Drug addiction is typically managed as a chronic illness, which means that it requires lifelong treatment. Although the effects and risks of stimulants, opiates, depressants and hallucinogens are different, the overall approaches for treating these different forms of drug abuse are the same.
Detoxification
Unpleasant withdrawal symptoms are one of the side effects of ceasing substance abuse. Detoxification, MedlinePlus explains, is a form of drug addiction treatment that focuses on giving supportive care while the drug user goes through the withdrawal process. Detoxification centers can be found at some drug rehabilitation clinics and also at some hospitals. Patients are monitored and may be given medications to relieve some of the symptoms of withdrawal. Patients who are detoxifying from opiates, for example, may receive clonidine, which will help reduce the anxiety, sweating, cramping and agitation associated with withdrawal. Patients may also be given medications that mimic the action of the drug to which they were addicted. Opiate addicts, for example, may be given methadone to reduce the effects of withdrawal; these "maintenance" medications can be given for an extended period of time.
Outpatient
Outpatient facilities are drug addiction treatment programs that allow patients to continue to live on their own. These programs usually require that the patient come to the clinic regularly for treatment, the National Institute on Drug Abuse explains. Patients may be required to attend individual or group counseling sessions and may also receive other behavioral therapies, such as cognitive behavioral counseling. This kind of counseling attempts to identify the thought patterns that lead to drug use and uses the information to train the addict to manage without drugs. Other approaches include motivational interviewing, which attempts to identify an addict's interest in quitting and to discourage drug using behavior, as well as motivational incentives, which reward patients for good behavior.
Residential
Residential treatment centers represent a more intensive form of drug treatment in which the patient stays in the center until the program has been completed. There are three main types of these programs. The classic residential treatment center focuses on teaching recovery skills, educating the patient about the negative impact of drug addiction and sharing techniques to prevent relapses, Maine's Office of Substance Abuse explains.
Halfway houses, which represent the second type, provide a support structure for patients who are in recovery and strive to place patients in the workforce to help them rejoin a community.
The third kind of residential treatment program is known as extensive care and allows patients with severe substance abuse problems or with other mental disorders to participate in a program for periods of time greater than six months.
