Addiction Treatment: How It Works

The term drug addiction covers a vast variety of addictions, including addiction to prescription drugs, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine etc. The effects of each addiction differ vastly. Dependence on heroin, cocaine or related drugs can bring in life destroying side effects for the addict. Alcohol abuse is equally bad. The most unfortunate effect of alcoholism and drug abuse is that the brunt of these has to be borne by the society as a whole. Precious lives are lost, productive hours are lost and last, but not least, it vitiates our living atmosphere.

Drug dependency never goes away on its own. The addict has to realise that he is in trouble and need help. This realisation is enough to set the addict on the road to victory. He should be made to understand that addiction recovery is possible. Assistance of drug rehab professionals is inseparable in addiction treatment. Addiction recovery is really a difficult task even with their help. Ever lasting sobriety cannot evolve in a day or two. You have to work towards it. The rehab centre would help you reach the goal successfully, but your resolve and cooperation is very much imperative.

Addiction treatment works in two ways. Firstly, it frees the body of remaining intoxicants thereby helping it regain the lost functionalities. This is often a hardship-filled stage because it is usually very difficult for hardcore addicts to be weaned away from drugs. You may have seen how difficult it is to wean a child away from his mother’s milk. The pangs of angst an addict go through when suddenly the supply is cut off cannot be explained easily. But it is a short period. If you have the resolve, you would come out of it with flying colors.

Drug addicts are not true to themselves. They try to live in a make believe world which is devoid of any pain and struggle. The second stage of addiction treatment makes the addict understand the realities of life and helps him find ways to cope with them.

As the roots of drug addiction lies in the psychological realms, it is imperative that the deficiencies in the psyche of the patient be addressed in its totality. Addiction is just a clinical disease, and every clinical disease has some kind of solution. But addiction recovery is a combination of unique treatment strategies designed to meet the shortfalls of both the body and the soul.

Alcohol abuse is also caused by psychological reasons. Alcoholism is an acquired habit, which would cling on to you later. Alcohol addiction treatment also should go on the lines of drug treatment, but abuse intervention and detoxification are theoretically easier. A successful alcohol addiction treatment runs in three levels. The first one includes sessions with a personal recovery assistant and interaction with other residents suffering from the same situation. In the second stage, the alcoholic is let out of the asylum to attend programs related to recovery and also to meet family members, after which they have to report back. This third stage involves completion of assignments that prepare the alcoholic to live an addiction free life in the outside world.