Drug addiction is a potentially life-threatening disease, however most drug users refuse the idea of rehab, telling themselves that 'I can do it myself' or 'I don't want anyone knowing I have a problem', or 'I can not afford it' or 'I can not take time off of work'.
Residential drug rehabilitation provides the best opportunity for a drug user to stop using. This is because the patient is removed from all negative outside influences e.g. friends who might use. Also, patients have 24 hours premium care from therapists and medical professionals, helping them to end their harmful patterns of behaviour, so that they can start a new life without drugs.
The objective of all drug rehab centers is to educate the drug addict about their drug problem and of the changes that they need to make, in order to live a drug-free life. A multitude of therapeutic techniques are employed and vary between rehab centers.
The objective of all drug rehab centers is to educate the drug addict about their drug problem and of the changes that they need to make, in order to live a drug-free life. A multitude of therapeutic techniques are employed and vary between rehab centers.
The majority of rehab centers provide psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, give lectures and encourage group discussion to drug users. A variety of drug rehabilitation programs have proved successful in helping drug users to stop using and maintain abstinence. The most popular of which is known as cognitive behavioral treatment and relapse prevention.
With cognitive behavioral treatment and relapse therapy, drug users are trained to think and act in different ways that will enable them to live drug-free. They are taught to steer clear of situations that would normally have lead them to drug abuse. Therapists also teach them drug refusal techniques. It is also explained to the patient that a relapse is only a slip in their road to recovery and a drug-free life.
Cognitive behavioral treatment and relapse prevention is a proven model in drug rehabilitation. As with all programs though, the overall success of a program is determined primarily by the patient’s ability to integrate new ideas and ways of thinking into their lives to break the compulsive, self-destructive behavior that first caused their drug abuse.