Addiction treatment program
There are various keystone concepts which are critical to developing a
more profound and thorough understanding of the various basic principles
utilized by modern substance addiction treatment programs.
1. There is no one particular treatment which is proper and effective to
use in all addicts. It is extremely important for the Addiction Treatment
Program to synchronize the particular services rendered, the settings of
the program itself, and the psychological and psycho pharmaceutical
interventions to the particular requirements and predispositions of the
addict. The ultimate goal of all Addiction Treatment Programs is allow the
addict to return to a productive occupational and domestic life.
2. Treatment must be made accessible to the addict. It is very common for
addicts to be wary of entering Addiction Treatment Programs. It is of
critical importance to take advantage of any chance to convince the addict
that treatment is crucial to their continued well being and is available
immediately. The opportunity can be lost if the Addiction Treatment
Program is not readily available or accessible.
3. The overall requirements, needs and desires of the individual must be
taken into consideration. The addict must not simply be seen as a
substance abusing machine. In order to be effective Addiction Treatment
Programs must be custom tailored to the individual's particular substance
abuse and take into serious consideration the complete gamut of associated
problems, such as legal, social, psychological, medical, vocational and
domestic.
4. The Addiction Treatment Program must be constantly adaptive, pliable
and flexible to suit the addict's constantly changing preferences,
requirements, needs and desires. It is not uncommon for an addict to
require a widely ranging number of different types of therapy during the
course of the treatment. In addition to psychotherapy and counseling,
addicts may often require psycho pharmaceuticals, domestic therapy,
parenting education, vocational rehabilitation, social, legal or other
medical services.
5. The Addiction Treatment Program must be structured in such a way that
the addict is encouraged and made comfortable to remain in treatment for
an extended period of time. The duration of the administration of any
treatment program is directly reliant on the individual addict's problems
and requirements. Most patients require at least three months of continual
treatment, but further therapeutic interventions can significantly assist
the progress towards a full recovery and minimize future relapse
incidents.
6. Individual and group counseling are important adjuncts to other
behavioral therapies as components of an effective therapeutic program.
Therapy is concentrated around educating and motivating the addict to
develop skills to resist substance abuse, build motivation, improve
problem-solving techniques, and substitute substance abuse activities with
rewarding and pleasurable activities which do not include that particular
addictive substance.
7. In addition to counseling and varied behavioral therapies, psycho
pharmaceuticals are an effective element to any Addiction Treatment
Program. LAAM, naltrexone and methadone have proven to be extremely
effective in assisting addicts to opiates reduce their substance abuse and
rebalance their lives. Nicotine addicts have reported significant progress
towards ridding themselves of their addiction via the utilization of
bupropion or any of the commercially available nicotine preparation such
as gums, patches and nasal sprays.
8. Psychological disorders often accompany substance abuse. It is critical
that the Addiction Treatment Program take into consideration that both of
these ailments must be treated in an integrated manner. A proper program
does not compartmentalize a mental disorder as a completely different
factor than an addict's substance abuse.
9. Detoxification programs are only the very first step of an effective
Addiction Treatment Program. Research has proven that detoxification by
itself can safely control the serious psychological and physiological
symptoms of withdrawal from substance abuse. However, medical
detoxification cannot be used exclusively to achieve long term
satisfactory results. Other complementary therapies must be utilized to
minimize the risks of future relapses.
10. Motivation can enhance the Addiction Treatment Program. Effective
treatment does not necessarily need to be voluntary on the part of the
addict. Powerful motivational techniques, including judicial orders, can
drive an addict into a treatment program which they ordinarily would not
have considered. Occupational and domestic pressures to seek Addiction
Treatment Program can also impact powerfully onto the rate of entry and
retention into an Addiction Treatment Program by the particular addict.
11. Lapses to substance abuse during treatment must be carefully managed.
It is important to maintain an objective monitoring and management program
throughout the course of the Addiction Treatment Program. This factor can
be accomplished via urinalysis or other laboratory tests. This type of
monitoring and management can divulge early evidence of substance abuse,
so that the Addiction Treatment Program can be adjusted to suit the
changing needs of the addict.
12. Assessment for the wide range of infectious diseases associated with
substance abuse must be incorporated as part of any effective Treatment
Program. HIV AIDS, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B and C, and the spectrum of
other infectious diseases need to be assessed in order for counseling to
assist patients in modifying their risk behaviour. The attenuation of high
risk behaviour has shown to be effective through proper counseling
techniques. Counseling can also assist addicts who have already been
infected deal and cope with their ailments.
13. Recovering from substance abuse is a long term process and is subject
to multiple interventions of clinical, counseling and pharmaceutical
therapies. As in the case of many chronic ailments, relapses into the
cycle of substance abuse can re-occur during or even post treatment which
would ordinarily be acknowledged to be successful. Addicts may require
extended and repeated treatments in order to maintain abstinence in the
long term, avoiding the minefield of relapse. It is often helpful for the
addict to participate dynamically in various support programs with the
onus on self help. This can be implemented during and following
therapeutic treatment.
|
|
