not be too far away from the treatment you need. Your first port of call should always be your GP who will assess your situation and who can tell you what options exist for you locally.
For people living in poverty and those who are unemployed, even homeless, and struggling with the physical, emotional, and financial cost of addiction, the idea of entering a treatment program seems impossible because there is simply no money available. Because many treatment programs are beyond the ability of these individuals or their families to afford, some of them attempt a potentially dangerous cold-turkey or at-home detox, or other treatment methods that are not evidence-based. Some of these individuals, even though they want to move past their addictions, give up on the idea of rehab altogether simply based on the inability to pay.
During the early stages of alcohol recovery, patients can be confused and scared. Their emotions can run high to the point that what they are thinking and feeling interferes with recovery. Meditation addresses these sorts of things. By helping patients relax and focus their thoughts inward, meditation eases patient fears and clears up confusion. Patients are more apt to benefit from treatment in this more relaxed state.
Most drugs affect the brain's "reward circuit," causing euphoria as well as flooding it with the chemical messenger dopamine. A properly functioning reward system motivates a person to repeat behaviors needed to thrive, such as eating and spending time with loved ones. Surges of dopamine in the reward circuit cause the reinforcement of pleasurable but unhealthy behaviors like taking drugs, leading people to repeat the behavior again and again.
The official diagnosis of drug addiction by the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders (2000), which makes distinctions between drug use, abuse, and substance dependence, is flawed. First, diagnosis of drug use versus abuse can be arbitrary and reflect cultural norms, not medical phenomena. Second, the term substance dependence implies that dependence is the primary pharmacologic phenomenon underlying addiction, which is likely not true, as tolerance, sensitization, and learning and memory also play central roles. It is ironic and unfortunate that the Manual avoids use of the term addiction, which provides the best description of the clinical syndrome.
An additional cognitively-based model of substance abuse recovery has been offered by Aaron Beck, the father of cognitive therapy and championed in his 1993 book Cognitive Therapy of Substance Abuse. This therapy rests upon the assumption addicted individuals possess core beliefs, often not accessible to immediate consciousness (unless the patient is also depressed). These core beliefs, such as "I am undesirable," activate a system of addictive beliefs that result in imagined anticipatory benefits of substance use and, consequentially, craving. Once craving has been activated, permissive beliefs ("I can handle getting high just this one more time") are facilitated. Once a permissive set of beliefs have been activated, then the individual will activate drug-seeking and drug-ingesting behaviors. The cognitive therapist's job is to uncover this underlying system of beliefs, analyze it with the patient, and thereby demonstrate its dysfunctional. As with any cognitive-behavioral therapy, homework assignments and behavioral exercises serve to solidify what is learned and discussed during treatment.
Integrated alcohol treatment programs are designed for patients who meet the criteria for a substance use disorder and a form of mental illness. In a national study of co-occurring disorders, the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 37 percent of individuals with alcohol dependence also suffered from a mental health disorder, while over 50 percent of individuals who abused drugs also had a psychiatric illness. These patients face unique obstacles in recovery, such as low motivation, anxiety about new situations, poor concentration and delusional thinking. Integrated treatment, which targets both the patient’s mental illness and substance use disorder within the same program, is the most effective way to achieve a full recovery. Services for both issues are provided at a single facility, and delivered by staff members who are cross-trained in substance abuse treatment and mental health.
After the detoxification stage, you will begin rehabilitation. This involves a wide range of different therapies and treatments to help you combat drinking urges and triggers. During this stage, you will also learn coping skills that can be applied to everyday situations after leaving rehab. The rehabilitation stage may take place in an inpatient or outpatient setting, depending on the severity of your alcoholism and what your doctor recommends.
Behavioral models make use of principles of functional analysis of drinking behavior. Behavior models exist for both working with the substance abuser (Community Reinforcement Approach) and their family (Community Reinforcement Approach and Family Training). Both these models have had considerable research success for both efficacy and effectiveness. This model lays much emphasis on the use of problem-solving techniques as a means of helping the addict to overcome his/her addiction. Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers ► What You Don't Know
Many rehab patients continue to receive treatment for their addictions after leaving rehab. They may have regular clinic visits with a doctor to manage physical symptoms. Patients may also meet with a counselor on a regular, outpatient basis to refine coping skills. In addition to the love and support of family and friends, patients may also attend support group meetings after leaving a drug rehab treatment facility. All of these aftercare services help patients remain drug free and avoid relapse.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addiction is a "chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences."7 There is no simple cure for addiction; however, effective treatment can help you become and stay sober.7 You will have to manage your addiction throughout your life, the same way a diabetic has to manage their condition with ongoing efforts like a proper diet and exercise.8
Physical dependence on a drug can cause serious withdrawal symptoms if a person suddenly stops using the substance or severely reduces the dose. The withdrawal process itself can be uncomfortable and dangerous. Some of the classic signs of withdrawal include tremors, cold sweats, involuntary movements (e.g., jerking, twitching, or shaking), nausea and vomiting, muscle cramps and bone pain. Because withdrawal can be dangerous, proper medical detox can be a life-saving step in recovery. The Twelve Step programme for Beginners
As you discharge from inpatient treatment, you will receive recommendations for follow-up care and ongoing recovery support to strengthen your sobriety and reduce the risk of relapse. Like diabetes or hypertension, addiction is a chronic disease. Regaining your health means learning to manage your symptoms, first within the structure of an inpatient rehab program and eventually in your home environment where you are in charge of maintaining and strengthening your recovery. Drug Rehab Near Me
A number of serious problems are closely linked to alcohol intoxication. In fact, according to the NIAAA, intoxication is present in 30% of homicides, 22% of suicides, and 33% of car crashes. Any patient who presents an imminent safety risk to themselves or another person should be considered a candidate for hospitalization. This may require the assistance of family members or medical consultation with a psychiatrist.
Getting alcohol out of the addicted person’s system is the first part of recovery. People with a severe alcohol addiction can experience intense withdrawal symptoms. A supervised alcohol detox is usually necessary for people addicted to alcohol to prevent potentially fatal complications. Shaking, sweating, seizures, and hallucinations are possible alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Woman Turns to Rehab After Struggling With Drugs, Alcohol: Part 1