In 2007, the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) conducted a survey in the United States to learn what percentage of the population required drug abuse treatment as compared to what percentage was actually receiving it. The results were shocking. It was learned that 23.2 million people living in the United States who were twelve or older required treatment for drug abuse from a substance abuse treatment center, but only 2.4 million were receiving it. This indicates that over 8.4 percent of the United States population is foregoing necessary medical and mental health care, and that substance abuse treatment programs are being underutilized.

While popular opinion of drug addiction as a social disease is changing to allow for more recent neurological and genetic studies on addiction, these statistics reveal that people are still not being connected to necessary drug addiction programs, for unknown reasons. Medical and mental health professionals consider drug addiction to be a multi-faceted illness that has many psychological and biochemical contributors. Studies reflect that drug addiction has a major affect on the brain’s neural network, as the information carried by neurotransmitters may tell the body it needs an excessive amount of a particular rewarding substance. This chemical rewiring of the brain can make sobriety an overwhelming task to the drug addict without professional intervention. Connecting drug addicts to appropriate treatment can mean the difference between functional and disfunctional living, health and illness, and in extreme cases, life and death.

Two broad categories of drug abuse treatment programs are available to addicts: residential inpatient programs and non-residential outpatient programs. Inpatient rehabilitation programs house the drug addict for a minimum of 28 days while they undergo detoxification and addiction counseling. Addiction inpatient programs are generally more intensive, as the recovering addict’s schedule and living arrangement are customized to their recovery plan. Outpatient programs do not house the drug addict, but instead arrange addiction counselling appointments, group therapy sessions, addiction resources and sobriety sponsorship for them. Understanding the availability of different types of drug addiction treatments is the first step in bridging the disconnect between drug addicts and the addiction treatment resources they need.

The next step is extending an invite for treatment to addicts everywhere by supplying information to shelters, such as the Vancouver homeless shelter, mission organizations such as the Kelowna mission and soup kitchen across North America.

Read Further at kelownamission.com

If you have chosen residential rehabilitation as the method of confronting your alcoholism, you have a big choice ahead of you. Choosing the right alcohol addiction treatment program is a sensitive process that requires a fair amount of research and education. Read further to understand what factors will be considered in making your selection.

With the variety to choose from, you should find an alcohol addiction treatment facility that you would feel comfortable in. Not only should the center be geared toward the things that make up your identity, but it should also provide treatment specifically for your type of addiction and personal issues.

The cost of the treatment is a necessary factor to consider. Services need to be within your budget, but you also need to ensure that the program is reputable and receives the funding it needs to provide the best quality rehabilitation possible. Many alcohol addiction facilities will accept insurance, provide loans or arrange payment plans.

Consider the degree of privacy you require as well. It is rehab policy to practice a doctor / patient type of confidentialtiy, so you need not be concerned about your anonymity, however some centers will require you to stay with a roommate. Be sure to choose a rehabilitation program that meets your personal space needs.

Before you can begin treatment, most centers will require that you detox. Consider your safety and whether you want to detox at home, in a medical facility or in the rehablitation center, because you will encounter all three choices. More often than not, the program will have you detox on site or in a medical facility to monitor your sobriety and to prevent any health risks.

Once your system is clean, it is time to begin your treatment. Be truthful about your addiction so that the rehabilitation staff can evaluate your needs properly and arrange the program appropriately for you. Typically, an alcohol recovery progam will involve group and individual therapy, provide healthy activities, and a stress free facility where you can focus on your recovery. Programs range in length from 30 to 90 days, depending on how severe the addiction is.

And finally, when treatment is complete, any good rehabilitation center will provide after care services, whether it be a sober living house to help you transition back into the real world, group therapy meetings such as alcoholics anonymous or a personal sponsor who is only a phone call away if you are feeling the temptation to relapse. Keep these pointers in mind when beginning the selection process for a good quality rehabilitation program. Your recovery awaits!

One only has to browse the internet for an addiction rehabilitation treatment center to know that the choices are vast. Before choosing one rehab program from a list of hundreds, one should be equipped with a basic knowledge of how to select a quality program that meets the needs of the potential client. No two people have the same recovery needs, and a successful program is one that helps an addict work through their substance abuse and emotional issues to give them the benefit of a well-rounded life of sobriety.

Firstly, be sure to ask the rehab representative about their license and accreditation. A professional substance abuse treatment program will employee staff that are certified in addiction counseling, and have experience in the mental health industry. Accreditation from whatever state or province the facility is in is vital to the addiction rehabilitation center’s credibility, and the professionalism of the people in charge can be a huge determinate in the success of the treatment program, especially considering that the facility should be an ongoing resource to the recovering addict even after they have left.

Be sure to ask about the ongoing relapse prevention services that are available once the program is finished. A quality addiction inpatient treatment center will provide a sobriety plan upon exiting the program, and will continue to provide counselling and support services to the former patient as they adjust to a sober lifestyle. Don’t forget to check the website of the facility for positive testimonials from past clients as well.

Do research into the location of the facility, and don’t hesitate to request an in person visit so the potential client can know for sure if they are comfortable in the rehab environment. Ask about the living accomodations to know what to expect of the rehab lifestyle, and to know what kind of compliance is expected from the client.

When substance abuse has been identified as a problem in yourself or someone you love, the next step will be treatment for the affected person. There are many different options available to someone searching for a substance abuse recovery program, and the quality ones will include certain integral characteristics.

Firstly, the rehabilitation program will be customized around the type of substance abuse in question. This ensures that the issues and complications particular to the substance itself are addressed. The type of substance being abused can have a huge bearing on the course of recovery that is needed.

Secondly, considerations for the treatment program will to be made in regards to any mental disorders that accompany the substance abuse disorder. This only applies in the case of a dual diagnosis, and will require a professional integrated approach to help the individual recover from multiple disorders at the same time.

Third, steps will be taken in order to manage the symptoms of withdrawal, beginning with a thorough, medically supervised detoxification that may or may not include medication, and continuing with ongoing methods and options for managing cravings.

Fourth, the treatment process itself will be a combination of group and individual counseling sessions, mental health exercises, constructing and following a personalized recovery plan, participating in therapeutic activities, and learning to manage physical health, emotion, stress and anger.

And finally, once the inpatient portion of the treatment is over, the treatment center will provide continued, ongoing support to the recovering substance abuser in the form of meetings, sponsorship, peer support and other recovery resources.

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