Finding the Right Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center

Making the choice to get help for an addiction problem can be one of the hardest life decisions a person will face. Considering the overall effects of addiction on the mind, it takes considerable fortitude to go against the force that addiction becomes in a person’s life. At this point, it’s especially important to locate the right drug and alcohol treatment centers.

Substance abuse treatment centers can vary in how any one program approaches addiction treatment. Where one approach can greatly benefit some people, others may be left needing a different treatment approach.

Ultimately, finding the right addiction treatment center has as much to do with any one program’s attention to quality of care as it does the program’s ability to address a person’s individual treatment needs. Last, but not least, the level or intensity of treatment a person needs has a huge bearing on what to look for in a recovery prorgams and facilities.

Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers

As of 2009, an estimated 23.5 million people in the U. S. were in need of drug and/or alcohol treatment, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. In spite of the large numbers of people affected, only a small percentage of people actually seek out needed treatment help.

Drug abuse treatment programs can vary in different ways based on a wide range of factors. Differences between programs include:

• Program Durations
• Types of Treatment Offered
• Treatment Program Intensity
• Types of Addictions Treated

Each one of these differences can affect a program’s ability to adequately address any one person’s treatment needs.

Individualized Treatment Planning

Drug addictions develop in different ways for different people. Whereas some may be using drugs to self-medicate other underlying psychological problems, others may turn to drugs as a way to block difficult emotions associated with past traumas.

A drug and alcohol rehab facility should incorporate a comprehensive evaluation process as part of its overall treatment approach. Individualized treatment planning entails assessing the needs of the person and basing his or her treatment on the information contained in the assessment.

Types of Treatment Programs

Someone who’s used drugs or alcohol over the course of years requires an intensive treatment program of considerable duration to effectively address the physical and psychological effects of a long-term addiction. People at the early stages of addiction will likely require a less intensive treatment approach. These factors have a considerable bearing on finding the right type of drug and alcohol treatment center program.

Treatment Program Intensities from Highest to Lowest

• Detox Care
• Inpatient Care
• Residential Care
• Sober Living Environments
• Outpatient Treatment

Someone coming off a long-term addiction will likely need to enter two or more of the above program types as part of his or her overall recovery process.

Aftercare Treatment Planning

Regardless of which type of treatment program a person decides on, aftercare addiction treatment planning should be a part of any drug and alcohol treatment center’s program approach.

Aftercare treatment planning provides recovering addicts with the needed supports to ensure ongoing abstinence once they reenter everyday life.