Archive for June, 2008

Drug And Alcohol Prevention

Monday, June 9th, 2008

The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention has been providing drug and alcohol education to people throughout the US. Drug prevention is proactive and keeps a person from experimenting from drugs and alcohol where drug treatment is reactive because a person is already addicted. Much of the information on CSAP is resources, referrals, conferences, and data regarding facts and statistics on the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Something new to the prevention field is prescription drugs. Prescription drug addiction is now one of the biggest problems for drug rehab facilities. Many people don’t realize how addicting and dangerous prescription drugs like painkillers are.

With effective drug and alcohol prevention we can teach people what these drugs do and why not to take them. For a person to say not to drugs they must understand why they shouldn’t. Understanding is the first way a person will learn. Many of the drug education programs offered today use scare tactics which are ineffective. At Alcohol Drug Treatment we have found that telling people the truth and giving them the data about drugs is the most effective approach. Letting the person make the decision on whether or not to use them is up to them.

Drug Education Specialists are most effective when the have proper training, education but also personal experience with drugs and alcohol. This will make the presenter more real and the people listening will give the presenter more respect. Though drug and alcohol rehab is vital to eliminating addiction the real way to do this is by educating the truth about drugs.

Addiction Treatment Blog

Saturday, June 7th, 2008

There are so many different types of drug and alcohol treatment modules offered in the US.  Finding the most effective addiction rehab program is essential in the recovery process.  This addiction treatment blog has data about addiction, rehab, treatment, detox, counseling, and medical help.  Our goal at Alcohol and Drug Treatment is to provide families with referrals to long term addiction treatment centers that offer real help for drug addiction or alcoholism.  Many rehabilitation counselors will tell you that “our program is the best.”  Once a person has heard this several times from several different rehabilitation programs a person can become confused.  Our goal is to help give a non-biased referral to the most effective program based on the individual needs and wants.

Treating the physical cravings, emotional aspects of addiction, and mental cravings are all key components of effective rehab.  The best order when rehabbing a person from drug or alcohol would be detox first.  Once a person is detoxed than the drug rehab program would provide counseling to get to the underlying issues.  The final step would be life skills therapy and training procedures.  This will help the person how to live life drug and alcohol free.

Drug Treatment Matching Patient Needs

Thursday, June 5th, 2008

Matching patients with certain treatment approaches is not always as significant as some addiction counselors think. This does not mean that consideration of the unique needs of a patient of a residential drug treatment center can be ignored during treatment programming. Imagine an alcoholic who has been working as a waiter in a restraint/bar for several years. He has some basic restraint training and a high school education. This patient’s treatment plan must include some form of life skills therapy like vocational training that takes into account his education and literacy level and previous work experience. If this alcohol rehabilitation center does not, relapse is highly probable.

Economics is also a factor on finding the most effective drug rehab center for a specific patient. In many private drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers the program is individualized and also provides a more knowledgeable and skilled treatment staff. Also in most private treatment centers there is a focus on health and well being. Physical trainers, holistic doctors, organic foods, and nice weight room facilities are able components of effective private drug treatment centers.

During your stay at one of these facilities, you should receive a comprehensive assessment of patient needs and an individualized treatment plan that addresses all relevant patient issues. This would require that each residential rehab have treatment staff that is trained in addressing all addiction problems. Alcohol or drug counselors should either have a uniform certification or university degree.

The Importance Of Life Skills In Drug Treatment

Wednesday, June 4th, 2008

Social and communication skills are vital to a patient’s recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. If a patient does not have appropriate social and communication skills, than he or she will not be able to develop a social network with a clean and sober group. Most patients who attend government funded programs don’t receiving the proper training and counseling to address this problem. Many people addicted to alcohol and drugs have not had to rely on these types of social and communication skills. Most addicts and alcoholics have used money and alcohol or other drugs to create a social network.

Patients of residential drug rehabs need training in listening skills, controlling nervousness and anxiety, making good eye contact, and then practicing these skills in real life situations. At Alcohol Drug Treatment we have found the lack of social skills more prevalent in adolescent drug rehab centers rather than adult drug rehabs. This of course does not mean that adult clients are immune to this problem, many adults feel just as awkward as some adolescents when it comes to social situations. In addition, assertiveness training and stress and anger management is always effective treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. Patients in addiction treatment facilities have used alcohol and drugs to help in situations where stress was encountered. In the absence of alcohol and drugs, these patients may demonstrate aggressive or passive responses to conflict.

Why Long Term Drug Rehab Is More Effective

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008

People who are addicted to drugs and alcohol have this problem for a reason. It’s not like one day they woke up and decided to be an alcoholic or drug addict. Individuals who are addicted generally used the artificial substance to “numb” some sort of unwanted pain or emotion. The secret to effective treatment is finding a long term drug rehab that helps get to the core issues. An effective long term treatment facility teaches life skill therapies which will include stress management techniques, relaxation procedures, and assertiveness training. The purpose of this type of therapy is to help re-educate a person so they can handle problems easier and learn to manage life without drugs or alcohol.

An effective long term inpatient facility will develop a new purpose in a patient’s life. By reestablishing his goals and objectives a patient is able to take responsibility for his condition in life. Another component of long term addiction treatment is giving a person more productive and positive activities to do. For instance, working out, nutrition, art, music, poetry, basketball, and volleyball are all productive activities that keeps an individual struggling with drug or alcohol addiction doing something to keep their mind off of problems.

You can easily see why some drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers are more effective than others. These practical but life saving training procedures and cognitive counseling is only offered in some forms of alcohol and drug treatment facilities. A drug rehab facility that offers long term treatment, individualized counseling, life skills therapy, and extensive aftercare is by far the most effective in ending drug or alcohol addiction.