Having a guide to drug addiction recovery: Defeating drug addiction

Having a guide to drug addiction recovery is not only very important but healthy in giving direction on how you will be handling your addiction problem

For consistency in the fight against the prevalence of drug addiction, all of us need to purpose to having a guide to drug addiction recovery process. Knowing what to do, when to do it and how to have it done is very important. Therefore when it comes to drug addiction, it even becomes more significant to be on top of everything. Doctor Akoury states that addiction recovery programs generally include any process that treats patients for a dependency on psychoactive drugs or behavioral addictions. In the case of the former, this typically includes alcohol, opiates, barbiturates and amphetamines. The general purpose of drug rehab is to allow the patient to stop abusing these drugs, which can have serious financial, legal, physical and psychological consequences. Many specific types of drug addiction treatment exist, although they can generally be divided into medical and psychological methods. Psychotherapy is usually used in drug rehab programs, but medical treatments are typically used only for some types of drug addiction.

Drug recovery programs generally try to teach the patient ways to live in a drug-free environment. They encourage the patient not to associate with people who are still using drugs, and some programs explicitly prohibit this behavior. These programs typically emphasize the concept that recovery from drug dependency is a continuing process without a specific resolution. Some programs may advocate a reduction in the use of illegal drugs rather than outright abstention, although this is typically not a sustainable treatment plan in the long term. However, programs that deal with illegal drugs typically recommend abstention due to the legal consequences of consuming any amount of these substances. Some plans such as the 12-step programs used by Alcoholics Anonymous also encourage patients to change habits that may have led to their drug addictions.

Having a guide to drug addiction recovery: Disease Model

The disease model is one of the methods that have been use time immemorial in viewing drug addiction and it is still applicable currently. Under this model, the understanding is that the patterns of behavior leading to drug abuse have some biological causes that are intensified by environmental factors. In this model of drug addiction the understanding is that all addicts are not able of abstaining from drug abuse by themselves. Drug rehab programs based on this model require patients to admit their addiction and cease the behaviors that caused them to use drugs. These programs also instruct patients to obtain a support network of friends and family members in their effort to remain clean and sober. The 12-step programs are strongly based on the disease model of drug addiction.

In one of the studies conducted in 1999 and published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research shows that participation in 12-step programs is an accurate predictor of success after one year of abstinence. However, these programs have also received significant criticism based on the spiritual orientation of these programs. A socio-cognitive analysis of substance abuse appearing in a 1999 issue of Psychological Science challenges the psychological basis for 12-step programs. A class-action lawsuit in 2006 opposed the constitutionality of court-ordered 12-step programs. These programs are most successful with alcohol abuse, which was their original focus. They are less successful with opiate addiction, which tends to do best with maintenance therapy.

Having a guide to drug addiction recovery: Facility Types

In the advent of fighting drug addiction, it is important to note that drug rehab facilities may take many specific forms including some of the following:

• Counseling
• Extended care
• Medical care
• Mental health
• Outpatient programs
• Recovery houses
• Residential programs
• Support groups

Some centers cater to population groups based on criteria such as age, gender and religion. Organizations such as the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors classify treatment providers according to the providers’ spiritual beliefs. Most treatment centers currently treat multiple issues for each patient rather than just the addiction. Medical treatment for drug addiction in particular is generally viewed as ineffective by itself. The National Institute on Drug Abuse recommends that detoxification should be the first step in a drug rehab program and be followed by behavioral and medical therapy. NIDA also recommends that these therapies be followed up by a program to prevent relapse. Patient motivation is generally regarded as a critical factor in the success of a drug rehab program regardless of the specific methods used.

Having a guide to drug addiction recovery: Psychological Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the most common types of psychological therapy used in the treatment of drug abuse. The purpose of this therapy is to allow patients to recognize the situations that are most likely to result in a relapse and help them to cope with the situations. Family therapy is intended to improve a family’s functioning to support the patient’s recovery. The intent of motivational interviewing is to increase the patient’s motivation to enter a rehab and recovery treatment program. This technique relies primarily on positive reinforcement as an incentive for abstaining from drugs.

Having a guide to drug addiction recovery: Chemical Therapy

The medical treatments for drug dependence can generally be grouped according to the brain system affected by those drugs. For example, the same medications are used to treat opiate addiction regardless of the specific opiates the patient is abusing. Methadone is the traditional medical treatment for an addiction to opiates, which includes cocaine, heroin and morphine in addition to similar prescription drugs. Buprenorphine is a more recent medical treatment for opiate addiction. These medications are used as a detoxification aid and as maintenance addiction therapy as a patient can take them indefinitely. Maintenance therapy is especially important for addiction illegal drugs, given the high relapse rate of opiate addiction.

Having a guide to drug addiction recovery: Counseling

Finally in her over two decades of practice, doctor Akoury agrees that counseling is one of the traditional treatments of drug addiction that has been used for decades and it is still effective even today. Counseling as mode of treatment may deliver good result in the addiction recovery even though this process may be more difficult when the patient has a chemical imbalance in the brain. It is most often performed in a group setting where the patients have some traits in common. Individual counseling is more likely when the patient has unique psychological issues. Counseling often takes the form of regular sessions, typically on a daily or weekly basis. Additional counseling sessions may occur as needed, such as crisis counseling or drop-in counseling. Intervention is a similar process in which family members request that a counselor convince the addict to enter treatment. And when going through all these it is important for you to always be in close touch with the professionals in addiction. You may want to schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury to help you in your struggle with addiction today and she will be of great help to you and your family.

Having a guide to drug addiction recovery: Defeating drug addiction