Saving a chronic drug addict from the impending dangers of death and serious ailment require more than just medication. A timely effort to rescue a drug addict from the harmful effect of drug use requires an all- inclusive approach. Drug addiction impacts negaively on the mental, physical, psychological and emotional health of its victim. However, the type of addiction treatment that would be appropriate for a patient would depend on the level of addiction.
Many times while medication would take care of some aspects of wellness, there is a need for some non- medication complimentary treatment. This will help correct the behavioural defect and emotional stress the drug addict is likely to experience. This addiction treatment approach to curing a drug addict is considered more effective at restoring the sanity of delinquent.
However, patients have different addiction levels. So, there is need for direct and suitable addiction treatment to meet the peculiar needs of each patient. However, a common starting point with most rehab centers is to detoxify patients. Many times this impinges on the health of patients as they come with symptoms including nausea, sweating, headache, muscle tension. Sometimes these symptoms can lead to health complications like heart attack, hallucinations, stroke, extreme depression and seizures.
You wonder why detoxification symptoms are severe? The reason is simple the body of a drug addict over the years would have adjusted and become used to certain substances. Not only that as soon as these substances are withdrawn, the body reacts. To manage this critical stage of the rehabilitation therapy, some patients may require medication especially if they are addicted to substances like heroin, opiates and alcohol. There is no one best drug to administer to patients.
Many times physicians recommend drugs that best deals with the particular substance the patient is addicted to. On the other hand, some proffer the solution of a combination of drugs and treatment approaches to reduce the risk of another addiction.
Drugs usually prescribed for detoxification include:
Methadone: For those struggling with addiction, they are not on medication. Methadone is the appropriate drug to prescribe. However Methadone could itself be addictive. There is therefore need for tact and caution in the way it is used. It could be prescribed in such a way that the dosage would be slowly reduced overtime.
Buprenorphine: The effects of methadone may be too hard on so many patients. Buprenorphine is one drug that is not so hard but do also counter heroine
Benzodiazepines: Benzodiazepines are appropriate for a variety of uses including reducing the seizures when detoxifying patients. Others include decreasing the intensity of withdrawal symptoms and helping in relieving anxiety and depression. These symptoms are often associated with the detoxifying process.
Barbiturates: One thing that could lead to seizures and even heart attack is anxiety. Barbiturates reduce anxiety by making patient sleep during the detoxification process.
Types of Rehab treatment programs
Addicion treatment for patients can be provided by inpatient facilities and outpatient treatment centers. Essentially however both exist to restore delinquents to sanity. Some of the common types of addiction treatment and therapies offered include
Inpatient Treatment:
For a more severe case, an addiction treatment facility where patients are cut off from influences, circumstances and environments that encourage indulgence in drug addiction is essential. At these facilities patients are given 24 hours care and support. To a large extent this change of environment helps in correcting a critical component of the drug addiction wellness- mental, psychological and emotional health.
Usually hospitals offer this type of rehabilitation service. Here you will get professional supervision and intensive health services. Other forms of important Inpatient treatment programs also exist. They may not offer intensive round the clock health care services but they do also have an arrangement with medical personnel and professional to offer medical services to patients.
Outpatient Treatment:
A drug addiction condition that is still in its early stage can be cured with an outpatient treatment. This treatment uption are flexible enough to allow patients report at the facility on regular intervals. The flexible treatment schedule makes it very convenient for patients to combine their responsibility of keeping job, home, family or elders with rehab treatments.
Rehab:
Medication is just one of the very complex processes of drug addicts’ rehabilitation after detoxification; there is need for a behavioural therapy that really tackles the addition. It is the part of rehab that convinces the patient of the possibility of a life void of drugs addiction. Patients are to reflect over why, when, and how they began using the substance. On reaching this threshold they are taught new skills and strategies on how to actively engage in hobbies that help them deal with relapse. Thinking positivelu is very vital to maintaining a healthy psyche and effecting a behavioural change.
Group Therapy:
Having a group where every individual feels a sense of shared responsibility to contributing to proffering solutions to the addiction challenge common to every member goes a long way in the recovery of delinquents. Members of the group could also include patients who have successfully been able to overcome a life of addiction to drugs. As they rub minds with others and share their story. There is consolation for every member.
Family Therapy:
Family members are worst hit and are often devastated by the addiction of a loved one. The natural ties and availability of family members around a person recovering from addiction could be included as one strong support component of a drug addicts’ therapy.
Recovery:
Behavioural therapy healing process could last a life time. at other times there is need for a consistent follow up. For a drug addict, rushing back to normal life just after some medications might be counterproductive and result in a case of a dog returning to its vomit. Deliberate steps need be taken to ensure that after patients leave rehab centers they are supported to steer clear off drugs.
To achieve this, some rehab facilities have post rehabilitation follow up plans which may include weekend stays at the rehab facility or a complete relocation of patients to environments where the life style is sober and communal. An environment where individuals who have just recovered from drug addiction do things in common, monitor each other’s recovery and constantly engage in group therapy sessions.