What To Expect In Treatment For Drug And Alcohol Addiction | Lifestyle

What To Expect In Treatment For Drug And Alcohol Addiction

by MichaelGraham

When going into a drug or alcohol treatment facility most people are filled with apprehension and stress. This stems from uncertainty about their need for treatment, the unexpected conditions, and the inescapable fact that they will be leaving behind the coping mechanism they have been depending on during years of substance abuse. When looking for the proper drug and alcohol treatment facility, it is essential to ask the consultant you talk with what the day-to-day routine will be like. This can help allay your concerns of the situation and let you know what to expect.

If a part of your treatment consists of a detox from drugs or alcohol then a decent portion of this time will be spent relaxing and allowing your system to heal from years of drug or alcohol abuse. If you're entering into a 28 day (or longer) residential rehab program then a lot of your day will be consumed by group gatherings, drug and alcohol education and learning, stress management, and other workshops focused on restoring life skills without the crutch of chemical substances.

The effects that various drugs and alcohol have on a person's body depend on the substance of abuse, the years of abuse, and the physical well being of the person entering treatment. Older opiate addicts (including heroin, oxycontin, and others) can expect their detox to last anywhere from 10 days to 2 weeks or more before their body begins to feel normal again. Detox symptoms for opiate addicts usually include body aches and other issues like stomach cramps and intestinal issues. Younger alcoholics, however, can get through their detox in as little as 5 days and move quickly into an effective and meaningful program of addiction treatment.

After you have had the chance to detox from your substance of abuse (either drugs, alcohol, or both), your addiction treatment should focus on behavioral therapy. This can be done in either a residential treatment setting or an outpatient rehab program. Behavioral therapy like counseling (one-on-one or group), cognitive therapy, or psychotherapy provides people in treatment with tools and strategies for dealing with issues like stress and cravings. Addiction treatment also teaches addicts how to avoid relapse and how to deal with a relapse should one occur. Occasionally the treatment professionals at the drug and alcohol rehab facility may prescribe medications to the addict that will help reduce cravings and even stabilize their moods without the use of drugs or alcohol.

Before exiting the drug and alcohol rehab center, the counselors should help you develop a structured plan of recovery for your life after treatment. While a thorough treatment program will get to the root causes of your disease (and addiction is a disease), it is critical that you have an ongoing program for your recovery when you are back to the real world. This continuum of care should be written out and can be provided by attending 12 steps meetings like NA or AA, taking part in an outpatient rehab program, and building relationships with other addicts in recovery.

While no one expects perfection from the addict in recovery, the best chances of success are achieved by working with others that understand your disease either from a professional perspective or from personal experience.

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice.

Pathways Recovery offers our Sacramento Drug Rehab Facility where we provide Drug & Alcohol Detox for clients in a residential setting.