Treatments for Drug Abuse
Drug abuse is one of the leading problems affecting society today and despite the campaign against it, there is still a great deal of individuals affected by it. Finding treatment and providing support for recovery are therefore some of the big steps you can take to reverse its effect on your life, or that of an affected loved one.
Principles Behind Drug Abuse Treatment
When health experts treat drug addicts, they understand that this condition does not just affect them physically. It targets their brain such that the patient's behavioral patterns and function are altered. Thus, the sooner one is able to find treatment, the earlier you can stop any brain structure damage that might take place with persistent use of abusive drugs.
Upon embarking on a drug treatment, patients and family members must realize that a single treatment approach is often not enough. You need to match treatments and enroll them into drug intervention programs that will regain one's productive function in the society, workplace, or home. In some cases, the drug abuse problem is not the only thing being treated with patients. They have multiple needs that has to be addressed as well, thus a holistic approach treatment might be necessary.
Another crucial factor aside from choosing the right type of treatment is time. Learning about how all of these factors affect the patient is important in the success of the drug abuse treatment procedure.
Drug Rehab
Drug addiction is no joke. Thus, patients are often required to enter into drug rehab for full monitoring and assessment of the patient's response to the treatment being given. This is an important first step to also avoid the possibility of going back to using these addictive substances.
During rehab, the patient undergoes extensive therapy wherein the patient can make good use of the therapist's expertise in finding resourceful information to help in their treatment. In addition, peer support is provided as part of the drug rehabilitation such that you can share experiences with others who have gone through the struggles of drug addiction as you have. Throughout your entire stay at the rehabilitation center, medical professionals will be closely monitoring your progress and to safely assess how you are coping with the treatment given.
Drug Detox
Drug detox refers to that initial stage of drug addiction treatment wherein your body is internally cleansed any drug residues. This would normally cover between 3 to 14 days but it greatly varies with the type of drug used and how one's body reacts to the presence of these substances. Thus, it varies whether the drug detox is done in a hospital setting wherein one can have medical supervision or right at your own home.
Behavioral Treatments
Behavioral treatment approach for drug abuse patients are far more structured. The aim with this type of treatment is to alter or modify behavior patterns in patients and restore normal function, which is done on either outpatient or inpatient basis.
The most basic of this type of treatment is the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. The objective of this therapy is to help the patient recognize situations that will invoke them to return to their abusive behavioral patterns. Next is the Multidimensional Family Therapy, which enters not only the patient, but also their families into the therapy treatment for a more efficient treatment approach. Motivational Interviewing is also done to encourage patients who are willing to fully let go of their drug addiction problems.
Drug Treatment Medications
The use of medications as part of your drug abuse treatment is often used as complementary medicine. The aim behind intake medication is to help the patient cope with withdrawal symptoms and other entailing conditions expected to arise during treatment process. Some of the medications prescribed by medical professionals are intended for specific types of substance abuse.
You can currently find medications that will treat drug abuse for the following substances: alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, nicotine, and morphine. When the properties from these medications enter your body, it restores normal brain function while preventing relapse and eliminating cravings for these addictive substances.