Drug Rehab
Table of Contents
User Statistics
Drug rehabilitation centers treat patients from all walks of life. Although middle-class, Caucasian people make up the majority of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings, drug addiction has a strong correlation with poverty and people of color. According to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse and Health, college graduates have about a 33 percent lower drug addiction rate than high school dropouts.
The U.S. Census Bureau counted 46.2 million Americans living in poverty in 2011, which is 2.6 million more people than in 2010. With the levels of poverty rising every year in America, drug rehab centers are seeing more and more people of all ages and races come in for treatment. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), almost half of Americans use illegal drugs at some point in their lives:
- 41.9 percent of all Americans over 12 have used marijuana at least once in their lives
- 14.8 percent of all Americans over 12 have used hallucinogens at least once in their lives.
- 14.7 percent of all Americans over 12 have used cocaine at least once in their lives.
- 20.4 percent of all Americans over 12 have used prescription pain relievers for recreational purposes at least once in their lives.
- 1.29 percent of the American population entered a drug rehab center in 2010 for either illegal drug abuse or alcohol abuse.
Set and Attain Goals
The statistics only tell part of the story. Too many individuals with drug or alcohol addictions go untreated every year. The SAMHSA reports that only 10 percent of drug addicts actually received treatment in a rehab center in 2007. Typical rehab programs focus on the following goals:
- Abstaining from drugs or alcohol
- Receiving counseling, either one-on-one therapy or in a group
- Setting up a family support system
- Educating oneself about addiction
Detoxification is a long process that can be very uncomfortable or painful for many people with drug addictions. During the process, individuals may have distorted thoughts or actions. Over the period of a few weeks, however, patients begin to think clearly again. This is when progress speeds up. Rehab centers strive to help patients with the following:
- Accepting the Addiction
This particular step can be hard for patients who are not in rehab voluntarily. Many addicts do not believe their addiction is severe enough to warrant rehabilitation. The patient must first accept the fact that he or she is indeed an addict. - Developing Healthy Relationships With Others
People who have severe addictions usually lose relationships with friends or family. Counseling can help families reconnect, and the addict can learn how to relate to others in a healthy manner. - Resisting Temptation
Once the patient leaves rehab, he or she must be prepared to face the temptation of drugs and alcohol. Rehab clinics give patients the tools needed to stay focused and clean. Usually, this means that addicts must avoid people who engage in drug or alcohol abuse. Successful drug rehab centers have several core principles that guide them, including:
- An understanding of addiction as a disease that affects behavior
- Tailored programs for individuals
- An understanding that people with drug addictions have problems other than drug abuse
- An adequate length of treatment
- A two-pronged attack of medication and counseling
- Involvement of the family for ongoing support
- Modification of risky behaviors
Types of Drug Treatment
Drug treatment plans are specifically tailored to individual patients. Not everyone responds to the same treatments, just as people with other diseases do not always respond in the same way. Most drug rehab centers use a combination of medication and behavioral therapy to change habits in the long term. Support groups and therapy also aid many individuals who don’t need medication. Overall, patients who spend longer amounts of time in rehab centers have more positive outcomes. They stay sober longer than people who leave after only a few weeks or a month. Drug rehab is not 100 percent perfect, but studies show that many people who finish stints at rehab centers tend to have jobs and lead productive lives.
Treatment Plans for Heroin Addicts
The overall goal of a drug rehab plan is to keep the patient sober and healthy. While the long-term goal is to achieve a lifetime of sobriety, the short-term goals aim to reduce the amount of drug usage and improve the patient’s health. Shorter programs are more popular since recovering addicts are able to get back to their jobs or families more quickly; however, long-term treatment plans are often recommended for heroin addicts and geared toward methadone maintenance.
Heroin is one of the most addictive drugs, and addicts may need months and even years of therapy to disengage from the substance. During the maintenance phase for heroin treatment, people usually take either levo-alpha-acetyl methadol or methadone hydrochloride via the mouth. This sharply reduces cravings for heroin so the person is able to function normally on a daily basis. Along with daily or weekly counseling sessions, this type of drug rehab plan is very effective for heroin and opiate addicts. Methadone programs are generally more successful for heroin addicts than therapy alone.
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Alcohol Dependency
Alcohol abuse is a major problem in the US. Fortunately, new FDA-approved drugs can help rehab patients abstain from alcohol. These medications are disulfiram, naltrexone and acamprosate. Naltrexone works by reducing cravings for alcohol and eliminating the rewarding feeling that comes with drinking. Acamprosate removes many of the negative withdrawal symptoms, and disulfiram creates a nauseating feeling when an individual drinks alcoholic beverages.
Tobacco Abuse
There are some new developments in the field of cigarette addiction. Electronic cigarettes, which do not contain harmful tars or particles, can replace regular cigarettes. The user can gradually reduce the amount of nicotine in the e-cigarettes to wean himself off of smoking. The main ingredients in an electronic cigarette are water vapor, flavoring and nicotine, but there are nicotine-free e-cigarettes on the market as well.
Outpatient Centers
Outpatient centers do not administer medication to patients. Instead, they focus on counseling, either individually or in groups. These types of drug rehab centers are geared toward people who are addicted to substances other than heroin or opiates.
Chemical Dependency Programs
Chemical dependency residential programs have patients stay in treatment centers for less than six weeks. After a few weeks of inpatient care, individuals go back home and continue to participate in programs like Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous in their cities. This type of program became very popular in the 1980s with the rise of cocaine addicts.
Drugs that Get Treated
Therapeutic Communities
Therapeutic communities offer a longer-term treatment plan for severe drug addicts. People stay in these centers for up to one year, but no less than six months. Patients who have struggled with drugs for many years or who have long criminal histories make up the population in these centers. The goal of a therapeutic community is to rehabilitate the patient by reintroducing him or her into a sober, law-abiding lifestyle.
Drug Rehab for Prisoners
Studies show that drug rehab programs in prisons can effectively reduce criminal behavior after the prisoner is released. The best types of prison rehab programs incorporate counseling into the treatment plans. One example of a successful prison program is the Delaware Model, which utilizes a trifecta of group counseling in prison, aftercare and group counseling after prison release.
Narcotics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous, also called “NA,” is based on the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Like AA, NA focuses on group sessions as its mode of therapy. After AA, NA is the biggest 12-step program in the world. Meetings are held in most major cities around the country, and anyone who desires to become clean and sober is welcome to attend these meetings. The speaker designates an NA group as “open” or “closed” to non-addicts. Meetings are held in any type of facility room, such as churches, hospitals or libraries.
Most NA meetings run in a similar manner. Members only call each other by their first names to maintain anonymity, and everyone is encouraged to keep personal discussions within the group. The group reads about drug addiction and then shares personal stories with one another. Some groups require everyone to speak at least once, and other groups designate one main speaker for the entire session.
In addition, many drug rehab groups are gender-specific or language-specific, although they are usually open to other members. NA meetings also recognize each member’s “sober anniversary” with rewards and key tags to denote the number of days spent sober. Each member of an NA group is asked to find a sponsor, who is someone that helps another addict along the road to recovery. Usually, senior group members become sponsors for new members.
Narcotics Anonymous also stresses community service work as part of a treatment plan. Examples of acceptable service include being a main speaker at a meeting, helping to set up and clean up after meetings, and assisting the organization by doing office tasks. Furthermore, a member can lobby to become a Group Services Representative or chair a group social function.
Spirituality is another part of NA. The drug rehab group encourages each member to focus on a “higher power” during and after recovery. This is not an imperative part of the plan, but it is a major focus. Agnostics and even atheists are encouraged to believe in a greater power that is caring and kind. NA is based on spiritual principles, including honesty, open-mindedness and willingness, which compose the first three of 12 steps. To close the session, members are encouraged to say a prayer, such as the “Serenity Prayer,” or give a group hug.
Why Go Through Drug Addiction Treatment?
Drug addiction is a serious illness that should not go untreated. People can live longer, healthier lives if they commit to compassionate drug rehab programs like Axis. Overall, relationships with family members, spouses and friends greatly improve once the individual commits to a lifetime of sobriety.
Further Reading
- Benefits of a Palm Springs Area Drug Rehab
- Choosing a Center
- Choosing the Right Facility
- Considering Outpatient as a Treatment Option?
- Drug Abuse Rehab
- Drug Recovery in Los Angeles
- Drug Rehab Programs
- FAQ on Heroin Rehab
- Finding Help in California
- Inpatient Rehab as a Treatment Option
- Medical Clinics for the Treatment of Addiction
- Residential Drug Rehab
- The Efficacy of Long Term Treatment
- The Process of Addiciton Rehabilitation
- Tips on Finding the Right Cocaine Rehab