Drug Abuse Treatment Options

Effective drug abuse treatment generally requires the willing participation of the drug abuser. Because there are so many different drugs with different addiction mechanisms, treatment programs are often tailored to the needs of the specific abuser.

Unless your drug abuser is a minor under your guardianship, it is your drug abuser’s responsibility to initiate recovery. If they ever express interest in getting help or treatment, you may find it useful to have some information on the options available. The best option for you may depend on your financial and medical insurance situation. Here are some of the drug abuse treatment options that are available:

Most drug abuse treatment programs appear to work from the premise that drug addiction has both a psychological component that responds to counseling and social intervention and a physical component that responds to medical treatment. Further, it is believed that, in most cases, both the addict and their family need treatment for treatment to succeed. In addition, there are those that believe that drug addiction has a spiritual component that also needs consideration.

Inpatient residential drug abuse treatment programs usually consist of medically supervised detoxification supported by medication, individual counseling and support group sessions with the patient living at the treatment facilities. Some of these last for a week or less, particularly if this is the first time for the addict. Some treatment programs consist of extended stays that can last up to a year for those that with severe problems and are prone to relapse. In most cases, individuals are restricted to the facility’s grounds and are generally not able to pursue normal social or work activities.

While among the most effective of the options, residential treatment programs are expensive. Check with your medical insurance provider and / or your addict’s employer. Some have programs that could pick up a substantial portion of the cost.

This is a transition state between an inpatient residential program and unsupervised outpatient programs. This generally includes medical monitoring to ensure that the addict has not relapsed, combined with individual counseling and support group work for several hours a day on several days a week.

The primary purpose of these programs is to assist those that are either newly out of a residential program, or are likely to relapse for other reasons, to develop new behavior patterns that will support their drug free state.

These programs are the next step down from partial hospitalization. They usually meet about three days per week for two to four hours per day. These programs are generally flexible enough to schedule around work, school or family commitments.

Drug abuse counselors can help in a variety of ways from providing private counseling and guidance to the addict and their family to coordinating interventions. Counseling session are usually about 50 minutes in length and are generally scheduled once or more per week, depending on the need.

There are many types of certified counselors with training in psychology, medicine and/of psychiatry. A good choice is often a counselor with specific drug addiction training and experience. Look for a counselor who is a good personality fit for your addict. Your physician or medical insurance provider can likely recommend an appropriate counselor.

There are a number of drug addiction recovery support groups. Some have a religious basis; some do not. Some are based on the 12-step process developed by Alcoholics Anonymous. Some have other approaches. Each has their strengths and weaknesses, however, one thing on which most of the literature agrees is that some kind of ongoing drug abuse treatment support organization greatly increases the chances of long-term recovery from drug addiction.

If the drug abuser can find a group that works for them, they are more likely to stick with the program. Some of the better know groups are:

Most towns and cities have some kind of drug recovery groups. Check your telephone book for local group meeting information. You can also find web sites and contact information for some of these here.

These are programs designed to help users taper off their drug of choice. Most commonly used for heroin addicts, providing a daily dosage of a substitute such as methadone. The intent is to provide a method for the addict to decrease their craving for opiates without triggering withdrawal symptoms. A secondary goal is to reduce the spread of disease contracted through the sharing of dirty needles and to reduce deaths caused by drug overdoses.

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