Treating Chemical Dependency

A three-part clinical process is usually involved in treating chemical dependency:

1. Diagnosis:
   When first admitted into treatment, an individual will receive a series or battery of assessments or tests. The results of this assessment help to determine the number of factors about that individual. It helps to discern personality type and also the willingness to work the program. These things are used to develop the right approach in treating that individual. Diagnosis also involves working with a medical or psychiatric professional in determining any and all co-occurring mental health disorders that need to be addressed with treatment as well. Most drug treatment facilities will integrate co-occurring levels of care in this case.
2. Planning:
   Taking into account the results of the assessment, a large portion of the clinical process of a drug treatment program is planning out and implementing a personalized treatment approach. In this field, you are working very specifically with individual needs. These needs can greatly vary on a case-by-case basis. Continual and daily planning helps to meet these needs with proper intervention, therapeutic counseling, and support.
3. Support:
   Recovery from drug addiction is rarely an easy process. For most individuals, it requires a great deal of sacrifice, lifestyle modification, and levels of coping. It can take fixing many areas of life that seem to be broken and this is NEVER EASY on that person. Professional help also requires professional levels of support. As the individual makes these changes to them, they are going to need that constant crutch and support encouragement that comes from the environment and professionals of the inpatient rehab program.

Many systemic approaches go into the therapy and treatment of drug addiction. Now the kinds of therapy that are utilized in drug rehab depend on the provider and the services they offer.

Effective programs will utilize individual therapies during the treatment process. There can be a number of underlying problems with a substance use disorder. These can go much deeper than the drug abuse. Personal therapy sessions with a licensed counselor or therapist can help bring to light some of these internal or family struggles that previously could only be answered through self-medicating.

Cognitive and behavioral therapies are used to help the drug addict on different levels. Behavioral problems can be part of the chemical dependency problem. These therapies look into addict behavior and their thought processes and from this, coping strategies can be developed. This form of therapy can be individualized for the client, but can also be used to help a group process when needed.

Some drug treatment providers will also offer family therapies in conjunction to individualized treatment of the addict. Chemical dependency is a family concern. When you have an addict in the family it can impact everyone. Family therapies are a means of confronting and communicating with the addict in a caring environment. Family problems can also be a part of the negativity that sparks drug abuse. Family therapies can help to bring these things to light and begin the needed process of healing.

Recovery-oriented drug rehabilitation centers offer different kinds of care, but share similar concepts in what they provide. One of the foundational concepts is that chemical dependency is a disease. Changes are made to the brain that creates the behavior of seeking and using the drug of choice to get high.

This is a concept that some may struggle with at first, but part of the process is to educate the individual on this aspect. Acceptance plays a part in this as the recovering patient begins to take the needed measures to cope with this struggle and to overcome it.

Recovery-oriented treatment can also be based in working the 12-steps. Treatment begins this process through the initial stages of step work. A 30-day treatment or longer may not be the right amount of time to properly get established in recovery. The 12-steps help the recovering individual by continuing this healing and assessment process after completion of drug treatment. It is oftentimes recommended and followed with enrollment into a support program such as Narcotics Anonymous. This support group and an individual sponsor provide support in continuing these steps and finding growth through service.

The process of recovery from drug abuse and chemical dependency is not without its ups and downs.

Effective addiction treatment should provide long-term services and privileges to help maintain sobriety such as:

• Sober housing
• Aftercare Counseling
• Drug Maintenance (When applicable)
• Drug Monitoring (Drug testing)
• Outpatient Services

You might have a number of questions when your loved one is in need of a drug rehab and addiction program. The Cirque Lodge has answered some of the frequently asked questions about drug treatment.