Types of Treatment Programs
Addiction treatment programs differ for each individual and are customized based on severity, substance, and unique needs or situations. Effective treatment programs actively engage the individual, teaching skills needed to stay sober and navigate life without drugs or alcohol abuse.
Medical Drug and Alcohol Detox
Often the first step in a treatment plan for moderate to severe addictions, medical detox is the only recommended detox method. It involves round-the-clock monitoring of the withdrawal process until the body is healed of its substance dependence. In many cases, medication-assisted therapy is required during detox to ease the severity of withdrawal symptoms. These medications are often tapered until the patient is healed of their dependency.
Inpatient Rehab
Inpatient treatment facilities offer structured treatment programs designed to address all aspects of a patient’s addiction. During inpatient rehab, patients reside in a substance-free facility and receive around-the-clock medical care and therapeutic support. Inpatient rehabs are the best option for battling chronic addiction and those who suffer from co-occurring mental or behavioral disorders.
Outpatient Rehab
Outpatient rehabs provide similar treatments and therapies as inpatient rehabs, but patients live at home during the recovery process. Patients can keep their work and family commitments while attending scheduled treatment sessions throughout the week. However, as outpatient rehabs do not sequester patients in a controlled facility during recovery, the challenge to sobriety is much greater. Outpatient rehabs are best suited for mild addictions and disciplined patients or as a transition program after inpatient rehab.
Sober-Living Homes
Sober-living homes are a residential bridge between inpatient rehab centers and returning to everyday life. It is an excellent option for those needing additional time reinforcing their rehabilitation while residing in a structured environment.
Medication-Assisted Rehab
Incredibly effective for alcohol and opioid rehab, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) prescribes medications to the patient to help in recovery. Highly recommended for these severe addictions, these medications:
Manage withdrawal symptoms
Increase retention in treatment
Treat co-occurring disorders
Improve patient survival
Increase patients’ ability to maintain employment
Reduce cravings and risk of relapse
Increase long-term sobriety
Faith-Based Rehab
Many sufferers of addiction find a spiritual approach to their recovery more effective and desired. Faith-based rehab centers provide specialized programs and facilities that center around faith. Patients in these programs will be around like-minded individuals seeking guidance from a higher power to recover.
Staging an Intervention
Addiction affects more than just the user. Interventions are effective for friends and family members to encourage a person suffering from addiction to attend a treatment program. It is highly recommended to have an intervention specialist supervise an intervention and many facilities will help find a local one. They are trained to help loved ones constructively express their feelings and enhance the effectiveness of an intervention.
Types of Therapies
Treating addiction and substance use disorders will generally consist of various individual and group therapies during rehab. The therapies applied are based on each person’s unique circumstances and abuse patterns. Therapies are typically organized by the addiction counselors who create individualized treatment plans and aftercare.
Biofeedback Therapy
Biofeedback is a medication-free therapy to help addicts control their body and mind after treatment. Biofeedback is relayed to the patient with pulsing sounds or light from electronic sensors. This information helps the patient practice psychological techniques to manage their body’s withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps recovering addicts identify and manage the triggers that lead to their addiction and reduce the behavior they cause. Learning to manage their responses to these feelings helps in mitigating future compromises to their sobriety. This form of therapy is also useful in treating co-occurring conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Dialectical-Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT treats severe mental illnesses, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), in conjunction with substance use disorders. DBT treats self-esteem issues, teaches stress management, and helps individuals remove triggers from their lives. These skills and techniques are effective at helping addicts stop their substance abuse and make sobriety easier.
Experiential Therapy
Experiential therapy utilizes hands-on, engaging activities that helps recovering addicts cope with past trauma. It can help recovering addicts overcome the repressed feelings and emotions that contributed to their addiction. Outdoor recreations such as rock-climbing are common.
Holistic Therapy
Holistic therapy is a non-medicinal recovery method aiming to bring the mind, body, and spirit into alignment to combat addiction. Often complimented with traditional treatments, holistic therapy focuses on the addict’s overall healing, using exercise, meditation, and nutrition to overcome addiction. Holistic therapies may include yoga, acupuncture, art therapy, and guided meditation.
Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET)
MET helps addicts learn how to change their thoughts and behaviors that are part of their addiction. It is designed to promote internal change and is often combined with other counseling treatment programs. MET is frequently used to treat addicts with co-occurring conditions such as bipolar disorder.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy helps addicts understand their subconscious thoughts and feelings as they relate to their addiction. By identifying these underlying causes for addiction, recovering addicts are more prepared to recognize and avoid temptations during their ongoing recovery.
Types of Support Groups
Support groups are highly recommended after finishing an alcohol or drug addiction treatment program. Support groups are a community that can motivate and inspire each other to stay committed to long-term sobriety after treatment. Several different support groups exist, all tailored to specific substances or demographics.
12-Step Programs
12-step programs are the gold standard for recovering from an addiction. The founders of Alcoholics Anonymous created the 12-step program based on spiritual principles, but the program effective secularly too. Due to the program’s adaptable nature, 12-step programs have helped millions across America stay on their path toward recovery.
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a 12-step program that provides members a place where they can share their alcohol addiction together. AA meetings occur daily or weekly in local settings, either with loved ones invited or just with the recovering alcoholics. These meetings often involve individuals sharing their stories of addiction and recovery and supporting each other to stay sober.
Narcotics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is a 12-step program modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous. NA provides a community of support for those recovering from drug addictions. Members motivate each other to live sober and not fall back into drug abuse.
SMART Recovery
SMART is an alternative to 12-step support groups. It focuses on teaching members in recovery skills to control their addictive behaviors. SMART helps address the underlying thoughts and feelings attached to substance abuse. SMART uses a 4-point program that can be completed in any order.
Al-Anon and Nar-Anon
Al-Anon and Nar-Anon support the loved ones of those suffering from addiction to alcohol or drugs, respectively. These family therapy groups support each other and emphasize that addiction is a family illness. Al-Anon and Nar-Anon provide loved ones with effective coping methods to show them they are not suffering alone.
Effectively Treating Addiction
Facing addiction is challenging, and the long road ahead can make anyone hesitate. Addiction rehabilitation takes willpower, discipline, and a commitment to recovery. However, those suffering from addiction are not alone when seeking recovery. Addiction affects each person differently, and there is a treatment path for every situation.
Many with powerful addictions enter a detox program before entering rehab. Others choose to begin at an inpatient or outpatient rehab treatment facility. And most reinforce the lessons learned in rehab with after-treatment support groups and therapy.
Addiction Rehab Treatment has Treatment Navigators that will help guide those seeking help through the entire recovery process. They will help find the right treatment program for any situation and find the right post-rehab support options after treatment. Reach out today if you have any questions about putting yourself or a loved one on the path to recovery.