If you are a drug addict and/or alcoholic who has come to the decision that you are in need of a treatment program then naturally you want the best there is. Of course the best there is means a treatment program that is not only going to help you get clean but to help you remain that way. Your first thought may be to just get into any program as quickly as possible, because you believe they all serve the same purpose. They do have the same goal but that’s about the only thing they have in common. By educating yourself as to the different types of treatment approaches it will help you to better decide which is best for you. There is a lot of professional advice to help you along the way. You are the addict however, and nobody knows better what type of treatment is best for you than you yourself.
Here are some of the choices you are going to be faced with when choosing your rehab program.
The 12 Step Program
This program is probably the one you have heard about most. Organizations such as AA, CA, and NA follow this outline. The foundation of this program focuses on your reliance in your religious beliefs, and relying on your determination and willpower to overcome your addiction. For some this works well depending on their mental outlook. The downside is that it doesn’t focus on the physical part of the addiction. Many that have gone through the program find that they have to repeat the program because of relapses.
Dual-Diagnosis Programs
The theory to this program is that substance abuse users also are afflicted with other types of mental disorders. The treatment focuses on the use of medications that are meant to offset chemical imbalances. The downside to this is that the treatment can be as bad as or worse than the addiction itself. There is not enough reliable scientific studies to support that there is a correlation between brain malfunctions and addiction to drugs and alcohol.
Drug Replacement Therapy
This program is basically like a “robbing Peter to pay Paul” type of scenario. The addictive drug that the user is on is replaced with another type of drug such as Methadone. The concept is that by replacing one drug with another it will break the dependency on the original addictive drug. The problem is in most cases the dependency simply changes over to the Methadone. Medical detox is a slow reduction of the user drug and should only be considered as part of a rehab program.
Biophysical Drug Rehab Program
Most drug addicts and alcoholics will tell you that they have two main issues to deal with concerning their addiction. There is the physical addiction, and then there is the mental addiction. One cannot be treated successfully without the both parts. This particular program deals with both of these issues and uses an extremely successful detox and withdrawal system that does not include the use of replacement drugs. Once the drugs are out of the system and the physical dependency is no longer an issue, it allows the addict to focus on the next part of the program that deals with the mental addiction. The success rate for the biophysical drug rehab program is usually 3 times higher than the other forms of treatment.
If you are going to make the step towards recovery, then give yourself the best start possible and begin by using the services of professionals that can direct you to the best drug and alcohol rehab programs available.