Types of Rehab Programs: What Works Best
Something has to click with your own personality to be effective. This is true for drug and alcoholic rehab programs just like anything else. Some of the considerations include outpatient or inpatient, religously oriented or new age rehab facility, dual diagnosis treatment recovery programs and whether it is a short-term program are all factors to consider.
If there is a sense of defensiveness or not fitting in, success with drug and alcohol recovery is less likely. There must be some sense of a connection in orientation to a rehab center or approach for it to work. Of course there still may be some denial and hostility as well as resistance about needing to have any treatment at all.
When looking into programs for a family memeber or friend see if they will have a 12 steps approach or religous approach. Think about the person and what will work best. Can he or she do it outpatient or will that have less of a chance of success? Will they go out of town? Can there be substitute drugs or not at facility?
In the 12 step or AA rehab approach (or NA as well), a belief in a higher power is invoked and there is a lot of group support. Regular meeting attendance is important. There are different outpatient AA and NA groups that can be for one’s niche such as a gay Alcoholic Anonymous group. One will have a sponsor and this can be a great support if the relationship is used and built.
A dual diagnosis program is one where on top of the addiction, there is a second diagnosis which is a mental health one from the dsm IV manual. Is there an underlying disorder such as bipolar or major depression? This can involve taking medications for this problem and understanding the triggers behind the low mood or anxiety attacks that lead to drug and alcohol abuse. Working this through will help tremendously.
In the biophysical drug rehab approach the physical addiction and craving is addressed as well as psychological underlying factors. This problem is long-term and on the whole doesn’t use drugs but emphasizes detox. The residues of the drugs are removed by this detoxification program. Through intensive counseling and eliminating the physical effects of the drugs, the person is healed.
In any of the above approaches, remember that the person needs to build a good relation with a counselor or support system. I see people at the mental health clinic who are still in touch with their drug counselor from 15 years ago and find it very helpful. Human relationships are very healing.