Drug Abuse Treatment - Principles Of Drug Abuse Treatment

Drug abuse treatment typically involves several steps to help an addict person to successfully withdraw from using the drug. The drug abuse treatment must be followed by counseling and attending self-help groups to help the recovering addict to resist any crave for using the addictive drug again.

The first step of drug abuse treatment is the withdrawal therapy. Withdrawal therapy is a step by step detoxification process which effectively helps the recovering addict person to stop taking the addicting drug as quickly and safely as possible. The detoxification is a gradual process that includes reduction of the dose of the drug or temporarily substituting the drug with other substances that have less severe side effects. The second step of the treatment begins after a successful detoxification. The goal of the second step is to help the ex-addict person to stay sober and keep resisting drugs. The second step also involves therapies such as counseling, addiction treatment programs and self-help group meetings.

Counseling is processes of interacting with an individual or family with a psychiatrist, psychologist or addiction counselor who may help an ex-addict resist the temptation to return to using the addicting drugs. Behavior therapies can effectively help the ex-addict to develop ways to cope with his drug cravings, suggest strategies to avoid drugs and prevent relapse, and offer suggestions on how to deal with a relapse if it occurs. Counseling therapy also can involve talking about the ex-addict job, legal problems and relationships with family and friends. Counseling of the family members can help people to develop better communication skills and to be more supportive.

Treatment programs normally include educational and therapy sessions focused on establishing sobriety and preventing relapse. This treatment method may be accomplished in individual, group or family sessions. Self-help groups implore the individual addict to take responsibility for his or her life and lifestyle, at the same time fostering self-acceptance and self-esteem. While most of the experts in the field of drug abuse view addiction as a medical problem, because of its effects on both brain and body, some see it as a behavioral problem to be solved through the development of self-knowledge, behavioral changes, and coping techniques.

There are various self-help groups for the drug abuse treatment that embrace both views and others that lean toward the behavioral model. Each type of treatment program encourages the individual to understand not only the reasons to refrain from using drugs but the underlying emotional causes of his or her addiction The road to recovery is far from being easy and it can sometimes feel overwhelming. From a clinical standpoint drug use affects the brain chemistry. Once the abused drugs have been cleansed from the system, it takes time for the body to readjust. Feelings or sensations that were masked by the drugs will resurface, and when they do, they will have to be faced because the drug which helped in ignoring them is gone. Relapse prevention includes identifying the key triggers to using drugs, learning more adaptive coping skills, and making better decisions when dealing with life's challenges.

• John Palsson
• 18/02/2009, 10:59 AM
• 0 Comments