Alcohol & Drug Addiction Treatment

Long-term sobriety is something which an addict works at and obtains with the help of a well-rounded program. What kind of drug rehabilitation will be more likely to ensure long-term sobriety? The program should address:

a) The biophysical aspect of addiction–the body’s physical dependence on drugs and/or alcohol. This is achieved through a physical or cellular cleanse and is done to give the body a “fresh start.” (There is no denying a physical dependency and craving for a drug—it is not solely a mental issue.)

b) The guilt associated with drug/alcohol abuse. If one can overcome the guilt and live in the “now” without regretting yesterday’s mistakes, he will be more able to face future obstacles.

c) Life skills (i.e.: communication skills, situation skills, people-picking skills, etc.) which will assist the individual outside of treatment to get on with his life and get a job, communicate well with family and loved ones, pick the right friends and get himself out of sticky situations which could be potentially dangerous.

If these three factors are covered in a rehab program, long-term sobriety is a much more real endeavor. To find out more go to this drug rehab blob.

Drug abuse and drug related crime is at an all time high in the US. Court rooms are full from people who have been arrested for some type of criminal activity. After doing some research it has been found that 80 percent of crime is drug or alcohol related. People who get arrested for Driving under the Influence (DUI) can be charged with a felony. Not to mention if they are arrested for drugs or paraphernalia. Prison systems are becoming full from people being charged with possession of drugs or intent to sell.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has beefed up its task force to stop this continuous flow of narcotics into the United States. This is a vital step to cleaning up the streets because if there are no drugs to buy than there aren’t any drug addicts which brings crime down considerably. With more effective drug and alcohol treatment centers we will also be able to fully rehabilitate a person from crime and addiction and turn them into a productive member of society.

We need more government programs like drug education, drug prevention, classes on addiction, and intervention sessions. Below are a list of websites that you can visit to help you learn more about drugs, alcohol, addiction, crime and rehabilitation:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

http://www.samhsa.gov/

http://www.nida.nih.gov/

Drug rehabilitation has been subscribing to a 28 or 30 day long stay which was considered the golden standard in treating alcohol or drug dependency. Even today that is all that some insurance plans or government funded programs will subsidize. Many studies and practical experience have shown, however, that a long term drug rehab is far more effective in properly treating the addiction problem. A 28 or 30 day drug rehab program may give a person enough time to “get clean” or “sober up” or get over the initial depression, but they will have little time to address the underlying issues.

Many drugs can take up to weeks, some longer, to fully be withdrawn from. Once the body is free from the physical part of the addiction the person needs time to deal with the emotional aspects of being in rehab before they can fully commit their energies to the task of learning how to be addiction free. Dealing with just these two factors can take up to 28 or 30 days and in the traditional program would mean that just as the addict was ready to learn how to live without the drugs and alcohol, they are released. Many times the neuro-balance is just restoring itself after 30 days. If they did not have time to learn and practice new habits, they are likely to return to their old habits as soon as any familiar stress enters their life.

A long term drug rehab will help the addict move past their initial issues and still have time to do the work of learning and practicing the new habits that will sustain them in their new drug-free lifestyle. It takes 28 days to form a new habit and a long term drug rehab will allow at least a month of practicing the new habits after the medical detox and learning stages of the program are complete.

A long term drug rehab will also allow the friends and family of the addict time to learn the new habits that they need in order to form new and more healthy relationships with the addict and to help support them in their new drug free life. The friends and family can also use the extended time to heal and rest from the stress involved with dealing with the addict during their usage. This break often allows the loved ones enough time to move past blame, anger, guilt and into acceptance, forgiveness and even gratitude that the addict is finally getting help. Having a more positive and loving attitude toward the addict when they arrive home will help everyone involved to move forward on the right track. An effective drug rehab facility will provide family counseling so that you understand what to expect and how to handle certain situations.
Addiction is a difficult problem to overcome and one should not expect it to be “cured” overnight. A person that needs to lose a large amount of weight has to learn new ways of eating and exercising while they lose the weight. This process can take months or even years depending on the amount of weight to be lost and how committed the person is. Drug addiction is much the same and nobody should expect the problem to be completely solved in such a short amount of time.

A long term drug rehab is the best choice for a variety of reasons but most importantly because it has the highest success rate. It is also just the first step in a process of changing the life of the addict and those around them forever.