How does Drug and Alcohol Treatment work?

Drug abuse treatment (including the treatment for alcohol abuse) isn’t one particular treatment option. The exact course of treatment for each person depends on several different factors, including the length of time the person has been addicted, the severity of the addiction, family history of addiction and more. With each person, a treatment plan is designed to meet their specific needs.

Addiction to harder drugs such as cocaine or heroin typically can best be worked through by staying in a residential drug rehab facility. Alcohol abuse treatment and lesser addictions such as valium addiction, can generally be treated on an out-patient basis although this is not always the case. The benefits of residential drug treatment is that the patient can undergo constant medical monitoring by a team of professionals who are specifically trained to help people work through their addictions and safely withdraw from the substances to which they are addicted. Residential treatment program stays are generally fairly short term and is sometimes covered by medical insurance.

If your addiction is based on a drug that is safe to withdraw from without constant supervision from a doctor, you may be able to opt instead for an outpatient treatment plan. Symptoms of Xanax abuse, for example, can sometimes be managed and weaned through outpatient treatment. Alternatively, you may be able to enrol in a short-term, emergency residential program and then be released to continue your treatment on an outpatient basis.

With both inpatient and outpatient treatment options, treatment generally follows a certain general outline. First, you’ll need to meet with a drug addiction counsellor to discuss your particular situation. They will conduct an interview that will attempt to tease out the specifics of your addiction, your history with drug use and/or alcohol addiction, your overall health and other information.

It’s important to be thorough and honest during your intake interview with the counsellor, because the information you provide will be used to devise a treatment plan that is specific to you. You may be required to meet with other members of your addiction treatment team, such as a therapist, a doctor, other counsellors, a nutritionist, a psychologist and others. This team of professionals will be your collective lifeline and support system through your entire treatment course. They will help you work through withdrawal, treatment and recovery.

In the past, the patient in a drug recovery program was not really involved in helping to make decisions regarding his or her treatment and recovery. Today, however, treatment plans are such that client involvement is an instrumental part of the success of most programs. Patients are encouraged to speak openly about their opinions and needs and to be an integral part of the decision-making process.