A Primer on Treating Drug Addiction

What I need to know about Drug Addiction, Screening, and Education

The signs are usually not hard to spot. Drastic changes in behavior, sleeping patterns, and conflict with family members and employers. Skipping past all the heartbreak, anguish, and destruction lets fast forward to the end or the beginning depending on your perspective-getting someone help. So you or a family member has finally admitted the needs for help. What does that help look like? There is going to be much uncertainty and change for everyone in the very near future so here is a helpful list of what to expect and look out for. This article is not designed to answer all of those questions or even to dive into them too thoroughly but to give an idea of what to after properly diagnosing drug addiction or alcoholism. While detection is important here are some of those areas of concern: Will this require hospitalization? Ultimately that's a question for you and a qualified treatment professional to determine, but there are a few principles behind in-patient treatment programs that will be helpful. Modern treatment for addiction and alcoholism is based on the principles that addiction is a disease and that attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs can be changed. The main goal here is to avoid substances and live an abstinent based lifestyle. Hospitalization allows an individual to detox under medical supervision which increases safety and overall success upon release.

How Long Does Drug Addiction Treatment Last?

A good treatment program aims to help someone with a drug or alcohol dependency issue by focusing on several major areas. Teaching the addict or alcoholic that addiction is an illness and the lifelong implications of that. A big part of receiving help also is that there is no cure and that is going to be a challenge which may require help in differing forms for a prolonged period of time. Translating that understanding into action that leads to change and growth. This process looks very different for every person and just like no two people have the same exact journey into addiciton, but there are facets of getting better that are mirrored across the treatment spectrum. Abstinence and healthy ways of living, whatever that may mean to the individual are all part of the healing process. A big part of getting anyone help or treatment for their drug dependency is proper detection and awareness. Drug testing is not appropriate in every situation but there are times when it is vital to properly diagnosing the exact nature of an addiction. Detoxing off certain drugs can have adverse health consequences which is why determining the precise substances being abused can be very importance. Accurate drug testing makes this possible. There are a number of good resources on the internet surrounding addiction treatment. The age of information makes it possible to research this topic endlessly, and make good informed decisions for yourself or a loved one.