Effective Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs, Orange County:

Approximately 95 percent of people who quit drinking alcohol or give up drugs experience mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms and can usually be treated by healthcare providers in Orange County drug rehab center on an out-patient basis, but five percent experience severe withdrawal symptoms and must be treated in a hospital or a facility that specializes in detoxification such as drug and alcohol treatment center in Orange County.

If you are experiencing alcohol or drug withdrawal symptoms, seek medical attention immediately. You can contact your family physician or healthcare provider who provides drug treatment services, the local emergency room or urgent care center so that they can do an assessment of the severity of your withdrawal symptoms. There are many drug treatment programs in Orange County that can help you out of this delicate situation.

According to the MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, the goals for healthcare providers are to treat the immediate withdrawal symptoms, prevent complications, and begin long-term preventative therapy. All this can happen under one roof in a good alcohol and drug treatment center in Orange County.

A typical alcohol and drug treatment program in Orange County includes:

Observation The person being treated for withdrawal usually will have to stay at the Orange County drug rehab center for observation at least initially, so that heart rate, breathing, body temperature, and blood pressure can be monitored, as well as fluids and electrolytes (chemicals in the body such as sodium and potassium).

Sedation. The severely alcohol dependent patient’s symptoms can progress rapidly and may quickly become life-threatening. Drugs that depress the central nervous system (such as sedatives) may be required to reduce symptoms, often in moderately large doses.

Tranquilizers. Treatment may require maintenance of a moderately sedated state for a week or more until withdrawal is complete. A class of medications known as the Benzodiazepines (tranquilizers such as Valium) is often useful in reducing a range of symptoms and is used as part of drug treatment services in Orange County.

Drying Out. A “drying out” period may be appropriate. No alcohol is allowed during this time. The healthcare provider at drug and alcohol rehab center will watch closely for signs of delirium tremens.

Hallucinations Treated. Hallucinations that occur without other symptoms or complications are uncommon. They are treated with hospitalization and antipsychotic medications as needed and are provided as part of drug treatment program in Orange County.

Medical Conditions Tested. Testing and treatment for other medical problems associated with use of alcohol is necessary. This may include disorders such as alcoholic liver disease, blood clotting disorders, alcoholic neuropathy, heart disorders (such as alcoholic cardiomyopathy), chronic brain syndromes (such as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome), and malnutrition.

Because drug abuse and addiction have so many dimensions and disrupt so many aspects of an individual’s life, drug treatment services and programs in Orange County is not simple. Effective treatment programs typically incorporate many components, each directed to a particular aspect of the illness and its consequences. Addiction treatment must help the individual stop using drugs, maintain a drug-free lifestyle, and achieve productive functioning in the family, at work, and in society. Because addiction is typically a chronic disease, people cannot simply stop using drugs for a few days and be cured. Most patients require long-term or repeated episodes of care to achieve the ultimate goal of sustained abstinence and recovery of their lives.