There are a number of different treatment options for individuals suffering from drug and alcohol addictions. The type of treatment will depend on the severity of the addiction, the patient’s situation, and his or her personal characteristics. Detoxification is a crucial first step in the process of overcoming addiction. Detoxification involves removing all traces of the substance, whether alcohol or drugs, from the body. This may take anywhere from one day up to a week. During the process of detoxification, the individual might experience a number of difficult physical and psychological symptoms which are best managed by a physician.
Residential treatment, also known as rehab, is a last-resort when it comes to treating drug and alcohol addiction. It involves a stay at a licensed rehabilitation facility, where the patient undergoes detoxification and following that, therapy. Outpatient treatment programs are another option; these types of programs involve intensive treatment several hours per day for several days in a week and are a better option for people suffering from mild addictions who have good support networks. Most types of treatment include some form of therapy or counseling, whether individual or group counseling. Both of these methods have strengths and weaknesses, but combined they greatly improve the patient’s chances of overcoming his or her addiction.
The term “detoxification” was introduced in an early twentieth-century theory on autotoxins by George E. Pettey that has since been discredited. The word, however, has stuck around, coming to refer to the process of removing toxins from the body. In this case, toxins may include drugs, alcohol, and even unhealthy food substances. What is Detoxification? […]
Outpatient treatment programs refer to non-live-in drug and alcohol addiction programs. These are sometimes referred to as Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOPs) because they involve a number of meetings several days per week, which may be scheduled around the patient’s other obligations. Although the individual is permitted to live at home and go to work or […]
In the United States, residential treatment centers offer live-in programs for substance abuse, behavioral problems, and mental illnesses. Often referred to as rehab, short for rehabilitation facilities, these centers are often a last resort in the struggle against mental illness or addiction. They offer individuals the chance to remove themselves from their current situation, detoxify, […]
The Matrix Model is a type of intensive outpatient treatment. It was developed in the 1980s in Southern California, during a period when the use of cocaine and other methamphetamines had become rampant. In Los Angeles, communities were disastrously affected by crack cocaine, cocaine, and methamphetamines. The Matrix Institute on Addictions, which was located in […]