Drug Rehabilitation

Who hasn’t heard of “rehab”? It seems that Hollywood stars are in and out of rehab of one type of another every other day. Surely it must raise red flags in many people’s minds, wondering whether rehabilitation for drug or alcohol problems really works. Whether or not it works for spoiled movie stars, thousands of real people turn their lives around in drug rehabilitation centers and programs every year. Drug rehab does not have to be a revolving door. A really good drug rehabilitation facility or program can help an addict get clean and stay clean for life.
Rehabilitation for drugs or alcohol is a long and complex process that is underrated by the casual treatment given it by the press. Such stories make it seem that checking into a rehab facility for a few days or a month is sufficient to cure the problem. If that were so, why so many famous relapses? Drug rehabilitation involves a long-term course of counseling, medication, and behavioral therapy to produce a true cure. And even then, the danger of relapse is something the recovered addict must always guard against. A good drug rehab program teaches the addict how.
Most drug rehabilitation is conducted through a licensed facility of some sort which is specially staffed and equipped to deal with drug abuse problems. Rehab is something that should always be done under the care of medically qualified professionals. Withdrawal from drugs can be dangerous, even fatal, if not properly managed. Nowadays the cold turkey method is recognized as hazardous and unnecessary. A course of substitute drugs, administered under close supervision, eases an addict through the painful process of withdrawal and manages side effects and complications that may arise. It is a case of fighting fire with fire, and must be done properly in order to prevent adding a whole host of new problems to the underlying drug addiction.
A rehab facility usually offers inpatient and outpatient care, counseling, and long-term therapy and support. Drug rehabilitation takes commitment on the part of all concerned, and a rehab facility offers not only a safe environment far from the enablers of the drug habit, but also the tough love required to get an addict to face up to his or her addiction. Many do not understand why they turned to drugs in the first place, or why they found it so impossible to break free. Counseling in conjunction with drug detoxification is an essential part of the comprehensive drug rehabilitation process.
Last but by no means least, drug rehab programs of any type should include behavior modification. This helps the addict to break the patterns that led him to seek out drugs in order to cope with life’s problems. Teaching an addict to understand and deal with the things that triggered cravings is imperative if the drug rehab has any hope of producing a positive, long-term result.
Evaluate drug rehabilitation programs carefully before committing yourself or a loved one to care. Focus on the long term, and you should only have to undergo drug rehab once.