Addiction to drugs and alcohol is a health crisis that is affecting communities nationwide. Individuals suffering from an addiction to illicit drugs, prescription drugs, or alcohol require ongoing management of their illness or it can lead to further health problems and life-threatening repercussions such as an overdose or organ damage. Substance addiction is a chronic brain-lapsing disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Without treatment in a drug addiction rehab, this condition will progress, leaving individuals with a declining quality of life and worsening health symptoms. Fortunately, there are many drug addiction rehabs around the country that are designed to help people suffering from drug or alcohol addiction.

Understanding Addiction: Isn't Using Drugs or Alcohol a Choice?

At the point a person becomes addicted to a substance such as heroin, alcohol, or a prescription drug like Fentanyl, they have developed profoundly powerful dependencies on the substance in question. This dependency is not single in nature. Addiction involves physical, psychological, and behavioral dependencies on the addictive substance. Many powerful drugs like opiates can cause a person to become addicted within just a few uses. Typically, people don't know that they are developing these powerful dependencies until they begin to govern their lives. Even people who are under a doctor's care can develop dependencies on prescription medications, dependencies that can lead to full-blown addiction.

Why Can't a Person who is Addicted to Drugs or Alcohol go Cold Turkey?

It's important to make the distinction between choice and disease when it comes to substance addiction. A person who has a disease cannot typically choose to end that disease at will. It's a health condition that requires disease management. Consider a condition like Type 2 diabetes. A poor diet such as eating the wrong foods can contribute to disease onset. Once the disease occurs, it requires medical treatment. Similarly, using drugs or alcohol can be said to be lifestyle choices in many cases. However, individuals don't choose to become addicted just as diabetics do not choose to get sick.

Understanding the addiction is a brain-lapsing condition is essential if people are going to effectively manage their disease. Just as other disease symptoms lead people to their health-care provider for treatment, symptoms of addiction should lead people to seek help from drug addiction rehabs. While a person may not be able to choose to stop using a substance they are powerfully compelled to abuse, they can still choose to get help. The best place to get help managing a substance addiction is at a drug addiction rehab.

What Is Drug Addiction Rehab?

Today's drug addiction rehabs specialize in the treatment of substance addiction. They are facilities that may be designed to offer inpatient and/or outpatient addiction treatments. Many of the best addiction rehab centers feature a combination of evidence-based therapies and alternative treatments designed to help people manage their addictions. Moreover, these specialized centers are equipped to tackle all aspects of the disease--its physical and psychological factors. Only by addressing all disease components, can these rehabs most effectively help people to achieve long-term recovery.

Types of Drug Addiction Rehabs

One of the confusing aspects of substance addiction treatment is that there are many addiction rehab centers, particularly in large cities. Which one is best? Which one accepts my health insurance? Which ones can help me if I don't have insurance? These are common questions that people have when it comes to choosing a drug addiction rehab. First, it's important to note that there are different types of drug rehab centers. Some may be part of traditional hospital settings. Many hospitals feature wings or facilities designed to help people with substance addictions.

Many of today's rehabs are stand-alone facilities. They may or may not be connected to area medical networks. Often, rehabs can be differentiated by the types of care and services they offer. Some feature only evidence-based treatments that have scientific backing. Some only offer a type of alternative addiction treatment or several alternative treatments that boast strong evidence of effectiveness. There are also drug addiction rehabs that feature both evidence-based and alternative treatment plans. They may also be complemented by holistic treatments that help prepare individuals for life beyond rehab. As you peruse the types of drug addiction rehabs in your area, you're likely to find:

Inpatient treatment facilities: these are designed to provide inpatient care anywhere from 15 days to 6 months. Long-term care inpatient facilities may provide care for as long as a year if required. Outpatient treatment facilities: these facilities provide care on an outpatient basis. People attend treatment during the day and then return home. Individuals can attend outpatient therapy sessions for short-term or long-term periods depending on their needs.

What Type of Substance Addiction Rehab Is Right for Me?

A person suffering from a cold can find it difficult to make decisions, so it's no surprise that a person with a serious condition like substance addiction can find it overwhelming to select a rehab and treatment plan. Today, there are services like ours that can help you select an addiction treatment facility that is best for your needs and situation. You can also talk to your regular health-care provider or an area clinic about getting disease management for your addiction. Most doctors are able to refer their patients for this type of care. They may also have support staff who can help you find an area rehab that accepts your insurance plan or provides financing options.

Another reason to talk about your addiction with your doctor is that you might require specialized treatment. For instance, as many as a third of addiction sufferers also have a mental health condition. When the two conditions occur simultaneously, the individual is said to have a dual diagnosis. These conditions require simultaneous management. Your doctor can recommend a facility that specializes in dual diagnosis treatment. Our service can also help you locate a drug addiction rehab that addresses your specific health-care needs.

Getting an Assessment

While some individuals begin their treatment journey by consulting their own health-care provider, others simply head straight off to an area addiction treatment center. This course of actions is perfectly fine too. When you enter drug rehab, you can be assessed so that a course of treatment can be recommended just for you. During the assessment or initial evaluation, healthcare providers at the rehab will ask you about your drug or alcohol use. They may also request blood or urine tests. These tests are necessary to ensure that you get the treatment you need to manage your substance addiction.

What Happens in Addiction Treatment Rehabs?

After you are evaluated by an addiction specialist, you will be ready to begin treatment. In most cases, addiction treatment begins with medical detox. Medical detox is a treatment that addresses the physical side of addiction--and only the physical component. It does not impact the psychological or behavioral aspects of addiction. Those require other specialized treatments that come after detox.

Many people suffering from addiction have a pretty good idea of what withdrawal symptoms feel like--and they can feel incredibly debilitating. Many people are nervous about what they're going to experience during detox. They should note, however, that today's drug rehab centers feature many powerful medications that can reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms like nausea, tremors, and even the intense cravings associated with addiction. While some people may complete medical detox in a few days, others may need a couple weeks before they've been weaned off their physical dependency on the substance in question.

Comprehensive Treatment for Substance Addiction

Medical detox can help a person overcome their physical dependency on drugs or alcohol, but it's the psychological and behavioral aspects of this disease that are most often associated with disease relapse. Detox is almost never enough to effectively prevent relapse. Today, addiction relapse centers offer evidence-based therapies like individual and group counseling to work with people recovering from addictions. During these sessions, individuals learn what factors led them to abuse drugs or alcohol and how these factors or "triggers" can best be managed. Recovery doesn't happen overnight, but in time, people learn to manage their disease by learning and attending counseling sessions.

Some rehabs also offer alternative addiction treatments that complement the recovery process in some way. These treatments might include a 12-step program, equine therapy, art therapy, or restorative yoga. If you're interested in entering a rehab that offers these programs, our service can help you locate one near your home. Be sure to discuss aftercare with your therapist or counselor. Many people find that ongoing support after rehab helps them to maintain their recovery journey. Relapse rates are high--quite high in association with drugs like opioids or meth. However, aftercare is designed to help prevent relapse by providing the support that people in recovery need as they transition back to their lives.

Substance addiction can and will sabotage your health and important aspects of your life in time. No one knows when an overdose will occur. No one knows when an acute use session is likely to result in serious organ damage. To safeguard your health and happiness, get assessed and get help for your addiction as soon as possible. We can help you locate a drug treatment rehab near you.