Some Information on the Residential Addiction Treatment Program in Alaska

There is a residential addiction treatment program in Alaska too, which is quite similar in pattern to the residential treatment programs of the other states. In fact, the residential program in Alaska has been modeled on the programs of other states and so you will find several similarities. Just as in other states, even here the program is considered to be the most elaborate and detailed addiction treatment program which almost ensures complete recovery for the patient. Here’s some information on the residential treatment program in Alaska.

Who enters a Residential Treatment Program in Alaska?

This program is generally meant for people who consider it as the last refuge for bringing them out of the addiction. This might include the following groups of people:-

1. People who have been arrested for some crime committed under the influence of an addiction are ordered by the drug courts in Alaska to complete a program at a residential treatment center. For this reason, people feel that the residential treatment program is a form of punishment. However, this is not the case. Even people of different groups such as the following are potential candidates for such a program.

2. People who have been with an addiction for a very long period of time will likely have a lot of accumulated toxins in their bodies because of the addiction. This can be lethal for them in the long run. If these people were to go for an ordinary treatment program, there is a possibility that that program wouldn’t work for them because of the very high concentration of the substance in their body that will keep on creating the urge for them repeatedly. They would require the substance to be removed from their body before the treatment is to have any effect.

3. Next, people who have some health complications will find suitable treatment with the residential treatment program. They may be put into a dual diagnostic treatment approach which can help treat both the conditions simultaneously.

4. People who have some mental disabilities are always a challenge for addiction treatment. One of the main things that addiction treatment requires is a resolve on part of the patient to come out of the addiction. However, people with mental conditions are not able to work out this resolve. They will require additional care and counseling which is provided through the residential treatment program, using the dual diagnosis approach.

5. People who have hit bottom with their addictions, such as those who have required hospitalization due to a complication caused by the addiction will also do well with such a program.

How does the Residential Treatment Program in Alaska work?

There are three main aspects to a residential treatment program in Alaska. These aspects are outlined below:-

1. The first part of the program is about convincing the patient why they need treatment. This is always an important part of the program because most people who are introduced to a residential treatment program in Alaska are not sure that their addiction is a problem and do not want treatment. Several weeks may pass in just convincing the patient for the treatment and in this period, the treatment would progress very little.

2. The next big step is the detox treatment. Detox is always needed for people who get into residential treatment because of the great extent of the addiction present in them. The main purpose of the detox treatment is to cleanse their bodies from the toxins that accumulate in them because of the long period of addiction. This helps people to come out of the addiction faster because it mitigates the urge that the body produces for the substance.

3. The final part of the resident program, the rehab treatment, can go on for several years. The main aspect of this program is to make the person aware of the repercussions of the addiction and to train them on how to answer the temptations that the substance produces. This could be an extended aftercare program that includes both counseling and maintenance treatment. The maintenance treatment is targeted at keeping the person away from feeling the need for the substance repeatedly. Counseling therapies could include behavioral therapy, motivational therapy, social readjustment, cognitive behavioral therapy and many more depending on the visions of the treatment center.

Throughout the program, the family of the patient would be an important factor, even though the program itself is an isolated form of treatment. There are collective counseling programs for families of all patients at the treatment center at once so that they can meet with each other and share mutual experiences.