Drug addiction is a serious problem for many people. A person with a drug addiction may feel like his life is spiraling out of control and there is no way to live normally again. But help is available for people struggling with drug addiction, and recovery is possible. While several options are available to treat addiction, one of the best ways to begin recovery is to receive treatment from a drug rehabilitation program. In order to find the most appropriate program, it’s important to consider the following six tips.
1. Find a Program That Specializes in Specific Types of Drug Rehabilitation
Most rehabilitation programs offer treatments that focus on a specific category of drug, such as opioids or sedatives. In order to receive the most effective treatment, the person should make sure he takes part in a program customized for his specific kind of addiction.
2. Consider the Program’s Detoxification Therapy
Depending on the drug the person is addicted to, he may experience withdrawal symptoms once he stops using the drug. As Adi Jaffe explains, withdrawal occurs when a person’s body tries to balance out the effects of no longer having the drug in its system. It results in uncomfortable symptoms that the person experiences for anywhere from a few hours to several weeks. The Mayo Clinic clarifies that when a person has withdrawal symptoms, he will need to undergo detoxification, a process that usually involves slowly reducing the amount of the drug in the person’s system, or else temporarily replacing the drug with another, safer substance until the person’s body re-learns how to function without the drug.
3. Research the Ways that Insurance Will Cover the Costs of Treatment
Many insurance companies offer at least partial coverage of addiction rehabilitation. Additionally, some employers offer treatment options for mental health conditions, including drug addictions. Finding out how much of the treatment’s cost the person’s insurance will cover, or what options are available through his employer, that can potentially save him both money and stress.
4. Keep an Open Mind towards the Program’s Treatment Options
Instead of focusing on one specific type of treatment, most drug addiction rehabilitation programs offer a combination of several different forms of treatment. These are blended together to create a treatment plan that best fits the individual needs of the person rehabilitating from an addiction, and often include the following two types of therapy, as listed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA):
- Medication therapy: since addiction frequently affects the brain’s functioning, medication can help the person return to normal patterns of behavior. It can also help him avoid relapse and experience less cravings.
- Behavioral therapy: the focus of this treatment is to help the person change his attitudes and behaviors regarding drug use and to teach him how to live a healthy and addiction-free life. Types of therapy can include individual, group and family.
5. Understand That Treatment Can Last Several Months
Although some people believe that they can receive treatment in less than 30 days and be fully recovered from their addiction, the truth is that most programs take much longer to be fully effective. The NIDA states that the best recovery outcomes occur after treatment for at least 90 days. The person entering drug addiction rehabilitation should therefore be prepared to dedicate several months to his rehabilitation process.
6. Remember That Rehabilitation is Only the First Stage of Recovery
Addiction recovery is a lifelong process and rehabilitation is only the first stage. A person should not enter drug rehabilitation expecting his addiction to be cured at the end of it. Instead, addicts seeking recovery should enter rehab with the mindset that they will have help getting sober, and that they will learn how to live a productive and addiction-free life. Afterwards, recovering addicts return to normal life using the skills and knowledge learned in rehab in order to maintain sobriety long-term.
