Drug and alcohol addiction can destroy many lives. The patient is not the only one affected but also his family, relatives, friends, and all those who care for him. This makes immediate treatment vital once perceived.
When trying to treat this chronic illness, there are some things which must be considered. Just like asthma and diabetes, substance addiction is chronic in the sense that after a long period of restraint, it can still come back and be developed again by the patient.
For this reason, once cannot say that it is completely cured until after many repeated treatments. Before treatment can be done, the needs of the patient must first be identified and a special treatment program must be designed according to these needs.
Two types of treatments can be done to drug or alcohol dependents, the inpatient (or residential type) or the outpatient. The financial capability as well as the severity of the illness may decide which type the patient should choose.
The inpatient treatment, otherwise called therapeutic community, is the usual choice of those who have a history of drug or alcohol use already. The good thing about this type of treatment is that supervision is constant in an environment that is highly structured. The treatment here is long term ranging from 6 to 12 month. There may be about two months of very intense treatment. The main goal here is to have the patients change their behavior so that they could easily fit back into the society.
The outpatient treatment, on the other hand, involves the need to visit a therapy center regularly. Therapies may be done individually or in groups. The patient will be asked to join a class that will serve as his support system. Outpatient treatment also involves motivational incentives and interviews, and family therapies.
A medical professional is the one who can best decide which type of treatment is appropriate for the patient suffering from drug or alcohol addiction. The essential thing to remember is that the treatment should be done at once. The addiction could give rise to more serious complications, thus, no time should be wasted when it comes to treatment. Do not wait for the patient to inflict permanent harm or do something which he may regret for the rest of his life. Putting him under treatment shows only that you truly love him and wants him to recover.
When trying to treat this chronic illness, there are some things which must be considered. Just like asthma and diabetes, substance addiction is chronic in the sense that after a long period of restraint, it can still come back and be developed again by the patient.
For this reason, once cannot say that it is completely cured until after many repeated treatments. Before treatment can be done, the needs of the patient must first be identified and a special treatment program must be designed according to these needs.
Two types of treatments can be done to drug or alcohol dependents, the inpatient (or residential type) or the outpatient. The financial capability as well as the severity of the illness may decide which type the patient should choose.
The inpatient treatment, otherwise called therapeutic community, is the usual choice of those who have a history of drug or alcohol use already. The good thing about this type of treatment is that supervision is constant in an environment that is highly structured. The treatment here is long term ranging from 6 to 12 month. There may be about two months of very intense treatment. The main goal here is to have the patients change their behavior so that they could easily fit back into the society.
The outpatient treatment, on the other hand, involves the need to visit a therapy center regularly. Therapies may be done individually or in groups. The patient will be asked to join a class that will serve as his support system. Outpatient treatment also involves motivational incentives and interviews, and family therapies.
A medical professional is the one who can best decide which type of treatment is appropriate for the patient suffering from drug or alcohol addiction. The essential thing to remember is that the treatment should be done at once. The addiction could give rise to more serious complications, thus, no time should be wasted when it comes to treatment. Do not wait for the patient to inflict permanent harm or do something which he may regret for the rest of his life. Putting him under treatment shows only that you truly love him and wants him to recover.
About the Author:
Dawn Enstruthe writes for website Nucycle Therapy which has information on alcohol rehabilitation Jacksonville plus Jacksonville alcohol treatment centers.
Addiction is a behaviour, not an illness. We can't "cure" behaviours, we can change them, rehabilitate them, that is what prisons are supposed to do. A gene for alcohol/drug abuse, will never be found, never. (Nor over-eating) Such excuses diminish true illnesses. Ridiculous. I am ready to be disproven...waiting. Prove it.
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