Recovery from Drug and Alcohol Addiction

A DRUG can be defined as any substance taken to modify, change, or heal something within the body. There are both legal and illegal drugs. Prescription drugs have medicinal value and are legally prescribed by doctors. Street drugs have no medicinal value and can only be purchased illegally. For the purposes of addiction rehabilitation, make no mistake, alcohol is also considered a drug, and one of the most dangerous. Regardless of the type of drug, many are physically addictive and all share the potential to be psychologically addictive. Drugs can be classified and put into groups according to the effects produced on the brain.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is treatment?
There are as many different treatment approaches as there are addictive drugs. Individualized treatment means working with the different dynamics each client brings. The vicious cycle of Drug Addiction and Alcoholism causes varying amounts of damage to the family, health, legal, occupational repercussions, and mental health issues. All of which, contribute to the difficulties treatment facilities confront. Even if few of these apply to an individual, the severity of addiction itself ranges significantly. Many treatment centers use evidence-based treatment techniques. Social model programs that paved the way have shown us proven ways of aiding people into recovery. We also incorporate behavioral therapy (One-on-one Counseling, Cognitive therapy, and Psychotherapy) as a way for clients to cope with their drug cravings, personalized relapse prevention, and to help clients deal with situations that may arise after treatment.

What is evidence-based treatment?
“In spite of scientific evidence that establishes the effectiveness of drug abuse treatment; many people believe that treatment is ineffective.”

This is a statement made by Dr. Leshner, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The reason for this claim is because of the gap between what is taught and what is really happening in the field of recovery. Even when new data and information is demonstrated, putting it into action usually leaves most treatment facilities in the dark. On the other hand, programs making claims on what is working for them, is considered unreliable because of a lack credible data.

Why can’t I do it on my own?
Nearly all addicted individuals believe in the beginning that they can stop using drugs on their own, and most try to stop without treatment. However, most of these attempts result in failure to achieve long-term abstinence. Research has shown that long-term drug use results in significant changes in brain function that persists long after the individual stops using drugs. These drug-induced changes in brain function may have many behavioral consequences, including the compulsion to use drugs despite adverse consequences the defining characteristic of addiction.

Understanding that addiction has such an important biological component may help explain an individuals difficulty in achieving and maintaining abstinence without treatment. Psychological stress from work or family problems, social cues (such as meeting individuals from ones drug-using past), or the environment (such as familiar streets, objects, or even smells associated with drug use) can interact with biological factors to hinder attainment of sustained abstinence and make relapse more likely. Research studies indicate that even the most severely addicted individuals can participate actively in treatment and that active participation is essential to good outcomes.

What is accreditation & certification?
Accreditation is a process of external reviews, used to insure quality assurance and quality improvement. In the field of Substance Abuse/Mental Health, accreditations and certifications are carried out by the state, and private, nonprofit organizations. The thorough evaluation of the policies and procedures make accreditation and certification of the treatment facility a vital part in making a decision for those seeking treatment.

Who is CARF?
Founded in 1966, as the Commission on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities, CARF is a private, not-for-profit organization that promotes quality rehabilitation services. It does this by establishing standards of quality for organizations to use as guidelines in developing and offering their programs or services to consumers. CARF uses the standard to determine how well an organization is serving its consumers and how it can improve. Every year the standards are reviewed and new ones are developed to keep pace with changing conditions and current consumer needs.

What does accreditation mean to me?
Choosing CARF-accredited programs and services gives you the assurance that:

* The programs or services actively involve consumers in selecting, planning, and using services.
* The organization’s programs and services have met consumer-focused, state-of-the-art international standards of performance.
* These standards were developed with the involvement and input of consumers.
* The organization is focused on assisting each consumer in achieving his or her chosen goals and outcomes

For more information about recovery choices for drug and alcohol abuse explore our other pages on this website or feel free to call our toll free number 866-418-1397 with any questions. We are here to answer your questions and find the appropriate treatment option that suits your needs.

Recovery from Drug Addiction and Alcoholism - The 3 Keys to Successful Recovery

Comfortable Withdrawl and Biophysical Detoxification

For many addicts the thought of withdrawl brings fear and anxiety to an already emotional situation. For this reason safe and comfortable medical withdraw is often times the first step in starting a positive program of recovery. First impressions are important and setting a tone of care and comfort is recommended.
Once withdraw is completed the next step of removing the residual effects of long term drug and alcohol abuse is a major factor in reducing relapse tendencies and insuring the maximum benefits are realized from the rest of the treatment. If an addict is still craving drugs and experiencing the "dulling" of their mind and senses the effectiveness of treatment is very much compromised.

Family Support and Relationship Repair

Addiction is a family affliction. Although the addict is solely responsible for his past behavior successful long term recovery is directly dependent on the ability to repair and rebuild the relationships once so dear to all involved. The family is the support group for the future and relationship repair should be a central focus in any treatment. Most addicts haven't the ability to effectively begin this process and will need guidance and methodology to insure lasting success.

Length of Stay

There are direct correlations to length of stay in treatment and long term sobriety. The chances of an addict achieving sobriety and maintaining a lifestyle to support sobriety greatly increase when long term inpatient care is the treatment of choice. Most addictions are not born overnight. They develop over years into patterns of behavior. These patterns must be broken. This coupled with treating the bio-physical aspects of addiction and the emotional aspects of addiction take time.