Drug abuse can be found among all populations, from children to senior citizens. When this abuse turns to addiction, treatment may be required. A variety of treatments have respectable success rates, and many patients require more than one type of treatment to maintain sobriety. Your mental health professional can guide you to the best treatment for your condition.
Detoxification
For many suffering from drug abuse, detoxification is a first step toward sobriety. Basically, this means that the drug must be discontinued in a safe manner while under close medical supervision. Frequently, medications must be administered to avoid potentially fatal withdrawal complications. During detoxification, the patient's mental status and vital signs are checked often. Detoxification can take from two to five days, depending on the drug of abuse, the length of time it was abused and what dose was taken.
Short-Term Hospitalization
One of the most common types of drug treatment involves short-term hospitalization in a treatment center. A typical length of stay is 30 days. After detoxification, the patient is exposed to others with similar conditions. He attends individual and group therapy and is encouraged to eat properly, exercise and learn appropriate stress-reducing techniques. He is usually restricted from a high level of contact with family members or friends during this time. The goal of short-term hospitalization is to teach the patient coping skills that he can use the next time he is tempted to abuse drugs.
Long-term Residential Treatment
Long-term residential treatment is appropriate for people who have not been able to maintain sobriety after short-term treatment. It is sometimes used for adolescents as well. This treatment may last several months up to a year or more. The same principles are used as in short-term treatment, but the patient has a longer period of time to remain sober before being returned to the environment in which he began abusing drugs.
Drug Maintenance Therapy
People who have been addicted to opiates may be given drugs that help them not to abuse the highly addictive substances in the future. These drugs minimize the cravings experienced and allow the person to hold a job and maintain her life. Often, these drugs are distributed at facilities, such as methadone treatment centers.
Group Therapy and Self-Help Meetings
Many people utilize group meetings, such as 12-step programs, to maintain their sobriety. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are two that can be found around the country. The premise of the treatment is that the abuser acknowledges that she cannot control her disease on her own and that she must rely on a higher power to do so. All in the group are expected to follow 12 steps to recovery and can contact a mentor if they feel susceptible to relapse. Meetings are held weekly or more often, and each person is allowed to speak on a variety of topics.
Individual Counseling
Occasionally, a drug abuser turns to individual counseling as a means to sobriety. This generally lasts several months and may involve psychotherapy or behavior modification.
