Drug Rehabilitation

What’s the difference between one rehab program and another? Which drug and alcohol detox and rehab program should you or a loved one go to? Do you know the different types or models of recovery?

Here is a summary of the different approaches to detox and rehab that I am familiar with after working in the field of drug abuse for 8 years as a drug rehab consultant and drug prevention specialist.

Medical Detox

Medical detox is the use of medications, such as benzodiazepines, clonidine, suboxone, etc, to more smoothly withdraw someone from alcohol, methadone, opiates or other drugs of abuse. Approved medical facilities and medical doctors and staff are required to administer the various treatments to assist with difficult or otherwise long withdrawals from these drugs.

Some medical detox facilities use a combination of medical and natural / holistic approaches to detox. These methods generally speed recovery time and comfort through withdrawal according to client testimonials.

Non-Medical Detox

This might mean withdrawing someone from drugs without medication. Non-medical detox is sometimes more effective than medical detox as a drug abuser is sick of using drugs and is highly averse to any more drugs going into their bodies. Non-medical detox may mean the highly skilled use of alternative nutrients, sometimes IV’s and natural therapy’s to assist a person to more comfortably withdrawal and detox from drugs / pharmaceuticals and correct brain function. (Agora Regeneration Clinics Ltd)

Some medical and non-medical detox is highly sophisticated and involves many testing and evaluation protocols not used by traditional medical detox centers. IE nutrient, vitamin and allergy testing to name only a few.

Bio-Physical Detox

Drug residuals have been found to get lodged in the fatty tissues of the body. This includes the brain, kidney, liver, muscles as well as the fat. Former drug abusers sometimes relapse back to using drugs due to physical cravings for the drugs which they say doesn’t go away after medical detox or rehab.

Bio-physical Detox involves a total and full detoxification requiring weeks or months of natural detox methods like extensive sauna baths, vitamin and nutritional supplementation, intensive exercise, proper rest, improving diet, drinking lots of water, etc.

Some Bio-physical Detox has been given extensive scientific testing and proven itself under many different populations – drug addicts; hazardous chemical / gas victims (fire fighters, pesticides / herbicides — DDT; mental / spiritual betterment, health improvement. (see Townsend Letter Apr 2006 #273)

Traditional & 12 Step Rehab Methods

Traditional and 12 Step models comprise about 95% of the rehab facility programs in the US and Canada. Their successes vary massively depending on the center and how the center defines success. One center can vary greatly from another in terms of professionalism, care and results.

12 Step programs attempt to intervene between the decisions to abuse drugs and desires to stay clean. A drug addict or alcoholic have been solving life’s problems with a fix, drink, hit, or other drugs. 12 Step methods use sponsors, meetings, actions, education, etc techniques to stop further drug abuse. 12 Step programs also resemble social educational programs from step 4 onward, as a personal responsibility in ones recovery is expected of a 12 stepper. 12 Step includes principals of spiritual connection through-out the process.

Medical / psychological programs use different drugs and counselors in their intervention efforts. Usually medical programs are either trying to make a client more comfortable while in rehab or they have actually done some extensive testing to find underlying medical problems which could by spurring the substance abuser to use drugs. A typical example is hypo-thyroid conditions. Psychological approaches either attempt to correct aberrant behavior through adjusting the thinking of the client. It may involve on-going counseling for in-determinant amounts of time after a stay in rehab is completed.

Sometimes drugs that create aversion to drinking are used as with Schick Shadel programs. Other substitute drugs like methadone for opiate abuse and Ritalin for cocaine / meth abuse have been used by many program models.

Non-Traditional Rehab Methods

Social Educational or learning models focus on improving abilities and increasing self control or will power through enlightenment or cognitive realization. Combinations of study, exercise, counseling and practical application of processes are applied to bring about desired states of being. Often a type of therapeutic community is established due to the camaraderie of clients assisting each other through the tough times of their recovery.

As social educational programs are my forte, I will list the specific programs I am familiar with along with their posted success rates.

Jude Thaddeus Program (JT), or St. Jude’s is a social/educational approach rather than a medical/psychological methodology putting control over one’s recovery in their own hands rather than a doctor, psychologist, or group. JT provides an opportunity to permanently recover, because JT believe’s it is a choice – not a disease. JT’s success rate for 12 years is over 68%. (Ref: St. Jude Retreat House)

Rational Recovery or RR, has a different approach than traditional or 12 Step methods. RR labels different behaviors and parts of a mind model to get a person to recover through cognitive or increased awareness and control over their addictions. Focus is on self-recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs through planned, permanent abstinence through greater self awareness / control. (Ref: Jack Trimpey, Founder RR)

Narconon (NN) Drug Rehabilitation is a drug-free all natural social educational approach to ending addiction. Narconon considers clients as students who are not trying to recover from an illness. NN students enroll to learn something that they didn’t already know. NN addresses the disabilities caused by drug abuse with new abilities, new skills for effective living. Narconon posts success rates averaging 75% Narconon uses the non-medical detox & Bio-physical method of detoxification. (Narconon: An Overview Of Results).

Due to many adversities in life, we are sometimes pushed towards bad activities. The world is exposed to so many things that sometimes deciding what’s good and what’s bad becomes difficult to understand. To relieve the day-to-day pressure, many resort to bad means like consuming drugs and alcohol. In the beginning, they do give momentarily relief but these are the culprits for your future. The good news is that it is never too late to get out of drug addiction and get sober. With that, drug rehab and alcohol rehab are accessible in the society and provides helping hand to addicted individuals.

Before going to any drug rehabilitation centers, it is important to acknowledge the problem for easy and timely recovery. This first step makes a big relief to loved ones and even to their own selves but it is never an easy one. Entering these rehabilitation centers means that the affected person knows that there is something wrong.

Then, when finally deciding to admit in the rehab center, it is important to know the roles of drug and alcohol treatment centers. The role of drug rehab treatment is to assess the addicted person on the substance taken and take a physical and psychological view; why it has happened. Comprehensive family check and how the family socializes are also taken into consideration. The treatment starts only after checking through history of an individual. The minimum number of stays in most of the center is one month and helps to make the life better. After the treatment, support groups are established and after-care programs are also given.

On the other hand, alcohol rehab more or less does the same thing like drug rehab treatments. In comparison with drugs, alcohol is also one of the most widely abused substances. However the difference between these two is that alcohols are within reach and legal unlike prohibited drugs. When dealing with alcoholics, it is important to note that these people will deny that something is wrong with them and they can give rationalization to every action done. Like a drug addict, an alcoholic can manifest hallucinations and delusions so health professionals should be able to read these cues and take note. Alcohol rehab takes a much longer time than drug rehab because the brain, which is the most damaged organ, needs to recover from the negative effects of alcohol.

Most of the drug rehab centers are in the sub-urban area and the facility is spacious and peaceful which further helps the sufferer to recover faster. The environment of drug/alcohol rehab helps the treatment work as it eliminates the factors that can delay the treatment. Planned activities like one-on-one counseling, group therapy, psychotherapy are also done. Although these people are away from their family, there are support groups that can help in the treatment and families are given a specific time to visit their loved ones in therapy. Finally, when the treatment is successful, these facilities also offer after care so that they should not become addict again and remain drug-free individuals for life.

Making the decision to get help for a drug or alcohol problem takes you a giant step forward to recovery. Unfortunately, for those of us without good health insurance, and without the savings we would need to pay for an expensive private drug or alcohol rehab, finding a facility that will take us in can be challenging.

Rehabs can be expensive, as much as $20 000 a month or more for a private facility, and impossibly out of reach for many of us. There are some very affordable drug and alcohol rehabs that operate as non profit or charity entities, but they can be tough to find, and may also operate with significant waiting lists.

Recovery Housing

One often overlooked option is bypassing drug rehab completely for recovery housing. It will not provide detoxification services, and in general will offer very limited therapy; but for some, they offer enough to get keep you sober during those first very tough months.

It is simply a shared residence where all members of the household are addicts or alcoholics in recovery. Most houses will mandate an active (daily) participation in AA or another form of 12 steps group involvement, and all will demand that you abide by certain rules of the house. No drug or alcohol use is permitted, in any situation, and if you do use, you will not be allowed to stay.

Very Affordable

There are some very luxurious recovery homes, but most operate as non profit entities and individual costs are only as much as is needed to offset house expenses. With as many as 8 or more residents in a household, each person’s share of the bills is very affordable, and in most cases – even if you have no money – you can be accepted into the house with the understanding that you will gain employment and start to contribute your fair share.

As all residents are in a similar situation of recovery and temptation, there is a great feeling of mutual support within the house. Recovering addicts learn from one another how to live without intoxication, and learn once again how to enjoy life without chemicals. A lot of us begin our journey through recovery without a strong sober support network. All of our old friends still use, and loneliness can be a real problem, loneliness can trigger relapse. Recovery house friendships are the rule – not the exception – and sober friendships can help a lot to keep you walking your journey to sobriety during those first few months.

Stay Sober!

Offering sober sanctuary, a place to go home to every night free from temptation, the supportive environment of a home can help to keep you from yielding to cravings.

Residents in general stay for as long as they want to, as long as they feel they need to. An average stay is about 1 year, although some people will stay much longer than this!

If you don’t know where to go, and if you don’t have the money for a private drug rehab, consider a recovery house, it might be what you’ve been looking for; it might be what you need!

Drug Rehab, a colloquial or even slang term for drug and alcohol rehabilitation, refers to the process of treating substance abuse, chemical dependency, and specifically addiction to any form of drug, whether prescribed, controlled, or uncontrolled. While there are extensive varieties, philosophies, and types of drug rehab, the basic, traditional treatment process involves medical and psychotherapeutic treatment for those addicted to drugs or alcohol.

The drug rehab medical component typically involves chemical detoxification of the patient, when the acceptable levels of undesirable chemicals are exceeded in the body. The detoxification process must be initiated and monitored by a capable and experienced medical professional to insure the least medical risk possible to the detoxifying patient. The specific detox protocol is very much a function of the type, amount, and usage period of unwanted chemicals in the body. Some detox protocols involve only time, as the body will naturally break down and void the unwanted chemicals. In more severe instances, detoxifying chemicals are introduced into the body, which counter act or inhibit and/or block the activity of specific neurological receptors, so that the effects of the undesired chemical are neutralized, thus enabling the patient to reduce the psychological desire for the drug. In almost all detoxification protocols, patients are given some variety of mood stabilizers and/or relaxers to aid in the detoxification process.

The length of the detox period is also dependant on the type, quantity, and duration of drug use, among other considerations.

The psychological aspect of drug rehab, which commences after the patient has begun, or even completed the detoxification, in some cases, is the most critical part of the drug rehab process. The saying that ‘it’s easy to get off the drugs, it’s just difficult to stay off the drugs,’ is a fact borne out time and time again. If the patient is only detoxified, but not educated and processed through the addiction, the odds of relapse are extremely high. For this reason, there must be a psycho-dynamic component to drug rehab. The psychodynamic aspect of treatment historically consists of education, step work (12 Step Process), and in some higher-end programs, individual and small group therapy. It is through these interventions and processes that the patient begins to understand and comprehend the effect of substance abuse in his or her live and how to manage the stressors and triggers that have caused the abuse.

The last phase of primary care drug rehab regards the discharge planning component. So often, patients improve and perform at a very high level, as a result of the highly structured drug rehab environment that they are in for 30-90 days. However, upon re-introduction to their pre-drug rehab existence, they often fall in with the same people, situations, triggers, etc., which cause them to relapse. The best way to avoid this eventuality is to provide a very structured discharge plan, which, when followed, helps the patient avoid the pitfalls of drug abuse. Most viable discharge plans include some or ideally all of the following: outpatient treatment referrals; 12-Step Program initiation/continuation, including finding a sponsor; Sober Living environments; drug monitoring; and life coaching.

Quality, comprehensive drug rehab programs are highly effective in treating those addicted to drugs and alcohol. The earlier in the addiction process that a drug addict undergoes treatment, the higher the incidence of full recovery and future abstinence.

When someone who is addicted to alcohol realizes its detrimental effects, it will take more than just quitting to be able to get his life back on track. Most of the time, professional help is needed to help an addict help himself and regain the hope he needs to move on with life. There are necessary steps that must be done before an addict could remain sober and free from using substances such as alcohol. The first crucial step would be to accept the fact that he is an addict and that he needs help.

Quitting is easier said than done. Aside from the psychological effects of alcohol dependence, an alcoholic could face other detrimental effects that could lead to life threatening situations during the period of abrupt withdrawal. When faced with this psychological and physiological crisis, it is crucial that the alcoholic and his significant others help each other as they take the alcohol detox program in an alcohol rehab center to be sober and remain healthy.

While it’s true that detox programs can be done at home, more people who have done the program in a more conducive environment such as the rehab center find that they have more chances of staying sober, getting rid of their addiction slowly but surely. Rehab facilities are built for the purpose of accepting addicts, old or new to help them get rid of their dependence on alcohol and drugs.Thus, these facilities have strict protocols, emphasizing self-control and will to encourage an addict to take hold of his life.

These facilities are well equipped with the necessary means of helping an addict to recover, Rehab centers are also managed by the most competent medical staffs such as doctors, and nurses, and psychotherapists and psychiatrists to make sure that gradual weaning from alcohol is sure and safe

Short term rehab programs can last up to a month while some other form of rehab may last longer. Patients will be assessed holistically and treatments will be given depending on what level of addiction they are in. The methods used may also depend on the patient and his relative’s ability to cope in the midst of crisis.

An alcoholic being rehabilitated from extreme dependence on alcohol may respond to some drugs such as disulfuram, while using other means such as counseling, milieu therapy and recreational therapies. These means will help them realize self-worth and actualization. Once they have realized their full potential to take control, they will be able to get out of their addiction and regain the life they once had nearly lost.