2011-02-03 
Addiction
treatments may vary depending on what rehabilitation center you are in
and what kind of addiction you have. Nevertheless, most of the treatment
centers - whether modern or traditional facilities %u2212 follow the same
process in rehabilitation of an addict.
As for drug addiction, the first step of treatment is usually detoxification. Every kind of detox program will have its own methodology and process. However, this won't give guarantee whether an addict may or may not get withdrawals. Withdrawals are said to be the worst part of the detoxification process. In severe cases, this process can even be fatal. Drug detox is done primarily to control the addict from being intoxicated from the drugs he was abusing. The detox period refers to the period when a person is attempting to cleanse their bodies from all unwanted drugs. This purging process aims to lessen the (physical) effects of whatever addictive substance the person might be using. Normally, there are three steps in drug detoxification. The three steps are the following: First and foremost is evaluation. The process of detoxification begins by testing the patient in order to identify what particular substance and how much of this substance is present in the bloodstream at that time. Health practitioner will also evaluate the patient for other disorders, comorbidities and for potential mental or behavioral issues. The next stage is stabilization, where the patient is helped in the detoxification process. This is usually done with the aid of medication but could also be done without it. It is also at this stage where the recovery process and what should be expected during the treatment are explained to the patient. If deemed suitable, a support system is brought in at this time by involving those who are close to the patient. Finally, the patient is guided for the actual recovery process. As detoxification is only addressing the physical aspect of the addiction or dependency to the drugs, its effects would only be on the short term and limited to the physical health of the addict. So it is this stage where the clinicians would persuade the drug dependent to complete the addiction treatment by committing himself into a drug rehab program and facility. Oftentimes, drug withdrawal from the detoxification process is accompanied by several days of painful symptoms which can be an obstacle in treating the drug addiction. This is why a number of practitioners use the method of rapid detoxification, which considerably expedites the withdrawal process. In this method, patients are usually asleep or placed under anesthesia while being treated. While this can eliminate the major effects of withdrawal, its critics claims that this method have not been established as safe and could also be expensive. Its long term on the overall rehabilitation process also remains controversial. |