Successful addiction treatment mechanisms: Recognition
For any meaningful treatment to yield results, the victim must first come to the point of recognizing and accepting that they have a problem which needs to be fixed. Denial is one of the greatest impediments when it comes to drug abuse treatment. Anyone in denial will not seek for help even if that help is presented to them by their concerned relatives. In many cases patients who are in denial will consent to treatment not because they have accepted but out of pressure from their loved ones
Detoxification – Treatment begins with detoxification, which is the gradual withdrawal of an abused substance under a controlled environment. In some cases a drug that is similar to the abused drug (e.g. methadone for heroin) is substituted during withdrawal to lessen the miserable symptoms and health risks associated with the withdrawal process. Depending on the drug that the person is addicted to, the withdrawal process can be handled through either an inpatient or an outpatient basis.
Rehabilitation – This is necessary to prevent the recurrence of drug abuse. Rehabilitation involved behavioral therapies such as counseling, psychotherapy, support groups, or family therapy. Behavior therapy helps people to cope with their drug cravings and it teaches them ways to avoid drugs, prevent relapse, and what to do if a relapse occurs. It has been established that merging a behavior therapy program with treatment medications, such as methadone, helps to suppress the withdrawal syndrome, the drug craving, and in blocking the effects of other drugs (caffeine). Studies have shown that using methadone at adequate dosage levels in treating heroin addiction along with behavioral therapies reduces death rates and many health problems.
Abstinence – Following rehabilitation, the abuser must have a lifelong abstinence from drug abuse. Relapses from this drug abstinence may occur and lead to recurrent dependence.
Successful addiction treatment mechanisms: Treatment methods
The treatment program duration could either be short term or long term depending on the patient’s condition.
- Short-term methods – last less than 6 months, include residential therapy, medication therapy, and drug free outpatient therapy
- Long-term methods – may include medication therapy such as methadone maintenance outpatient treatment for opiate addicts and residential therapeutic treatment
- Outpatient drug free treatment– does not include medication and encompasses a wide variety of programs for patients that visit a clinic at regular intervals. It actually involves individual or group counseling. Normally patients registering for this type of program do not abuse opiates, or are opiate abusers for whom maintenance therapy is needed. Generally these patients have stable lives and only brief histories of drug dependence
- Therapeutic Communities – highly structured communities where patients stay for 6-12 months. Patients generally have long histories of drug dependence, involvement in serious criminal activities, and seriously impaired social functioning. This type of program focuses on the re-socialization of the patient to a drug free and crime free lifestyle.
- Short-term residential programs – chemical dependency units,” based on the “Minnesota Model” of treatment for alcoholism. Involve 3- to 6-week inpatient treatment phase followed by an extended outpatient therapy in a 12-step self-help group such as Narcotics Anonymous or Cocaine Anonymous.
Finally doctor Akoury recommends that if you are able to avoid using drugs the better. Treatment is more tasking than preventing which is the most ideal for good health. It would be the best thing you can do for yourself and to the whole society. But you are unable to all is not lost you can still get help from the experts up on scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury today.
