In the United States, an average of 130 people dies of an opioid overdose every day.
Drug treatment options offered by clinics, hospitals, and rehab centers across the country can lower that number.
But choosing the right treatment option for each individual is important. Everyone has their own needs and reacts differently to various treatments. Finding the right treatment option can help increase the chances of success and decrease the chance of a relapse.
Keep reading to learn more about the different types of addiction treatment available today.
Counseling
One of the most common forms of rehabilitation therapy is counseling.
Often, this type of treatment is used in conjunction with other forms of treatment.
For instance, a patient might first go through detoxification. Then they would enter intense treatment at a short-term or long-term facility. Finally, they might attend counseling.
In this case, counseling is designed to help the patient stay on track with their goals.
Counseling may also function on its own as a form of treatment for patients who are working to break their addiction on their own.
In either case, there are several goals of counseling. It helps patients learn how to cope with and admit to their addiction. It teaches recovering addicts new lifestyle choices. It gives them the tools they need to avoid a relapse.
There are two forms of counseling; group and individual.
Individual counseling may include psychiatric care, employment help, and more intense, personalized care.
Group counseling reinforces the ideas and habits taught in counseling. It also adds a social aspect. Patients may find that they are better able to admit their problem and commit to making changes when they see other people in a similar position.
Long-term Residential
On the opposite end of the spectrum from counseling is long-term residential treatment.
Following detox, to break the addiction, patients enter a residential facility for an extended period. This is often either 6 or 12 months.
This treatment time is intensive and highly structured. Patients are “resocialized.” This means that they learn how to exist on their own again in the real world without falling back into the patterns of addiction.
Like in counseling, patients learn to cope with and admit to their addiction. They go through examining the behaviors and thoughts that led them to addiction in the first place. They relearn how to form relationships and how to identify others who might lead them back on the wrong path. In short, they learn new behaviors and habits.
The treatment plan can also change to fit different individual’s needs. Patients might go through employment training so that they can get a job after treatment.
Long-term residential treatment is ideal for patients likely to relapse after detox.
Even after long-term residency is over, patients may continue to receive care. This may come from an outpatient center or through counseling. This helps keep patients on track to prevent relapse months or years after their initial treatment is over.
Short-term Residential
Patients in need of something more intensive than counseling, but who lack the time or money for long-term residential care might instead opt for a short-term residency.
Short-term treatments often take a 12-step approach to treat addiction. Treatment is like long-term care, but in a shortened approach.
Short-term residential treatments vary. Many treat a specific kind of addiction. Some start with inpatient care in a hospital setting. Others take place in an outpatient clinic.
As with long-term programs, patients usually follow up on their residency with counseling. This helps to reinforce those patterns and behaviors learned during their residential treatment so that they can continue to live drug or alcohol-free.
Outpatient Treatment
Outpatient treatment, like counseling, does not involve any kind of residential stay in a hospital or clinic. However, it offers more intense care than counseling.
Rather than focusing solely on offering emotional support, the outpatient treatment uses many of the same treatments as residential care, but with the patient returning home at the end of treatment.
There are a number of reasons why a patient might choose outpatient care.
To start, outpatient care is less expensive than short or long term treatment. It also allows patients to keep working or caring for their family.
Outpatient care options vary widely. Patients might attend day programs that very closely mimic residential treatment programs. Or they may attend weekly or biweekly sessions.
Because outpatient treatment is less intensive than residential treatment, the chance for relapse is higher.
Combination Treatments
Most patients don’t receive a single treatment. Instead, they may undergo different types of treatments to better prevent a relapse.
For example, a patient might first go through detox in a hospital setting. Then, they may enter either a short-term or long-term treatment facility. Finally, after they are released, they may continue to receive outpatient care or group or individual counseling.
This follow-up care can help reinforce the ideas and behaviors learned during the first part of treatment.
Reentering the world after battling addiction in a treatment facility can be difficult. Having extended support can help keep a recovering addict on track, even when their environment might be tempting them to fall back into old, destructive patterns.
Choosing the Right Treatment Option for Different Types of Addiction
Rehab and other types of addiction treatment may help patients learn new habits and fight a relapse. But they shouldn’t be considered guaranteed cures.
Instead, an addiction to drugs or alcohol can only be managed. Finding the right treatment option for each individual can help them better manage their addiction and restart their lives again.
If you’re ready to make a change that could save your life or the life of an addicted loved one, it’s time to find the right addiction treatment for you or your family member. Contact our addiction specialists to start searching for the right treatment today!