What are unique components of drug rehab treatment?
Undergoing drug rehab treatment is a serious decision – it has the potential to completely change a person's life for the better. Many people are curious how this change is achieved, and why drug rehab treatment is more effective than an individual's self-administered willpower. Others may be familiar with alcohol rehabilitation and are curious what is unique about drug rehab treatment. Increasingly these people, perhaps like you, are considering checking themselves or a loved one into a drug rehab treatment. By researching what the unique components of drug rehab treatment are, one can be better prepared for treatment, and also more knowledgeable when choosing the correct drug rehab center.
Detoxification, often abbreviated to detox, is the first component of drug rehab treatment. It consists of stopping the use of narcotics, sometimes gradually but always completely. Because drug addiction chemically alters the brain, withdrawal symptoms are often severe. Opiate replacement medications are often used to ease withdrawal symptoms in those who have become addicted to opiate-based drugs. Many times licensed medical professionals help those addicted to drugs cope with their symptoms during the detoxification stage at many rehab centers. Detoxification is often the most difficult stage for many drug users, as the urge to start using can be incredibly strong and the symptoms of withdrawal very painful. Thankfully, drug rehab treatment professionals have experience working with patients undergoing similar, if not the same, withdrawal challenges with a variety of addictive narcotics.
Counseling is the next component of most typical drug rehab treatments. Counseling is often referred to as psychosocial addiction treatment, meaning it does not involve drug therapy and focuses on the social and psychological influences on a patient. Psychosocial addiction treatment can occur simultaneously with drug therapy. Many drug rehab treatment programs employ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This specific therapy has been shown to be especially useful for those dealing with addictions to multiple drugs. It consists of individual counseling with patients to identify the causes for drug use, triggers for cravings and determining behavioral coping strategies to avoid future drug use. Because the use of drugs often diminishes a user's ability to experience pleasure without using the drug (up to months after withdrawal) many rehab treatment centers for narcotics employ community reinforcement plans. Community reinforcement plans provide extrinsic, tangible rewards for positive behavior that will help a patient to overcome drug addiction. In other words, patients gain pleasure from rewards granted to them by the treatment center to replace the inner satisfaction they will later feel when the withdrawal process is fully complete.
Aftercare is the final component to drug rehab treatment. It consists of keeping a previous drug user clean for the duration of his or her life. Many times, if available and desired, drug treatment can continue throughout the aftercare component of a program. The extent to which this is deemed necessary is oftentimes made by a medical professional at a drug rehab center. Support groups, many following the conventions of 12-step program, also exist to provide group therapy to combat the stress and challenges of staying clean. The largest group is Narcotics Anonymous (NA) who hold and practice meetings across the world.