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Nobody makes a conscious decision to become addicted to drugs, but they have to make a conscious decision to get help. Sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom and sometimes it takes an intervention, but whatever the reason leading up to drug rehab, it’s a new beginning.

Once the decision is made, a rehab program can be developed to fit the individual. First comes detoxification; the withdrawing from the drug’s effects. In extreme cases, this could be in a hospital via a trip to the emergency room for treatment of an overdose. Many hospitals offer inpatient detoxification, because it provides the patient with careful monitoring and medical care. By keeping the patient in a secure area, the availability of the drug or drugs of choice is eliminated.

Once the patient’s body and mind are free from the drug, counseling and a maintenance program can begin. According to the Schneider Institute for Health Policy, it’s estimated that five million drug users are in need of some type of rehab, but only about a quarter of those actually get it. However, drug rehab is getting moderately easier for some people due to the fact that most insurance companies cover expenses for drug programs.

About 43.9% of the people who sought treatment for either alcohol or drugs over the past year ended up paying for some of the costs themselves, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Out of those people, statistics showed that more women paid for treatment with insurance or public assistance programs than did men.

During a drug rehab program, the patient’s dependence is gauged so that the correct treatment can be arranged. The drug or drugs are also taken into consideration, since some are more addictive than others, and can have more lasting effects on the patient. Careful counseling is part of a rehab program, as is aftercare.

As already mentioned, inpatient programs are available, but residential and outpatient programs are also available, depending on the patient’s need. Another aspect that’s vital to success is involving the family. Because loved ones are often affected by the addiction of a family member, family counseling is an excellent option to help the patient, as well as their family, the correct support. This includes facing the fact that he or she has caused harm to their loved ones and reparations need to be made.

Even though drug rehab is a difficult and often painful experience, the longer a patient receives treatment, the more successful they’ll be. Once they have proceeded through the stages, drug detox, medical treatment, counseling and after care, it’s up to them to continue to work toward the goal of staying clean.

In the desperate urge to help addicted and alcoholic individuals regain their lives, rehabilitation centers were first created. They are as varied as the alcoholics and addicts themselves, but break down into basically two types.

1. Long-term Residential Centers-this type of treatment offers a 24 hour structure, support, and drug-free environment in a community made up of both fellow recovering addicts/alcoholics and counselors. Alcoholics and addicts stay in these programs from 30 days up to a year or more. These are also referred to as therapeutic communities. However, this does present problems to the alcoholic or addict who is also intent on continuing their job and supporting or raising a family.

2. Short-term Inpatient Centers-This type of treatment offers a 24 hour structure, with a focus on medical stabilization, abstinence and sobriety, and lifestyle changes. Staff consists primarily of medical professionals and trained counselors, and patients generally only stay a period of a few days up to one month. This was primarily for alcohol abuse treatment, until these programs expanded into drug abuse treatment as well in the 1980’s. This treatment offers most of the benefits of the Long-term Inpatient Program, while only keeping the addict or alcoholic from working or raising a family for up to a month, which makes it a good compromise between long-term inpatient programs and outpatient programs, especially when medical supervision and structure is needed for only a short time. It can easily be combined (and this is optimal for those in short-term inpatient programs) with the outpatient drug-free program for additional support, education, and maintenance of a drug and alcohol free lifestyle, in order to start recovery.

Each of these centers has a lot to offer the alcoholic or addict. Each has it’s own particular shortcomings. They may find it difficult to move on from the long-term residential center back into mainstream life. Or they may find that the short-term residential center doesn’t offer sufficient time and structure to prepare them for the move from the center to their prior lives.

The most important thing when choosing a rehab center is to find one that will work with a focus on the patient’s well-being, rather than a scripted treatment plan. Not every plan works with every patient, and the rehab center that realizes this will tailor the treatment plan, focusing on bringing as many aspects of the addict or alcoholics lost skills and abilities and mental and physical health back as possible.

There are many reasons why a person chooses to take drugs in the beginning. At first, they may be trying to avoid emotional or physical pain they are going through, which may work in the beginning stages of drug use. Drugs provide the user with a temporary escape from their reality, but over time, drugs will only serve to make their situation much worse. They will eventually get to the point where they are no longer able to able to control their impulses, and the drugs will take over every aspect of their lives. In this situation, a rehabilitation center is crucial in saving their lives.

Once a person has gone from being a drug user to becoming a drug addict, they no longer are in control of their actions. The addiction will cause them to behave in such a way that they will continue their cycle of destruction, even in the face of losing everything that they hold dear. Drug addiction can interfere with their normal way of life, and disrupt their homes, their jobs, and eventually lead to dire consequences to society as a whole. Drugs can even put the abuser at a higher risk of illness, thereby endangering their very lives.

Drug rehabilitation can alter the path they are on, and save their lives. Because drug addiction is so complex, treatment is not simple but it may be their last chance. Due to the nature of drug abuse, intervention by family and friends is often the first step to recovery. Drug addicts live in their own reality, and often times, they must be hit in the face with the damage they are causing to themselves and to those around them. If intervention is done properly, it can force the addict to face the reality of the situation they are in and make the rehabilitation process easier for them to agree to. Keep in mind that if you do choose this option, it is helpful to have a professional involved in the process. They have the experience in this area that is necessary to ensure a successful intervention.

When speaking about rehabilitation, it is important to understand that drug abuse is classified as a chronic condition. This means that long-term abstinence can sometimes require sustained and repeated treatment. Rehabilitation centers are by no means a quick fix. Rather, they are the best way to help get an addict on the road to recovery, which will eventually lead to a drug-free life. That being said, drug rehabilitation centers can and do work. In the three decades they have been around, it has been found that more people get off of and stay off of drugs in large part because of drug rehabilitation centers.

One of the important things that the past three decade has taught us is that in order for drug rehabilitation to be successful, there needs to be a variety of approaches to treat drug addiction. It isn’t a one size fits all situation. The type of rehab that will work depends on the type of drug being abused, the personality and background of the abuser and the support the addict has outside of the treatment facility. To this end, there are many different drug rehabilitation centers out there that offer a myriad of approaches to drug addiction problems.

Not all drug treatment programs are the same. They differ in staff qualification, credential, cost and effectiveness. Before you make a decision as to which program is right for you, you must ask questions. You will want a drug rehabilitation center that offers a wide range of treatment programs in order to endure they will meet your individual needs. Along with differing methods of treating drug abuse, there are also different types of rehabilitation centers to choose from.

Some of a drug addicts options when choosing a rehabilitation center include inpatient treatment facilities, residential treatment facilities and outpatient/or short-stay treatment facilities. The difference between a residential rehabilitation center and an inpatient treatment center lie in their credentials. Inpatient treatment centers are licensed hospitals, while residential treatment centers usually do not meet the same rigorous standards of medical care. However, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t highly successful in treating drug addiction. When a drug addict is seeking some type of residential or inpatient rehabilitation, their length of stay will depend on the severity and stage of their illness.

There are also outpatient or day treatment facilities to choose from. The patient doesn’t reside in the treatment facility, but they do go to intense treatment almost everyday of the week for anywhere up to 8 hours a day. One of the deciding factors when choosing a rehabilitation center may be the costs involved. Before you make a decision about where to go, you need to know how much your insurance will pay, what is included with the price you are quoted by the facility and what is considered fee-for-service. Although rehabilitation may get pricey, it is worth every penny because it can save the addicts life. Family plays a big role in rehabilitation, which only makes sense because drug addiction is effecting there lives as well as the addicts.

They type of involvement family members will have in the recovery process depends on the treatment facility the addict decides to go to. Some encourage many visits and family counseling, while others prefer less family interaction, at least for the time period that the addict is in the treatment facility. But, whichever way a rehabilitation center goes with regards to family, they all agree family involvement is vital to the ongoing recovery process. This is especially true when discussing aftercare.

Many treatment centers offer some type of aftercare program. However, some may only provide it at their center, which can make it difficult for the recovering addict to get to on a consistent basis. A good treatment center includes good aftercare because they understand how vital it is to the long-term prognoses of the addict.

Drug treatment and rehabilitation are not easy, but they are of the utmost importance when helping an addict get off the drug and return to a normal and productive life. The long range goal of any rehabilitation center is not only to get the addict off the drug, but also to ensure that they remain abstinent for their life time.

Alcoholics Anonymous, founded by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron,
Ohio in 1935 is known as the first twelve step program. Others would
soon follow, seeking success by applying the same basic formula outlined
in the official A.A. text to other addictions like cocaine and heroin
(Narcotics Anonymous), and to obsessive behaviors like overeating
(Overeaters Anonymous).

The twelve step program has it’s roots in religion and was begun as a
religious organization. With the evolution of A.A., and the inclusion of
an ambigous “Higher Power,” the concept of “spiritual, not religious,”
arose and seems to have derived from the desire to keep religion
separate from A.A. Historically and conceptually though, the practices
of A.A., and the Twelve Steps are Biblical in roots and nature.
The Twelve Step program is based upon the principles outlined in the
official text, “Alcoholics Anonymous” or the “Big Book” as it is known
to AA members. Written by Wilson and early members of A.A., the Twelve
Steps were essentially a rewriting of the 6 steps of the Oxford
Group(founded by Frank Buchman).

After moderate success in curing their addictions, or “illnesses,”
Wilson was asked by Dr. Smith and other members of the Akron group to
write a book about the program. Instead, Wilson returned to New York and
authored a completely different book which also included the teachings
of Rev. Samuel M. Shoemaker, Jr., rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in
New York, and a leader of the Oxford Group in America. Shoemaker’s
ideas, which are found almost verbatim in the Twelve Steps, were added
to this new “Big Book”. Also added were theories about alcoholism from
Dr. William D. Silkworth, arguments for the necessity of conversion from
Dr. Carl G. Jung, and the idea of a “higher power” from Professor
William James, as well as thoughts from Anne Smith (Dr. Bob’s wife),
techniques from Richard Peabody and his Common Sense of Drinking book,
and elements of the writings “Universal Mind,” “Czar of the Universe,”
and “higher power.” The basis for the twelve steps can be found in the
Oxford Group teachings of Rowland Hazard and Ebby Thacher in late 1934
and early 1935, although neither the Oxford Group nor early A.A. in New
York or Akron used any “steps” at all.

Twelve step groups meet regularly to discuss problems and share
experiences, challenges, successes and failures, and provide support for
each other. All twelve-step programs follow a variation of the original
Twelve Step program. One of the most widely-recognized and satirized
characteristics of the twelve step program is the requirement that
members state their name and admit they are “an alcoholic”, the line
“Hi, I’m Pam and I’m an alcoholic” is a catchphrase now widely
identified with the twelve step program and support groups such as A.A.
And others. The main belief of A.A. members is that recovery requires
them to admit they have a problem, and to give themselves up and put
their faith in God, or a “Higher Power”.Additionally, The only
requirement for membership to A.A., “is the desire to stop drinking”.

There are many paths to sober living nowadays. In southern California sober living is possible through a myriad of avenues. Most people recovering from addiction find themselves looking for more than just one way to achieve sobriety. Too many times recovering addicts in other cities find subpar assistance. In southern California, there things seem to be getting better.

As times change, the ways of the past make way for the future. The antiquated methods of attaining sobriety have now relinquished the reigns to more effective means of gaining clarity. Someone seeking a southern California sober living lifestyle would find that treatment has not only become more tenacious in its scientific manner, but it has gained a spiritual side too.

Drug and alcohol rehabilitation could possibly be better in California than in any other place in the world. A patients journey could involve the application of treatment staples like the 12 step programs, group therapy sessions, and/or dual diagnosis meetings. Aside from the old school ways, one could find the bevy of holistic methods that California has to offer much more amiable. Southern California sober living seems more attainable with the help of acupuncturists, spiritual healers, and highly trained massage therapists. It doesn’t hurt to live in a place like southern California, a place that seems to attract more yoga instructors, chefs, and all around spiritually aware folk more than anywhere else on earth. Southern California sober living seems to be the best sober living there is.

To many recovering addicts, sobriety will remain a constant challenge.
Even with changes to their lifestyle and new relationships, many will
find the lifelong path of sobriety a challenge. The act of abstaining
from anything that gives us pleasure or relaxes us, is a tough challenge
for anyone. This is the lesson contained in the saying used by A.A.
members “one day at a time”. Sobriety can only be effectively
maintained through constant vigilance and discipline.

Due to the psychological issues surrounding sobriety, professional
support and reinforcement through private drug rehab or group therapy is
recommended, if not essential. Enrollment in a drug treatment center
is a vital step in the achievement of sobriety.
Detoxification removes the chemical traces from the system and frees the
body from the physical ball and chain of addiction and prepares the
mind. Therapy for the mental dependency covers the psychological and
behavioral issues surrounding addiction.

The objective of long-term sobriety is not as easy to maintain as it may
seem, especially in the case of alcohol or prescription drug abuse and over the
counter drugs, which are readily available and easy to obtain. The
support of of other individuals with experience in dealing with the many
external issues of recovery and sobriety, is vital to the effort. In the
case of other narcotics, a shift in lifestyle, friendships, and the support of a quality drug treatment center
are also a
crucial part of maintaining one’s sobriety.

The very word conjures a flood of stereotyped images: narrow hallways, dingy bed sheets, gaunt-eyed patients sipping coffee from styrofoam cups under harsh fluorescent lights. Much of what people know about rehab they learn from television and movies—and, as a result, much of what people know about rehab is incomplete. Or distorted. Or more often than not really just plain wrong. The facts about rehab—the actual facts, the true facts—are far less stark than the illusions you find on the big screen; real-life rehab lacks the drama of the Hollywood version, which is often welcome news for potential patients and their loved ones. Indeed, understanding what exactly rehab is—and, no less importantly, what exactly rehab isn’t—is important for anyone hoping to begin a successful recovery program.

Broadly, “rehab” encompasses all those processes by which an individual confronts and conquers his or her drug addiction. “Rehab,” as the term is conventionally used, is everything: the beginning and the end, the first step and the final hurdle, the agony of the start and the triumph of the finish and the long hard work of everything in between. The goal, of course—the goal of the start and the finish and everything in between—is to help a patient stop using drugs. To help a patient get sober and stay sober, so that he or she can get back to living a healthy and meaningful life. To that end, rehab generally aims to combat the bifurcated roots of drug addiction: physical dependence on the one hand; psychological dependence on the other.

Physically, addiction works by changing the internal chemistry of the body. Prolonged periods of drug abuse literally remake the structure and function of the human brain; in time, the addict’s system comes to rely on the drug as part of its “normal” metabolic operations. This reliance, of course, is exceedingly injurious to the addict’s health—and means that any sort of recovery must begin by addressing the physical needs of the patient. In concrete terms, this means mitigating the symptoms of drug withdrawal during the detox phase of treatment and then managing the incidence of drug cravings thereafter. By providing patients with surrogates for their substance habits—like methadone for recovering heroin users, for example—rehab aims to facilitate the process of physical healing.

The psychological basis of addiction is no less firm than the physical one—and, as a result, no less central to the treatment methodology of any competent rehab program. Psychological dependence is intimately related to physical need; as the patient’s body comes to literally rely on a drug, the patient’s mind comes to register that need as a compulsive and overwhelming sense of want. In cases of prolonged abuse, the drug typically becomes a source of emotional stability for the addict—a relationship which makes the proposition of sobriety all the more daunting. In response, rehab addresses the psychological underpinnings of addiction, mostly through individual and group counseling sessions designed to help patients develop the social and emotional skills required for clean living. The key, of course, lies in freeing addicts from their psychological bondage: before patients can get healed, they need to distance themselves, emotionally, from the drugs to which they’ve become enslaved.

Although all rehab philosophies target the physical and psychological causes of addiction, different types of programs emphasize different elements of the recovery process. Medical rehab programs tend to be more strongly oriented towards the physical aspects of addiction; spiritual programs concern themselves primarily with the psychological core of abuse; social rehab aims to help patients recover in a communal environment; holistic programs explicitly address the mind-body-spirit nexus of chemical dependency.

It should also be mentioned that rehab programs are distinguished by the living arrangements of their patients. Inpatient programs run like hospitals, and are staffed by accredited nurses and physicians. Residential programs occur in a more relaxed and less overtly “treatment”-type environment, like a ranch or nature camp. Outpatient programs, finally, are designed to help individuals beat addiction without significant interruption to their daily lives, usually with the assistance of extensive support group networks. Outpatient programs are often strongly grounded in the twelve-step methodology of Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous.

In any of these guises—medical or spiritual, social or holistic, residential or outpatient—”rehab,” as noted above, refers to the entire extent of the recovery process. It begins with an individual’s first week in a detox facility, runs through the months spent in primary and extended treatment centers, and doesn’t end until the patient has mastered the art of clean and independent living in halfway houses, 3/4-way houses, and sober living cooperatives. It is, again, the start and the finish, the first step and the final hurdle. Studies have shown that those patients who spend at least three months in some form of rehab program are most likely to achieve a lasting victory over their addictions. Recovery, of course, is and can only be an ongoing process; recovery isn’t recovery at all if it doesn’t last. With that in mind, rehab aims to meet the needs of the patient at every step along on the road to sobriety—and to ensure, above all else, that sobriety itself becomes an enduring state of being.