Drug Rehab options

Drug addiction rehab plainly means quitting drugs and discovering how to live a drug-free life. However, this can be a very complex process.

Different substances have different effects on the body and mind, and particular persons are more susceptible to addiction to some drugs than others. Likewise there is no one-size-fits-all drug rehabilitation treatment that is helpful to everybody.

Drug rehab can take the form of behavioral (or 'cognitive') therapy, medication, or a combination of both. A number of factors determine which therapy will work best.

Behavioral therapy offers users methods for coping with their drug cravings. It teaches them ways to avoid chemical stimulants and avoid relapse. This type of therapy also teaches addicts how to manage a relapse should it occur. When a person's drug-associated behavior places him or her at greater risk for AIDS or other transmittable diseases, behavioral therapies can help to reduce the risk of disease transmission. Case management and referral to alternative medical, psychological, and social services are crucial components of therapy for many patients.

Treatment medicines, such as methadone, LAAM, and naltrexone, are available for persons hooked on specific drugs. Nicotine preparations (patches, gum, nasal aerosol) and bupropion are accessible for people addicted to nicotine. Medications, such as antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or neuroleptics, may be essential for treatment success when patients have co-existing psychological illnesses, such as depression, stress disorder, manic-depressive disorder, or a psychotic mental illness.

The best programs normally offer a combination of both therapy and medication, and are integrated with other community services that meet the needs of the individual client - a program that is shaped by such factors as age, race, culture, sexual orientation, sex, pregnancy, childhood history, housing, and employment status.

Drug dependence rehabilitation can occur in a diversity of settings, in many different types, and for different lengths of time. Because addiction is typically a chronic syndrome characterized by intermittent relapses, a short-term, one-time therapy is rarely adequate.

For many, rehabilitation is a long-term process that includes many interventions and attempts at self control. A period of detox, followed by long-term rehab is usually the best course of action for anyone trying to beat a drug habit , and while it doesn't have to take place at an in-patient clinic, these do tend to have the best success rates when it comes to really beating drug addiction and maintaining a drug-free life.

For more information on drug addiction rehab visit us at http://www.addictiontodrugs.org/drug_addiction.php