These days, a lot of people reach for professional guidance to help them deal with a troubling drug problem. Dependence on strong prescription painkillers such as OxyContin is at an all-time high. Opiates are not, however, the only misused medicine that causes addiction. Many drugs, including cocaine, benzos, and stimulants can be as habit-forming as narcotics. Fortunately, addiction to any of these can be managed at a confidential inpatient drug treatment center.

What Causes Addiction?

Not every drug is habit-forming. The ones that are addictive manage to "fit into" certain brain receptors that welcome the presence of drugs. When these "pleasure centers" are stimulated by cocaine or narcotics, dopamine and endorphins are released, and the body and brain feel a sense of well-being and euphoria. When stimulated enough, the brain never "feels right" unless these drugs are present in the bloodstream. For some people, this overwhelming urge to repeat the drug experience happens with the first sniff or pill.

How did Addiction Happen to you?

Many people who find themselves in need of inpatient treatment wonder how in the world they became addicted. Some people seek addiction help because a legal prescription to treat short-term pain turned into a nightmare of dependence. Others check into rehab after an experiment with drugs turned into an uncontrollable habit. 21stcentury rehab offers a range of therapies that help addicts move beyond addiction and into a successful life.

Best Chance of Recovery at an Inpatient Drug Treatment Center

Drug addiction is a complex problem for which there is no easy solution. It takes time for the brain and body to become addicted to drugs, and it takes time to stop using drugs once a habit has been established. Yes, there are a few rare souls out there who do manage to kick a drug habit on their own, but the preponderance of drug abusers are not able to stop without professional guidance and medical intervention, no matter how hard they try.

When a person checks into inpatient drug rehab, the major temptations to use are eliminated. No longer does the addict have access to people and places they associate with drug-seeking behavior. Instead, day-to-day life is carefully monitored and therapeutic interventions are in place. The staff at an inpatient drug rehab have "seen it all before" so nothing you can say or do will dissuade them from wanting to help you get well.

Specialized rehab treatment centers that are designed for certain demographic groups may be something to consider whilst shopping for an inpatient care facility. Some rehabs focus on recovery for young people, some cater to an older crowd. There are treatment centers for men alone as well as females-only facilities. Some inpatient drug treatment centers specialize in alcoholism; others help drug abusers clean up.

Selecting an Inpatient Drug Treatment Center That's Right for You

Most addiction treatment programs begin with detoxification. Sometimes, medically assisted detox is necessary to get the patient through the worst part of withdrawal. Detox is a natural process by which drugs are metabolized out of the body. Withdrawal after an extended addiction is unpleasant at best, but it can be fatal if not properly accomplished. If you need medical detox, look for an inpatient drug treatment center that provides on-site medical oversight as well as counseling and emotional support.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

If you or your loved one shows signs of mental illness along with an addiction, dual diagnosis treatment is definitely something to consider. Also known as a co-occurring disorder, the term is applied to someone who experiences drug abuse and mental illness at the same time. In the case of most patients who check into an inpatient drug treatment center with dual diagnosis, one condition developed before the other, informs the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI explains that a mentally ill person may turn to drugs or drinking as a way to self-medicate and make themselves feel better. In other situations, a drug user may develop debilitating mental issues because of their substance abuse. Either way, the addict can find the help they need to recover at a facility that offers dual diagnosis treatment.

Therapies That May Be Used

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration describes a number of treatment modalities that are used to treat drug abuse and alcoholism. 12-step fellowships, intensive outpatient therapy, individual case management, and partial hospital programs may be promoted. CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, helps many addicts to learn to cope with daily life without resorting to drugging and drinking to excess. SAMHSA explains that the most certain way for anyone to get off drugs and stay clean is by way of a customized care at an inpatient drug treatment center.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, helps many users understand and come to terms with the historical life events that led them to addiction. One-on-one therapy between patient and counselor is important, as are peer group support meetings. Not all inpatient rehab is based on the tenets and 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, but many are. SMART Recovery is another peer group based treatment that is shown to be helpful for many recovering addicts.

Alternative therapies that advance happiness and a whole-person lifestyle may include equine horseback therapy as well as support animal therapy. Hiking, mountain biking, and rock climbing and ropes courses are offered at several treatment centers. Yoga, meditation, biofeedback, and massage are additional modalities that may make inpatient treatment a bit easier to take.

Rehab doesn't have to be Spartan, either. Many 21st-century inpatient treatment centers are housed in upscale settings that look and feel a lot like a five-star health resort. The most imperative factor in selecting a rehab is to find one that works for you. Addiction does have many commonalities, but each addict is an individual person who is most likely to benefit when they opt to enroll in a treatment plan that suits their personality.

Nora D. Volkow, M.D. is a director at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dr. Volkow explains that most addicts are never 'cured' nor are they likely to feel free of addiction after a short time away from their drugs of choice. The ultimate goal of intensive inpatient treatment, says Volkow, is sustained sobriety as well as the client's eventual return to a normal, productive life without the anchor of drug abuse.

SMART Recovery

Many treatment centers rely on the Alcoholics Anonymous model of action-based recovery. While the tenets of AA are an exceptionally effective method for achieving and maintaining abstinence, they are not the only philosophy you may find at an inpatient drug treatment center. SMART Recovery emphasizes individual motivation that aids the addict in managing their lives in a sensible, substance-free fashion. SMART Recovery tenets help the recovering alcoholic or drug addict resist the urge to use as they develop a healthier, more positive and better-balanced lifestyle. Not every alcohol and drug rehab facility offers the SMART Recovery program, so be sure to ask about that when choosing an inpatient drug treatment center.

Therapies may vary, but each is meant to elicit the addict's motivation for change. Rewards for problem-solving combined with activities that replace drug-using patterns may be very helpful in treating drug addiction. It's important, too, that the addict remains in intensive therapy for the right amount of time. Persons who leave treatment too soon place themselves at great risk of relapse.

The NIH notes research that indicates a minimum of three months in inpatient rehab, although some patients can require a longer time as an inpatient. Recovery is, after all, a lifelong process that comes with no "quick fix." Ask anyone who's changed their life via a stint at a confidential and caring inpatient drug treatment center, and they will probably tell you that every day of time and effort was entirely worth it to regain their sense of sobriety and self.

What About Relapse?

The path to sobriety and wellness does not always happen in a straight line. The truth is that many recovering addicts who now abstain from drug abuse checked into an inpatient drug treatment center more than once. A very small number of people do manage to detox, put addiction behind them and never abuse drugs again. Most people, however, have to try a little bit harder than that.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains that relapse rates for addiction typically hover between 40 and 60 percent. Relapse rates are similar to the relapse rates of other chronic medical conditions such as high blood pressure (50-70 percent) asthma (50-70 percent) and Type I diabetes (30-50 percent).

Successful sobriety requires vigilance and continued attendance in peer support groups. Is relapse a sign of failure? Not at all. What relapse is an indication that treatment therapies may need to be adjusted. That's all right. As they say in AA, "It takes what it takes." If you are in relapse right now, you will be welcomed back into an inpatient drug treatment center without judgment.